James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

10. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence for a detailed breakdown of costings for the way in which the Defence Forces can get from level of ambition 2 to level of ambition 3, which he referred to in a Dáil debate on 26 February 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9874/25]

James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

11. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the unit in his Department which he has tasked with providing a detailed breakdown of costings for the way in which the Defence Forces can get from LOA2 to LOA3 which he referred to in a Dáil debate on 26 February 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9875/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 and 11 together.

The previous Government approved the move to ‘Level of Ambition 2’ (LOA2), as set out in the capability framework devised by the Commission on the Defence Forces in July, 2022. This provided for a rise in the Defence budget to €1.5 billion, in 2022 prices, by 2028, as part of the annual Estimates process, and signalled a huge period of change and transformation for the Defence Forces, encompassing high-level Defence Forces structures, defence capabilities, organisation, culture and human resources, the Reserve Defence Force and funding.

The Programme for Government commits to increased investment in Defence, providing the funding and political support necessary to achieve Level of Ambition 2 Enhanced Capability, and move as quickly as possible to Level of Ambition 3.

Considerable progress has been made in delivering on the LOA 2 funding commitment, with the 2025 Defence Vote Group allocation of €1.35 billion the largest to date and a 22% increase on the corresponding 2022 allocation. It will also see capital investment in Defence increase to €215 million in 2025, further increasing to €220 million in 2026 – the highest level of capital funding provided to date. This will represent a significant increase of €79 million (56%) on the corresponding 2022 Defence capital funding allocation of €141 million.

As part of upcoming Estimates 2026 and NDP review processes, I intend building on this progress and delivering fully on LOA 2 funding commitments. To that end, officials in my Department will be engaging constructively with colleagues from the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery & Reform over the coming months.

In addition, the civil/military staffed Capability Development Unit, established in 2023 in response to a recommendation in the Commission on the Defence Forces to implement a top down Capability Development Planning Process, are currently preparing a Capability Development Programme, that will identify and cost, at a high level, the Capability requirements for the Defence Forces. This ongoing piece of work will inform further work and analysis needed in terms of personnel and infrastructure requirements for LOA 3.

This is a crucial body of work, that will be progressed in a phased manner. In the interim the priority continues to be progressing to LOA 2, which will provide the foundations necessary for the step up to LOA 3.