Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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166. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence for an update on the Institute for Peace Support and Leadership Training in the Curragh proposed in the 2015 White Paper on Defence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17595/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Implementation of the White Paper programme has progressed in planned phases since 2015. This phased process was kept under review across the years and was subject to change or update as issues arose and other business dictated. Decisions about which projects to progress at any stage took into account the priorities set out in the Programme for Government, available resources, and initiatives already underway.

I am informed that during the lifetime of the White Paper a formal feasibility study was carried out to establish the viability, or otherwise, of developing an Institute for Peace Support and Leadership Training. An interim report was submitted to the Department in this regard in November 2018 and the study was concluded in February 2021. It found that the concept of an Institute for Peace Support and Leadership Training could be viable and made recommendations on potential future development.

In September 2023, my Department published the Strategic Framework on the Transformation of the Defence Forces. This Framework brought together into one overarching document, from the multiplicity of plans developed, the immediate actions to be taken to support the transformation of the Defence Forces into a fit-for-purpose organisation to defend the State and meet the challenges of today and the future.

A White Paper programme status report was subsequently published in May 2024, which reflected the current position for each of the 95 White Paper projects and followed on from similar updates in 2019 and 2021. It identified a number of projects that will be now amalgamated for implementation under the Government-approved Detailed Implementation Plan, DIP, to operationalise the Commission on the Defence Forces transformation.

The White Paper commitment has now been incorporated under the Commission on the Defence Forces recommendation on the establishment of a National Defence Academy, with a status of "Further Evaluation". This indicates that further evaluation with key stakeholders is required in terms of the resource, policy, financial and legislative implications before a decision on implementation can be considered. The feasibility study previously carried out will inform this process with regard to the proposed Institute. I am informed that this further evaluation is progressing and is expected to be completed by the end of this year.