Eamon Scanlon (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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212. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if expenditure under Vote 35 is taken into account when calculating Ireland’s defence expenditure as a share of national income; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17689/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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In order to facilitate consistent reporting on defence expenditure internationally, agencies such as the European Defence Agency (EDA) and the Stockholm International Peace & Research Unit (SIPRI) utilise a standardised approach in determining defence expenditure. This includes direct military pensions costs as they constitute an inherent element of Defence Forces operations. Accordingly, in calculating Defence expenditure in Ireland, Vote 35 (Army Pensions) expenditure is included.

In Ireland, Defence Expenditure as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) or Modified Gross National Income GNI* are the most commonly used measures. GNI* was introduced by the CSO in 2015 and excludes the globalisation effects that disproportionately affected the size of the Irish economy. Using these measures, Defence expenditure as a percentage of GDP was 0.2% in 2024 while Defence Expenditure as a % of GNI* was 0.4% in 2023, the latest date for which GNI* is available.

It is acknowledged that the level of Irish expenditure on defence is lower than other EU states - and this issue was highlighted in the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces. It is also worth noting that there is no EU requirement for Ireland to achieve any specific percentage of GDP target in relation to Defence expenditure, nor is there any agreement at EU level in this regard, it is my intention to increase spending.

The resources allocated to Defence allows the Defence Forces to, inter alia, make a significant contribution to domestic security, provide a broad range of supports to the civil power and to the civil authorities, and to contribute significantly to international peace and security efforts.

The Defence Vote Group budget has risen substantially since the Commission Report to €1.35 billion in 2025, a 22% increase since 2022. This represents significant progress on the Government’s commitment to increase the Defence budget to €1.5 billion by 2028, at 2022 prices, as part of the annual budgetary process. For 2026, it is my intention to build further on these increases, as part of upcoming Estimates and ongoing National Development Plan Review discussions.