Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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70. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence further to Parliamentary Question No. 206 of 8 May 2025, to provide details of the 2025 work programme of the Institute for Security Governance to be progressed throughout the year, which is costing the State €716,000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31259/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Commission on the Defence Forces report was published on the 9th of February 2022. The Commission undertook a significant body of work, encompassing wide-ranging terms of reference. It recommended significant changes for the Defence Forces and Defence provision in Ireland. It covers high level Defence Forces structures, defence capabilities, organisation, culture and human resources, the Reserve Defence Force and funding.

The Commission on the Defence Forces recommended "The Chief of Defence to initiate an immediate force design process assisted by external experts with access to international military expertise, and to include a detailed force design process." The reasoning for the requirement for international support is the lack of such experience and expertise in the Defence Forces.

The Defence Forces have established Force Design teams within the Army, Naval Service and Air Corps and an overarching strategic force design office. The Defence Forces also carried out market research to identify support options for the Force Design process. The Defence Forces found the Institute for Security Governance (ISG), an institute which is part of the US Department of Defense, to be the most suitable and appropriate external support option in the context of a joint approach to force design.

ISG specialise in institutional capacity building and have significant expertise and experience in force design and development, and have worked with over 80 nations, including smaller militaries (e.g. Estonia, Bulgaria, Georgia). Solutions are underpinned by best international practice and driven by partner nations.

The ISG subject matter experts have been working with the Force Design teams since the start of the year in designing a structure for a modern force of Ireland’s size taking into account the Defence Forces roles and the capabilities required to deliver these roles. It should also be noted that the geopolitical environment, which has changed substantially since the Commission on the Defence Forces reported, will also have to be factored into a future force design. This is complicated and challenging work which we need to get right to ensure that we design a modern force which is fit for purpose for future generations.

A 2025 work programme has been agreed which will be progressed throughout the year with a final report to be produced. The work programme involves an initial planning phase for the work to be undertaken, an analysis of capability requirements followed by a gap analysis based on these requirements, a solutions analysis and finally a report. The report will then be subject to Ministerial review.