Naoise Ó Cearúil (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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26. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the timeframe to achieve level of ambition 2 enhanced capability; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30995/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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As Minister, I am deeply committed to the transformation of the Defence Forces into a modern fit for purpose organisation to defend the State and meet the challenges of today and the future.

Across Europe, all countries are experiencing an increasingly contested, dynamic and volatile international security environment. There is a need for us to be seen to take our own security responsibilities seriously. We have seen significant increases in our own defence spending in the past few years in response to that, which has allowed us to procure much needed capabilities. We have set out a future pathway to continue these expenditure increases.

The Commission on the Defence Forces was established on foot of a commitment in the Programme for Government, and its report was published on the 9th of February 2022. There were 69 main recommendations and with sub recommendations there were 130 recommendations in total. It recommended significant changes for the Defence Forces and Defence provision in Ireland. It covered high-level Defence Forces structures, defence capabilities, organisation, culture and human resources, the Reserve Defence Force and funding.

The Commission created a framework focused around three tiers of level of ambition (LOA): LOA1 current capability, LOA2 enhanced capability, and LOA3 conventional capability.

The Commission recognised that any proposal to move to LOA3 could only be considered in the context of a step-up, in the first instance, to LOA2 and following a comprehensive review of Ireland’s defence policy.

Given the significant recommendations contained in the Report, detailed consideration of these recommendations was undertaken with a High Level Action Plan (HLAP) and a Memo for Government brought to Government and approved on July 12th 2022. This involved the approval of a move to ‘Level of Ambition 2’ (LOA2) by 2028, as set out in the capability framework devised by the Commission on the Defence Forces. This will result in the Defence budget rising from €1.1 billion to €1.5 billion, in 2022 prices, by 2028, the largest increase in Defence funding in the history of the State. This will allow for the required substantial transformation and investment in recruitment and equipment that were identified by the Commission.

The Detailed Implementation Plan for the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces, was published on the 21st of November 2023. This plan sets out an ambitious programme of work to move to LOA 2 and the significant and fundamental change for the Defence Forces that will be delivered across:

• Strategic HR and Cultural Change;
• New Command and Control and Joint Structures to be established;
• Services to be reformed and restructured;
• Reserve Defence Force to be revitalised; and
• Joint Capability Development to be implemented

This includes changes made to the existing Naval Service allowances, as a means of simplifying current structures, by consolidating the daily allowance and the sea-going commitment scheme into one enhanced allowance.

In addition to this, extension of private secondary healthcare to enlisted ranks was implemented in September 2023.

In terms of recruitment, a number of initiatives have been progressed to counter staffing challenges in the Defence Forces, The Government agreed to increase the maximum retirement age for Permanent Defence Force personnel to 62. This facilitated an increase in the maximum recruitment age to 39 for those roles. The maximum recruitment age for Direct Entry Officer specialists has been increased to 50.

43 of the Commission's recommendations are now fully implemented, with many more nearing completion. An Updated Detailed Implementation Plan for the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces is currently being finalised and it is my intention to publish it later this month.

Transformation efforts of this magnitude take time, and can only be successful if they are built on solid foundations. I have confidence that the structures that have been put in place and progress to date will ensure the successful delivery of the transformation effort and achieve Level of Ambition 2 by 2028.