Maeve O'Connell (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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220. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence to report on his Department’s progress on publishing its new Statement of Strategy. [31401/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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In accordance with the provisions of the Public Service Management Act, 1997, the Secretary General is required to submit a new Strategy Statement, for Ministerial approval, within six months of the appointment of a new Minister. The current Strategy Statement was formally approved in October 2023 and covers the period 2023 to 2026. The new Strategy Statement for the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces, covering the period 2025-2028, is currently being prepared by my Department to be presented to the Minister for Defence.

The Defence Policy Review, Strategic Framework, Detailed Implementation Plan for the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces and the Independent Review Group report set the overall context and longer-term strategic framework within which the new Strategy Statement will sit. The new Strategy Statement will also be informed by the Programme for Government. The overall Defence policy framework is flexible and responsive given the dynamic nature of the security environment and enables the Department of Defence and Defence Forces to be adaptive to changing circumstances.