Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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268. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the level of foresight or future planning that operates within his Department; who is responsible for long-term planning; the input these individuals or teams have into Departmental policy and practice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61658/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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My department’s approach to future planning is informed by Securing Ireland’s Future the Programme for Government 2025 and the Department of Defence and Defence Forces Strategy Statement 2025–2028 which reflect the Government’s commitment to transforming the Defence Forces into a modern, fit for purpose organisation to defend the State and meet the challenges of today and the future. Responsibility for strategic management and planning, lies with the Management Board of my Department, led by the Secretary General. A number of different branches are responsible for actions in their respective areas across the Department, supporting the delivery of the Programme for Government and the Strategy Statement.

The 2015 White Paper on Defence established a fixed cycle of defence reviews to ensure Defence policy remains current, agile and adaptive to the prevailing security environment. The first iteration of these reviews was the White Paper Update published in 2019.

The Defence Policy Review 2024 (DPR) 'Adjusting and affirming our Defence policy in an era of change' is the latest in this cycle of reviews, which was drafted by the policy team in the context of the Government's agreed recommendations from the Commission on the Defence Forces and the Independent Review Group.

The first stage of the DPR was for the policy team to prepare a revised Security Environment Assessment (SEA), in conjunction with an interdepartmental and interagency working group. The work of this group was led by the Department of Defence and also comprised representatives of the Departments of the Taoiseach; Justice; Foreign Affairs; Environment, Climate and Communications; the National Cyber Security Centre; Transport as well as the Defence Forces and An Garda Síochána. This Security Environment Assessment informed the overall policy requirements, associated tasks, capability development and resourcing as part of the Defence Policy Review.

This review reaffirms, and where appropriate, revises our Defence Policy and the posture of the Defence Forces in response to the prevailing security environment and the wider national and international defence landscape.

As well as affirming our commitment to deepening and broadening defence and security cooperation, the review highlights a number of key priorities for the period to 2028. A focus on maritime security is identified as a priority. This involves immediate action on military radar capabilities and the Department of Defence taking the lead on the future national Maritime Security Strategy, which is near completion. The next formal fixed cycle Defence review will be initiated shortly and it is intended its publication will dovetail with the Level of Ambition (LOA) 2 timeline of 2028. In addition and in response to a recommendation in the Commission Report to implement a top down Capability Development Planning Process, a civil/military staffed Capability Development Unit was established in 2023. That unit is preparing a Capability Development Programme, that will identify at a high level, the Capability requirements for the Defence Forces in terms of equipment out to 2040.