Naoise Ó Muirí (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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234. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if Ireland will be signing an agreement with a company to replace its fleet (details supplied); the timeline involved in such a decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63114/25]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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My priority as Minister for Defence is to ensure that the operational capability of the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service is maintained and developed. This is to enable the Defence Forces to carry out the roles assigned by Government. Equipment priorities for the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service are considered in the context of the established capability development and Equipment Development Planning (EDP) processes.

The Defence Forces operate a fleet of 80 MOWAG Piranha III Armoured Vehicles, providing essential force protection to personnel serving overseas. The fleet is comprised of 53 Infantry Armoured People Carriers, 18 Cavalry Close Reconnaissance Vehicles, 6 Cavalry Medium Reconnaissance Vehicles and 3 Ambulance Variant Vehicles. The vehicles came into service in three phases: in 2002 (40 vehicles), 2004 (25 vehicles) and 2007 (15 vehicles). In recent years there has been significant investment in the armoured fleet of vehicles with the enhancement of force protection and mobility with the mid-life refit of the MOWAG Piranha III vehicles project nearing completion. To date 74 of the 80 vehicles have completed the Midlife Upgrade Programme and have returned to service. The final six vehicles are expected to complete the programme later this year. This programme will ensure the viability of the fleet beyond 2030.

Following the publication of the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces in 2022, the Government approved a move, over a six-year period, to a level of Defence Forces’ capability equivalent to ‘Level of Ambition 2’.

A key recommendation of the Commission on the Defence Forces which has been accepted in principle is the “replacement of the existing APCs with a larger and enhanced fleet equipped with sufficient firepower for future overseas missions, and with ‘level 4’ armour across armour platforms where required”.

A joint civil / military project team are continuing their work on this programme in line with the Public Spending Code Infrastructure Guidelines. The programme is currently in the process of identifying the needs and requirements of the future armoured fleet as part of the capability development planning process. This process is ongoing and no decisions have been made in terms of details concerning the supply of the new fleet.

More generally, in July 2025 the Government approved the National Development Plan (2026-2030). As per the capital allocation under the NDP, the capital budget for Defence will rise from €1.1 billion under the previous NDP to €1.7billion, the largest increase in Defence funding in the history of the State.

This level of capital funding will allow a phased planned programme of sustained equipment and infrastructural development across the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service as identified and prioritised in the recommendations approved by Government within the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces, while building on the significant investment programme over recent years.