Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 13 June 2023
234. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the additional funding that will be provided in the Defence Forces budget in order to realise Government commitments in respect of the Commission on the Defence Forces in both capital and current allocations for each of the years 2023 to 2028, inclusive, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27634/23]
View answerIn July 2022, the Government approved a move to Level of Ambition 2 (LOA2), as recommended by the Commission on the Defence Forces. As part of that decision the Government committed to increasing the Defence budget from €1.1 billion to €1.5 billion by 2028, as part of the annual budgetary process. This level of investment will allow for the required transformation and investment in recruitment, equipment and infrastructure that was identified by the Commission.
The annual Defence budget allocation is determined within the overarching budgetary framework, and approved by Dáil Eireann having regard to the level of resources available and defence policy requirements. It is within this context that the annual Defence budget, for 2024 and subsequent years, will be determined, with the estimates process for 2024 set to commence shortly.
For 2023, the total overall gross allocation provided to the Defence Group budget, as set out in Budget 2023, is €1.21 billion, comprising of over €915 million on the Defence Vote and over €294 million on the Army Pensions Vote. This significant allocation represents an overall increase of €93 million on 2022 and comprises of an increase of €35 million in the capital allocation and €58 million in the current allocation across the Vote Group.
The significant additional funding allocated in Budget 2023 across current and capital expenditure categories will further enable the Defence Forces to deliver effectively on all its key domestic and international responsibilities, enhance our national and international security capability and facilitate ongoing investment and transformation in the Defence Forces, as recommended by the Commission. It also highlights the positive commitment of Government to providing a strong financial platform for the transformation of the Defence Forces as we move towards the commencement of Estimates 2024 discussions over the coming months.
