Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 July 2023
346. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if his Department will outline the enhanced expenditure necessary to bring the Defence Forces up to their full complement and capability in order to defend our neutrality, patrol our waters and airspace and fulfil their international obligations such as peacekeeping; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35228/23]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, the annual defence sector budget, comprising Vote 35, Army Pensions, and Vote 36, Defence, is determined within the overarching budgetary framework and approved by Dáil Eireann. The 2023 allocation for the Defence Vote Group as set out in the Revised Estimates amounts to €1.2 billion. My Department engages with the Department of Defence in relation to expenditure issues including through the annual Estimates process. Policy issues related to the Defence sector and the implementation of budgetary plans are a matter for the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence, and the matters raised and any specific queries related to that sector should be appropriately addressed to him.
