Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 December 2025
110. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Defence if she will report on the revised NDP capital allocation for Defence for the period 2026-2030; the way in which defence infrastructure in Louth will benefit from this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71621/25]
View answerAs I announced last week, the revised NDP Capital allocation for the Defence Vote Group will provide €1.7 billion in capital funding to Defence out to 2030. This represents an increase of €600 million (55%) on the previous baseline of €1,100 million. For 2026, the Defence capital allocation will increase by €85 million to €300 million. Full details of the Defence NDP 2026-2030 Sectoral Plan are available on the Government website gov.ie.
Capital Investment in Defence primarily provides for the renewal, retention and acquisition of major defence equipment and defence infrastructural development – expenditure which enhances and supports military capabilities and contributes to a more secure and resilient society.
The Defence Forces Infrastructure Development Plan (IDP) currently sets out a programme of infrastructural project delivery to 2027. It reflects the complex environment in which the Defence Forces operate and the corresponding need for appropriate infrastructure to provide for accommodation and training of personnel, as well as the maintenance and storage of equipment.
The IDP is iterative in nature thus ensuring that it remains relevant and that investment is targeted where most needed and aligns with a range of other factors encompassing funding availability, delivery capacity, timing, interdependency with equipment projects and linkage to strategic capability development goals. Within these overarching IDP structures, a central heating upgrade has recently been delivered to Aiken Barracks, with a dining hall upgrade currently ongoing.
Over the 2026-2030 timeframe, €400 million is being allocated to infrastructural investment on the Defence NDP Sectoral Plan, a level of funding, which will inform and enable associated future IDP processes and deliver enhanced accommodation, offices, gyms etc to military installations throughout the country, together with more targeted investment on the development of specific requirements such as aircraft hangars and naval berthage capacity.
