Catherine Callaghan
Question:234. Deputy Catherine Callaghan asked the Minister for Defence when she intends to publish the National Capability Development Programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [71318/25]
View answerTuesday, 16 December 2025
Questions (234)
Written answers
My priority as Minister for Defence is to ensure that the operational capability of the Defence Forces is maintained and developed and this will be aided by the Capability Development Programme.
The civil/military staffed Capability Development Unit, established in 2023 in response to a recommendation in the Commission on the Defence Forces to implement a top down Capability Development Planning Process, are preparing a Capability Development Programme, that will identify, at a high level, the Capability requirements for the Defence Forces out to 2040. This ongoing piece of work, once complete, will inform the prioritisation of capabilities the Defence Forces will progress in moving towards the strategic level of ambition set out in the Defence Policy Review. This will be in line with the capital allocation under the National Development Plan. To this end, the priority continues to be progressing to LOA 2 thereby providing the foundations for future developments in capability.
The Capability Development Programme will be published in the first half of 2026.