The total gross budget allocation for the Defence Vote Group in 2026 is €1.49 billion, comprising of €1.173 billion on Vote 36 (Defence) and €317 million on Vote 35 (Army Pensions). For 2025, the corresponding total for the Defence Vote Group was €1.35 billion, comprising of €1.020 billion on Vote 36 (Defence) and €330 million on Vote 35 (Army Pensions).
Expenditure on Vote 35 – Army Pensions, is demand-led and non-discretionary and, in 2026, provides for the payment of statutory pension entitlements to 13,500 former members of the Defence Forces and their dependants.
Expenditure on Vote 36 – Defence in 2026, provides for, inter alia, the pay and allowances of up to 9,140 public service employees, ongoing Defence Forces standing and operational costs and essential capital investment in equipment and infrastructure.
Defence Vote spending is managed through a single programme with all operational outputs delivered from a single set of forces encompassing the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service.
Accordingly, funding is not allocated from the Defence Vote on a geographical basis, apart from specific funding provided to individual local authorities in support of Civil Defence activities. In respect of Civil Defence activities, grant allocations are provided to cover the operational costs of 28 Civil Defence Units across the country, and to grant aid fleet replacement and training. These allocations are not published centrally but are acknowledged in the annual published accounts of each Local Authority.
In addition, ongoing capital investment in Defence Forces built infrastructure, benefits military installations located throughout the country - details of ongoing capital infrastructure projects are outlined in the Defence Forces Capital Infrastructure Development Plan, which is available on gov.ie, the official Government of Ireland website. These infrastructural projects continue to deliver significant enhancements to the physical working environment of all Defence Forces personnel.
