Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 October 2024
151. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence to provide a breakdown of how the recent €100 million increase in the defence budget for 2025 will be allocated, particularly for personnel welfare, equipment upgrades, and infrastructural improvements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42590/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Defence Vote Group has been provided with a funding allocation of €1,350 million in Budget 2025 - €1,021 million for the Defence Vote and €329 million for the Army Pensions Vote. This represents a €100m (8%) increase on the corresponding 2024 allocation.
For 2025, the key priority remains to progress the transformation of the Defence Forces as outlined in the Strategic Framework, supported by the Detailed Implementation Plan. In that context, the significant level of funding now provided will facilitate further progress and support the implementation of a range of recommendations and priorities identified in the Commission on the Defence Forces (CODF), the Independent Review Group (IRG) on Dignity & Equality Issues in the Defence Forces and the recently published Defence Policy Review.
The Defence Vote pay allocation has increased by €19 million to €568 million. This includes a PDF pay allocation of €469 million, which will provide for an expected year-end PDF strength of 7,600, the induction of a net additional 400 recruits and the full impacts of the National Pay Agreement in 2025. The Government has acknowledged recruitment and retention challenges in the Defence Forces and there are signs of stabilisation. There has been significant progress on pay and a range of initiatives have been introduced to support recruitment and retention, including an increase in the mandatory retirement age to 62, the doubling of the Naval Service Patrol Duty allowance, the further extension of the Naval Service tax credit and the extension of private secondary healthcare to all members of the PDF.
The non-pay current expenditure allocation on the Defence Vote will increase by over €30 million in 2025. In addition to ongoing operational and standing costs, this allocation will also provide targeted funding to facilitate, inter alia, an increase to the advertising budget to support an enhanced Defence Forces recruitment effort; the procurement of a replacement Defence Forces Uniform; additional civilian recruitment and an increased spend on external expertise and services; the full year costs of the Tribunal of Inquiry in 2025 and increased funding to support Air Corps fleet maintenance, airfield and training costs.
Capital investment in Defence, which largely provides for Defence Forces equipment and infrastructural needs, will increase by €39 million to €215 million in 2025. This is a clear demonstration of Government’s strong commitment to Defence and will provide the Defence Forces with an increased capacity necessary to respond to increasingly more complex global security threats and events.
The main Defence equipment projects set to progress in 2025 from the increased capital allocation include, but are not limited to, the Military Radar programme; the Military Transport Aircraft project; the acquisition of Software Defined Radio; the purchase of General Service Body Armour and the Sub-Sea Awareness project.
There has been significant investment in Defence Forces built infrastructure over recent years which has modernised and upgraded Defence Forces accommodation, dining, storage and training facilities across various military installations. This investment will continue in 2025 and some of the key infrastructural projects set to progress include: -
• Casement Military Medical Facility, Baldonnel;
• Refurbishment Block 1 Accommodation, Collins Bks, Cork;
• ARW HQ, DFTC, Curragh Camp;
• Air Corps Hangars (2 and 4), Baldonnel;
• Dining Hall, Aiken Bks, Dundalk.
The allocation for the Army Pensions Vote, which is mainly demand-led and non-discretionary, has increased by €12 million to €329 million in 2025 and will provide pension benefits to 13,600 Army Pensioners and their dependants.
The significant funding increase provided in Budget 2025 will enable the Defence Forces to effectively undertake all roles approved by Government, both at home and overseas, while also allowing considerable progress on the transformation agenda underway throughout the Defence Forces.
