139. Deputy Martin Daly asked the Minister for Defence the specific capital investment projects planned for the Defence Forces over the next five years; the way in which these investments will address current capability gaps identified by the Commission on the Defence Forces; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54047/26]

Thank you Deputy for the question.  A key priority for me as Minister for Defence is to ensure that the capabilities of the Defence Forces are maintained, developed and enhanced in order to ensure that the Defence Forces can carry out all of the roles assigned to it by Government.  In the context of an evolving geopolitical and security environment, it is essential that Ireland continues to enhance the capabilities of its Defence Forces.

One of the key recommendations from the Commission on the Defence Forces was to implement a top down capability development planning process (CDPP) to bring planning for Defence Forces capabilities in line with best practice.

In early 2023 a Capability Development Unit was established in the Department. It is civil/military in terms of staffing, with military staff from across the three services of the Defence Forces, providing an overarching joint perspective to capability planning.  The Unit is now well established and in the final stages of the upstream phase, the key output of which is a long term 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, and the objectives as set out in the recently published Strategic Framework and Update to the Detailed Implementation Plan for the Commission on the Defence Forces. The Capability Development Programme will be finalised and published in 2026, however as the Deputy will appreciate, the assessment of capabilities and summarised capability gaps are highly sensitive and are not releasable in the interests of national security.

My Department also manages an Equipment Development plan which manages requirements for the immediate term and recognises the need to maintain and upgrade military capabilities having regard to emerging priorities, operational requirements and changes in technology. There is a significant body of work currently underway to ensure that the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service have the required capabilities with equipment projects such as body armour, H145m helicopter, towed sonar  and counter drone capability in various stages of the project lifecycle.

In terms of capital infrastructure planning, 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 the accommodation and training of personnel, as well as the maintenance and storage of equipment.

In order to progress Defence Forces infrastructural projects more efficiently and deliver economies of scale, my Department is currently developing a series of infrastructural masterplans. These masterplans will identify the infrastructure requirements for each installation along with an associated prioritisation schedule and a phased timeline for delivery. These plans will dovetail with developments identified under the current IDP and will also lay out requirements for the years from 2027 onwards.

Over the 2026-2030 timeframe of the Defence NDP, I have committed €400 million in funding for infrastructural investment, a level of funding which will deliver enhanced accommodation, offices, gyms etc to military installations nationwide, together with more targeted investment on the development of specific requirements such as aircraft hangars and naval berthage capacity.