Defence Matters: Statements
Seanad Éireann — 2026-02-25
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Helen McEntee (FG), Meath East

I thank the Cathaoirleach and Seanad colleagues for this opportunity to update them on my priorities as Minister for Defence and to listen to their views. This builds on the discussion we had only in the past two weeks. We need to have an honest debate in this country about defence and security and particularly about the role that Óglaigh na hÉireann will play in that regard. That debate can, and indeed should, take place in various forums, but it is essential the Houses of the Oireachtas debates issues around the security and defence of the State, so I welcome us having this discussion today.
As Minister for Defence, I am determined to drive forward an ambitious agenda to continue the transformation of the Defence Forces into a modern, fit-for-purpose organisation capable of defending the State and its people. In the past few weeks, I participated in a meeting of EU defence ministers and I attended the Munich Security Conference. It is very clear from my engagement with my EU and international colleagues that we all share the same concerns about the complex security environment in Europe, not least because of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, which we acknowledged started four years ago yesterday. Importantly, we also share the ambition for Europe as a whole to step up its investment in defence and security. Ireland will not be found wanting in that regard. Both these engagements reaffirmed my belief that Ireland needs to be ambitious in delivering the necessary capability, infrastructure and personnel to meet the security challenges, not just today but in future. The Government and I are fully committed to strengthening lreland’s defence by increasing investment with a view to achieving a significantly enhanced capability by 2028 and thereafter moving as quickly as possible to develop defence capabilities that match those of other small western European countries.
Nobody doubts the Defence Forces need greater investment. We all agree on that. This is precisely why Government is investing record funding, with €1.7 billion from the national development plan between now and 2030. This is a 55% increase on our previous capital plan. We will continue to increase our investment in the Defence Forces, but I am taking this opportunity to highlight what we are doing in that regard. In the period 2022 to 2026, the funding allocation for defence increased by €338 million or 40% from €836 million in 2022 to €1.17 billion in 2026. These funding increases have been delivered across the pay, current non-pay and capital spending categories. Since 2022, the capital funding allocation has increased by €159 million to €300 million, the current non-pay funding allocation has increased by 84% to almost €277 million in 2026 and the current pay funding allocation has increased by €10% to almost €598 million.
However, as Senators know, it is not just about funding, though that is extremely important. It is essential that we continue to reform the structures and culture of the Defence Forces and invest its members - the men and women of Oghlaigh na hÉireann. l recently announced the publication of the strategic framework 2026 and the updated detailed implementation plan for the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces, which reflect my key priorities for Defence. They essentially bring together the very many strategies and the various bodies of work that have been under way and that we want to ensure continue. To realise this ambition my key priorities as Minister include advancing an ambitious legislative programme, including a Bill to remove the existing requirement regarding the triple lock and a further Bill aimed at strengthening governance arrangements and supporting workforce reform through amending high-level structures within the Defence Forces. I will continue to drive the implementation of reform and transformation in our Defence Forces, particularly with respect to cultural change. A huge amount of work has been, and is being, done but we need to ensure that is embedded and that we see real and meaningful cultural change within the Defence Forces. I will support Defence Forces personnel, who again are the men and women who make all of this happen.
I want to ensure that investment translates into real capability with a particular focus on the greater use of new technologies. We all know there is now a greater need than ever, given the changing threats we are facing and currently experiencing, to invest in new technology and innovative ways to respond and defend ourselves. Progressing an ambitious policy agenda includes the implementation of the maritime security strategy and initiating a further defence policy review. I thank colleagues for attending this morning's launch of our first ever national maritime security strategy.
I take this opportunity to address a number of key priorities. As Minister for Defence, one of my driving forces is to deliver meaningful cultural change in the Defence Forces. Transformative change involves structures, culture, capability and people management. To achieve this, it is necessary to institute reforms spanning primary legislation, capability development, HR and culture. From a culture perspective, there is a huge amount of work being done, particularly driven by the external oversight body, chaired by Patricia King, focusing on how we can embed changes that are absolutely necessary. I again acknowledge the role Women of Honour have played in bringing about this necessary reform. I am committed to working with them and also the Defence Forces to ensure this is embedded.
We are putting in place a number of crucial HR initiatives, which will bolster the progress that has already been made in this area. Particular emphasis will be placed on enhanced career and talent management policies and practices, as well as revised access to promotional opportunities, a civilisation strategy and a workforce plan. With that there needs to be a particular emphasis on ensuring that women have an opportunity to progress through the various ranks, and that there are promotional opportunities that perhaps do not seem to be available at the moment. When we outline the new civilianisation and workforce plan strategy, there will be a particular emphasis on increasing what is quite a low base at the moment of 7.5% female participation.
Recruitment and retention initiatives are a driving force of the success of all transformation efforts. Improvements in recruitment policies and processes are beginning to bear fruit, with personnel numbers starting to grow again and interest in a career in the Defence Forces strengthening year on year. Last year, about 16,500 people applied and we have seen that reflected in the increase not just in our Naval Service and Army, but also in the Air Corps. My priority is to sustain this increase in recruitment, strengthen retention and support long-term career development for all the men and women of our Defence Forces.
A key part of my priority to enhance the capabilities of the Defence Forces is the military radar programme and good progress is being made. As an island nation, we must be ambitious in our air defence capabilities when it comes to our maritime security. The programme for radar will include three elements: land-based long-range primary radar; ground-based air defence systems, to include a counter-unmanned aerial system, or counter-drone, capability; and maritime, ship-borne radar. When fully delivered, the recognised air picture will incorporate this suite of military radar systems, which will have the capability to detect all aircraft traversing our airspace. We need that full maritime and overall domain picture.
Full delivery of the programme will be complex. Roll-out will commence this year and has been prioritised, with a target delivery date of 2028. I want it rolled out as soon as possible. Elements will be rolled out in phases, including the delivery of counter-drone technology in the second quarter of this year. I assure colleagues that we will have that technology in place for our EU Presidency to support and enhance the work An Garda Síochána will be doing as the main security provider for the Presidency.
Another key priority for me is the defence (amendment) Bill, which aims at revising how we deploy our Defence Forces overseas. I expect to bring the Bill to Cabinet for approval as soon as possible following the conclusion of the drafting process and to subsequently progress it through the Houses. I will look for support from colleagues in that regard.
The Bill will also make amendments to the Defence Acts to provide for the suspension, in certain circumstances, of a member of the Defence Forces, as well as associated matters. When we talk about the cultural reform piece, it is extremely important that there be better structures in place to be able to put a member on suspension if they are going through a criminal process.
With regard to the triple lock provisions, it is time to face facts. The legislation currently in place allows any of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, by means of a veto or, indeed, threat of veto, to bind this country's hands in its international peacekeeping engagement. We should not and cannot tolerate that. Recent vetoes by a UN Security Council member on a proposed resolution for a full and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza last June and September, as well as the challenges evidenced last summer with regard to the extension of the UNIFIL peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon, are ample evidence of this. If the UNIFIL mandate had gone to a vote last year and not been extended, we would have had to plan to withdraw our Defence Forces personnel from UNIFIL immediately following the expiration of the mandate. The extension of the UNIFIL mandate until the end of this year only happened because there was a compromise and engagement. It allows us to continue our deployment of Defence Forces personnel to the mission, but they must be withdrawn next year. When they are withdrawn next year, we will have 85 Defence Forces personnel on missions across the globe and in Brussels contributing to other types of missions. We cannot allow that to continue in this way. We need to ensure that our international peacekeeping missions can continue. We want to be very much part of new missions as they arise. There are ongoing missions that we currently cannot be part of. We have a proud tradition of peacekeeping and we want to ensure that continues.
I want to make it absolutely clear that the Government has no desire to alter our policy of military neutrality. The amendments proposed will do nothing to change Ireland's traditional position of military neutrality, which has always been characterised by Ireland's non-participation in military alliances. Our engagement overseas will continue to be firmly grounded in the principles of the UN Charter and international law and will, of course, require the consent of the democratically elected representatives of the people of Ireland.
The national maritime security strategy, published this morning, is a significant initiative and the first strategy of its kind in this country. In the context of a challenging geopolitical landscape and given the considerable threats and risks currently faced by the country, the strategy concentrates on securing the maritime domain from threats related to national security and defence. The strategy and accompanying action plan provide a roadmap over the next five years to safeguard Ireland’s sovereign maritime interests, ensure safe and secure seas, and support international legal order in the maritime domain. It is important that we do that working in close co-operation with our European and international partners. That is a key focus of the strategy.
My immediate ambition is on implementation and action, moving to deliver a new, whole-of-government approach to protect the security of our maritime domain, along with developing the concept of a national maritime security centre. A particularly important aspect of the strategy is to ensure that we co-operate with regional partners and international institutions. This will include co-operating closely with our near neighbours, the UK and France, and beyond on new initiatives, exploring the opportunity for Ireland to host or partner in a regional cable-monitoring hub for the EU in the north Atlantic. This will build on the work being done, the programmes that we are already included in and the exchanges that are already taking place. It is about enhancing it and being more ambitious.
From all of my EU and international engagements, it is quite evident that few if any countries can address the multitude of challenges facing them without some form of international collaboration. Therefore, one specific action resulting from the strategy is the pursuit of opportunities to participate in JEF+ activities, which supports non-NATO members participating in certain activities of the joint expeditionary force, JEF, on an ad hoc basis as long as no members of the group object. It was established in 2014 as a coalition of ten nations comprising high-readiness military preparedness to respond rapidly to crises. I believe this is something we should engage in and be part of. I anticipate, for example, that participation in JEF+ could enable personnel from our Naval Service to participate in training and exercises to learn and bring back best practice to Ireland and increase our ability to counter the maritime threats that we face.
There is much more that I could say about this and I appreciate that the Cathaoirleach has given me latitude with time as it is. A huge amount of work is happening. I am, and I think colleagues here are, really ambitious in ensuring we can go beyond what we have been doing in the recent past and support the men and women of Óglaigh na hÉireann. I sincerely thank the men and women of our Defence Forces for the work they do day in and day out in often very difficult circumstances at home and abroad. We are all extremely proud of them. We are all ambitious about making sure we can provide them with the support, resources and expansion that they need to be able to respond to the changing and challenging environment in the world we are living in.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-02-25/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:41+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-02-25