Tánaiste and Minister for Defence Simon Harris has stated that Ireland should aim to increase its defence budget to approximately €3 billion annually in the coming years.
Speaking recently, Mr. Harris referenced the Government’s commitment to reaching Level of Ambition Two, which sets a target of €1.5 billion in defence spending. However, he emphasized the need to progress further, aiming for Level of Ambition Three, as outlined in the Commission on the Defence Forces’ 2022 report.
“Reaching Level of Ambition Three is where we need to get to in the years ahead,” Mr. Harris said.
The statement comes as new figures obtained by RTÉ News reveal that the Defence Forces’ personnel numbers grew in 2024—the first increase in seven years. The force now stands at approximately 7,500 members across the Army, Naval Service, and Air Corps. A total of 708 personnel were recruited in 2024, marking a 70% increase compared to the previous year. However, women accounted for just 5% of new recruits.
The recruitment boost comes amid growing pressure across Europe, including Ireland, to enhance defence capabilities. Earlier this week, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar suggested that Ireland could provide peacekeepers to Ukraine if required under a UN-mandated ceasefire agreement.
However, the Representative Association of Commissioned Officers (RACO) expressed concerns over the feasibility of such deployments given current personnel levels. RACO President Comdt Martin Ryan stated that a large-scale deployment was “highly unlikely” due to existing commitments and staffing shortages.
“This is why recruitment and retention initiatives that RACO has been advocating for the past number of years are as important now as ever in stabilising and growing the Defence Forces,” Comdt Ryan said.
The Government has allocated a record €1.35 billion for defence spending in 2025, with further increases planned for the following year. According to the Department of Defence, the 2025 budget will fund the recruitment of 400 additional personnel and advance key projects, including military radar, subsea awareness systems, force protection equipment, and infrastructure improvements.
This growth comes after a challenging period for the Defence Forces, which lost approximately one-fifth of its personnel between 2022 and 2024. The Public Accounts Committee reported last May that 1,646 members had left the service during that time.
