Ireland remains at the bottom of the EU’s defence spending table, Irish Examiner reports. The country allocates about half the amount, calculated as a percentage of national wealth or GDP, as neutral Malta, and less than a quarter of the budget of neutral state Austria.
Ireland’s defence allocation is only an eighth of the EU average, according to figures released by the European Defence Agency.
In its report, Defence Data for 2023-2024 The EDA said there had been a “sharp increase” in overall defence spending, which rose by an average of 10% across the 27 EU member states. The report said:
“Over the past two years, the sharp deterioration of the security situation in Europe has led to significant changes in defence priorities across the continent. This critical juncture has forced member states to update national defence plans and adjust defence investments.”
This comes at a time when Ireland faces increasingly sophisticated threats, particularly in the maritime and cyber domains, and when other member states expect Ireland, as one of the richest countries on the continent with a reputation for innovation, research and development, “to provide 21st century capabilities to enhance EU defence capabilities.” The report also said:
“The problem now is that even if defence spending grows exponentially in the future, there will be plenty of orders for military equipment around the world and Ireland could find itself far down the queue for future deliveries.”
The Government has decided to implement the second of three investment options, LOA2, proposed by the Defence Forces Commission in 2022. This will increase the defence budget from €1.1bn to €1.5bn in 2022 prices by 2028.
Ministry of Defence figures show that the defence budget will rise to €1.21 billion in 2023 and €1.25 billion in 2024, while the 2025 budget will see spending of €1.35 billion.
A detailed analysis by Parliament’s Parliamentary Budget Office, reported in the Irish Examiner newspaper last September, found that defence spending had increased, but much less than other areas of government.
The report said that if Ireland’s defence spending as a percentage of total public expenditure remained at the same level as in 2012, the 2024 budget should be €1.55 billion rather than €1.25 billion.
