Ireland increases 2027 defence budget by EUR129 million

Line of CAPTAS-2 towed array sonar systems in a manufacturing facility. (Emmie Descotes/Thales)

The Irish government has increased its Department of Defence's 2027 budget by EUR129 million (USD144.4 million), according to a government press release published on 7 October 2026.

The additional funding is split between EUR122 million for defence expenditure (Vote 36) and EUR seven million for Army pensions (Vote 35); both are grouped together as the Defence Vote Group, which will reach EUR1.61 billion in 2027. In 2026 the Irish government budgeted EUR1.49 billion for defence in 2026, including military pensions.

This commitment forms part of a broader effort to fund military priorities identified in the 2024 Defence Policy Review through 2028. While Dublin confirmed the budget increases, it provided less detail on the specific capabilities to be delivered to the Defence Forces.

In its 7 October 2026 press release, the Irish government listed the priority areas these funds will support. These include equipment for Ireland's Military Radar Programme. On 2 October Thales announced that Ireland's Department of Defence had ordered four of its Ground Master 400 Alpha (GM400α) radars and one of its Ground Master 200 Multi-Mission All-in-one (GM200 MM/A) radars to strengthen its military air-surveillance capability. The Department of Defence said in a release on 17 December 2025 that the Military Radar Programme also included ground-based air defence (GBAD) systems, to include a counter-unmanned aerial vehicle (C-UAV) capability; and maritime (ship-borne) radar.