Ireland will allocate 1.35 billion euros ($1.49 billion) to defense in 2025, focusing on subsea surveillance and military radar systems, marking a 100-million-euro ($110 million) increase over its 2024 budget.
“Budget 2025 for defense includes the highest-ever level of capital funding,” stated Irish Prime Minister and Defense Minister Micheál Martin.
Ireland is the lowest defense spender among EU nations, investing only 0.2 percent of its GDP. It also ranks among the lowest in military personnel, with up to 7,400 service members, according to 2022 World Bank data.
The government has committed to increasing the total force to 11,500 by 2028, including funding for the recruitment of 400 additional Defense Forces personnel in the 2025 plan.
“This level of investment is critical given the current geopolitical situation,” said Martin.
The prime minister also emphasized that Dublin is working “to address specific priority gaps in our ability to defend Irish sovereignty and to participate in higher-intensity peace support operations.”
Ireland maintains a long-standing policy of military neutrality. Alongside Austria, Cyprus, and Malta, it is one of only four EU nations outside of NATO.
Although Ireland has not supplied military aid to Ukraine, it has provided Kyiv with a total of 380 million euros ($419 million) in humanitarian aid.