Sinn Fein says the Government will miss the recommended funding target for the Defence Forces once again in 2024. It adds our naval vessels are working without the correct sonar equipment, which led them to miss a Russian submarine lurking in waters close to Cork this year.
The British Navy had to step in to chase the underwater vessel away in what has been called an "embarrassing" episode for the State. Matt Carthy, Sinn Fein's Defence Spokesman, says more incidents like this are likely because the vital funding isn't there.
"What we now need is for real capital funding to be injected. The commission under the future of the Defence Forces set out a need for a capital expenditure of about €247 million every year over 10 years. Last year the government missed that target by €70 million and next year they have budgeted for another miss of €70 million."
