More than €18m of Ireland's defence budget unspent and handed back to exchequer last year

Comptroller and Auditor General report shows €43.5m of the 2023 provision for permanent Defence Forces pay was unspent. Picture: Leon Farrell/ RollingNews.ie

More than €18m in the defence budget for 2023 was unspent and surrendered back to the exchequer, the State’s auditor has said.

This was due to dramatic underspends in pay, offset in part by overspends in deployment, equipment and IT.