I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. The development of a primary radar capability was one of the key recommendations made in last year's report of the Commission on the Defence Forces. Demonstrating the Government's commitment to implementing this recommendation, one of the early actions identified in the subsequent high-level action plan, published in response to the commission’s report, was to commence planning for military radar capabilities. In response to that, a project team comprising senior civil and military personnel was established, and commenced work on planning for military radar capabilities. This includes ground-based, maritime and primary radar systems.
It must be acknowledged, however, that delivery of primary radar, in particular, is extremely complex and will take some time to deliver. Nevertheless, delivery has been prioritised by Government, and this year's increased capital allocation for defence includes funding to explore the development of this capability. Work that has been carried out to date includes identification of requirements and research into various delivery options, as well as consideration of approaches internationally. This has included a visit to Cyprus to learn from our EU colleagues. However, we are not at the acquisition stage, which would be the final phase in the capability development process, and as such it is premature to speculate on any particular procurement methodology that may be utilised. Likewise, the question of where radar installations may be located is premature at this stage, but this will obviously need to be determined in the context of considering different options for delivery of the overall system. In terms of my intentions, delivery of primary radar is a key capability priority for me, as Minister and Minister for Defence, and I am determined to ensure its delivery within the earliest practicable timeframe.