David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Subhead A.18 is medical expenses. There is a slight decrease on the 2013 Estimate. It concerns primary care, physiotherapy and so on.

Subhead A.19, on lands, provides for land maintenance costs and additional expenditure. That Estimate has decreased substantially. There is no major change in Subhead A.20, equitation.

Regarding Subhead A.21 on compensation and additional costs, as stated in the commentary, the Department has no control over that substantial increase in the Estimate. Subhead A.22, miscellaneous expenditure, has increased slightly also. It relates to the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces and so on.

Subhead A.23 on costs arising directly from Ireland's participation in the European Union's Common Security and Defence Policy has increased by 20%. Subhead A.24 on Civil Defence has been reduced. Changes have been made in that respect.

There is no change in Subhead A.25 on Irish Red Cross Society grant-in-aid. It is the same as 2013. Subhead B on appropriations-in-aid is down 24% on 2013. The commentary refers to bank escorts, UN receipts, pension levies and so forth.

That concludes the select committee's consideration of the Revised Estimates for Vote 35 - Army Pensions and Vote 36 - Defence. It strikes me that next year we might have two separate sessions because dealing with the Estimates of two Departments requires a long session. The detailed work done by the Departments in producing the Estimates is very interesting and it would be useful to give each Department its own block of time.