Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

The cost of the type of aircraft necessary to transfer troops and equipment like Mowags to a destination such as Chad is in the order of €75 million. I am also told that the equipment is expensive to maintain and use.

I realise that €20 million for transportation — I can give the Deputy a breakdown — is a great deal of money. This is the most expensive mission in which we have engaged and never before have we spent €20 million to transport troops as a result of a UN mandate. The location of Chad causes particularly difficulties in this regard.

Concerning acquiring such an aircraft, the opinion of the Department of Defence and the military is that the amount of use to which it would be put would not justify the outlay or ongoing expense. Deputy Deenihan will be aware that the Government is committed to producing another White Paper on defence to cover the ten year period following 2010. It will propose a cost benefit analysis of acquiring such an aircraft.

Regarding Deputy Deenihan's comments on our helicopters and the troops being exposed in Chad, I have lost count of how many times I have stated that there is no question of our troops being exposed to unnecessary danger.

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