Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

Yes, €10.5 million represents an increase on €9.5 million; therefore, we will be spending 10% more. The increase in the contribution to the European Union's Common Security and Defence Policy arises because we are tied into a fixed percentage of the cost of running the agency concerned, which has increased slightly.

The main element of appropriations-in-aid is rebates from the United Nations in respect of overseas missions. We do not expect to receive many such rebates this year because there is a difference between a UN mission, directly organised by the United Nations, and a UN mandated EU mission, for which we receive no rebates, in this instance, the Chad mission.

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