Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

We got €37 million extra for the Chad mission and supplied €20 million from within our own resources. If there was no question of us going to Chad we would undoubtedly have found other ways to spend that €20 million. Perhaps we would have got €20 million less from the Department of Finance.

I reassure the Deputy that the amount of money we will spend in upgrading equipment this year, in excess of €30 million, and the amount of money we will spend to upgrade buildings such as barracks and accommodation, at approximately €43 million, will at least equal the figure from last year. It may even exceed that amount so there will be no shortfall in that regard.

There is always a possibility of what the Deputy suggested in his final point and we cannot be completely sure until personnel are in theatre. That is the reason I replied to Deputy Durkan earlier by stating we need good communications and air support to take people out of danger quickly if the need arises.

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