Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

The purpose of defence equipment procurement is to acquire, maintain and manage equipment, weapons and ammunition for the Defence Forces at the appropriate level of operational readiness in a cost-effective manner. In the current economic situation, the acquisition of such equipment takes place on a strictly prioritised basis to ensure the Defence Forces are equipped to carry out their roles at home and overseas. A particular focus is maintained on ensuring that modern and effective equipment is available for overseas operations, as is the case with the current UNIFIL operation in Lebanon.

The provision for defensive equipment in 2011 allowed for the acquisition of a range of priority equipment, such as chemical detection equipment, personal body armour, force protection equipment, rifle enhancement equipment and communications equipment, including the supply and maintenance of all communication equipment and information technology equipment. The amount expended was €1,295,282 for chemical detection equipment, €269,304 for body armour, €1,524,186 for force protection equipment, €462,505 for rifle enhancement equipment and €11,478,755 for communication equipment.

Each of the supply subheads, including the main subhead associated with the acquisition of defensive equipment, will operate with reduced allocations in 2012. However, it is expected that further work will be carried out on a number of priority programmes, including the upgrade of the Steyr rifle.

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