Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As provided for in the Revised Estimates Volume for 2013, the gross provision for the Defence Votes in 2013 is €895 million. This figure is made up of €680 million for the Defence Vote and €215 million for the Army pensions Vote. The gross provision for 2013 shows an overall reduction of €7 million on the 2012 gross provision of €902 million and is mainly accounted for through estimated reductions in pay and allowances in the Defence Votes under the successor to the 2010-14 public service agreement, known as Croke Park II. These reductions follow further significant reductions which have been achieved in recent years in the Defence Votes. The current economic conditions have necessitated reductions in public sector expenditure in Ireland, including defence expenditure. Having regard to these resource constraints, I have initiated a broad range of measures aimed at maintaining the operational capacity of the Defence Forces. Following a comprehensive review of expenditure, I secured the agreement of the Government to accept my recommendation to stabilise the strength of the Permanent Defence Force at 9,500 personnel. This is the optimum strength required to fulfil all roles assigned to it by the Government. A major reorganisation of the Defence Forces was initiated within this strength ceiling. This has prioritised operational capability and redeployed Permanent Defence Force personnel from administrative and support tasks to operational units. In addition, equipment procurement continues to prioritise the operational requirements of the Defence Forces. All of this has been achieved within the reduced resource envelope allocated to defence. The measures I have outlined are ensuring the Defence Forces remain fit for purpose. The Chief of Staff has confirmed that the Defence Forces can continue to meet all operational requirements at home and overseas. The Department continually monitors expenditure trends closely on an ongoing basis. No overall savings in 2013 are anticipated at this stage.

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