Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 and 9 together.

I am advised that my Department has had no engagement with the Israel Defence Forces or other Israeli state bodies since January 2023. Similarly, the Defence Forces have had no engagements during this timeframe, save any arising as part of an overall deployment of the 12 Defence Forces officers serving with the United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation, UNTSO, mission. Three officers are based in UNTSO headquarters in Jerusalem, with a further officer based in Tiberias in Israel. There are no proposals for further engagements under consideration at present.

My Department has purchased several lines of defensive equipment and hardware from Israeli owned and-or based companies in the last ten years. No munitions were purchased from Israeli owned and-or based companies during this time period. A tabular statement will be circulated setting out the detailed information requested by the Deputy.

In summary, the equipment purchased relates to micro unmanned aerial vehicle, UAV, systems, fire control or target sensor systems, optical sights and infantry bridging platforms, to a total value of €11.5 million. All equipment platforms contracted for have been delivered with no further deliveries pending. I am advised that current contractual arrangements extend to the support and maintenance of the existing Orbiter UAV equipment only, with an anticipated annual cost of €295,000.

The principle of competitive tendering for Government contracts is used by the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces for the acquisition of goods and services. This is a European Union law requirement and is in accordance with the defence and security directive. Central to those procedures is the requirement to allow fair competition between suppliers through the submission of tenders following advertising of the tender competition on the e-tenders site and on the Official Journal of the European Union, where appropriate. Such tender competitions are open to any company or country, subject to the terms of all United Nations, OSCE and EU arms embargoes or restrictions. No such restrictions or embargoes are in place on Israel or Israeli companies. EU procurement rules direct that defensive equipment contracts be awarded on a merit-based system, having regard to selection and award criteria published in the competition concerned.

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