Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 46: To ask the Minister for Defence the progress made in regard to the commitment given in the programme for Government to ensure that investment in the Defence Forces continues to grow with the full commercial value of all defence property disposals to be received by his Department for investment in capital projects and new equipment. [20167/08]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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The ongoing investment in modern equipment and facilities for the Defence Forces will continue in 2008, as will the major programme to provide modern accommodation for the Defence Forces, which has been ongoing over recent years. From the Army's perspective the major investment has been in the contracts for Mowag Armoured Personnel Carriers. In the period from 2001 to 2007 the Defence Forces acquired a total of eighty Mowag APCs at a cost of €120m. The APCs have been used extensively on overseas service. Currently there are twenty-two APCs in Chad and nine in Kosovo. A tender competition has now been initiated for the acquisition of Light Tactical Armoured Vehicles, with tenders due back in early July 2008. There is a sum of €6m in this years Estimates provision as a down payment on an LTAV contract. There has also been a very comprehensive investment programme in new equipment for the Air Corps and a tender competition for a ships replacement programme for the Naval Service is well under way.

The Department's property portfolio is kept under on-going review. Properties deemed surplus to requirements are disposed of and the funds invested to meet the equipment and infrastructure needs of the Defence Forces. The total amount accrued from Department of Defence properties disposed of in 2007 was €1.6 million. However, proceeds from property sales in any particular year are not linked to any specific project.