Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 117: To ask the Minister for Defence if he will make a statement on his Department's Estimates for 2009. [42776/08]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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The gross total allocation for my Department in 2009 is €1,061 million, comprising €852 million in the Defence Estimate and €209 million in the Army Pensions Estimate. When compared with the allocation for 2008, this represents a reduction of 4% in the Defence Estimate and an increase of 10% in the Army Pensions Estimate, giving an overall reduction of 1.6%.

The reduction in the Defence Estimate will be achieved by making savings across a number of subheads, both pay and non-pay. In common with other areas of the public sector, a payroll cut of 3% has been applied in the case of the civil service staff of my Department, the Defence Forces and civilians employed with the Defence Forces. This will entail restrictions on the filling of vacancies, including the temporary deferral of recruitment, throughout the Defence organisation.

A number of capital building projects will be deferred and some equipment replacement programmes are likely to be spread over a longer period. However, the allocation provided for 2009 will enable the Defence Forces to maintain their current level of operations at home and abroad, including the overseas peace support operations in Chad and Kosovo. In the current economic situation, it is not possible to continue the same rate of expenditure on equipment and infrastructure as has taken place in recent years. However, I am satisfied that priority programmes of investment will be maintained.