Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 271: To ask the Minister for Defence the breakdown of the changes that will be made to programmes overseen by his Department to achieve the savings set out for his Department in budget 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47892/09]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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Like all areas of the Public Service, the Defence organization will be required to operate on a reduced budget for 2010. Within the available resources, I am committed to maintaining the strength of the Defence Forces at a level of 10,000 across all ranks, for which I have secured Government approval in the context of Budget 2010. The Defence Forces will continue to operate across all of the roles assigned by Government. There will be no new, cost-increasing expenditure measures introduced in 2010.

The key current expenditure reductions in 2010 will be achieved as follows. Payroll savings of €14m will be achieved by a reduction in Permanent Defence Forces personnel numbers, reduced civilian employee numbers and lower levels of paid training days for the Reserve Defence Forces. Reductions in the number of Permanent Defence Force personnel deployed overseas to Kosovo and Bosnia-Herzegovina will achieve savings of up to €7m. Reduced Naval Service patrol days and the optimisation of Air Corps flying hours will deliver savings of €2.2m. The Coiste an Asgard sail training scheme will be discontinued, resulting in a saving of €0.8m. Additional Appropriations-in-Aid of up to €13m are anticipated, mainly in respect of UN receipts, property sales, cash escorts and military guards. The scheme of full cost recovery for security services will be extended to An Post, the Central Bank and other organisations.

The 2010 capital expenditure allocation of €16m will be focused on new building works to improve the accommodation and facilities of the Defence Forces. Capital projects will be prioritised within the reduced allocation. I am satisfied that priority programmes of investment in equipment and infrastructure will be maintained.