Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Question 538: To ask the Minister for Defence if he will provide a breakdown of the membership of the high level civil-military planning and procurement group in his Department and the Defence Forces including details such as the name, grade and job of each member; the purpose of the group; the frequency with which the group meets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3892/12]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The White Paper on Defence recommended the establishment of a High Level Civil-Military Planning and Procurement Group (HLPPG) to identify equipment requirements and agree a procurement programme to provide the Defence Forces with the type and quantities of equipment necessary to carry out their assigned roles. The Group monitors and reviews equipment, infrastructure and property expenditure across devolved and non-devolved subheads. The current membership of the HLPPG is a follows:

Department of Defence

Mr. Maurice Quinn, Assistant Secretary

Mr. Brian Spain, Director

Mr. Jason Kearney, Principal Officer (Contracts Manager)

Mr. John Hanney, Assistant Principal (Assistant Contracts Manager)

Ms. Deirdre Creaney, Assistant Principal (Assistant Contracts Manager)

Mr. Gerry Groarke, Assistant Principal, Finance Branch, Renmore.

Defence Forces

Brigadier General Michael Finn, A/Deputy Chief of Staff (Support)

Colonel Joseph Dowling, Director of Administration

Lt. Colonel Peter Marron, Officer in Charge, Military Finance Section

Lt. Colonel Sean O'Keeffe, Operations Section, Defence Force Headquarters.

Commandant Walter Hunt, Staff Officer, Military Finance Section

Meetings of the HLPPG are generally held on a monthly basis. The Group is jointly chaired by the Director and the A/ Deputy Chief of Staff (Support) or their nominated alternates. The Assistant Contracts Manager and SO Military Finance Section act as joint secretaries to the Group. Additional personnel from the Department and the Defence Forces attend meetings of the HLPPG, if and when required.