Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 645: To ask the Minister for Defence if he will provide a list of all current time-related savings/delayed spending of Budget 2012 allocations on staff and or resources in his Department. [36713/12]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The gross total allocation for Defence related expenditure in 2012 is €902m, comprising of €688m for the Defence Vote and €214m for the Army Pensions Vote. The 2012 allocation was based on a comprehensive evaluation of expected pay and non-pay Defence requirements within the 2012 to 2014 timeframe and was agreed following the Comprehensive Review of Expenditure (CRE) process undertaken in 2011. The 2012 allocation, while less than previous years, should ensure that the Defence Forces are properly equipped to meet the various tasks assigned to them by Government within an agreed strength ceiling of 9,500. Procedures are in place to ensure that expenditure is profiled and monitored on an ongoing basis. In addition, a number of high level civil/military groups such as the Strategic Management Committee (SMC) and the High Level Planning and Procurement Group (HLPPG) meet regularly to evaluate ongoing expenditure trends, prioritise future requirements and maintain oversight on key external issues likely to impact on expenditure.

At the end of June 2012, gross non-pay expenditure was some €6m (8%) below anticipated expenditure in the same period. This variation arises generally from timing issues with procurement.

At the end of June 2012, gross pay expenditure was €11m (4%) below anticipated expenditure in the same period due largely to the significant numbers that retired from the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) in the earlier part of the year. As the PDF is below its agreed strength of 9,500 it is intended that recruitment will be undertaken in 2012, within the resource envelope allocated to Defence, and this process is currently underway. There are no savings on the Army Pensions Vote.