Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Defence if he has examined the possibility of procuring smaller naval coastal patrol vessels for the purposes of intercepting drugs landings on Irish coastal areas. [54710/12]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The White Paper on Defence (2000) provides for a security role for the Naval Service and the Air Corps to support the civil authorities in this area and assistance in the prevention of drug smuggling is recognised as a very important part of their duties. Government measures to improve law enforcement in relation to drugs, including the establishment in 1993 of a Joint Task Force involving An Garda Síochána, the Customs Service and the Naval Service, have helped to maximise the effective use of Naval Service resources in combating drug trafficking.

The Naval Service, as a member of the Joint Task Force, is also committed to an international initiative, the Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre – Narcotics, (MAOC-N). The Centre which was established in 2007 has led to a greater focus on intelligence exchange amongst countries to tackle large drug shipments by sea. MAOC-N was set up by seven European countries and is designed as an international co-ordination force with access to national tasking agencies and requires participation and resources from all active members.An Garda Síochána and the Customs Service have full-time officers based at its Centre in Lisbon. Irish Naval Service personnel travel to the Centre when requested by the Joint Task Force.

The Naval Service operates eight general purpose patrol ships, which are tasked with coastal and offshore patrolling and surveillance for the State.The Naval Service is committed to having at least three vessels on patrol within the Irish Exclusive Economic Zone at any one time.All vessels are multi-tasked in the sense that they also undertake general surveillance, security and other duties while on patrol.As the need arises, Naval Service vessels are deployed on drug interdiction operations.

A contract was placed in 2010 for the provision of two new Offshore Patrol Vessels with an overall length of 90 metres for the Naval Service. The acquisition of these new vessels will ensure that the Naval Service can continue to carry out its drug interdiction role in support of the Joint Task Force as well as its other taskings.

There are no plans to procure smaller coastal patrols vessels for the Naval Service. I am satisfied that Naval Service have the necessary resources to meet all their operational requirements including the support of the civil authorities in the prevention of drug smuggling into this country.

Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Defence if he will rule out the procurement of any Israeli technology through the European Defence Agency for use by the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54708/12]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy will appreciate that the principle of competitive tendering for Government contracts has to be used by the Department of Defence for the acquisition of defensive equipment for the Defence Forces. Central to those procedures is the requirement to allow fair competition between suppliers through the submission of tenders following advertising of the tender competition on the e-tenders site or on the European Defence Agency’s Electronic Bulletin Board. Such tender competitions are open to any individual company or country in accordance with the terms of all UN, OSCE and EU arms embargos or restrictions. There are no such restrictions or embargos in place on Israel or Israeli companies.

The primary purpose for the procurement of defensive equipment by the Department of Defence is to enhance the capability of the Irish Defence Forces on overseas Peace Support Operations and to afford the greatest possible force protection to Irish troops whilst on such missions.