Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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62. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if his Department has entered into contracts for the procurement of services or products with suppliers in attendance at a trade fair (details supplied) on foot of the attendance of departmental officials at same. [43975/17]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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The bi-annual Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) exhibition was held in London from Tuesday 12 September 2017 to Friday 15 September 2017.

The event was attended by a number of Department of Defence and Defence Forces personnel. Attendance by Defence Organisation personnel at such Defence exhibitions is standard practice and has been a feature at previous exhibitions. It is best practice in Defence acquisition to carry out product and services research at major equipment shows of this nature.

I am advised that the attendance of Department/ Defence Forces personnel at the event did not result in the signing of any new contracts for the procurement of services or products with particular suppliers in attendance at the exhibition. In this regard, all procurement is carried out in accordance with guidelines laid down by Government and with the Directives of the European Union. The purpose of the attendance of Department of Defence and Defence Forces personnel was to visit the many exhibition stands involving the wide range of companies that the Defence Organisation deals with on a regular basis. These include companies involved in the land, sea and air environments, all of which are of interest to the Defence Organisation given the various roles of the Defence Forces at home and overseas. It was also an opportunity for personnel to visit the stands of several Irish companies exhibiting.

The exhibition provided personnel with a valuable opportunity to meet key suppliers across the full spectrum of military and defence equipment and activities. This ties in to the primary purpose for the procurement of such defensive equipment by the Department of Defence which is to enhance the capability of the Defence Forces. Attendance at such events is necessary to ensure that the Defence Forces retain the capabilities to fulfil all roles assigned by Government both at home and overseas.