Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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55. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if he remains satisfied that the territory equipment available to all branches of the Defence Forces remains up-to-date and comparable to the best available internationally in view of the importance of this in the context of PESCO and in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3675/18]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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57. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the pressing improvements in respect of military hardware needing upgrading throughout the Defence Forces that have been brought to his attention; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3677/18]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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60. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if is satisfied regarding the extent to which rescue aircraft fixed wing helicopters continue to be upgraded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3680/18]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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61. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the extent to which seagoing vessels continue to be upgraded in line with international standards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3681/18]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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62. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the extent to which a replacement programme exists in respect of all equipment including aircraft in the Air Corps; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3682/18]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 55, 57 and 60 to 62, inclusive, together.

My priority as Minister with Responsibility for Defence is to ensure that the operational capability of the Defence Forces is maintained to the greatest extent possible so as to enable the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service to carry out their roles as assigned by Government.

Ireland’s participation in PESCO will not result in a requirement for additional investment or expenditure on Defence. It provides a means of enhancing interoperability with project partners and ensuring that our troops are equipped with the latest and best equipment and training.

The acquisition of new equipment and equipment upgrades for the Defence Forces remains a clear focus for me, and the White Paper on Defence recognises that there are several new and or enhanced platforms to be procured. Future equipment priorities for the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service are being considered in the context of the lifetime of the White Paper on Defence as part of the capability development and equipment planning priorities planning process.

Budget 2018 includes an increased provision of €25 million for Defence for 2018, and an additional €98 million for capital expenditure out to 2021. This allocation will facilitate the investment necessary to ensure that the Defence Forces have the equipment and infrastructure to deliver on all their roles as set out in the White Paper.

The White Paper provides that the Army will continue to retain all-arms conventional military capabilities, and the principal aim over the period of the White Paper will be to replace and upgrade, as required, existing capabilities in order to retain a flexible response for a wide range of operational requirements both at home and overseas.

There is focus on the essential force protection provided by armoured vehicles, and in this regard a maintenance and upgrade programme has commenced for the current fleet of 80 Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) which will seek to ensure viability of the fleet out to 2030.   24 armoured utility vehicles have recently been procured for force protection, and a small number of armoured logistical vehicles are also being procured.

In relation to the Air Corps, the White Paper sets out that the Cessna fleet will be replaced with three larger aircraft suitably equipped for Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance tasks. In December 2017, following an open tender competition  advertised on the eTenders website and on the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) in accordance with national and EU procurement regulations, a contract was placed with Pilatus Aircraft Ltd at a cost of some €32m for the provision of three PC-12 fixed wing utility aircraft suitably equipped for ISTAR tasks which will replace the Cessna fleet.

The White Paper also provides for the replacement of two CASA 235 Maritime Patrol Aircraft with consideration of their replacement with larger more capable aircraft to enhance maritime surveillance and provide a greater degree of utility for transport and cargo carrying tasks. The planning process for the replacement of the CASA aircraft has recently commenced in my Department.

With regard to rescue aircraft, as the Deputy will be aware, since 2004 the Irish Coast Guard has overall responsibility for the provision of Search and Rescue services within the Irish search and rescue region, and while the Air Corps and the Naval Service provide support to the Irish Coast Guard in maritime Search and Rescue operations this is on an “as available” basis in line with a Service Level Agreement which sets out their roles and responsibilities in this regard. The Air Corps does not operate any dedicated search and rescue aircraft.

The White Paper underpins the ongoing replacement of the Naval Service fleet. A significant investment over recent years has been on the procurement of new Off-Shore Patrol Vessels for the Naval Service. The third ship in the programme, LÉ William Butler Yeats, was commissioned in to service in October 2016. A contract for an additional sister ship was placed with Babcock International, a British company, in June 2016 bringing investment in the new ships programme to over €250 million since 2010. The fourth ship, to be named LÉ George Bernard Shaw is scheduled for delivery in mid 2018.

Future Naval Service capabilities are being planned as part of the White Paper project planning process which will determine the Defence Organisation’s maritime capability requirements. The White Paper provides for the replacement of the current Naval Service flagship LÉ Eithne with a multi role vessel which will be enabled for helicopter operations and will also have a freight carrying capacity. It is the intention to hold a public tender competition in due course to cover the supply of the MRV subject to the availability of funding within the overall Defence capital funding envelope. The cost of the MRV will only be known once the tender competition is concluded.

I am satisfied that the current provisions, together with the courses of action in the White Paper, will continue to ensure that the Defence Forces is suitably equipped, in line with international best practice, to fulfil all roles assigned by Government.