Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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117. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the defence budget for 2018; and the amount that is being spent on improving living conditions and pay. [5735/18]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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The total budget allocation for Vote 36 Defence in 2018 is €707 million, an increase of €15 million on 2017. This allocation provides for pay and allowances, ongoing Defence Forces standing and operational costs and also facilitates investment in essential equipment and infrastructure.

Some €509 million of this allocation provides for the pay and allowances of over 10,400 public service employees, comprising of members of the Permanent Defence Force, civilian employees and civil servants. This includes €12.3m to provide for increases due under the Lansdowne Road/Public Service Stability Agreement 2018-2020 commitments.

The Public Service Stability Agreement 2018-2020, accepted by the Permanent Defence Force representative associations in December 2017, will ensure that Permanent Defence Force personnel will benefit from the planned phased pay increases outlined in the agreement, which range from 6.2% to 7.4% over the lifetime of the agreement.

My Department is committed to the development and improvement of the physical environment and living conditions in military barracks. The Defence Forces Built Infrastructure Programme is designed to modernise and enhance the training, operational and accommodation facilities of the Defence Forces, based on operational requirements and is compiled on a priority needs basis by my Department in conjunction with the Military Authorities. For 2018, over €23 million has been provided for this programme, which includes the construction of new buildings, the refurbishment of existing facilities and ongoing works required to ensure the upkeep and repair of barracks and other military facilities.

The Defence budget allocation, including the amounts allocated to pay and the Defence Forces Built Infrastructure Programme, allows the Defence Forces to deliver on all their assigned roles, both at home and overseas, as set out in the White Paper on Defence.