Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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76. To ask the Taoiseach the number of staff working in the procurement area for major State infrastructure projects in his Department. [4585/19]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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My Department does not directly engage in procurement of any major state infrastructure projects.

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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77. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of staff working in the procurement area for major State infrastructure projects in his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4575/19]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Future equipment priorities for the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service are considered in the context of the White Paper on Defence as part of the capability development and equipment priorities planning process. 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, including response to security risks and other emergencies, both at home and overseas.

In accordance with the National Development Plan, the capital allocation for Defence has been increased to €106 million for 2019, an increase of €29 million. The National Development Plan provides for a total of €541 million for Defence over the period 2018-2022. This level of capital funding will allow the Defence Organisation to undertake a programme of sustained equipment replacement and infrastructural development across the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service as identified and prioritised in the Defence White Paper and builds on the significant investment programme over recent years.

The Department’s Contracts Branch manages overall procurement policy within the Defence Organisation, reflecting the specialised nature of the equipment profile. Contracts Branch, which has a staffing complement of nine, has a range of functions within the procurement area ranging from the direct management of procurement activities for defensive equipment and materials including ammunition, the contract management of major capital equipment programmes as set out in the White Paper on Defence, the disposal of obsolete equipment and corporate governance issues. The Branch engages with the Office of Government Procurement and provides procurement advice to other Branches of the Defence Organisation.