Barry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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73. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of capital projects that cost €100 million or more in the past five years; the cost of outside consultants for each of the projects costing €100 million or more; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42865/19]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Defence capital funding is invested in equipment replacement and renewal and infrastructure development across the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service and ensures that the Defence Forces have the capabilities necessary to deliver on all their roles, assigned by Government.

In the past five years procurement of the new Off-Shore Patrol Vessels for the Naval Service was the only project costing in excess of €100 million, for Defence. The Naval Vessel replacement programme has seen the delivery of four new vessels, with the final vessel commissioned into service in April 2019. Investment in this programme amounted to €270 million, since 2010. Additionally consultancy costs of €85,603 associated with the planning stages of the project were incurred in 2008.

Barry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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74. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of capital projects anticipated to commence in the next five years that cost €100 million or more; the expected cost of external consultants for each project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42881/19]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Under the National Development Plan, as part of Project Ireland 2040, the Defence Vote was allocated €541 million in capital funding for the period 2018 to 2022. This level of capital funding allows the Defence Organisation to undertake a programme of sustained equipment replacement and infrastructure development across the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service and demonstrates the Government’s commitment to ensuring that the Defence Forces have the capabilities necessary to deliver on all their assigned roles, both at home and overseas.

Over the next five years the Defence Organisation will continue the programme of sustained equipment replacement and infrastructure development as set out and prioritised in the White Paper. Planning is ongoing for aircraft and naval vessel replacement projects which are likely to exceed €100 million but no finalised contracts are in place for these. Consequently overall project costs and any associated consultancy costs are not known at this stage.