John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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115. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the funding allocation for his Department for 2021, by project. [35535/20]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The total allocation provided to the Defence Sector in Budget 2021 is €1,072.3 million, comprising of €809.7 million for Vote 36 (Defence) and €262.6 million for Vote 35 (Army Pensions).

The Defence allocation of €809.7 million ensures that the Defence Forces have the resources necessary to deliver on all their assigned roles as set out in the White Paper on Defence.

The Defence Vote provides for overall current expenditure of some €679 million for the pay and allowances of up to 9,500 PDF personnel, 550 civilians (technicians, trades, etc.) and 355 civil servants as well as paid training for members of the Reserve Defence Force. It also provides for expenditure on essential and on-going Defence Forces standing and operational costs including utilities, fuel, catering, maintenance, information technology and training.

The capital allocation of €131m, for 2021, will facilitate the on-going programme of equipment replacement and infrastructural development, as set out in the Defence Equipment Development Plan and Infrastructure Development Plan.

Funding for Civil Defence and the Irish Red Cross Society is also provided for in the Defence Vote.

The 2021 Army Pensions (Vote 35) allocation of €262.6m provides funding for some 12,750 Army Pensioners as well as certain dependants.