Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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406. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if he will provide funding to replace the reserve fire tender at the fire station at the Defence Forces training centre given the fire appliance is over 21 years old. [1184/21]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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My priority as Minister for Defence is to ensure that the operational capability of the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service, is maintained to the greatest extent possible to enable the Defence Forces to carry out their roles as assigned by Government.

The acquisition of new equipment and the upgrading of equipment for the Defence Forces remains a clear focus for me. 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 both at home and overseas. Equipment priorities for acquisition will now also align with the Equipment Development Plan for the Defence Forces published in June 2020. This plan builds on the intentions set out in the White Paper on Defence in relation to equipment acquisition, modernisation and upgrade and has been developed and considered through joint civil-military co-operation, ensuring that the Defence Forces will have the best equipment for the job, based on a determination of priorities from a whole of defence standpoint.

The Defence Forces operate a fire station at the Defence Forces Training Centre (DFTC), Curragh Camp, a Crash Rescue Service based in Casement Aerodrome Baldonnel, and has a fire crew deployed overseas in Lebanon.

The Defence Forces fire station at the Defence Forces Training Centre (DFTC), Curragh Camp operates with one fire crew on duty at all times. The main purpose of the fire station is to provide a rapid response in the event of a fire at the Ammunition Depot, and also to respond to fire alarms and fire emergencies within the DFTC.

Certain purchasing is carried out by the Defence Forces directly under delegation of financial responsibility which permits the Defence Forces to procure a wide range of goods and services directly, this includes the purchasing of fire appliances. I am advised by the military authorities that the DFTC fire station is adequately equipped with a Class B Fire Appliance which was delivered in 2018 following an open tender competition, as well as a reserve Fire Tender which was registered in 1999 and a Ford Ranger procured in 2019. Since the procurement of the Class B Fire Appliance in 2018, the reserve Fire Tender has been used exclusively for training purposes. There is currently no requirement for the acquisition of additional fire appliances for the DFTC.

I am satisfied that the Defence Forces continue to have the necessary modern and effective range of equipment available to them in order to fulfil all roles assigned to them by Government.