DEFENCE:The Defence Budget has increased by 7 per cent, bringing it to €1.078 billion for 2008. Three per cent of this is accounted for by an allocation of €37 million for the Irish mission to Chad. Most of this will go on travel and freight and on military transport. The overall cost of the Chad mission is expected to be €57 million, with the balance being met from the department's existing allocation for 2008.
The Minister for Defence, Willie O'Dea, said the additional allocation for the Chad mission means that planned equipment purchases and barracks improvement work could go ahead without being compromised by the demands of this mission.
Among the equipment being bought next year by the Defence Forces will be Mowag armoured personnel carriers, costing €6 million, €6.5 million of a down payment on light tactical armoured vehicles, and €3.8 million on 500 machine guns.
The final stage payments on two helicopters will cost €13 million. An upgrade of the second CASA maritime patrol aircraft will also be undertaken in 2008, involving a final payment of €5.3 million.
Mr O'Dea said that he and the Government were committed to a vessel replacement programme for the Naval Service. Three new ships were needed to replace those coming to an end of their useful lives, and these were estimated to cost €180 million. Tenders will be issued in May next, and the Budget allows an additional €1 million to facilitate a down payment on the first of the new vessels.
New building construction, and the refurbishment of old ones, will continue, at a cost of €28 million.
The vote also provides for the pay and pensions of 10,500 Defence Forces personnel, 880 civilian employees and about 380 civil servants, and for the pensions of 11,000 retired personnel and their dependants.