Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 18 June 2014
129. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Defence the extent to which all equipment including sea-going vessels, aircraft and land transport remains upgraded or updated in line with best practice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26337/14]
View answer131. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Defence the extent to which the Naval Service and Air Corps remain adequately equipped in terms of technology, personnel, aircraft and sea-going vessels to ensure continuity in respect of air and sea surveillance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26339/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 129 and 131 together.
I am satisfied that the level of equipment currently available to the Defence Forces enables them to carry out their roles, both at home and overseas. The acquisition of new equipment for the Army, Air Corps and the Naval Service is a matter that is kept under constant review at a senior level in my Department and in the Defence Forces, through joint participation in the High Level Planning and Procurement Group. This Group is charged with identifying equipment requirements and agreeing on a procurement programme to provide the Defence Forces with type and quantities of equipment necessary to carry out their assigned duties. These are all issues that are also a consideration in the drafting of the new White Paper on Defence.
However, the fact remains that in the current economic climate the budgetary situation will continue to dictate the level of funding available for new equipment and for equipment upgrades. Decisions will be made accordingly on a strictly prioritised basis in accordance with operational priorities with a view to maintaining the capability of all roles assigned by Government to the Defence Forces. The first of two new Offshore Patrol Vessels was commissioned last month and is now on patrol in Irish waters. A second Offshore Patrol Vessel is scheduled for delivery in early 2015. Under the contract with Babcock International for the provision of these two new vessels an order has been placed for a third and identical Vessel for delivery in 2016. These modern new vessels, combined with a continuous process of refurbishment and repair on the other vessels in the fleet, will ensure the Naval Service continues to meet the required operational capability.
All Naval Service vessels are multi-tasked in the sense that, in addition to their fishery protection role, they also undertake general surveillance, security, pollution monitoring, Search and Rescue and other duties while on patrol. The Air Corps operate a maintenance plan which endeavours to ensure that the maximum number of operational flying hours is available from aircraft when most needed. The maintenance of the Air Corps fleet falls into three broad categories: scheduled, unscheduled and routine/daily. The use of Power by the Hour / Performance Based maintenance contracts assists the Air Corps in keeping downtime of aircraft to the minimum. The provision for the Air Corps in 2014 mainly relates to these maintenance and Power by the Hour contracts set up to keep the Air Corps fleet fully operational with specific maintenance work being carried out on the CASA Maritime Patrol Aircraft related to the overhaul of engines on the aircraft.
The question of proceeding with any replacement aircraft programme for the Air Corps will be considered in tandem with the new White Paper on Defence, the overall equipment requirements of the Defence Forces generally and the funding envelope available in the coming years. On the transport side, the Defence Forces has a significant fleet of vehicles. In recent years, a number of vehicle purchases took place which included Minibuses, standard patrol vehicles and mid-coaches for troop transportation. In addition, funding is provided on a continuous basis for the required maintenance and servicing of vehicles in the military transport fleet.
