Gino Kenny
Question:23. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the total cost of the defence budget as a percentage of GDP in 2015. [33816/16]
View answerWednesday, 9 November 2016
Questions (23)
Written answers
Defence expenditure for 2015, in respect of Vote 35 (Army Pensions) and Vote 36 (Defence), was €898m which is 0.35% of GDP. The expenditure for 2015 was comprised of some €671m in Defence expenditure and €227m in Army Pensions expenditure.
On the Defence Vote, some €459m was expended on the pay and allowances of Defence Forces personnel, civilian employees and civil servants of the Department.
With regard to non-pay current expenditure, some €123m was spent on essential and ongoing Defence Forces standing and operational costs such as utilities, fuel, catering, maintenance, information technology and training.
The remaining €89m in Defence expenditure related to capital investment on essential infrastructure and equipment. The broad areas of capital expenditure in 2015 included the replacement of naval vessels in the Naval Service flotilla; ongoing investment in Defence Forces built infrastructure and the purchase of new and replacement Information and Communication Technology hardware.
The Defence Vote also included expenditure relating to the Reserve Defence Force, Civil Defence and a grant to the Irish Red Cross Society.
The Army Pensions expenditure of over €227m provided mainly for retirement benefits to over 12,100 military pensioners and their dependants in 2015.
Defence is a critical element of Government policy, with the White Paper on Defence providing the policy framework for the next decade and beyond. My priority is to ensure that the Defence Forces have the necessary level of resources required to fulfil all the roles assigned to them by Government and to facilitate investment in essential equipment and infrastructure, as identified in the White Paper.
Questions Nos. 24 and 25 answered orally.