John Brady
Question:399. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Defence the capital expenditure for the Defence Forces from 2017 to 2022, tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51606/22]
View answerTuesday, 18 October 2022
Questions (399)
Written answers
Defence capital expenditure over the period from 2017 to 2022 is outlined in the table below:
Vote 36 (Defence) Capital Expenditure 2017 to 2022:
|
2017 €m |
2018 €m |
2019 €m |
2020 €m |
2021 €m |
2022 €m (YTD) |
|
|
Vote 36 (Defence) Capital Expenditure |
95.3 |
94.7 |
137.8 |
158.7 |
130.1 |
50.1 |
The principal demand drivers of capital expenditure for the Defence Forces are the ongoing renewal, retention and acquisition of military equipment along with the development and upgrade of Defence Forces built infrastructure. The level of capital funding provided since 2017 has facilitated an ongoing programme of Defence equipment replacement and infrastructural development which aligns with White Paper objectives.
Many of the Defence Forces equipment projects are complex, multi-annual and have long lead-in times. However, internal strategic planning frameworks aligned with the certainty provided from multi-annual funding envelopes have enabled the Department and the Defence Forces to plan, prioritise and deliver on a broad range of capital investment programmes/projects over this timeframe, including, inter alia,
- the Naval Vessel Renewal and Replacement Programme;
- the Maritime Patrol Aircraft Programme and
- the midlife upgrade of the Army's fleet of Mowag armoured personnel carriers.
It has also facilitated a comprehensive upgrade and modernisation of Defence Forces Built Infrastructure across Army, Naval and Air Corps platforms.
Capital investment has been increasing over recent years, however, similar to many other Public Service Organisations, capital investment in Defence was impacted somewhat by Covid-19 and supply chain difficulties in 2021. The capital expenditure allocation for 2022 is €141 million and current indications are that this allocation will be fully expended by year-end.