The last Administration made a determined effort to try to address what was a very difficult situation given that the Defence Forces were poorly equipped and it tried to address that in a systematic way. Considerable progress has been made on all fronts – the acquisition of ships for the Navy as well as the acquisition of armoured personnel carriers and a range of other equipment. Regarding new equipment, it is not likely that the Estimate for the Defence Forces will increase in future in the context of the pressure on public finances as well as the demands of health, education and other areas. We will be fighting as hard as we can to maintain a sufficient level of investment but I do not envisage a substantial increase in the future regarding the purchase of new equipment.