Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 March 2010
614 Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Defence if the Defence Forces are in the process of procuring, or recently procured, ammunition; and if so, if any Israeli companies submitted tenders for the contract.. [12593/10]
Amharc ar fhreagra615 Deputy Ciarán Cuffe asked the Minister for Defence the purchases that have been made from the State of Israel or Israeli Defence contractors in recent years, including the purchases of drones and troop carriers; the items purchased, price paid and purpose of same in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12671/10]
Amharc ar fhreagra616 Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Defence the steps he will take to exclude all Israeli based companies from tendering for Defence Force procurement contracts. [12738/10]
Amharc ar fhreagra617 Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Defence if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the European Defence Agency code of conduct on defence procurement is explicitly a voluntary non-binding agreement which involves no legal commitment and which leaves the member State the authority to award its own contracts; and if in view of this, he will intervene to prevent the Defence Forces from sourcing ammunition from an Israeli arms company. [12739/10]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 614 to 617, inclusive, together.
Tender competitions for defensive equipment for the Defence Forces are conducted by the Department of Defence in accordance with EU procurement guidelines. For procurements of defensive equipment in excess of €1 million, the European Defence Agency (EDA) Code of Conduct on Defence Procurement is observed and competitions are advertised on the EDA Electronic Bulletin Board. Tender competitions are held in accordance with the EU Code of Conduct on Export Controls. Accordingly, competitions are open to any individual or country in accordance with the terms of all UN, OSCE and EU arms embargoes or restrictions. To properly follow these guidelines and codes, the Department of Defence must deal impartially with all companies that are entitled to enter its procurement competitions and must evaluate tenders on the basis of objective criteria.
A number of Israeli companies have won orders for defensive equipment in recent years as a result of tender competitions. Since 2005, the Department has purchased small arms ammunition, X-Ray equipment for Explosive Ordnance Disposal duties (EOD), helmets for personal protection, an Artillery Fire Control System, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, commonly referred to as UAVs, and a Surveillance and Target Acquisition Suite from Israeli suppliers. The total value of defensive equipment acquired or being acquired from Israeli companies since 2005 is in the region of €13.9 million, inclusive of VAT. In each case, the main contract was awarded by tender competition, conducted impartially in compliance with the codes and guidelines set out above, on the basis that the company concerned had submitted the best tender.
The order for the Surveillance and Target Acquisition suite was placed with Elbit Systems Limited last year. The order is for the supply of surveillance equipment for four out of a total of twenty-seven Light Tactical Armoured Vehicles that are being supplied this year by BAE Systems in South Africa. The order was placed following a tender competition and has a value of €2.37 million inclusive of VAT. The four Surveillance and Target Acquisition Suites are required to enhance the capability of the Defence Forces to carry out overseas Peace Support Operations. They will be used as an information-gathering asset and will provide a means to enhance force protection and the safety of Irish troops whilst on such missions. There is no order placed with an Israeli company for troop carriers.
In addition, an order for two additional portable mini-Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Systems, commonly referred to as UAVs, was placed in late 2009 with Aeronautics Defence Systems Limited from Israel. The value of the order is the region of €1.7 million, inclusive of VAT. The initial delivery of UAV systems, with a value of €0.958 million inclusive of VAT, took place at the end of 2007 following a tender competition. The UAV systems were acquired to enhance the capability of the Defence Forces to carry out surveillance and target acquisition for overseas Peace Support Operations. The UAVs have the capability to provide a low cost and low risk means to increase capabilities and enhance force protection by performing missions without requiring or risking the use of manned aircraft. The UAVs are an information-gathering asset and are unarmed.
In recent weeks the Department initiated a tender competition for 5.56 mm ammunition. The tender competition is ongoing and tender proposals have not yet been submitted in respect of this competition. The Department of Defence has no information at this stage as to what companies will submit such tender proposals.
As I have already outlined above, the principle of competitive tendering for Government contracts has to be used by the Department of Defence for the acquisition of defensive equipment for the Defence Forces. Central to those procedures is the requirement to allow fair competition between suppliers through the submission of tenders. Such tender competitions are open to any individual company or country in accordance with the terms of all UN, OSCE and EU arms embargoes or restrictions. There are no such restrictions or embargoes in place on Israel or Israeli companies.
The matter of a general trade embargo on Israel raises implications for foreign policy. The Irish Government has consistently been opposed to proposals for trade, diplomatic, cultural, academic, sporting or other boycotts of Israel. In the absence of a general trade embargo of Israel, the Department of Defence cannot unilaterally preclude Israeli companies from participating in tender competitions.
The primary purpose for the procurement of defensive equipment by the Department of Defence is to enhance the capability of the Irish Defence Forces on overseas Peace Support Operations and to afford the greatest possible force protection to Irish troops whilst on such missions.
