Seán Crowe
Ceist:95. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Defence for a breakdown of how the €6 million increase in his Department’s budget, outlined in budget 2016, will be spent. [41162/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 24 November 2015
Ceisteanna (95)
Freagraí scríofa
The 2016 Defence allocation of €904m is made up of two Votes, Vote 35 (Army Pensions) with €224m and Vote 36 (Defence) with €680m. The overall allocation is some €6m more than last year’s corresponding allocation of €898m, which comprised of €221m in Vote 35 (Army Pensions) and €677m in Vote 36 (Defence). The overall increased allocation in 2016 is mainly to provide for pay and pension adjustments arising under the Lansdowne Road Agreement on both Votes. In addition, there is an increased provision arising from a Government decision to provide additional funding for the Defence Vote towards the reimbursement of Air Corps costs incurred in the provision of the Emergency Aeromedical Support (EAS) service, which was previously funded through the Health Vote.
The Capital Investment Plan 2016-2021 also provides for an additional €4m for core capital funding in 2016, which will facilitate increased investment in equipment and infrastructure as prioritised in the White Paper on Defence.
The 2016 Budget provision will enable the Defence Forces to continue to deliver their operational outputs, both at home and overseas and will also allow the necessary investment, as identified by the White Paper on Defence, to ensure all of the roles assigned by Government are fully met.