Six new helicopters part of targeted investment

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Six new helicopters part of targeted investment

A CONTRACT for the purchase of six new utility helicopters is to be placed by the end of the year, Defence Minister Willie O'Dea disclosed last night after announcing an increase of 6pc in his department's estimates for next year.

Mr O'Dea said that he intended to initiate a programme for the acquisition of light tactical vehicles, while €13m had been set aside for the Javelin missile system.

The increase in the estimates for defence and army pensions to a total of €904m meant that the department remained on track to exceed the targets laid out in the Government white paper on defence for new military equipment and improved infrastructure, the minister pointed out.

The purchases and building plans are being funded partly through the proceeds of the sales of six military barracks and other smaller military surplus requirements.

Mr O'Dea said he was studying the defence property portfolio and had already earmarked a number of sites which could be sold off in the next 12 months and release more cash for funding other projects.

He said that the estimated receipts for sale of property next year was €5m, while this year's figure had been boosted by the sale of Clancy barracks in Dublin for €25m.

"Next year will be the fifth year of the 10-year programme set out in the White Paper," Mr O'Dea said.

"We are already ahead of target and this allocation guarantees we will stay that way."

Savings had also been achieved in the amount of money set aside to pay compensation for claims of army udeafness, with the total amount estimated to be paid out dropping from €24m to €14m in the coming year. The minister said that there were no plans to carry out further reductions to the strength of the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service and stressed that the current personnel level of 10,500 for the three services was the bottom line.

The Government's commitment to providing 850 troops to United Nations overseas peace missions remained solid, he added, and on his recent visit to Dublin, UN secretary general Kofi Annan had paid tribute to the size of the Irish contribution from what was a relatively small force.

Other major investments in the Defence Forces included €84m for 65 Mowag armoured personnel carriers; the €60m which was spent on eight Pilatus fixed-wing trainer aircraft; €51m on two state-of-the-art ships for the Naval Service.

A total of more than €260m which was spent on capital building and maintenance works between 1997 and the end of this year.

Most of the funding for these investments had been achieved through savings and the sale of properties, Mr O'Dea said.


Tom Brady
Security Editor

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