Results 37,741-37,760 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Defence Forces (12 May 2022)

Simon Coveney: On the level of ambition, the commission deliberately put this back to the Government, saying “Here is what we think you should do but, of course, it is your choice from a policy and budgetary point of view.” With regard to the language the commission has used, level of ambition 1 is essentially maintaining the status quobut getting the establishment up to where it needs to be...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Defence Forces (12 May 2022)

Simon Coveney: I thank the Deputy for that. I believe and hope I have the support of most parties in this House, even though sometimes we have a very abrasive political system here in terms of disagreement on policy and so on. I hope the vast majority in this House will support this because it will be for future Governments too and is not just about this Government. I hope we can listen to and take in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Defence Forces (12 May 2022)

Simon Coveney: I have some sympathy for that but I also need to put on the record what has happened here so it is clear from the Government's perspective. The Deputy may be aware that, with the agreement of RACO, the specialised instructors allowance for officers was bought out under the defence sector collective agreement of the public service agreement 2013-2016, which was the Haddington Road agreement....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Defence Forces (12 May 2022)

Simon Coveney: I have had long discussions with RACO on this issue. It has repeatedly raised it with me and that is fair enough. It has a slightly different version of what happened to specialist instructors' allowances. However, there is a broader question here that we must address. If we are going to be successful in recruiting the numbers we need to recruit and in maintaining standards in the Defence...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Defence Forces (12 May 2022)

Simon Coveney: This is one of many issues on which we will have to work with the representative bodies. The scale of the reform, change, growth, expansion and investment that will have to be delivered in partnership between the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces will involve a great deal of disruption and change, all of it for the better. This is not about change that is downsizing for cost...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Defence Forces (12 May 2022)

Simon Coveney: The Defence (Amendment) Act 1990 and Defence Force Regulations S6 provided for the establishment of representative associations for members of the Permanent Defence Force. The associations that have since been established are RACO and PDFORRA. The conciliation and arbitration scheme for members of the Permanent Defence Force provides a formal mechanism for the determination of claims...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Defence Forces (12 May 2022)

Simon Coveney: I am not sure it is fair to compare the work that customs officers do at sea with that of the Naval Service in terms of time at sea and so forth. It is quite different. However, I take the point. The truth is that it took us many months to negotiate the terms and conditions for the sea-going service commitment scheme because there was a legitimate concern in the Department of Public...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Defence Forces (12 May 2022)

Simon Coveney: What I said to the representative bodies and the General Staff is that we would seek to provide clarity on the issue of associate membership of ICTU in the context of public sector pay talks. The Deputy might note that we are dealing with that issue well in advance of bringing the memorandum to Government on the Commission on the Defence Forces, which made a recommendation on this issue. We...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Defence Forces (12 May 2022)

Simon Coveney: Vote 36, defence, was allocated a gross funding provision of some €836 million for 2022. This allocation provides for the pay and allowances of more than 10,400 public service employees, the upgrade and replacement of essential military equipment and infrastructure, ongoing Defence Forces operational and standing costs, as well as funding in respect of Civil Defence and the Irish Red...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Defence Forces (12 May 2022)

Simon Coveney: To be clear, we have no intention of giving money back at the end of this year. That is the reason we have an arrangement with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. We have a budget and Estimate for 9,500 personnel and when currently have money than we need to cover pay and conditions because we are just over 1,100 people short of where we should be. However, the Department of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Defence Forces (12 May 2022)

Simon Coveney: We have a whole suite of proposals coming down the track on that. Three chapters in the commission's report relate to how we treat people in the Defence Forces; how we manage them; transparency around promotions; complaints procedures and how they function; the cultural change that is needed; and the fact that many women in the Defence Forces do not feel safe and welcome, which must and will...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Defence Forces (12 May 2022)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 and 20 together. As I have just outlined to Deputies Brady and Berry, the Permanent Defence Force is currently under strength by just over 1,000 personnel. The report of the Commission on the Defence Forces has made it clear that the level of ambition, LOA, for the Defence Forces must be elevated beyond that at which it is operating at the moment. ...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Defence Forces (12 May 2022)

Simon Coveney: We must first get up to the existing establishment number, which is 9,500. We are approximately 1,100 below that figure. I gave the figures earlier that we are short of in the navy, the Air Corps, which it is hoped will become the air force in a few months’ time, and the Army. We need to get back up to the establishment figure of 9,500. It is pretty self-evident where we are short...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Defence Forces (12 May 2022)

Simon Coveney: There are increases in the Air Corps and in the Army also. There will be increased civilization within the Defence Forces, as there has been quite successfully in An Garda Síochána, for example,.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Defence Forces (12 May 2022)

Simon Coveney: We have had much discussion with the Defence Forces around civilianisation, because we can recruit more quickly if people do not have to go through military training procedures and so on. We need to be careful with that because the Defence Forces operate on the basis of structure, discipline, common standards and so on. We need to ensure that if we introduce civilians into the Defence...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Defence Forces (12 May 2022)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 9, 11 and 32 together. I thank the Deputy for asking this question and I know she has spoken regularly about this topic. As the Deputies are aware, following the Government decision on 25 January last, I announced the establishment of a judge-led independent review to examine issues relating to bullying, harassment, discrimination and sexual misconduct,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Defence Forces (12 May 2022)

Simon Coveney: I am very careful not to get involved in the work of this independent body. It is led by a judge. She is a very able person who has the support of two other very able people. I simply wanted to get an update on how its work was going to make sure it remained on schedule and whether it needed any further resources for the work it is doing. That is the update I got. I will certainly not be...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Defence Forces (12 May 2022)

Simon Coveney: The updates I have got to date have been largely procedural relating to how the group is going about its work, including who it is reaching out to, resourcing, accommodation and things like that, to make sure a proper support structure is in place around the work this independent group of people is doing. I committed to, and wanted to have, an interim report because I wanted there to be an...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Defence Forces (12 May 2022)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 10, 12, 27, 41 and 48 together. The answer to that is next month. The initial commitment was to do so before the summer recess. I then said we would like to do it in June so there will be an opportunity to debate it before we break up for the summer recess. This is arguably the most important reform and change to the Defence Forces since the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Defence Forces (12 May 2022)

Simon Coveney: I thank the Deputies for their very informed comments on this. One reason why I wanted to be back in the Defence brief was because we had committed to a commission that I expected would make some very telling interventions on the considerations around defence that are necessary and can not be avoided any longer. We have fantastic Defence Forces. They do a brilliant job as peacekeepers and...