Results 38,021-38,040 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (14 Jun 2022)

Simon Coveney: The Department of Justice and An Garda Síochána have primary responsibility for the internal security of the State. Among the roles assigned to the Defence Forces in the White Paper on Defence is the provision of Aid to the Civil Power (ATCP), which, in practice, means to assist An Garda Síochána when requested to do so. Defence Forces personnel acting in an armed...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (14 Jun 2022)

Simon Coveney: The establishment of the Commission on the Defence Forces underpins the Government’s commitment to ensuring that the Defence Forces are fit for purpose, both in terms of meeting immediate requirements and also in terms of seeking to develop a longer term vision for beyond 2030. As the Deputy will be aware, the report of the Commission on the Defence Forces was published on the 9th...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Interest Rates (14 Jun 2022)

Simon Coveney: My Department operates a small number of bank accounts and, in accordance with public financial procedures, the amounts maintained in these accounts are kept to a minimum. Negative interest rates were first incurred by my Department in 2017, and the cost of negative interest charges incurred in respect of these accounts from 2017 to 2022 is outlined in the table below. Negative...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Interest Rates (14 Jun 2022)

Simon Coveney: There are two State Boards that come under the aegis of the Department of Defence, namely the Army Pensions Board and the Defence Forces Canteen Board. Neither of these boards have incurred any negative interest charges since negative interest rates were first introduced.

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Staff (14 Jun 2022)

Simon Coveney: There are no former Secretaries General seconded from my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Undefined (14 Jun 2022)

Simon Coveney: The information requested could not be readily ascertained in the timeframe set out for reply and I will revert once the information is available to me.

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (14 Jun 2022)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 906, 907, 910 and 911 together. The following table details the requested current strength details, as at 30 April 2022, along with the corresponding establishment strength. Current Strength (WTE) Establishment Permanent Defence Force 8,297 9,500 Army 6,714 7,520 ...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Air Corps (14 Jun 2022)

Simon Coveney: I am advised by the military authorities that the strength of the Air Corps, as at 9 June 2022, is 748 wholetime equivalent personnel. The table below shows the strength by requested stream: Personnel Stream Strength as at 09/06/2022 Qualified pilots 97 Cadets currently completing military training* 6 ...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Naval Service (14 Jun 2022)

Simon Coveney: The Naval Service is the State's principal sea-going agency and is tasked with a variety of defence and other roles. The primary day-to-day tasking of the Naval Service is to provide a fishery protection service in accordance with the State's obligations as a member of the European Union. In terms of fishery protection the Naval Service is tasked with patrolling all Irish waters from the...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (14 Jun 2022)

Simon Coveney: The following table details the number of women members of the Permanent Defence Force who have left, by month, to the end of May 2022: Month Jan Feb March April May Total No. of Discharges 2 6 14 2 0 24 As the Deputy will appreciate, personnel leave the Permanent Defence...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (14 Jun 2022)

Simon Coveney: The Reserve Defence Force (RDF) is comprised of the First Line Reserve, the Army Reserve (AR) and the Naval Service Reserve (NSR). The Government remains absolutely committed to the advancement of the RDF. The White Paper on Defence is quite clear that there is a continued requirement to retain and develop the Reserve and the Government remains fully committed to this. The...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (14 Jun 2022)

Simon Coveney: It is Government policy to increase female participation rates at all levels of the Defence Forces, including the Reserve Defence Force (RDF), in order to increase capability and to better reflect the society from which the Defence Forces are drawn and serve. As of 30 April 2022, the effective female strength of the RDF is 194 members. In line with current policies and commitments, a number...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (14 Jun 2022)

Simon Coveney: The Reserve Defence Force (RDF) is comprised of the First Line Reserve (FLR), the Army Reserve (AR) and the Naval Service Reserve (NSR). The combined effective strength of the AR and NSR, at year end, for the past five years is set out below: Year AR & NSR Effective Personnel (at year end) 2021 1,489 2020 ...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (14 Jun 2022)

Simon Coveney: The current establishment figure of the Defence Froces is 9,500. The Department does not maintain costings for increasing the strength of the Permanent Defence Force as outlined by the Deputy. This would require detailed consideration of the capability requirements underpinning such an increase and consideration of associated personnel issues, including organisational structures as well as...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (14 Jun 2022)

Simon Coveney: The White Paper on Defence 2015, reinforced by the White Paper Update 2019, sets out the Government’s medium term policy for Defence. It is recognised that the principal demand drivers of Defence capital requirements are the ongoing renewal, retention and acquisition of military equipment along with the development and upgrade of Defence Forces built infrastructure. The acquisition of...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (14 Jun 2022)

Simon Coveney: The principal demand drivers of capital expenditure for the Defence Forces are the ongoing renewal, retention and acquisition of military equipment along with the development and upgrade of Defence Forces built infrastructure. Capital funding allocations are framed within the overarching multi-annual National Development Plan and provided through Vote 36 (Defence). To this end, Vote 36...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (14 Jun 2022)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 919, 920 and 921 together. In the period in question, 2015-2022, a total of €11.3 million has been received in respect of property sales. Public Financial Procedures require that such receipts are brought to account as Appropriations-in-Aid. The table below sets out the annual amounts of these receipts. Defence Property Sales 2015-2022: ...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Staff (14 Jun 2022)

Simon Coveney: My Department currently provides a number of staff to support Ireland's engagement in the EU's Common Security and Defence Policy and the related EU institutions, including the European External Action Security, the European Defence Agency and the European Commission. To this end, officials from the Department are assigned to the Political and Security Committee (PSC) delegation within the...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (14 Jun 2022)

Simon Coveney: The information requested could not be readily ascertained in the timeframe set out for reply and I will revert once the information is available to me.

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Meetings (14 Jun 2022)

Simon Coveney: On 7 June 2022, I met with my Finnish Defence Counterpart, Mr. Antti Kaikkonen, in Helsinki. This meeting was one of a number of meetings which took place during my visit to Finland and Sweden in my capacity as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence. Discussions with Minister Kaikkonen were dominated by the situation in Ukraine and the continuing illegal war which is causing extraordinary...