Results 38,541-38,560 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Data (14 Jul 2022)

Simon Coveney: There are a total of 67 apprentices currently serving in the Permanent Defence Force, of which 47 are on points 1 to 3 of the payscale. The table below shows the breakdown of the number of apprentices on each of the referenced scale points. Scale Point Number of Apprentices 1 23 2 16 3 8 ...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Data (14 Jul 2022)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 453 and 454 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Data (14 Jul 2022)

Simon Coveney: Military service allowance is paid to Defence Forces personnel for the special disadvantages associated with military life. The number in receipt of military service allowance for 2021 was some 8,600 personnel at an annual cost of some €52.5 million.   The tax collected in respect of military service allowance in each individual case will vary from person to person depending...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Data (14 Jul 2022)

Simon Coveney: Patrol duty allowance is payable to personnel serving aboard a Naval Service ship on patrol away from the Naval Base. The number in receipt of this allowance for 2021 was 502 personnel at a cost of some €1.6 million. The tax collected in respect of patrol duty allowance in each individual case will vary from person to person depending on the personal tax credits, reliefs and...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Data (14 Jul 2022)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 457 and 458 together. To answer the Deputy’s questions, the following table outlines the amount of specialised instructor allowance paid to enlisted personnel in the payroll years from 2017 to date in 2022. Payroll Year Value Number of Personnel 2017 313,184.75 111 2018 ...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Cybersecurity Policy (14 Jul 2022)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 459 to 461, inclusive, together. In terms of cyber security, at national level the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications has the lead role with inputs in the security domain from An Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces. The National Cyber Security Centre, which is part of the Department of Environment,...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Reports (14 Jul 2022)

Simon Coveney: On Tuesday 12 July Government approval was given for a move to ‘Level of Ambition 2’ (LOA2), as set out in the capability framework devised by the Commission on the Defence Forces. This will result in the Defence budget rising from €1.1 billion to €1.5 billion, in 2022 prices, by 2028, the largest increase in Defence funding in the history of the State. This...

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

Simon Coveney: At a Cabinet meeting in June, the Government supported a request from the Minister for Transport for members of the Defence Forces to undergo training and certification and to be on standby to assist the daa with the provision of aviation security duties at Dublin Airport. While I recognise that the role of the Defence Forces is not normally to assist in the provision of services for a...

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

Simon Coveney: The military authorities have advised that applications for the Army, Naval Service and Air Corps 2022 Cadetship competition are currently being processed. The requirement for further Cadetship competitions will be kept under ongoing review.

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Data (14 Jul 2022)

Simon Coveney: The table below details the requested strength and vacancies, by rank, for the Army Equitation School, on 12thJuly 2022. Rank Lt Col Comdt Captain Lt CS CQ Sgt Cpl Pte Strength 1 1 2 4 1 1 3 4 18 Vacancies 0 ...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: European Union Humanitarian Crisis Response to Russia's Invasion of Ukraine: Department of Foreign Affairs (6 Jul 2022)

Simon Coveney: I thank the committee for the opportunity to appear before it. I am glad to have it. I hope that we will have another meeting after the summer when this conflict will be in a new phase. Hopefully, it will be a better phase, but there is not a great deal of optimism that anything is going to change positively any time soon. I thank the committee for convening this session on the current...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: European Union Humanitarian Crisis Response to Russia's Invasion of Ukraine: Department of Foreign Affairs (6 Jul 2022)

Simon Coveney: I thank the Deputy for those questions. The initial cost estimate for reconstruction currently stands at approximately €750 billion. We are talking about a very large country that has endured extraordinary levels of damage and destruction across multiple cities. Some cities hardly exist anymore in light of the level of bombardment and destruction. I witnessed some of that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: European Union Humanitarian Crisis Response to Russia's Invasion of Ukraine: Department of Foreign Affairs (6 Jul 2022)

Simon Coveney: I should have answered that question from Deputy Richmond. I am sorry. I will come back to it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: European Union Humanitarian Crisis Response to Russia's Invasion of Ukraine: Department of Foreign Affairs (6 Jul 2022)

Simon Coveney: On the question concerning how we fund this new plan for reconstruction, we are open to what the Deputy suggested. It is, however, much more complex legally than might be thought. We must be consistent with what is legally sound as well. If we are calling out countries for breaching international law, then we must practise what we preach. I am very much open to the approach suggested by...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: European Union Humanitarian Crisis Response to Russia's Invasion of Ukraine: Department of Foreign Affairs (6 Jul 2022)

Simon Coveney: We have frozen €1.7 billion of Russian funds in the context of those financial services so far linked to sanctions. It is not an insubstantial amount of money. We must, though, be responsible here in respect of any action we take being legally sound. Regarding the other question concerning the weaponising of food and energy, there is now, unfortunately, a communications battle...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: European Union Humanitarian Crisis Response to Russia's Invasion of Ukraine: Department of Foreign Affairs (6 Jul 2022)

Simon Coveney: That is no problem. I am in the Chairman's hands.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: European Union Humanitarian Crisis Response to Russia's Invasion of Ukraine: Department of Foreign Affairs (6 Jul 2022)

Simon Coveney: Maybe I will answer Senator Chambers's question first if she has to run back to the Seanad. She asked about the timeline for Ukraine membership. I hope it can be done within a decade. Given the scale of rebuilding and the challenges in terms of the benchmarks that need to be met to become a member of the European Union, that can be a very exciting ten years of investment, growth, reform...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: European Union Humanitarian Crisis Response to Russia's Invasion of Ukraine: Department of Foreign Affairs (6 Jul 2022)

Simon Coveney: Funding is available from the EU Commission to support member states with costs now. There is a new system in place. I have spoken to the Commissioner responsible for it. He was clear in terms of reassurance that funding would be available for countries like Ireland for accommodation costs and so on but also countries that are much more deeply impacted by numbers such as Romania, Hungary,...