Results 45,441-45,460 of 46,575 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Air Corps (8 May 2025)

Simon Harris: My priority as Minister for Defence is to ensure that the operational capability of the Defence Forces is maintained and developed. This is to enable the Defence Forces to carry out the roles assigned by Government. Equipment priorities for the Defence Forces are considered in the context of the established Capability Development and Equipment Development Planning processes, underpinned...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: EU Meetings (8 May 2025)

Simon Harris: Unfortunately, due to national commitments, I was unable to attend the Informal Meeting of EU Defence Ministers which took place in early April. Ireland was, on this occasion, represented by the Secretary General of the Department of Defence, Ireland's Ambassador to the Political and Security Committee of the EU and Department officials. I am happy to report on the meeting however, which sent...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (8 May 2025)

Simon Harris: The Deputy will appreciate that it would not be appropriate to comment on matters of an operational nature or on unit formations within their respective Barracks for reasons of operational security. However, I can say that the Defence Forces have established a new Joint Cyber Defence Command. This new Command will be able to conduct full-spectrum operations to robustly defend against cyber...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (8 May 2025)

Simon Harris: Significant progress that has been made, in terms of pay for Defence Force personnel, over the last five (5) years. For context, in May 2019 a newly qualified three-star private could have expected to earn €27,759 gross per annum (including military service allowance but excluding duty allowances), on completion of his/her initial training. Following the implementation of a...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (8 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for the opportunity to discuss the investments and infrastructure improvements completed or currently underway at Aikens Barracks Dundalk. The capital expenditure on the maintenance and upgrade of military installations for the years 2020 to 2024 has seen over €600,000 invested in Aikens Barracks to improve the central heating system. This project involved the...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Expenditure (8 May 2025)

Simon Harris: There are two Votes in the Defence Vote Group, Vote 36 (Defence) and Vote 35 (Army Pensions). The provisional outturn for 2024 for Vote 36 (Defence) indicates a net surplus to be surrendered to the Exchequer of €9.0 million. This figure includes surplus Appropriations in Aid of €8.2 million, which, as the Deputy knows, cannot be used to fund additional expenditure and must...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Expenditure (8 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 189 and 190 together. It is acknowledged that there are ongoing geo-political and potential macro-economic challenges facing Ireland, and indeed beyond. However, funding for Defence remains a key priority for this Government. As the Deputy will be aware, funding for Defence is increasing in line with the Government decision to move to Level of Ambition (LOA)...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (8 May 2025)

Simon Harris: A key priority for me as Minister for Defence is to ensure that the capabilities of the Defence Forces are maintained, developed and enhanced in order to ensure that the Defence Forces can carry out all of the roles assigned to it by Government. Equipment priorities for the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service are considered in the context of the established capability development and...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (8 May 2025)

Simon Harris: Significant progress has been made since the publication of the Report of the Independent Review Group (IRG) to examine dignity and equality issues in the Defence Forces. The progress to date includes: An External Oversight Body of the Defence Forces was established in April 2023, initially on a non-statutory basis. The Body was established on a statutory basis from 1 December 2024. A...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (8 May 2025)

Simon Harris: My Department currently has one service commitment scheme in place in respect of the Air Corps pilots and these matters are always kept under review. In the last 18 months, my Department has focussed on ensuring that existing recruitment and retention frameworks are fully optimised and responsive to the needs of the Defence Forces while at the same time introducing a number of new...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (8 May 2025)

Simon Harris: As Minister, I am deeply committed to the transformation of the Defence Forces into a modern fit-for-purpose organisation to defend the State and meet the challenges of today and the future. This will ensure that the Defence Forces are enabled to carry out the roles assigned by Government. In response to the report of the Commission on the Defence Forces, the Government approved a move...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Legislative Process (8 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I wish to assure the Deputy that I am fully committed to a zero-tolerance approach to criminal activity by serving members of the Defence Forces. Implementation of the 35 Ward recommendations, which have been accepted in their entirety, is a priority for me. A number of those recommendations, however, including those relating to suspension of Defence Force members, require extensive legal...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (8 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I am advised by the military authorities that the strength of the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) stood at 7,545 as at 9 April 2025, the latest date for which this figure is available. Budget 2025 provided a record allocation of €1.35 billion for the Defence Sector, an increase of €100 million. In relation to specific recruitment targets, this allocation provides for the...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (8 May 2025)

Simon Harris: The military authorities, who are responsible for recruitment, have advised me that the strength of the Permanent Defence Force (PDF), as at 9 April 2025, the latest date for which this figure is available, stood at 7,545 personnel. A total of 708 personnel were inducted into the Permanent Defence Force in 2024. This compares favourably with previous induction figures of 415 in 2023 and...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (8 May 2025)

Simon Harris: Since my appointment as Minister for Defence, in addition to a programme of cultural transformation, which is underway, my focus has been on stabilising the numbers of Defence Force personnel and facilitating the capacity for further increases. Retention is not influenced by a single factor, but rather, there are multiple, interconnected factors, which are responsible for retaining people...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (8 May 2025)

Simon Harris: The Deputy will have seen my recent announcement confirming the introduction of a payment to Officer Instructors in the Defence Forces. Over the past number of months, my Department has engaged with the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform with a view to recognising the upskilling of officer instructors through the introduction of a professional instructor payment...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (8 May 2025)

Simon Harris: At the outset, I wish to assure the Deputy that I recognise the outstanding contribution made to the State by our ex-service personnel. In this regard, my Department provides support to two recognised Veterans Associations which represent all former personnel, namely the Irish United Nations Veterans Association (IUNVA) and the Organisation of National Ex-Service Personnel (ONE). My officials...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Naval Service (8 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 201 and 204 together. A detailed business case is currently awaited from the military authorities in relation to a longer term Naval Service presence on the East Coast in accordance with the Programme for Government. In the interim, my officials have been engaged in discussions with Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council to agree on terms for the use...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (8 May 2025)

Simon Harris: The report of the Independent Review Group (IRG), established to examine dignity and equality issues in the Defence Forces, recommended that members of the Defence Forces have ‘access to an independent, external complaints service delivered by a professional service provider for as long as it takes to put a trusted internal system in place’. Externalising the complaints system...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (8 May 2025)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 205 and 209 together. Since the 1990s, the long-standing policy of the organisation has been to withdraw from the provision of married quarters for serving personnel. This policy approach remains reflective of the State’s move away from the historic provision of tied housing for State employees. The move away from this provision was accepted by senior...