Results 15,241-15,260 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Recruitment (4 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 480 and 481 together. Candidates applying for positions in the Defence Forces are required to meet specific medical criteria for military service. The vision standards required for entry to the Defence Forces are laid down by the Military Authorities. Under Defence Force Regulation, normal colour vision is a requirement for enlistment or commissioning into...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Operations (4 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: The Department of Defence has received requests for assistance from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Irish Aid agencies for possible Defence Forces participation in the response to the Ebola crisis in Sierra Leone. The Department in consultation with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Department of Health and a number of Irish NGOs are currently considering the...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Remuneration (4 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: The Military Authorities have advised me that the officer referred to by the Deputy did not receive payment from 25 August 2003 until 24 January 2005 as she had exceeded the sick leave limits for which she was entitled to be paid. In accordance with Defence Force Regulations an officer on sick leave is entitled to full pay for up to 365 days over the aggregate period of the last 4 years....

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Medicinal Products (4 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: I am advised by the Military Authorities that previous statements provided information referring to 3 members of the Defence Forces, with serious symptomatology which may have been caused or contributed to by Lariam, although there was nothing conculsive. I understand that all personnel have made a full recovery and that their cases were reported to the Irish Medicines Board at the time. In...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Operations (4 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: In September 2013, a contingent of the Permanent Defence Force was deployed to the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) at the request of the United Nations. Since 1974 UNDOF has been a successful mission, supporting the efforts of the international community in maintaining peace and security both in the Golan Heights, and also in the broader region. The mandate of UNDOF has...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: White Paper on Defence (4 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: Work on the new White Paper on Defence is progressing well. I anticipate that an initial draft White Paper will be submitted to me for my consideration by the end of 2014. The final draft of the White Paper will be submitted to Government in due course.

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Expenditure (4 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: The latest comparable figures on Defence expenditure as a percentage of GDP, obtained from the European Defence Agency, are set out in the table below. The figures show that, in 2012, Ireland’s Defence expenditure, including Army Pensions, at 0.55% of GDP, was the lowest of these countries. Country 2012 Defence expenditure as a % of GDP Ireland 0.55% Malta 0.58% Austria...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Remuneration (4 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: I was made aware of a number of issues for the first time at the recent PDFORRA annual conference and requested a report from my Department on the matters that arose concerning the standard of living of members of the Permanent Defence Force (PDF). I presume the Deputy is referring to the claim that five members of the PDF were sleeping in cars because they could not afford the cost of...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Medicinal Products (4 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: Malaria is a serious disease that kills approximately 1 million people per year in sub-Saharan Africa alone. It is a serious threat to any military force operating in the area. The anti-malaria regime in place in the Defence Forces – including the use of Lariam – is working. In the decade of deployment to sub-Saharan Africa by the Defence Forces, not a single member of the...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Strength (4 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: Defence Forces Regulation CS.4 does not set out the establishment of Units. This level of detail is set out in the Chief of Staff’s Administrative Instruction CS.4. The military authorities have advised that the table below reflects the PDF strength ceiling of Units based in Custume Barracks as at 30thNovember 2012. Following the re-organisation of the Reserve Defence Force, PDF...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Reorganisation (4 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: Following the comprehensive review of expenditure in 2011, the Government decided to stabilise the strength ceiling of the Permanent Defence Force at 9,500 personnel. Arising from this decision, a major re-organisation of the Defence Forces was initiated to provide appropriate structures for the revised strength ceiling for the Permanent Defence Force (PDF). The Chief of Staff and the...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Air Accident Investigations (4 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: I wish to advise the Deputy that there have been three separate reports into this tragic accident. The first of these was conducted by the Air Accident Investigation Unit of the Department of Transport. Their Final Report was published on 24thJanuary 2012 which set out their findings. It found that the probable cause of the accident was the spatial disorientation of the instructor/pilot in...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Bodies (4 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: No quangos have been established in my Department since 2011.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Single Payment Scheme Eligibility (5 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: The person named established 6.41 entitlements under the Single Payment Scheme with a unit value of €296.41. Following a successful application to the National Reserve in 2005, the value of each of these entitlements was topped up by €90.09 to give a total value of €2420.86. A supplementary allocation from the National Reserve in 2006 of €30.07 resulted in a...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Disadvantaged Areas Scheme Applications (5 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: The person named applied for the Single Payment and Disadvantaged Areas Schemes on 12 May 2014. Processing of the Single Payment Scheme and Disadvantaged Areas Scheme applications of the person named has recently been finalised. Payments will issue shortly directly to the nominated bank account of the person named.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Industry (5 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: As I stated in my replies given on 18 September and 15thOctober, the ownership of each beef processing plant is a commercial matter for individuals or companies who wish to invest in the industry. Currently there are 32 beef slaughtering plants approved to export from Ireland to local, EU and third country markets and over 195 local authority approved plants that may export locally or to the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Single Payment Scheme Eligibility (5 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: The person named submitted a 2014 Single Farm Payment/Disadvantaged Areas’ scheme application on 17 April 2014. EU Regulations governing the administration of these schemes require that full and comprehensive administrative checks, including in some cases Remote Sensing (i.e. satellite) inspections, be completed before any payments issue. The EU Regulations also require that where it...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Disadvantaged Areas Scheme Payments (5 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: An application under the 2014 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme was received from the person named on 14 May 2014. However, payment has not yet issued as, at this stage, the holding of the person named has not yet satisfied the Scheme minimum stocking density requirements for 2014. Under 2014 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme, eligible applicants are required to have met a minimum stocking density of...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Welfare (5 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: Section 58 of the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013 contains provisions on disqualification following conviction of an offence under certain sections of the Act. Under this section, a Court may, in addition to any other penalty imposed, disqualify a person from keeping, dealing with or making a living from animals either generally or animals of a particular class or description. This...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Appointments to State Boards (5 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: Since May 2011, a notification has been placed on my Department’s website inviting expressions of interest from persons interested in being appointed to the boards of State Bodies under the aegis of my Department. Persons expressing an interest in being appointed to such positions are considered in the normal appointments process. Applicants may express interest in more than one...