Results 22,421-22,440 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: European Security Strategy (25 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: These issues arise all the time. We are a militarily neutral country, which means we are not militarily aligned to any other country. However, neutrality does not mean one stays out of everything or one cannot take a position on a particular report. Neutrality means choosing to support or not support positions on the basis of their particular merits. Ireland sometimes takes positions that...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: European Security Strategy (25 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: To clarify, the Beyond Neutrality policy document was put together by Gay Mitchell at a time when my party was in opposition.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: European Security Strategy (25 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: I simply wish to correct the record on that point because I know Mr. Mitchell put a lot of work into it. The LE Eithneand its crew continue to do extraordinary work in the Mediterranean for which they have received a great deal of recognition. From the videos I have seen and the reports I have received from the ship and through the Department of Defence, it is clear they are doing a first...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Reorganisation (25 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: Effective command and control is indeed essential to military effectiveness, and exists within all units of the Defence Forces. Equally, having an appropriate organisational structure is also key to military efficiency and effectiveness. The objective of the reorganisation of the Permanent Defence Force in 2012 was to design a viable organisational structure which prioritised the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Reorganisation (25 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: I am advised that there are no practical day-to-day difficulties involved. Clearly, however, there is now a requirement for people to travel to certain meetings and so on. From a territorial viewpoint, however, Ireland is not a huge country. We have reorganised the Defence Forces in a way that essentially went from three senior command structures to two. That was done on the basis of...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Reorganisation (25 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: There will always be people who have different views, but the context here is a Permanent Defence Force of 9,500 people. A decision was made to close four barracks, as well as restructuring and reorganising to reflect the new, agreed strength levels of the Defence Forces. It was to ensure that we had barracks and structures that were full, busy and fully operational, as opposed to trying to...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Reorganisation (25 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: It may have been mentioned during the day, but I have had many discussions concerning the Defence White Paper, which is approximately 160 pages long. We have tried to accommodate as many viewpoints as we can both from the military and civilian sides, and we are continuing to do so. I acknowledge there are others who share the view the Deputy is advocating in this regard, but my experience as...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Naval Service Vessels (25 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: The background to the deployment of a Naval Service vessel to Skellig Michael last year arose from the establishment, by the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, of a three day maritime exclusion zone around the site in accordance with the Marine Safety Act 2005. I understand that this exclusion zone was placed at the request of the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht in...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: State Properties (25 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: On 1 July 2003 the Government decided that Magee Barracks would be among the State lands released to Kildare County Council for inclusion in the Sustaining Progress Affordable Housing Initiative. On foot of this Government decision, Kildare County Council prepared a local area plan for the site which encompassed a range of uses including community use. Following discussions at that time...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Expenditure (25 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: The total realised from 1998 to date in terms of sales of surplus property is €108m approx, a portion of which has been retained and re-invested in providing equipment and infrastructure for the Defence Forces. This approach is in line with the 2000 White Paper on Defence and the Government decision of February 2000 which approved the allocation of the revenue arising from the sale of...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Personnel (25 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: I assume that the Deputy is referring to the European Union military operation, EUNAVFOR MED, which following the formal Meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels on 22 June, a Council Decision to launch the mission was adopted. The mission is one element of a comprehensive approach to addressing the migration crisis in the South Central Mediterranean. The Mission will be...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Naval Service Vessels (25 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: Following Government approval and agreement with the Italian authorities, L.É. Eithne arrived in the South Central Mediterranean on 23 May 2015, to assist the Italian authorities in humanitarian search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean. The role of the Irish Naval vessel is to provide a search and rescue capability and to undertake humanitarian rescue operations at sea in the...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Irish Red Cross Governance (25 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: The Irish Red Cross Society is an independent charitable body corporate with full power to manage and administer its own affairs. I am satisfied that the Society has made substantial improvements to its governance framework in recent years which comply with the standards set by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the International Committee of the Red...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Air Corps (25 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: I would like to advise the Deputy that I have received a disclosure under the Protected Disclosures Act 2014, and follow up correspondence, from an individual alleging that a number of Air Corps Aircraft Inspectors have authorisation to certify sheet metal repairs and modifications without the required qualifications or experience to do so. On foot of the information received I have directed...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Medicinal Products (25 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: As the Deputy will be aware, malaria is a very serious disease which kills approximately 1 million people every year in sub-Saharan Africa alone. It is a grave threat to any military force operating in the area.   In the decade of deployment to sub-Saharan Africa by the Defence Forces, not a single member of the Defence Forces has died from malaria. The anti-malaria regime in...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Naval Service Vessels (25 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: Following Government approval and agreement with the Italian authorities, L.É. Eithne arrived in the South Central Mediterranean on 23 May 2015, to assist the Italian authorities in humanitarian search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean. The role of the Irish Naval vessel is to provide a search and rescue capability and to undertake humanitarian rescue operations at sea in the...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Personnel (25 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: The individual that the Deputy is referring to was retired by the President, on the advice of the Government, with effect from a date in June, 1969. His retirement was effected pursuant to Section 47(2) of the Defence Act, 1954 and Paragraph 18(1)(f) of Defence Force Regulations A.15, which provide that an officer may be retired “in the interests of the service”. This case was...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Overseas Missions (25 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: As of 01 June 2015, Ireland is contributing approximately 497 Defence Forces personnel to 13 missions throughout the world. Full details of all personnel currently serving overseas including the lead organisation for each mission are listed in the tabular statement attached. The most recent deployment overseas was the despatch of the Irish naval vessel, L.É. Eithne, to assist the Italian...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Overseas Missions (25 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: The humanitarian crisis in the Mediterranean is of great concern to Ireland, and to its EU and Southern partners. On Monday 20 April, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade attended a joint meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs and Justice and Home Affairs Councils to discuss migration issues, and in particular the situation in the Mediterranean.  At that meeting, Ministers Frances...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Naval Service Operations (25 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: Following Government approval and agreement with the Italian authorities, L.É. Eithne arrived in the South Central Mediterranean on 23 May 2015, to assist the Italian authorities in humanitarian search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean. The role of the Irish Naval vessel is to provide a search and rescue capability and to undertake humanitarian rescue operations at sea in the...