Results 22,601-22,620 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Staff Career Breaks (16 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: Civil Service policy on leave without pay is decided centrally by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. There are a range of options open to staff wishing to apply to avail of periods of unpaid leave. The information requested by the Deputy in relation to the number of staff in my Department currently on sabbatical/career breaks/carers leave is set out in the following table. ...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Expenditure (16 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: The total costs for photography paid by the Department in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 to date is set out in the following table: Date Company Cost 25/3/2011 Maxwell Photography €393.25 (Including VAT) 9/11/2011 Maxwell Photography €849.42 (Including VAT) 21/11/2012 Fennell Photography €116.85 (including VAT) 10/07/2013 Maxwell Photography...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Consultancy Contracts Data (16 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: My Department has not incurred any expenditure on external public relations since March 2011.

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Consultancy Contracts Expenditure (16 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 392 and 395 together. The information requested by the Deputy in relation to the total amount of expenditure on external IT consultants by my Department, in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and in 2015 to date is set out in the following table. My Department is always mindful of the costs involved in engaging consultants. External consultants are engaged only...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Parliamentary Questions (16 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: A comprehensive guide to answering Parliamentary Questions, both written and oral, is available to all staff on the Department’s intranet. This guide, inter alia, addresses issues such as registration, distribution, drafting replies and formatting. All draft replies are initially approved by Heads of Branches, subsequently at Assistant Secretary level and ultimately by the Secretary...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Parliamentary Questions (16 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: I am satisfied that Parliamentary Questions (PQs) are being adequately replied to within my Department. In certain circumstances, particularly in cases where providing a comprehensive response to a PQ requires the gathering of data from across the Department, it will not be possible to respond in full to a PQ in the time available. In such instances, a holding reply issues to the Deputy...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Appointments to State Boards (16 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: The State Boards under the aegis of the Department of Defence in March 2011 were the Civil Defence Board, the Board of Coiste an Asgard and the Army Pensions Board. The Civil Defence Board was identified in the Public Service Reform Plan as a body to be abolished. The then Minister for Defence appointed a 14 person interim Board as a temporary measure in 2011 and in this context none of...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Freedom of Information Requests (16 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the following tables: FOI Requests: Year Number of Requests* Refused Granted Part Granted 2009 62 10 30 10 2010 63 8 12 20 2011 40 5 20 7 2012 50 5 15 11 2013 40 5 7 11 2014 29 3 10 12 2015 to date 41 3 17 6 *Please note that this figure includes requests received which were subsequently...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Reorganisation (16 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: The current organisational structures of the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) ensure that it can operate efficiently and effectively within a strength ceiling of 9,500 personnel. Within that strength ceiling , the return to the previous three Brigade structure would cause a range of inefficiencies arising from under-strength Units and an increased administrative burden. This would compromise...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Legislative Process (16 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: No Bills initiated in my Department have been subject to the pre-legislative scrutiny procedure in the Oireachtas. I referred the General Scheme of the Defence Forces (Forensic Evidence) Bill 2015 to the Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality on 12 March 2015 for consideration as to whether pre-legislative scrutiny was appropriate in this case. Following a subsequent briefing for the...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Legislative Process (16 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: While no Bills have been initiated by my Department since September 2013 , the General Scheme of the Defence Forces (Forensic Evidence) Bill 2015 was approved by Government on 20 February 2015.

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Staff Expenses (16 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: The details requested in respect of the total amount spent per annum in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and to date in 2015 (11th June) on staff subsistence (including foreign subsistence) and taxi payments in respect of Departmental civil servants, members of the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) and civilian employees, is as outlined in the following table: Year Subsistence Payments Taxi Payments...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Consultancy Contracts Data (16 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: The information sought by the Deputy in relation to reports commissioned and completed since March 2011, is set out in the following table. Report Cost Company Publication Date An independent review of United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) fatalities in 1989 €51,660 Mr. Frank Callinan, S.C. 19th September 2011 Review of the Air Corps’ Safety Management System...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Naval Service Operations (16 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 403 and 404 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Personnel (16 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: As I advised previously, I am currently considering the further advice that I received from the Office of the Attorney General in relation to this case. You will appreciate that this is a serious matter that requires my full consideration. I would hope to be in a position to conclude my consideration on the matter shortly.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (11 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: Under the Rural Development Programme for the 2014-2020 the following investments have been identified as priority areas to be targeted in the new TAMS scheme: (i) a young farmer capital investment scheme, (ii) dairy equipment, (iii) low emission spreading equipment, (iv) organic capital investment, (v) animal welfare and farm safety (specifically beef and sheep handling facilities) farm...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: GLAS Payments (11 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: At the outset, I would like to welcome the fact that almost 27,000 applications were submitted in the first tranche of GLAS applications, which is very much in line with the projections I made when launching the scheme. The level of interest expressed in the new scheme has been remarkable. I should also say that the prioritisation of farms with clearly identified priority environmental...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (11 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: The range of investment items included under the various TAMS measures was informed by the SWOT and needs analyses undertaken as part of the development of the new Rural Development Programme, as well as by an extensive consultation process with the various stakeholders. The funding of sheep fencing did not emerge as a priority from that process. However, I will keep the matter under review.

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes Eligibility (11 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: My Department, in the context of delivering the Single Payment Scheme, Disadvantaged Areas' Scheme and other area-based schemes, is required to carry out a comprehensive set of administrative and on-the spot checks to ensure scheme eligibility requirements were complied with. For exclusively owned land, a permanent fence will normally define the area to be measured. However, the...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Single Payment Scheme Eligibility (11 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: European Council Regulation 73/2009 state s that support under the Single Payment Scheme shall be granted to farmers upon activation of a payment entitlement per eligible hectare. An eligible hectare is defined as any agricultural area of the holding that is used for an agricultural activity. An agricultural activity is defined as "the production, rearing or growing of agricultural products...