Results 22,681-22,700 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Property (9 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: Just so that the facts are clear, of the 27 overholders in the Curragh, ten are not paying rent and five of those are not paying any electricity charges either. This is a small number of people and properties. I will not be hounding people out of their homes. However, when people join the Defence Forces and move into married quarters, they know they are supposed to hand over that property...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Property (9 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: Personnel who leave the Defence Forces or who vacate a married quarter property that had been assigned to them are required under regulations to return vacant possession of that property. Where the property is not vacated, those remaining in the property are overholding and, as they have no right under military regulations to hold or reside in military accommodation, the Department will in...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Strength (9 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: The following tabular statement sets out the strength of the Permanent Defence Force as of 30 April, 2015, the latest date for which figures are available, broken down by rank and gender. The figures provided are for whole time equivalent posts. The total serving strength across all three services as of 30 April, 2015 was 9,112 (comprising of 553 or 6.1% female and 8559 or 93.9% male). The...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: White Paper on Defence (9 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: The preparation of a new White Paper on Defence is a key priority and drafting of the document is well underway. Working groups comprising civil and military representatives from the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces have identified likely future operational demands and the defence capabilities required to meet these demands. This work will inform recommendations regarding...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Equipment (9 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: I am advised that the Defence Forces ambulance fleet consists of both on-road and 4x4 off-road capable vehicles. Following a tender competition, a contract was awarded in April 2012 to Wilker Auto Conversions in Clara, County Offaly for an initial two 4x4 off-road Iveco ambulances. This was followed by a further order for four Iveco ambulances in 2013. The tender competition was carried...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Overseas Missions (9 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: As of 31 May 2015, Ireland is contributing approximately 500 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 following tabular statement. The main overseas missions, in which Defence Forces personnel are currently deployed, are the United Nations Interim...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Air Corps (9 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: In June 2012 a Memorandum of Understanding was agreed between my Department and the Department of Health in relation to the Air Corps' participation in a pilot Emergency Aeromedical Support (EAS) service operating out of Custume Barracks, Athlone. The purpose of the pilot service was to assess the level and type, if any, of dedicated aeromedical support needed to assist the National...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Naval Service Vessels (9 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: 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 Mediterranean. Assistance to persons in distress at sea is being...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Naval Service Operations (9 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...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: White Paper on Defence (9 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: The symposium on the White Paper on Defence at Farmleigh House on 15 May provided a wide stakeholder group with the opportunity to hear alternative views, to learn from the experience of others and to debate the merits of differing courses of action. The approach of utilising open policy debates as a means to inform policy formulation is a key strategy within the Government's Civil Service...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Overseas Missions (9 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: To assist in Ireland's response to the Ebola Crisis in West Africa, five (5) Defence Forces medical personnel deployed to Sierra Leone in January 2015 to participate in the wider international response to the crisis. Prior to their deployment, I met with the team in Collins Barracks, Cork. Irish personnel are part of a UK-led Joint Inter-Agency Task Force tackling Ebola in West...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Equipment (9 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: The acquisition of new equipment and technology for the Defence Forces remains a focus for me as Minister for Defence and is a matter that is kept under constant review. The budgetary situation, in the context of the current economic situation, continues to dictate the level of funding available for defensive equipment including radar equipment and equipment upgrades for the Defence...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Expenditure (9 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: Arising from the 2015-2017 Comprehensive Review of Expenditure (CRE) process, the Defence Vote was provided with an allocation of €677m in 2015. Some €496m (73%) of this allocation provides for the pay and allowances of up to 9,500 Permanent Defence Force (PDF) personnel, 625 civilian employees and 350 civil servants. The remaining €181m (27%) provides mainly for...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Reorganisation (9 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: A range of savings measures that were introduced in the years immediately following the onset of the economic downturn in 2008 led to a reduction in the strength of the Permanent Defence Force. Following a comprehensive review of expenditure in 2011, the Government decided to stabilise the strength ceiling of the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) at 9,500 personnel. The three Brigade...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Overseas Missions (9 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: At a special meeting of the European Council on 23 April 2015, the Taoiseach announced that Ireland would deploy an Irish Naval Service vessel to assist in the humanitarian crisis in the Mediterranean. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Irish Red Cross Governance (9 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. In recent years the Society has introduced a number of welcome changes to its governance structures which were substantially facilitated by legislative amendments made by this Government in 2012. These changes were the most wide ranging and fundamental to have...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Commemorative Events (9 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: While responsibility for the Decade of Centenaries Programme rests with my colleague the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, both my Department and the Defence Forces will play a significant role in many of the events planned for 2016. There are two existing 1916 commemoration events which have significant Department of Defence and Defence Forces involvement annually. These are...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Reorganisation (9 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: Arising from the comprehensive review of expenditure in 2011, the Government decided to stabilise the strength ceiling of the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) at 9,500 personnel. The three Brigade structure then in place had originally been designed in the 1990s, when the strength ceiling of the PDF was 11,500 personnel. Clearly, at a strength ceiling of 9,500 personnel, this structure was no...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Personnel (9 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...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Equipment (9 Jun 2015)

Simon Coveney: As I outlined to the Deputy in my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 80 of 22 April 2015, the primary purpose for the procurement of defensive equipment by the Department of Defence is to maintain the capability of the Irish Defence Forces on overseas Peace Support Operations and to afford the greatest possible force protection to Irish troops whilst on such missions. I am advised by the...