Results 25,381-25,400 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Other Questions: Defence Forces Medicinal Products (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: There are many people in this House who sometimes are not overly complimentary about the US military in terms of some of the decisions it makes but for me, that is not so much the issue. We have medical advice available to us in Ireland, which is of the highest standard, and we follow that advice. That is from where we take our lead. If there is growing international evidence to the...

Other Questions: Defence Forces Contracts (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: I have previously outlined the position in regard to the procurement of defensive equipment by the Department of Defence. I have also explained the scale and type of such equipment the Department has acquired from Israeli companies in recent years and the purpose of such acquisitions, which is to afford the greatest possible force protection to Irish troops. The matter of barring Israeli...

Other Questions: Defence Forces Contracts (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: Is the Deputy suggesting we should not have taken the foreign policy decisions we took in regard to Russia?

Other Questions: Defence Forces Contracts (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: We have not taken unilateral action in regard to Russia. We are part of an EU decision to impose sanctions because of what has been happening in eastern Ukraine. It is not unilateral action. None of the examples the Deputy outlined in Britain, Norway and the Netherlands involve an embargo being imposed by a government on individual companies or on Israel, as a country. They are examples...

Other Questions: Defence Forces Contracts (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: The point I am making is that the Department of Defence procedures in terms of procuring goods and services is absolutely consistent with international best practice at UN and EU levels. That is a decision we have made. If there is a collective proposal at UN level to take targeted action and to use trade as a way to force change in some part of the world or in a region, then Ireland will...

Other Questions: Defence Forces Recruitment (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: There is certainly strong demand for the recruitment calls that are under way at present. In fact, I have received letters from various Deputies making cases for people who have applied and so on. There seems to be strong demand for that, despite the fact there are issues in need of review in regard to remuneration and pay. In terms of equipment, I am satisfied we have adequate and...

Other Questions: Defence Forces Recruitment (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: That report has been published. I launched it in Collins Barracks some two months ago. The author was there and talked about her experience of literally being immersed in the Defence Forces and all of its complexity, and so on. It was the third such report published by the same team as part of the attempt to modernise and put new structures within the Defence Forces. We see on the front...

Other Questions: Defence Forces Medicinal Products (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: The lariam debate is controversial and has been for many years. I remember taking lariam at one point when I went to travelling in Africa, and having the debate with my doctor on this issue, so it is not new. The Deputy will be aware that malaria is a very serious disease which kills approximately 1 million people per year in sub-Saharan Africa alone. It is a grave threat to any military...

Other Questions: Defence Forces Medicinal Products (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: I want to set the record straight on something I consider very important. We are not continuing the use of lariam because of legal cases that are being taken. We are continuing the use of lariam in the Defence Forces to ensure we have a responsible approach towards ensuring members of the Defence Forces do not contract malaria. We are acting on the advice of the Health Products Regulatory...

Other Questions: Air Ambulance Service Provision (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: As the Deputy will be aware, as he has been involved in this issue, in June 2012, a memorandum of understanding was agreed between my Department and the Department of Health, in regard to Air Corps support of 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...

Other Questions: Air Ambulance Service Provision (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: This has been a very good success and a great partnership. The Defence Forces, as always, have shown they can be flexible and accommodate broad requests and concerns with which they are asked to assist. The Air Corps has done a great job. We await the result of an implementation group on how we can provide the service into the future on a permanent basis. If the recommendation is that the...

Other Questions: Air Ambulance Service Provision (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: There is no reluctance at all. We have been a fully-fledged partner in providing the service, which everybody accepts has been a great success. However, it is a pilot project which we will keep in place until a permanent structure and implementation plan has been agreed. If such a plan involves a request for Defence Forces participation, we will consider it, and I suspect we will do so...

Other Questions: Defence Forces Recruitment (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: I thank the Deputy for his question. The Government is committed to maintaining the stabilised strength of the Permanent Defence Force at 9,500 people, comprising 7,520 Army, 886 Air Corps and 1,094 Naval Service personnel. I am advised by the military authorities that the strength of the Permanent Defence Force, at 30 September 2014, the latest date for which details are available, was...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Remuneration (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: No, I am not prepared to concede that. The Defence Forces are different from other organisations and public sector roles. When one signs up for the Defence Forces, one is signing up to a life defending the State and this is accompanied by certain rights and responsibilities. I am not willing to concede that at the moment, but certainly there are channels within the Defence Forces through...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Remuneration (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: I take some of those points. I do not want to repeat my reply to the previous question. Two Departments are involved in this matter, my Department and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. We are trying to maintain a Defence Forces strength of 9,500. We are in the process of taking on a significant number of new recruits to ensure we maintain that strength, which obviously will...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Remuneration (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: I take seriously my duty of care to Defence Forces personnel. In regard to basic pay, the only pay agreement for which this Government is responsible is the Haddington Road agreement. There was no cut to basic pay for enlisted Defence Forces personnel under that agreement. I will not go into previous pay deals or decisions previous Governments were forced to take. That is our record. We...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Remuneration (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: The only reason I referred to basic pay was because the Deputy referred to basic pay. I accept that other elements also affect people's incomes. I am not pretending this is not an issue. I also acknowledge that other elements of Haddington Road have impacted on effective take-home pay of people in the Defence Forces. Of course we will take note of any legal judgments made in Ireland or...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Overseas Missions (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: I understand the point the Deputy is making and we must prioritise. The Defence Forces has limited capacity in terms of peacekeeping abroad and we do not want to spread ourselves too thinly. It is important to distinguish between peacekeeping missions or other peace support missions the UN or NATO co-ordinate and the role of the UN in that. The way the UN undertakes missions in different...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Overseas Missions (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: We do not accede to every request. We have a strong reputation within the UN for a country that has Defence Forces with the level of experience, expertise and skill set to do difficult post-conflict and peacekeeping operations. We do that in partnership with a number of other countries that have a reputation for doing the same. Any decision to send Defence Forces personnel abroad is not...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Remuneration (13 Nov 2014)

Simon Coveney: I was made aware of number of issues for the first time at the recent PDFORRA annual conference. I presume the Deputy is referring to the claim that five members of the Permanent Defence Force were sleeping in cars because they could not afford the cost of commuting to their place of work and claims that approximately 20% of PDFORRA’s membership are availing of family income...