Results 26,321-26,340 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Other Questions: Defence Forces Personnel (18 Sep 2014)

Simon Coveney: I thank that the Deputy for his comments. It is important to put this into context, given the active role the Defence Forces have been playing abroad in recent weeks. We are speaking about front-line soldiers such as privates and corporals who are jumping in and out of Mowags and who need to be fit, adaptable, strong and at the peak of their physical and mental fitness for their own safety...

Other Questions: Defence Forces Personnel (18 Sep 2014)

Simon Coveney: The flexibilities being discussed are with regard to maintaining levels of expertise built up over time, while at the same time trying to ensure front-line soldiers are of an appropriate age. There is a balance to be found. We are not really speaking about people in their 30s. If there is a 21-year rule and one joined the Army at 19 or 20 or in one's early 20s, we are talking about people...

Other Questions: Defence Forces Personnel (18 Sep 2014)

Simon Coveney: I propose to let the infrastructure in the Defence Forces which exists to resolve issues such as this, and which has successfully resolved this issue in the past when there was a request by PDFORRA to do so, to finalise its work. It would be inappropriate for a Minister to wade in politically and tell people what the outcome should be. I would like to think our conciliation and arbitration...

Other Questions: Defence Forces Deployment (18 Sep 2014)

Simon Coveney: It seems, unfortunately, that sometimes we do need to protect these aircraft because there are individuals intent on trying to damage them. An Garda Síochána has the primary responsibility for law and order, including internal security in the State. Among the roles assigned to the Defence Forces is the provision of aid to the civil power, which in practice means assisting An Garda...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Contracts (18 Sep 2014)

Simon Coveney: It is important to qualify my answer by saying that I am the Minister for Defence, and much of what Deputy Mac Lochlainn is asking about, and what Deputy Clare Daly asked about earlier, is to do with foreign policy issues: whether we want to make decisions that will target Israeli companies and Israel in order to make a foreign policy statement. In my view, given my experience as a foreign...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Contracts (18 Sep 2014)

Simon Coveney: First, the examples given by Deputy Mac Lochlainn of Russia and Iran are decisions that were taken collectively by the European Union. The European Union decided that it needed to respond collectively to what was happening in Ukraine and to Russian involvement in that, and, of course, there have been consequences. One does not impose sanctions on a country as powerful and large, and which...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Contracts (18 Sep 2014)

Simon Coveney: It is a much more complex-----

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Contracts (18 Sep 2014)

Simon Coveney: There are.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Contracts (18 Sep 2014)

Simon Coveney: Neutrality or military non-alignment allows us to make decisions on a case-by-case basis. Sometimes we decide to work in partnership with NATO, such as in Afghanistan and the Balkans, sometimes we work in partnership with EU member states, such as in a training mission in Mali with British colleagues, and sometimes we are involved with UN efforts such as UNIFIL in southern Lebanon and in...

Other Questions: Defence Forces Personnel (18 Sep 2014)

Simon Coveney: The unsatisfactory age and fitness profile of the Permanent Defence Force was an issue of serious concern during the 1990s and was the subject of severe criticism in a series of external reports, mainly those by Price Waterhouse Consulting and the Efficiency Audit Group. One of the key areas identified for urgent action by the EAG was the development of a manpower policy with an emphasis on...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Contracts (18 Sep 2014)

Simon Coveney: I believe I have answered that question. The manner in which the Department of Defence procures both services and products is consistent with international practice and European Union and United Nations decisions on trade embargoes and so on. That is the appropriate way in which to continue, rather than Ireland taking a unilateral decision to target individual companies or countries on...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Deployment (18 Sep 2014)

Simon Coveney: Custume Barracks is and will continue to be an important operational military barracks. The military authorities have confirmed that the current strength of personnel in Custume Barracks, Athlone is 1,038. Incidentally, that is significantly greater than when the Government took office. It includes personnel attending training courses in Custume Barracks. I am advised that the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Deployment (18 Sep 2014)

Simon Coveney: We must agree to differ on this point. The advice I have from the Defence Forces is that the restructured brigade structure in Ireland is working very well and that there have not been more than 1,400 troops in this barracks since the 1990s. Therefore, the numbers there currently are stronger than has been the case in the recent past. I accept, of course, that the restructuring of the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Deployment (18 Sep 2014)

Simon Coveney: I also speak to people on the ground. That is what one does as a public representative, as well as Minister for Defence. The change the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces have implemented in the past 15 years or so has been fundamental in respect of modernisation, performance and fitness improvement, changing the age profile, restructuring and reorganisation within barracks. It...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: UN Missions (18 Sep 2014)

Simon Coveney: I do not think it is appropriate for me to go into the detail of decisions taken by the force commander and the reasons behind those decisions. General Singha, the force commander, who is an Indian officer, has had to make very difficult judgments over the past number of weeks. His primary focus has been the safety of UN troops in the face of some very difficult situations which he has had...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Contracts (18 Sep 2014)

Simon Coveney: I thank Deputy Daly for her good wishes, which I appreciate. The primary purpose of the procurement of defensive equipment by the Department of Defence is to maintain the capability of the Irish Defence Forces on overseas support operations and to afford the greatest possible force protection to Irish troops when on such missions. The need for such equipment is self-evident given recent...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Contracts (18 Sep 2014)

Simon Coveney: It would be helpful for the information of the House to give some details about the kind of equipment we have purchased through the tendering process from Israeli companies. The vast majority of it is not offensive weaponry. We are talking about X-ray equipment for explosive ordnance disposal duties, which is required to ensure we can dispose of landmines, bombs and so on, helmets for...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: UN Missions (18 Sep 2014)

Simon Coveney: To respond generally to the Deputy, I have questioned the mandate, as has the Taoiseach. It is intended to maintain this mission as a Chapter VI mission. We will not move into the territory of peace enforcement and I will not, under any circumstances, send Irish troops on a peacekeeping mission to become involved in a civil war or trying to enforce peace in a civil war. That is not what we...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: UN Missions (18 Sep 2014)

Simon Coveney: We have asked for a review of weaponry.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: UN Missions (18 Sep 2014)

Simon Coveney: To respond first to the Deputy's final question, I believe it can continue to be regarded as a Chapter VI mission. The medium to long-term goal will be for the troops to return to what was previously a demilitarised zone and observe the armistice, as was done in the past. There has been a temporary and significant setback arising from events in Syria. Ireland has not yet made a definitive...