Results 3,441-3,460 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Staff (26 Apr 2022)

Simon Coveney: Since my appointment as Minister for Defence in June 2020, I have appointed two special advisers.  Both are appointed as advisers to me as Minister for Defence and also as Minister for Foreign Affairs.  They are employees of the Department of Foreign Affairs and as such, their salary and expenses are administered by that Department, as is my own salary.  No...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Staff (26 Apr 2022)

Simon Coveney: There is currently a total of fourteen secondment arrangements within my Department. Five staff are currently seconded out of my Department. The salary for the majority of secondees out is paid directly by the new employer. In any case where that is not the situation, the new employer is invoiced and the cost recouped. Nine staff are currently temporarily seconded into my...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Staff (26 Apr 2022)

Simon Coveney: My Department is not currently facilitating internships for students engaged in full or part-time further and higher education courses.  The only State body under the aegis of my Department is the Army Pensions Board and the only staff post is the secretary to the Board, which is provided from the staff of the Department.  

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Staff (26 Apr 2022)

Simon Coveney: There is one person currently employed in my Department who has been seconded in from the public sector. The monies for the person's salary are recouped by the public sector organisation concerned on a quarterly basis. There are currently no staff seconded out of my Department to the public sector.

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Energy Usage (26 Apr 2022)

Simon Coveney: In 2009 the government set a national target to improve energy efficiency by 20% by 2020. It set the public sector the more challenging target of improving its own energy efficiency by 33%. The Department of Defence met this target through several energy saving initiatives such as changing all lights inside and outside our buildings from halogen to light emitting diode (LED), installing...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Funding (26 Apr 2022)

Simon Coveney: Vote 36 Defence is managed through a single programme with all operational outputs delivered from a single set of forces encompassing the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service. Expenditure by my Department is mainly on pay and allowances, operational costs and capital investment across the Defence Forces. My Department does not provide funding on a geographic basis, with the limited...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (26 Apr 2022)

Simon Coveney: The 65th Infantry Group, comprising approximately 138 personnel, deployed to the United Nations Disengagement Observer  Force (UNDOF) on the Golan Heights earlier this month for a six month tour of duty. The Group is based in Camp Faouar on the Syrian side of the area of separation. As a result of an increase in the cost of fuel and energy consumption in the UNDOF...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (26 Apr 2022)

Simon Coveney: Ireland's defence policy is set out in the White Paper on Defence (2015) and the White Paper Update (2019).  Both the White Paper and the White Paper Update were based on security environment assessments carried out by interdepartmental groups.    The White Paper set out an ambitious programme of capital investment for the Naval Service, including the...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Staff (26 Apr 2022)

Simon Coveney: My Department has not seconded in any staff in the period from January 2019 to date on the basis that it was not the intention of the staff member to return to their position within my Department. 

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (26 Apr 2022)

Simon Coveney: My priority as Minister for Defence is to ensure that the operational capability of the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service is maintained and developed. This is to enable the Defence Forces to carry out the roles assigned by Government, as set out in the White Paper on Defence.  Equipment priorities for the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service are being considered in the context of the...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Commemorative Medals (26 Apr 2022)

Simon Coveney: Military medals are awarded to members of the Defence Forces in line with Defence Force Regulation (DFR) A9, which sets out the qualifying criteria, delineates the procedures required for the awarding of Defence Forces Medals and sets out the various types of medal awards. Óglaigh na hÉireann hold that its origins lie in the Irish Volunteers founded in November 1913,...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Data Protection (26 Apr 2022)

Simon Coveney: The Department of Defence is responsible for the security of the premises it occupies in Newbridge, Roscrea and Oranmore in Galway.  I can confirm that the CCTV systems in operation and used in these premises does not include the use of facial recognition technology. The Department only uses CCTV images for the purposes of security and/or personal safety and in accordance with...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence Forces (Evidence) Bill 2019: Committee Stage (12 Apr 2022)

Simon Coveney: I move amendment No. 1. In page 27, lines 25 to 27, to delete all words from and including “(1) The” in line 25 down to and including line 27 and substitute the following: “(1) The DNA (Military Police) Database System shall be used only for the following purposes: (a) the investigation and prosecution of an offence against military law, whether committed within or...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence Forces (Evidence) Bill 2019: Committee Stage (12 Apr 2022)

Simon Coveney: I move amendment No. 2: In page 31, line 9, to delete “or”. This is effectively adding some new wording in subsection (3). Amendments Nos. 2, 3 and 4 are linked. Section 32, which is about permitted searching, sets out the manner in which a DNA profile entered into the DNA Military Police database system may be compared with other DNA profiles entered into that system and...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence Forces (Evidence) Bill 2019: Committee Stage (12 Apr 2022)

Simon Coveney: I move amendment No. 3: In page 31, line 10, to delete “index.” and substitute “index,”.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence Forces (Evidence) Bill 2019: Committee Stage (12 Apr 2022)

Simon Coveney: I move amendment No. 4: In page 31, between lines 10 and 11, to insert the following: “(c) the DNA profiles entered in the crime scene index under the Act of 2014, or (d) the DNA profiles entered in the reference index under the Act of 2014.”.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence Forces (Evidence) Bill 2019: Committee Stage (12 Apr 2022)

Simon Coveney: I move amendment No. 5: In page 54, line 11, after “conviction” to insert “by court-martial”. This relates to Part 8 - offences and penalties. The first one of those is this section. This is a minor drafting amendment to clarify that the reference to conviction in this section is to a conviction by a court-martial. The revised text is in line with the...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence Forces (Evidence) Bill 2019: Committee Stage (12 Apr 2022)

Simon Coveney: I move amendment No. 6: In page 61, after line 34, to insert the following: “Code of practice 81.(1) The provost marshal shall, as soon as practicable after the commencement of this section and following consultation with the Director of FSI, prepare for submission to the Minister a draft code of practice for the purposes of providing practical guidance as to the procedures...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence Forces (Evidence) Bill 2019: Committee Stage (12 Apr 2022)

Simon Coveney: That is a very fair question. Once this legislation is passed and commenced, a code of practice will be prepared under this section. It then has to be submitted to me, as the Minister, for approval. We will make sure that it is consistent with other codes of practice. I expect there will be consultation on that, as well, to make sure that consistency is there. The main source of guidance...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence Forces (Evidence) Bill 2019: Committee Stage (12 Apr 2022)

Simon Coveney: I thank the committee for its very efficient consideration of the Bill. The only amendments were technical ones on which we got advice from the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel to try to improve the Bill and ensure there is absolute consistency with the 2014 legislation that applies to the criminal justice system. There will be an opportunity for final consideration on Report Stage. ...