Results 3,861-3,880 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Funding (9 Mar 2022)

Simon Coveney: My Department has provided financial assistance to the following non-government organisations since the start of 2020. Organisation 2020 € 2021 € 2022 € Irish Red Cross 965,000 975,000 211,250 * Sail Training Ireland 20,000 - - Óglaigh...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (9 Mar 2022)

Simon Coveney: As the Deputy will be aware, following Government approval on 25 January last, an Independent Review Group, under the Chair of retired High Court Judge, Bronagh O’Hanlon, has been established to examine issues relating to bullying, harassment, discrimination and sexual misconducty, as well as workplace culture, in the Defence Forces. On foot of engagements both I and my officials...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Naval Service (9 Mar 2022)

Simon Coveney: The current strength of the Naval Service, as at 31st January 2022, is 869 personnel, which includes 159 officers or 87% of officer agreed strength. The Government has acknowledged there are ongoing challenges in the Naval Service and, in that context, a number of initiatives are being implemented to counter current staffing challenges and these will play a role in restoring and retaining...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (9 Mar 2022)

Simon Coveney: The military authorities have advised that advertising for recruitment campaigns is placed across all major social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Tiktok); radio stations, along with Spotify/Acast adverts being placed on digital radio. Adverts will also be placed on popular webpages. In addition to proactively engaging with ‘gatekeepers’, by participating in...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (9 Mar 2022)

Simon Coveney: My priority as Minister for Defence is to ensure that the operational capability of the Defence Forces is maintained to the greatest extent possible to enable the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service to carry out their roles as assigned by Government. The Naval Service, as the State's principal sea-going agency, is tasked with a variety of defence and other roles. While the main day to day...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (9 Mar 2022)

Simon Coveney: Ireland is continuing to provide strong political and practical support for Ukraine and we continue to assert Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Government has stated that Ireland will play its part in assisting people from the Ukraine and has already lifted visa requirements to allow people from the Ukraine who want to seek safety here in Ireland to do so as easily as...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (9 Mar 2022)

Simon Coveney: Ireland has always been a strong supporter of the United Nations and UN Peacekeeping. Our commitment and support for the primary role of the United Nations, in the maintenance of international peace and security, is expressed in Ireland's long-standing tradition of participating in UN peacekeeping operations. This commitment is also expressed in our engagement in the EU's Common Security...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (9 Mar 2022)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 108 and 109 together. Following the launch of the 5 year Built Infrastructure Programme for the Defence Forces in 2020, significant progress has been made in delivery on modernising the DF built environment. A number of significant projects were delivered/completed during 2021 including: - Construction of 2 new gymnasia at Sarsfields Barracks, Limerick and at...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (9 Mar 2022)

Simon Coveney: A wide range of medical services are provided to members of the Permanent Defence Force. These include an annual medical examination, sick parades, attendance at GP surgery outside of sick parade and out-of-hours GP services, prescription services, laboratory services, physiotherapy, chiropody, radiology, ophthalmic examinations, in-patient and outpatient public hospital charges, routine...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (9 Mar 2022)

Simon Coveney: The Commission on the Defence Forces was established on foot of a commitment in the Programme for Government and the Government decision in December 2020 which also agreed its terms of reference and membership. As the Deputy will be aware, the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces was recently published. The Commission have undertaken a significant body of work encompassing...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: United Nations (9 Mar 2022)

Simon Coveney: Ireland and other troop contributing countries register capabilities and contingents available for deployment to UN Peacekeeping Operations overseas on the Peacekeeping Capability Readiness System (PCRS). These capabilities are additional to those already deployed or committed to other operations. This provides the UN with a dynamic up-to-date catalogue of actual trained and available...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Pension Provisions (9 Mar 2022)

Simon Coveney: A reduction was made from the Disability Pension of the person in question on foot of Section 13 (2) of the Army Pensions Act, 1923, as amended, which provides that: “Any compensation which may be received from or on behalf of the person alleged to be responsible for the act which caused the wounding ... may be taken into consideration in fixing the amount of any pension, allowance or...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (9 Mar 2022)

Simon Coveney: The NCO promotion competition that the Deputy refers to was originally scheduled to run in late 2021. There has been ongoing consultation between civil/military management and the Representative Body, PDFORRA, to take account of a number of proposed changes to ensure improved efficiency of the competition process. This consutation process is almost completed and it is expected that the...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (9 Mar 2022)

Simon Coveney: The table attached outlines the variance between current strength and the establishment strength, by Branch and by rank, within Permanent Defence Force as at 31st January 2022, the latest date for which such information is available. Vacancies, where current strength is less than the establishment strength, are filled on an ongoing basis in line with promotional...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (9 Mar 2022)

Simon Coveney: The Report of the Public Service Pay Commission on Recruitment and Retention in the Defence Forces was accepted in full by the Government. A High Level Plan titled "Strengthening our Defence Forces” was also agreed and published on the same date. The high level plan comprised 15 individual projects most of which have now been completed or at an advanced stage. Four projects...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (9 Mar 2022)

Simon Coveney: I thank the Chair for the opportunity to do this. If there are other related, broader questions on these Estimates, I am also happy to try to deal with them because it will be an opportunity to deal with a range of matters across the defence sector. I welcome this opportunity to engage with the Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence to consider the 2022 Revised Estimates for Vote 35...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (9 Mar 2022)

Simon Coveney: Are we going to go through the Votes section by section or would the committee prefer to do the whole lot together? What does the Chairman propose?