Results 3,881-3,900 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

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: We have 25 different sections. We can do them individually or we can do them as one, whichever the Chairman prefers.

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: Whatever the Chairman wants to do.

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 am in your hands.

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: Some of the sections are very straightforward. The main questions, I assume, will be around pay, capability development, and built infrastructure and equipment. That is where the big spend is. I am happy to take the Votes in whatever way suits. If we wanted to start with subhead A1, we could then move through them. There are only 25, and some will be very straightforward.

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: It is a defined benefit pool.

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: Yes, it is paid out of current expenditure from a defined benefit pool, which is the case for many public sector pensions in order that there is certainty of income linked to the contributions made throughout a person's career.

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: That is a matter for the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in respect of how it manages State funding and the State investments it has. We make the case each year to the central pool of financial resources available to the State for an Army pensions current expenditure Vote, and in recent years, we have been successful. I take the point that this approach is taken regularly within...

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: There are a whole series of pension issues over which we have virtually no control. The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform is at the centre of pensions policy more generally and there is ongoing discussion with a view to ensuring pensions will be planned for appropriately.

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: On the question regarding War of Independence veterans, as at the end of February this year, there were 16 widows of such veterans. It is a small number.

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: This issue is referred to as the loss of an additional increment by some military pensioners at the State pension age. This might be a technical answer to a technical question, but I will give it in any event. In the case of pre-April 2004 enlisted personnel, their basic 21-year Defence Forces pension is payable for life. An additional increment is payable on top of that basic pension for...

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 will send the Deputy a note on it.

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: Is the Deputy talking about the Naval Service or the Army?

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: Okay. In response to the question on the possibility of associate membership with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, to be honest with Deputy Brady, I am very limited in terms of what I can do and say to PDFORRA while there is still a legal case against me.

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: The Deputy might let me answer the question. It has not withdrawn its case as of yet anyway. I have spoken to it directly about that. I have a very good relationship with PDFORRA. If we are going to progress this issue, however, I am not going to do it under threat of legal action. I think that is well understood. There needs to be some good faith here. I can understand the reason the...

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 am not aware of any recommendation that has come through to me on that yet apart from conversations I have had with members of the Defence Forces regarding the lack of family-friendly practices, particularly in the context of pregnancy and commitments to go to sea and the like, parental leave, maternity leave and so on. These are issues on which work needs to be done as regards the...

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 am being told that the report is awaited. I have not seen recommendations from it, so I presume it has not been concluded or has not got to me.

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: Deputy Stanton also wanted a breakdown of the Army Reserve versus the Naval Service Reserve and so on. I will provide the numbers. A key ongoing challenge for the Reserve Defence Force is to recruit and retain personnel. As of the end of last year, its effective strength was 1,489. The Army Reserve's strength was 1,373 and the Naval Service Reserve's strength was 116. The strength of the...

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 have not met the employer groups yet, although the process may well have started. I have spoken to RDFRA about the matter and we have given it a commitment to report back to it after I have had a chance to meet the employer groups.