Results 5,801-5,820 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (27 Jul 2021)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 895, 897 and 898 together. The table below shows the number of women inducted into the Permanent Defence Force in each of the past five years: Year Total Females Inducted % of Total Inductions 2016 54 7.8% 2017 69 9.2% 2018 50 8.2% ...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (27 Jul 2021)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 899 and 900 together. The overall Defence property portfolio consists of a diverse range of facilities from conventional military barracks to forts, camps and training lands. The following is a list of the 12 permanently occupied Defence Forces installations in which the Army is located across the State: Collins’ Barracks, Cork Finner Camp,...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (27 Jul 2021)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 901, 902 and 903 together. As the Deputy will be aware it is a long standing policy that long term residential married quarters are no longer provided. Single-Living-In (SLI) accommodation is provided in every permanently occupied military installation. The occupancy of SLI accommodation can fluctuate on a daily basis, depending on location, the number of...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (27 Jul 2021)

Simon Coveney: There are a total of 42 apprentices on points 1 to 3 of the Permanent Defence Force apprentice payscale. The table below shows the breakdown by scale points 1 to 3. Scale Point Number of Apprentices 1 16 2 8 3 18 Total 42

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (27 Jul 2021)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 905, 906, 907 and 908 together. The ranks referred to by the Deputy are ranks which personnel occupy on a transitional basis until they qualify in their respective role. The table below contains the details, as at 30th June 2021, of the numbers in the ranks queried by the Deputy. Rank Number in Rank Private 2 Star ...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Bodies (27 Jul 2021)

Simon Coveney: The only State body under the aegis of my Department is the Army Pensions Board. The Army Pensions Board is an independent statutory body established under the Army Pensions Act 1927 to provide for the payment of pensions, allowances and gratuities in certain circumstances to members of the Defence Forces. The 1927 Act specifies that the Board shall consist of a chairman and two ordinary...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (27 Jul 2021)

Simon Coveney: The property in question is surplus to military requirements and, in line with Government policy, the intention is to dispose of the property by way of transfer to Wicklow County Council, in order to support the provision of housing by that Local Authority. Officials from my Department are currently liaising with the Chief State's Solicitors Office on the necessary legal matters with...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (27 Jul 2021)

Simon Coveney: The Independent Review Group (IRG) was established to examine the issue of the award of military medals to personnel who served at Jadotville while deployed overseas on the UN peace support mission in the Congo in 1961. The IRG was asked to consider the entire case and evidence, including new evidence, if any, available. The IRG has completed its research and has submitted its report to the...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (27 Jul 2021)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 912, 914, 917 and 918 together. As at 30thJune 2021, the strength of the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) was 8,519 personnel and the attached table provides a breakdown by rank, gender and service. The Government remains committed to returning to, and maintaining the agreed strength of the Permanent Defence Force at 9,500 personnel, comprised of 7,520 Army...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Funding (27 Jul 2021)

Simon Coveney: All Defence funding requirements are reviewed annually in the context of the Government budgetary process, with spending requirements and priorities informed by the 2015 White Paper on Defence and supported by internal equipment and infrastructural planning frameworks. My priority as Minister for Defence is to ensure that the operational capability of the Defence Forces is maintained to...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (27 Jul 2021)

Simon Coveney: The Reserve Defence Force (RDF) is comprised of the First Line Reserve (FLR), the Army Reserve (AR) and the Naval Service Reserve (NSR). The effective strength of the Army Reserve (AR) and Naval Service Reserve (NSR) as of 30 June, 2021, is 1,529 in total, broken down as follows: - LT COL COMDT CAPT LT TOTAL OFFR SM BQMS ...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (27 Jul 2021)

Simon Coveney: As of 1 July 2021, Ireland is contributing 579 personnel to 10 different missions throughout the world. The main overseas missions in which Defence Forces personnel are currently deployed are the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) with 351 personnel and the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in Syria with 137 personnel.Ireland also contributes observers and...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (27 Jul 2021)

Simon Coveney: I wish to advise the Deputy that the current rates of pay and allowances for all members of the Defence Forces are publically available through the Department of Defence Website (www.gov.ie/en/organisation-information/e8132-routinely-publ ished-information/#defence-forces-pay-scales).

Seanad: Report of Independent Review Group Jadotville: Statements (15 Jul 2021)

Simon Coveney: I thank the Seanad for accommodating this debate on the report of the independent review group on Jadotville which was published today. The group examined the issue of the awarding of military medals to personnel who served at Jadotville while deployed overseas on the UN peace support mission in the Congo 60 years ago. When I announced the establishment of an independent review of this...

Seanad: Report of Independent Review Group Jadotville: Statements (15 Jul 2021)

Simon Coveney: I thank all Senators for their contributions. It is an emotive issue and many people have invested time and effort into raising concerns about Jadotville and, more important, how people were treated when they returned. No Defence Forces member should be vilified upon returning from serving in an overseas mission but that happened to far too many in the aftermath of Jadotville. The State is...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (15 Jul 2021)

Simon Coveney: With regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, the Passport Service was in contact with the applicant on 10 June to provide an update on the status of the passport application and requesting applicant to submit the correct supporting documentation. The Passport Service scaled up operational levels on 4 May 2021, in line with the phased easing of restrictions...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (15 Jul 2021)

Simon Coveney: With regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, the Passport Service was in contact with the applicant on 10 June to provide an update on the status of the passport application and requested to submit the correct supporting documentation. The Passport Service scaled up operational levels on 4 May 2021, in line with the phased easing of restrictions set out in...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Staff (15 Jul 2021)

Simon Coveney: Please see below in tabular form my Department’s offices within the State, their addresses, their associated functions, and the number of staff for each building. My Department’s office accommodation in the State, a mixture of State-owned and leased premises, is provided by the Office of Public Works. My Department does not maintain ownership or lease details of these...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: EU Membership (15 Jul 2021)

Simon Coveney: Ireland recognises the value of EU accession as a transformative driver for stability and peace in the Western Balkans. We have always been, and will remain, a strong supporter of enlargement of the European Union, provided that candidate countries met the necessary conditions for membership. In this regard, we welcome the reform agenda underway in the countries of the Western Balkans and the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (15 Jul 2021)

Simon Coveney: Passport applications are only valid for six months primarily due to International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) regulations on the requirement for a recent photograph. The ICAO is a UN specialised agency which defines in detail the required format for a passport. Where additional documentation has been requested and has not been received within this timeframe, these applications...