Results 1,681-1,700 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (24 Nov 2022)

Simon Coveney: A considerable number of measures positively impacting remuneration have been put in place for all members of the Defence Forces, to include enlisted personnel, since June 2020. Referring specifically to the time-frame stated, starting in 2020 all public sector workers, a cohort which includes members of the Defence Forces, benefited from a 2% increase on annualised salaries from 1st October...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Air Corps (24 Nov 2022)

Simon Coveney: Public Sector Pay policy is determined by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform having regard to Public Sector Pay Agreements. Members of the Defence Forces have received increases in pay and allowances in accordance with recent public service pay agreements, the most recent under the Building Momentum extension agreement, which allows for: - a 3% backdated pay-rise to 02 February...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (24 Nov 2022)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 42 and 43 together. In January 2022, the Government announced a COVID-19 Pandemic Recognition Payment (PRP) for front-line public sector healthcare workers, to recognise their unique role during the pandemic. At Government level, the Department of Health has primary policy responsibility for this initiative, with the consent of the Department of Public...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (24 Nov 2022)

Simon Coveney: The Deputy will be aware that the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces (CODF), published last February, contains many detailed recommendations, including on the future structure and role of the RDF. As the Deputy will also be aware, in July of this year, I announced that the Government has approved a move to ‘Level of Ambition 2’ (LOA2), as set out in the capability...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Strategic Infrastructure (24 Nov 2022)

Simon Coveney: As Minister for Defence, I chair the Government Task Force on Emergency Planning (GTF) supported by the Office of Emergency Planning (OEP) in my Department. A subgroup of the GTF was assigned responsibility to develop guidance on critical infrastructure resilience in 2017. The subgroup produced the first guideline document on critical infrastructure resilience in February 2019. This document...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Emergency Planning (24 Nov 2022)

Simon Coveney: The Office of Emergency Planning in my Department acts as the secretariat to the Government Task Force on Emergency Planning. The Office of Emergency Planning is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the National Emergency Coordination Centre and for coordinating emergency planning arrangements across government, which is achieved through the Strategic Emergency Management, National...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (24 Nov 2022)

Simon Coveney: The recruitment and retention of trained medical personnel, as with other specialist areas within the Defence Forces, is a matter of priority. The Deputy will be aware that a range of actions have already been taken to address the pay and conditions of Defence Forces personnel. in line with other public servants, the Defence Forces Medical Officers received a number of increases provided...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Official Engagements (24 Nov 2022)

Simon Coveney: The purpose of the 'Building the Ecosystem' event was to provide information to Irish industry and research institutions with a view to identifying opportunities to collaborate on future projects and not to promote interaction with the arms industry. The event represented the ongoing support from my Department and the Defence Forces, working together and engaging with Irish Enterprise...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (24 Nov 2022)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 52 and 54 together. The Commission on the Defence Forces in its report published earlier this year, noted that the salary scales for a number of officer ranks includes two Long Service Increments (LSI). The Commission recommended the introduction of LSIs to non-commissioned ranks, including Private 3 Star, as a means of acknowledging the contribution, in...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Council of Europe (24 Nov 2022)

Simon Coveney: Ireland assumed the rotating Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in May at a point of profound challenge for the organisation as it responded to the invasion of Ukraine and consequent expulsion of the Russian Federation as a member state. In signing the Treaty of London in 1949, Ireland was amongst the ten states to found the Council of Europe. Since then, the...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Diplomatic Representation (24 Nov 2022)

Simon Coveney: There are currently 64 resident diplomatic missions in Ireland. The information below sets out the total number of staff (diplomatic staff, administrative and technical staff, and service staff) notified to the Department of Foreign Affairs by each resident diplomatic mission under Article 10 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations 1961. This information is based on Article 10...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Official Engagements (24 Nov 2022)

Simon Coveney: On 15 November, I attended the Foreign Affairs Council in Defence Ministers' format in Brussels. On the agenda were two working sessions, the first on Current Affairs and the second on Defence Capabilities and Operational Realities. These were followed by a working lunch to facilitate an informal exchange of views with the Minister of Defence of Ukraine, Oleksii Reznikov (via videoconference)...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Naval Service (24 Nov 2022)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 191, 195, 196, 202 and 205 together. As at 31 October 2022, the strength of the Defence Forces was 8,074 comprised of 6,541 Army, 715 Air Corps and 818 Naval Service Personnel. The strength of the Reserve Defence Forces, comprised of the First Line Reserve, the Army Reserve, and the Naval Service Reserve, was 1,810 personnel, the Army Reserve accounting for...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Naval Service (24 Nov 2022)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 192, 193 and 194 together. 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. In this context, the principal aim over the period of the...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (24 Nov 2022)

Simon Coveney: The Commission on the Defence Forces was established on foot of a commitment in the Programme for Government, and I, as Minister for Defence, welcomed the publication of the report of the Commission on 9th February last. The Commission has undertaken a significant body of work, encompassing wide-ranging terms of reference. It recommends significant changes for the Defence Forces and Defence...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (24 Nov 2022)

Simon Coveney: I wish to assure the Deputy that I am fully committed to ensuring that every member of the Defence Forces has the right to undertake their duties in a safe environment underpinned by dignity and equality and by a culture of zero-tolerance for any kind of bullying, discrimination, harassment or sexual abuse. Over the last twenty years since the 2002 publication of the External Advisory Group...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (24 Nov 2022)

Simon Coveney: I propose to take Questions Nos. 200, 203 and 204 together. 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. In this context, the principal aim over the period...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (24 Nov 2022)

Simon Coveney: The Commission on the Defence Forces was established on foot of a commitment in the Programme for Government, and I, as Minister for Defence, welcomed the publication of the report of the Commission on 9th February last. The Commission has undertaken a significant body of work, encompassing wide-ranging terms of reference. It recommends significant changes for the Defence Forces and Defence...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (24 Nov 2022)

Simon Coveney: The Commission on the Defence Forces was established on foot of a commitment in the Programme for Government, and I, as Minister for Defence, welcomed the publication of the report of the Commission on 9th February last. The Commission has undertaken a significant body of work, encompassing wide-ranging terms of reference. It recommends significant changes for the Defence Forces and Defence...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (24 Nov 2022)

Simon Coveney: The primary function of training in the Defence Forces is to develop and maintain the capabilities necessary to enable them to fulfil the roles laid down by Government. The Defence Forces conduct training under four broad categories, namely: Leadership, Skills, Career, and Collective. Leadership Training is the medium through which the Defence Forces ensure that personnel are prepared for...