Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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317. To ask the Minister for Defence his plans to accede to the request to provide a bugler at the graveside of a veteran of the Army who served during the Emergency (details supplied) in view of the importance of Army service at that critical juncture of our country’s history and the small number of veterans alive that served in the Army at that time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40318/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Military participation in the funerals of former members of the Defence Forces are governed by Defence Force Regulations and in accordance with relevant Administrative Instructions issued by the Deputy Chief of Staff (Support). These Regulations and Instructions set out the policy in relation to the support that can be provided. They allow for military participation in such funerals provided, amongst other requirements, the deceased had a minimum of twenty years service. It should be noted that participation at funerals for former personnel below the rank of Major-General does not include any form of musical support. In relation to this particular request, my Department has already informed a member of the family of the deceased, who I understand served in the Defence Forces for a period of six years, that in these circumstances her request that a Defence Forces bugler would perform at the funeral cannot be acceded to. There are no plans to change this long-standing policy.