Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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104. To ask the Minister for Defence the extent to which military training here is in line with best international practice; if this applies to all branches of the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43733/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Training and education of personnel at all levels are vital activities in any defence force as they enable such personnel to achieve their required standard of operational effectiveness. The Defence Forces conducts training and education under three broad categories namely skills training, career training and education and collective training. Skills training is the medium through which the Defence Forces ensures that its personnel have the requisite individual, specialist, and crew skills to permit the development of organisational capabilities. Career training provides the organisation with the necessary pool of leaders and commanders at all levels from Section Commander to Brigade Commander. Collective Training allows military personnel to use their individual, crew, specialist and career training together. This moulds Sub-Units, Units and Formations into integrated and coherent combat forces. This provides the Defence Forces with the capabilities required to fulfil its roles and missions, both at home and overseas.

The Defence Forces delivers military programmes and modules meeting National and International standards encompassing both academic and military best practice. The Defence Forces also engages with external educational institutions in order to facilitate organisational learning. This engagement with national and international educational institutions, military and civilian, ensures that the Defence Forces retains currency with regards to best international practice. This commitment ensures that the Defence Forces continues to maintain interoperable staffs and forces at home and abroad.

The Naval Service professional training and education is carried out at the National Maritime College of Ireland in partnership with the Cork Institute of Technology. The National Maritime College of Ireland, and by extension the Naval Service, adheres to the 1995 International Maritime Organisation Convention on the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for its seafarers’ professional qualifications.  Quality assurance for naval training and education is audited by the National Standards Authority of Ireland to meet the I.S. EN ISO 9001 Quality Management System and international best practice. The most recent successful audit of naval training at the National Maritime College of Ireland was carried out in May 2014.  Naval Service professional and military training and education is recognised by the Nautical Institute for Bridge Watchkeepers and by Engineers Ireland for Naval Engineers.  The national human resource management standard for the delivery of training and education in the Naval Service was also successfully audited and re-certified as meeting the Excellence Through People standard in September 2014. In addition the Naval Service conducts detailed and regular operational readiness evaluation for its ships at sea through its Fleet Operations Readiness Standards and Training Section where procedures are assessed, evaluated and compared with international best practice.

The Air Corps provides pilot training and air traffic controller training in line with international aviation standards. The Air Corps is recognised by the Irish Aviation Authority and the European Aviation Safety Agency as an Aviation Training Organisation for the delivery of pilot and air traffic control training. Air Corps pilot and air traffic control qualifications are recognized in full by the Irish Aviation Authority. Air Corps apprentice students receive a HETAC level 7 Bachelor of Engineering degree as a Military Aviation Technician from the Dublin Institute of Technology through the Air Corps apprentice school. All further technical training is recognized by the Dublin Institute of Technology, the Irish Aviation Authority and the European Aviation Safety Agency.

As can be seen from the above training standards in the Defence Forces are constantly benchmarked against best international practice. Participation in ongoing overseas operations also necessitates multi lateral-training and assessment. This facilitates ongoing review of Defence Forces re-skilling and training methods and standards within an international military context.