Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Socialist Party)
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134. To ask the Minister for Defence further to Parliamentary Question No. 19 of 14 January 2015, the measures and procedures in place, and research done, to ensure the research and capability development engaged in by the Defence Forces is not used in violation of human rights; if he will provide details of the companies the Defence Forces have co-operated with in doing research; and if he will provide details of the projects they have co-operated in. [11646/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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As stated in Parliamentary Question No. 10 on the 14th January this year, there is an ongoing requirement to examine new and innovative means of improving capabilities in the security and the defence domain, so that the Defence Forces are in a position to undertake the roles assigned by Government. The capabilities being researched and developed by the Defence Forces in cooperation with research companies and institutions are wide ranging. They cover capabilities such as Maritime Surveillance; Energy Conservation; Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) research including CBRN Protection, and Improvised Explosives Devices (IED) detection and destruction. Such capabilities may be used at home and also abroad on crisis management missions and operations including humanitarian and peace-keeping missions.

Projects proposed by institutes and companies are firstly considered and cleared by Enterprise Ireland and then submitted to the Defence Enterprise Committee for consideration. The Committee consists of personnel from the Department of Defence, the Defence Forces and Enterprise Ireland. All capabilities to be researched are vetted and agreed at the highest level in the Defence Organisation to ensure compatibility with the roles assigned to the Defence Forces by the Government.

In addition to the Enterprise Ireland supported projects, the Defence Forces, through the Naval Service as a partner, are also engaged in the Irish Maritime and Energy Cluster (IMERC) located in the National Maritime College of Ireland which aims to unlock Ireland's maritime and energy potential in support of the Government's policy of Harnessing our Ocean Wealth. The Naval Service engagement in this regard focuses on value creating partnerships by linking researchers, technology developers and industry partners in the development of dual use technologies for use principally in the maritime environment. The current schedule of companies and projects is currently being updated and my Department will provide it directly to the Deputy once it is finalised.