Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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393. To ask the Minister for Defence the protocols in place, since March 2011, to set standards in parliamentary replies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23497/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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A comprehensive guide to answering Parliamentary Questions, both written and oral, is available to all staff on the Department’s intranet. This guide, inter alia, addresses issues such as registration, distribution, drafting replies and formatting. All draft replies are initially approved by Heads of Branches, subsequently at Assistant Secretary level and ultimately by the Secretary General of my Department in advance of being submitted to me for consideration and, in due course, my reply.

Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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394. To ask the Minister for Defence if he is satisfied that parliamentary questions are adequately replied to within his Department; the steps he has taken, since March 2011, to ensure parliamentary questions are fully responded to within his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23513/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I am satisfied that Parliamentary Questions (PQs) are being adequately replied to within my Department.

In certain circumstances, particularly in cases where providing a comprehensive response to a PQ requires the gathering of data from across the Department, it will not be possible to respond in full to a PQ in the time available. In such instances, a holding reply issues to the Deputy and my office in the Department subsequently liaises with the relevant Branch in the Department to ensure that a full response issues as soon as is practicable.