Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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616. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the delegated responsibilities he has given to Ministers of State in his Department; when the order of delegated responsibility was signed; if he included his Ministers of State in direct discussions or meetings with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform as part of pre-budget discussions; if so, the dates of such meetings and the attendance at each meeting; if a Minister of State was not included, the reason this was the position, in view of the designated responsibilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31912/16]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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The Defence (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) Order 2016 (S.I. No. 314 of 2016) was approved by Government on 14 June 2016. As specified in the Order, statutory responsibility for a wide range of Defence matters was delegated to the Minister of State at the Department of Defence, Mr Paul Kehoe, T.D. The principal responsibilities delegated under the Order include powers to make regulations under various provisions of the Defence Acts 1954 to 2015 and powers relating to personnel-related issues affecting members of the Defence Forces. In accordance with normal practice, decisions on the Budget and Departmental estimates are made by the Government. Minister Kehoe was involved in all aspects relating to the Department of Defence.