Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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149. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the cash escorts involving the Defence Forces undertaken in 2016, 2017 and to date in 2018; the costs incurred and recouped by the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15970/18]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Primary responsibility for security matters and the internal security of the State rests with the Department of Justice and Equality and An Garda Síochána.

Among the roles assigned to the Defence Forces in the White Paper on Defence is the provision of Aid to the Civil Power (ATCP) which, in practice, means to provide assistance and support to An Garda Síochána when requested to do so.

In 2014, the Banking and Payments Federation Ireland and its member banks decided that they no longer required the services of An Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces in providing escorts for certain cash transports and in November 2014 this service ceased.

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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150. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the details of operations of the joint task force on drug interdiction involving the Defence Forces in 2016, 2017 and to date in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15971/18]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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The Joint Task Force on Drug Interdiction (JTF) was established in 1993 as a Government measure to improve law enforcement in relation to illegal drug smuggling and consists of members of An Garda Síochána, the Customs Service and the Naval Service.

Overall responsibility for the prevention of drug trafficking rests primarily with the Customs Service of the Revenue Commissioners, while responsibility for the prevention of crime rests primarily with An Garda Síochána. The White Paper on Defence (2015) reaffirms the security role carried out by the Defence Forces in support of this important work.

The Defence Organisation has participated in a number of high profile drug interdiction operations resulting in significant seizures of drugs. For operational and security reasons, the Deputy will appreciate that it is not appropriate for me to disclose details of operations of the JTF involving the Defence Organisation.

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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151. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the prisoner escort operations involving the Defence Forces in 2016, 2017 and to date in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15972/18]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Primary responsibility for security matters and the internal security of the State rests with the Department of Justice and Equality and An Garda Síochána.

Among the roles assigned to the Defence Forces in the White Paper on Defence is the provision of Aid to the Civil Power (ATCP) which, in practice, means to provide assistance and support to An Garda Síochána when requested to do so.

The number of prisoner escort operations in which the Defence Forces were deployed in an ATCP role are 120 in 2016, 159 in 2017 and 27 to date in 2018.