Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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273. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence when the Minister of State with responsibility for defence (details supplied) was appointed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2708/21]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Under section 11 of the Defence Act 1954, there is a requirement that a Council of Defence shall stand established. The section also provides that the Minister of State at the Department of Defence shall be a member of the Council. As such, there is a legislative requirement that there is a Minister of State at the Department of Defence to discharge that function. To address this issue, Deputy Jack Chambers was appointed Minister of State at the Department of Defence on 17 November 2020, solely to act as a member of the Council of Defence. No functions of the Minister for Defence have been delegated to the Minister of State and full responsibility for defence policies, the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces remains with Minister Coveney who will continue to represent Defence at Cabinet.