Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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353. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if he will give consideration to the provision of a pandemic service medal for the Defence Forces given the acknowledgement of the significant contribution made by the Defence Forces to Operation Fortitude to the HSE and to the people of Ireland during the Covid-19 pandemic; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3135/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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At the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, a Joint Task Force was established to coordinate the Defence Forces contribution to the whole-of-Government Covid-19 response. A wide range of supports have since been provided by the Defence Forces to the HSE as well as to other Departments and Agencies, including support to the ongoing vaccination programme. Currently the focus remains on dealing with the ongoing Recovery phase.

Medals are awarded to members of the Defence Forces in line with Defence Force Regulation (DFR) A9, which sets out the qualifying criteria, delineates the procedures required for the awarding of Defence Forces Medals and sets out the various types of medal awards. Currently there are no plans to amend DFR A9 in relation to the introduction of new medals and therefore, the question of issuing a medal to Defence Forces personnel engaged in aid-to-the-civil-authority operations in conjunction with the Health Service Executive or in Operation FORTITUDE, is not under consideration at this point in time.