Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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442. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if and the way it was made clear to attendees and representatives of an organisation (details supplied) and other persons that the Minister of State in his Department was not representing his Department in the meetings detailed in his official diary; and if they were given the impression that the Minister of State was attending on behalf of his Department. [11196/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Minister Chambers was assigned an additional role as Minister of State at the Department of Defence in November 2020 in order to fill a position as a member of the Council of Defence. The requirement for a Minister of State for Defence, in this regard, arises from the provisions of section 11 of the Defence Act, 1954 on the establishment of the Council for Defence. Responsibility for defence policies, the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces is with the Minister for Defence.

Minister of State Chambers receives meeting requests and has engaged in a number of meetings in relation to defence matters since his appointment in order to keep himself appraised of such matters. The Minister of State was accompanied by an official from my Department at the meetings referred to in the question.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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443. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the purpose of the meeting labelled in the diary of Minister of State in his Department as briefing with defence involving persons (details supplied) on 2 November 2021. [11202/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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In his role as Minister of State at the Department of Defence, officials from my Department meet with Minister Chambers from time to time as required. The meeting referred to by the deputy was to brief the Minister in advance of the Report Stage debate in Seanad Éireann on the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2020.