Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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14. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the capital works planned for military installations in 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58384/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I would like to thank the Deputy for affording me the opportunity to highlight the significant investments we have made in Defence Forces built infrastructure. In 2022, we provided a record level of investment to support and improve the building stock. We are going even further in 2023, with an allocation for next year of €55m, the biggest yearly allocation towards the building programme with some €100m worth of projects under various stages of development.

The Defence Forces Infrastructure Development Plan (IDP) sets out a programme of anticipated project delivery based on the achievement of the high-level goals as set out in White Paper 2015. A mid term review of the Plan has recently been completed by my Department and the Defence Forces. This updated review sets out the projects to be progressed in the coming 5 years and will be published shortly.

Despite ongoing pressures facing the construction sector from the war in Ukraine and the lingering effects of the global pandemic, 2022 was a largely positive year with a number of significant capital projects under construction at a combined value of some €23m.

- Refurbishment of Block 8, Haulbowline

- Upgrade of the Former USAC Building, Renmore

- Cadet School HQ, Defence Forces Training Centre

- Upgrade to Barracks HQ, McKee Barracks

- Provision of an Equipment Storage Facility

- Remediation of Spencer Jetty, Haulbowline

In addition to the above, the completion of the upgrade and refurbishment works to Block H in McKee Barracks is expected in the coming weeks. This project will on completion provide additional living in accommodation for Defence Forces personnel. Finally, the following projects are scheduled for advancement in 2023;

- Refurbishment of Block F, McKee Barracks,

- Upgrade of Blocks 4 and 9 Haulbowine

- New CIS building and ARW Headquarters, Curragh

- Refurbishment of Accommodation Block, Collins barracks.

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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15. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the security infrastructure that is in place for undersea cables; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58445/22]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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51. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the extent to which any further embellishments can be made to protect Irish offshore, underwater or other telecommunication facilities with particular reference to the need to damage, deliberate or otherwise; if the necessary resources continue to be available to Ireland's Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58359/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 15 and 51 together.

The Deputy will appreciate that, for sound reasons, it is not the practice to comment on the security infrastructure in place for undersea cables nor would it be in the public interest to do so.

The Naval Service, as the State's principal sea-going agency, is tasked with a variety of defence and other roles. While the main daily tasking of the Naval Service is to provide a fishery protection service in accordance with our obligations as a member of the EU, it also carries out a number of other non-fishery related tasks in tandem with maritime surveillance.

The Air Corps Maritime Patrol Squadron also supports this role providing aerial assistance to the Naval Service in patrolling the Irish Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) using the two CASA CN 235 maritime patrol aircraft which are equipped with state-of-the-art surveillance and communication equipment.

Following an extraordinary EU Energy Council meeting in September which discussed the EU’s energy security in response to the attacks on Nordstream 1 and 2, the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications sought support from my Department in relation to additional measures that could be put in place by the Defence Forces to ensure that critical off-shore infrastructure including data cables are protected.

The Department of Defence and the Defence Forces continue to engage with the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications in relation to the protection of Ireland’s offshore energy infrastructure and data cables. While the Defence Forces have limited sub-sea capabilities, enhanced maritime patrolling of the Irish Sea in the vicinity of priority offshore energy infrastructure has commenced. The enhanced patrolling is being conducted by a mixture of air and naval platforms. However, it would not be appropriate to comment on any specific operational measures.

The Naval Service retains certain capabilities that allow for underwater search and surveying i.e. an underwater Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) and a Magnetometer system. As part of the ongoing development of capabilities, further capabilities that will enhance the Naval Service’s under-sea situational awareness, such as multi-beam echo sounder systems are also being developed.

The Naval Service has no unilateral powers of enforcement in relation to damage, criminal or otherwise, to undersea cables or other communication links in Ireland’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The civil/military Joint Standing Committee on Medical Service Delivery is tasked with advancing the development of a sustainable, integrated medical service to meet the needs of the Defence Forces. As part of its work, it endeavours to review each key medical capability separately. The objective of each review is to evaluate and make recommendations regarding the most appropriate means of delivering each service to the Defence Forces. These reviews have been conducted on an ongoing basis as the workload of the Committee allowed.

A review of the Army Nursing Service commenced in March 2020. However, the work of the Joint Standing Committee was impacted both by the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic and the reassignment of civil and military members of the Committee. These factors unavoidably delayed progress.

Furthermore, in February 2022, the Commission on the Defence Forces published its report which included recommendations in a number of key areas relating to the delivery of medical services. The recommendations of the Commission have been agreed by Government and are being implemented through a High Level Action Plan. The approach taken in completing the outstanding reviews, including the Army Nursing Service, is currently under consideration in light of the Commission's recommendations and with regard to the increase in overall numbers required to achieve the level of ambition agreed by Government for the Defence Forces.

In the meantime, a range of measures to ensure continuity of service of all aspects of medical care to personnel are employed including outsourcing, contracted professionals, and agency workers.

A further specific recommendation of the Commission on the Defence Forces endorsed the commitment in the Programme for Government to extend private medical care, currently available to Officers and members of the Army Nursing Service, to all personnel. This recommendation is one the early actions for implementation and is being progressed with relevant stakeholders.

The ongoing reviews of the range of medical services provided to the Defence Forces are an important tool in ensuring the provision of quality care to our personnel. I wish to assure the Deputy that this is a priority for me and civil/military management.

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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17. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if he will provide an update on Project R9 - Additional specialist posts for high turnover and long lead in appointments in the High Level Implementation plan Strengthening our Defence Forces. [58282/22]

Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
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20. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the status of a Project A2 - Workforce Planning in the High Level Implementation plan Strengthening our Defence Forces. [58285/22]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 17 and 20 together.

The Report of the Public Service Pay Commission (PSPC) on Recruitment and Retention in the Defence Forces was published on the 4th of July 2019. The Report was accepted in full by the Government at that time and an extensive High Level Implementation Plan (HLIP) titled "Strengthening our Defence Forces” was also agreed and published on the same date. A joint civil/military Project Management Office (PMO) was established to oversee the implementation of the fifteen (15) specific projects that made up the High Level Implementation Plan.

All projects undertaken to facilitate the implementation of the recommendations of the PSPC report have now been completed, and/or are being progressed as part of normal business. This includes the two specific projects that are the subject of the Deputies’ questions, Project A2: Embedding of Strategic Workforce Planning Practices in the PDF and Project R9, consideration of the provision of additional specialist posts in areas where there was high turnover or long training lead in times.

The Project Management Office (PMO) has been stood down. This was communicated by a civil/military team in a final briefing on the status of the HLIP projects on 11 April 2022, to which the representative organisations of the Permanent Defence Force were invited.

In February 2022, the Commission on the Defence Forces reported and its recommendations have been accepted by Government along with a High Level Action Plan for their implementation. A civil/military Implementation Management Office has been established to support the overall transformation programme required to implement these recommendations.

The initial focus is the progressing of the 38 early actions as set out in the High-Level Action Plan and the development of a detailed implementation plan for the remainder of the recommendations. Two of the pay-related recommendations in the report have already been implemented, namely, that all personnel of Private 3 Star/Able Seaman rank will be paid the full rate of Military Service Allowance (MSA) applicable to the rank, while at the same time, the requirement for that cohort to ‘mark time’ for the first three years at that rank will be removed. This has led to significant pay increases for those ranks, in addition to further increases arising from agreements in the wider public sector.