Vol. 703 No. 2
65 Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Defence the nature of the office arrangements that will be put in place to facilitate his presence in Dublin when the Houses of the Oireachtas are in session in view of the move of the departmental headquarters from Dublin; the costs of such new office arrangements; the staff numbers required to facilitate his presence and the ancillary costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9293/10]
The headquarters of the Department of Defence is being decentralised to Newbridge, County Kildare. A new building to accommodate the Department is currently under construction and will be ready for occupation in the summer. The building will provide accommodation for the civil servants in the Department who are currently based in Dublin, together with a number of military personnel. The Secretary General and the Chief of Staff, together with their respective senior civilian and military colleagues, will also be relocated to Newbridge. As this will be the headquarters of the Department, the office of the Minister will also be based there. In line with normal practice for Ministers, the Minister will retain an office in Leinster House. No new office arrangements or staff are being put in place to facilitate the Minister's presence in Dublin and, therefore, no costs arise.
In order to facilitate the conduct of business at the Houses of the Oireachtas and other business engagements in Dublin, it has been decided that officials of Departments whose headquarters are decentralised should have access to office accommodation in close proximity to the Houses of the Oireachtas. The Office of Public Works has provided accommodation to the Department of Defence for this purpose at Phoenix House, South Leinster Street.
That seems to be another Irish solution whereby the Government closes one office and creates two others. The new accommodation is obviously provided free of charge but renovations will have to be carried out. Recently, it cost €200,000 to renovate an office for the former Taoiseach in Molesworth Street. What will be the cost of renovating the new offices for the officials in this instance?
The accommodation which is being provided in Phoenix House consists of four cellular offices, an open plan space and a meeting room. Although the cost of the accommodation will be borne on the Vote of the Office of Public Works, I understand the building is leased and the lease will expire in 2012. This accommodation became available when the previous occupant vacated a space and thus a new lease was not required. I understand that the long-term plan is that requirements of this nature from all Departments and offices for temporary space on an occasional basis will be accommodated in Agriculture House.
I emphasise that the accommodation will not be occupied on a permanent basis. It is for the temporary use of senior civilian and military officials while on business in Dublin.
Is the cost mentioned in the brief? I asked for that.
No.
Obviously, it will cost something.
It is incorporated in the Vote of the Office of Public Works. I shall attempt to find the information for the Deputy.
Is it envisaged that the temporary or part-time accommodation being provided in Dublin will be in use at times other than when the House is in session, or is it intended to have officials present to brief the Minister while the House is in session and that otherwise the Minister will work at his or her office in the new building in Newbridge?
It is my understanding that the office will be used only when officials required to be available to the Minister need to be adjacent to Leinster House and that otherwise the Minister will be based in the office in Newbridge.
I hope the next Minister will actually use his offices because the previous Minister did not visit his office on too many occasions.
Too many questions.
Will the Minister use his office?
Signals are a very important part of military life. I will not be drawn.
66 Deputy Damien English asked the Minister for Defence the number of women in the Defence Forces as of today in view of the forthcoming anniversary of the implementation of the Defence (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1979, which enabled women to join the Defence Forces; the percentage proportions of women in the Defence Forces in 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005 and 2010; the equivalent proportions among equivalently sized armies in the European Union; if he is satisfied with the number of women in the Defence Forces; his plans to increase the proportion of women joining the Defence Forces; if he is further satisfied that all necessary changes have been made to ensure the Defence Forces provides a supportive environment for all Defence Forces members irrespective of gender; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9306/10]
The number of female personnel serving in the Permanent Defence Forces on 31 January 2010, the last date for which figures are available, was 565, of which 461 were serving in the Army, 32 in the Air Corps and 72 in the Naval Service. In terms of ranks the breakdown of female personnel serving on 31 January 2010 was 143 officers, 169 non-commissioned officers and 253 privates. The percentage of female personnel serving on 31 January was 5.7% of overall strength of the force on that date.
The percentage of female personnel serving on 31 December 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000 and 2005 was as follows: 31 December 1985, 60 or 0.42%; 31 December 1990, 99 or 0.75%; 31 December 1995, 186 or 1.47%; 31 December 2000, 433 or 4.08%; 31 December 2005, 527 or 5.04%.
The Government is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for men and women throughout the Defence Forces and to the full participation by women in all aspects of Defence Forces activities. Unlike many other national armed forces, the Defence Forces have no restrictions as regards the assignment of men or women to the full range of operational and administrative duties. All promotions and career courses are open to both genders on merit.
My Department does not have access to statistics regarding the percentage of female members in other national armed forces.
The Defence Forces prides itself on providing a gender neutral working environment. Policies on equality are being constantly communicated to all ranks. The military authorities are alert and vigilant to this issue and are committed to addressing this matter in a continuing and proactive manner.
I thank the Minister of State for his reply. The statistics came out fast so I did not pick them all up. There are two points in this regard. When the height requirement was reduced there was an expectation of a greater entry by women into the Defence Forces. That has not happened. In comparison to other countries, in particular the United States, we do not seem to attract the same numbers of women into the Defence Forces. If the Minister of State has the information to hand, will he say what additional incentives are being provided in order to attract young females into the Defence Forces?
One of the principal requirements in this regard, for example, was for the Defence Forces to provide a crèche in the Curragh. The former Minister set up a committee to consider that, which reported and made a strong recommendation. There is a crèche in Leinster House for a smaller number of people whereas there are 2,000 people in the Curragh. Will the Minister of State tell us the status of that crèche at present? Is there a programme for visiting schools in order to promote the Defence Forces among schoolchildren?
On the last point, I note that all four of us present come from a teaching background. In my experience, while I would not say there is marked reluctance on the part of career guidance staff to encourage girls to join the Defence Forces, I agree this makes it all the more important——
That makes that case that they should promote and sell it in the schools.
I agree wholeheartedly and believe it is something we should strongly encourage.
With regard to the steps that have been taken to provide a supportive environment for Defence Forces members, the development and maintenance of a positive and supportive work environment is a key objective of the Defence Forces management. In recent years, a range of measures has been introduced, including the recommendations of the independent monitoring group as part of the modernisation agenda of the Defence Forces. Among the key steps taken are a charter committing all ranks to supporting a service environment that encourages and supports the right to dignity at work.
A major educational awareness programme is ongoing throughout the Defence Forces, backed up by a new administrative instruction on interpersonal relationships. Some 232 designated contact persons have been fully trained and are deployed throughout all Defence Forces posts and barracks, both countrywide and overseas. These designated contact persons facilitate the operation of the formal and informal procedures that may be used by any party wishing to institute a complaint, for example, an independent confidential freefone helpline and counselling service was set up for members of the Permanent Defence Force in March 2003.
Further review and implementation of the recommendations was conducted by the independent monitoring group and reported on in December 2008, with the group making in excess of 40 recommendations. The report confirms that the culture of the Defence Forces organisation is evolving positively. It notes that organisational developments within the Defence Forces are a tribute to the vision and work of senior management and acknowledges the commitment and input of all personnel in affecting significant change.
As Deputy Deenihan rightly said, in 2006, the minimum height requirement for joining the Defence Forces was reduced from 5' 4" to 5' 2", which increased the potential recruitment pool of females from 60% to 90% of the female population. In 2007, the Department of Defence received a report from TNS-MRBI entitled "Retention and Recruitment of Women in the Defence Forces". This research was commissioned with a view to identifying areas where action could be taken to maximise the number of women applicants to the Defence Forces.
If I understand the figures correctly, the number of women in the Defence Forces has gone from 0.42% in 1985 to 5.7% at present.
It was 5.04%, or 527 persons, in 2005. The relevant figures for the years in question are 60, 99, 186, 433 and 527.
What strikes me about the figures the Minister of State has provided as of 31 January 2010 is that there is a higher proportion of women at officer level than at either NCO or private level. Is it correct that there is a higher percentage at officer level? Is this a conscious policy that is being implemented by the Defence Forces? Have the Defence Forces targets they wish to reach? If so, is there a timescale for achieving them?
I will give the total figures. For female officers, there are 111 in the Army, five in the Air Corps and 23 in the Naval Service, giving a total of 139. For female non-commissioned officers, there are 145 in the Army, 15 in the Air Corps and nine in the Naval Service, giving a total of 169. For female privates and cadets, there are 194 privates and 12 cadets in the Army, 12 privates and one cadet in the Air Corps and 34 privates and six cadets in the Naval Service, giving a total of 240 privates and 19 cadets. There are two female officers in the rank of lieutenant-colonel, one of whom is currently serving in an acting capacity as colonel and filling the post as director of the Medical Corps.
All competitions for promotion within the Defence Forces are open to all qualified members, both male and female. The determining factor when deciding between candidates for promotion is their qualification for the post in question and gender is not a factor.
I will allow Deputy Deenihan to ask a brief supplementary question.
It is an important matter.
They are all important.
Some 25% of the Reserve Defence Force comprises women whereas only 5.7% of the Permanent Defence Force are women, which is a major difference. Will the Minister of State look to the RDF to provide incentives for women to transfer to the PDF?
With regard to future recruitment, how many women will be recruited or has a quota been set to improve the figures? Finally——
The Deputy has asked eight questions in total.
Some 8% of the complaints made by Defence Forces personnel to the Ombudsman were from women. Is this proportionate to the number of women who have left the organisation?
With regard to the targets for females, the Defence Forces is an equal opportunities employer and all competitions for entry to the force are run on the basis of equality principles. When recruiting to the Defence Forces, recruitment is always undertaken to ensure the most suitable and qualified candidates come to the fore and gender does not play any role in how such posts are filled.
I take Deputy Deenihan's point that further efforts should be made, including promoting the Defence Forces through career guidance exhibitions, visits to schools and so on, which is important. I was involved in two commissioning ceremonies of the Reserve Defence Force. I noticed there was a much better balance between the sexes at those ceremonies than I had seen at other ceremonies.
67 Deputy Pádraic McCormack asked the Minister for Defence if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the Government of Chad has called for the withdrawal of the military element of the UN force in Chad; the implications such a withdrawal would have for the Defence Forces, particularly in view of the recent decision to reduce significantly the number of Defence Forces personnel serving in Kosovo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9336/10]
72 Deputy Michael D. Higgins asked the Minister for Defence the discussions he has had with the Department of Foreign Affairs regarding a report by Amnesty International on violence against refugee women in eastern Chad; the actions that have emanated from those discussions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9180/10]
76 Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Defence if he is satisfied with the level of back-up support being provided to Irish troops in Chad; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9167/10]
92 Deputy Seán Sherlock asked the Minister for Defence if the Irish contingent on peacekeeping duties in Chad will be maintained at its present strength throughout 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9189/10]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 67, 72, 76 and 92 together.
Ireland currently has 420 personnel serving with the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad, MINURCAT. The UN mandate for this mission is due to expire on 15 March 2010. The question of the renewal of the mandate and the duration of any such renewal is currently under discussion at the UN and discussions in this regard are also ongoing with the Chadian authorities.
I am aware that President Déby has written to the UN Secretary General suggesting that the MINURCAT mission should be brought to a conclusion and withdrawn. It will be a matter for the Security Council to decide how and when a mission should be concluded.
Subject to renewal of the mandate by the UN Security Council, Ireland is committed to maintaining the Defence Forces contingent in Chad with MINURCAT for at least another year. However, should the UN mandate end, the Defence Forces will withdraw, and it is envisaged that a period of consolidation and renewal would be allowed for training and equipment maintenance before the Defence Forces would undertake a further mission. The costs of repatriation of Irish troops and equipment from MINURCAT would be met by the UN.
Ireland is currently contributing 759 Defence Forces personnel to 11 different missions throughout the world. The number of Defence Forces personnel deployed overseas will reduce to approximately 510 personnel in the second half of 2010 due to plans to reduce Ireland's contribution to the EU-led mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the NATO-led mission in Kosovo. In the event that the Irish contingent is withdrawn from Chad, it would further reduce Ireland's commitment to overseas peace support operations to approximately 100 by the end of this year.
I am satisfied that the required logistical support of Irish troops currently deployed with MINURCAT is being delivered in accordance with national standards. There are no concerns in regard to real life support for Irish troops at this time.
I am aware of a report by Amnesty International on violence against refugee women in eastern Chad which was published last year. I understand that Amnesty International Ireland has contacted the Minister for Foreign Affairs in regard to the above-mentioned report. The Government shares the concern of Amnesty International Ireland at the content of the report and will continue to make Ireland's voice heard with regard to Chad. Ireland will do its utmost to contribute to protecting the vulnerable and building a lasting peace.
The United Nations mission in the Central African Republic and Chad, which comprises civil, police and military components, is authorised, inter alia, to take all necessary measures, within its capabilities and its area of operations in eastern Chad, in liaison with the Government of Chad, to contribute to protecting civilians in danger, particularly refugees and internally displaced persons.
Ireland has made substantial efforts and contributed strongly to the efforts to improve the security and protection of the people in the region and to defend their human rights. To this end, we have maintained over 400 Irish troops on the ground in Chad with MINURCAT and previously with the former EU-led mission in Chad. In addition, since the beginning of 2007, Ireland has provided more than €15 million in funding humanitarian relief projects in Chad.
It could happen that Ireland would be forced to withdraw from Chad in July if the Government of Chad has its way. I understand a compromise is being sought whereby the UN force would remain in the north and central part of the battle theatre but that the Irish will be withdrawn from the south. This would be most unfortunate as the Irish have made a significant contribution to the protection of refugees. The Irish contingent has set up a state-of-the-art refugee camp and base in Chad and this has become an example for all other UN missions. I hope this withdrawal will not happen because we have made such a contribution there. Is the Department considering other missions where Irish military personnel could be deployed as UN peacekeepers? Foreign missions are the raison d’être of the Defence Forces, the lifeblood of our Defence Forces. The Minister of State gave the figures for reductions and our Defence Forces will lose much of their reason for being if they are not on missions abroad.
On the question about any further plans, in the event that the mission to Chad would be terminated, yesterday the Government decided to dispatch five members of the Permanent Defence Force for service with the proposed EU common security and defence policy military mission to contribute to the training of Somali security forces. This mission, which was established under EU Council decision of 4 February 2010, is scheduled to be launched in May 2010.
The conditions under which the Defence Forces may participate in overseas peace support operations have been made very clear by the Government. In this regard, the conditions which have been referred to as the triple lock mechanism must be satisfied. The operation must be authorised and mandated by the United Nations; it must be approved by the Government and it must be approved by way of resolution of the Dáil where the size of a Defence Forces contribution is more than 12 personnel. Ireland receives requests from time to time with regard to participation in various missions and these are considered on a case by case basis. When considering any particular request, the existence of realistic objectives and a clear mandate which has a potential to contribute to a political solution, consideration of how the mission relates to the priorities of Irish foreign policy and the degree of risk involved are among the factors which are considered.
I have two questions. When is it anticipated there will be a decision of the United Nations Security Council in regard to the future of MINURCAT? On 19 November 2009, in reply to a parliamentary question in the name of my colleague, Deputy Mary Upton, the then Minister for Defence, Deputy Willie O'Dea, informed the House that MINURCAT had recently launched a campaign to combat gender violence in Chad. Has the Minister of State any updated information on that campaign?
I do not seem to have that information. With regard to the discussions with the UN, the mandate of that mission is robust and is being conducted under chapter VII of the UN charter for peace enforcement, allowing for the use of all necessary force to ensure the success of the mission. On the issue of gender violence, it is my understanding that a number of Irish Aid-funded organisations and others are contributing to programmes to alleviate gender-based violence but I cannot say that I have any further information than that available to me at the moment.
I was in Chad earlier last year and there is a particular difficulty about entering into camps. This does not help the situation in terms of policing this sort of activity. I have been asking this question for a while since that report appeared in The Irish Times. Whereas it would seem there is much goodwill, I am not getting a clear message that effective measures are being put in place. I ask that the Defence Forces in Chad would renew and make every effort to rid the country of this type of violence which is absolutely reprehensible.
I concur with Deputy O'Shea's comments. I had informal conversations at a function last week and I understand that the Army has been very proactive in engaging with the local community, difficult and all as the circumstances are. The Deputy has visited the region and he will be more aware of the situation on the ground than I am. Working with both Irish Aid-funded organisations and international aid organisations, the issue of gender-based violence is being dealt with but as to what extent I will correspond with the Deputy.
Deputy Deenihan, finally and briefly.
If that is possible. The then Minister informed the House at the previous Question Time that the numbers would be reduced as a result of cutbacks. A total of personnel serving overseas would be reduced from 750 to 480, which includes the numbers in Chad which is 406. This means that if the mission is withdrawn from Chad, there will only be 74 personnel serving abroad, a completely inadequate number. This number will not satisfy the challenges which the Defence Forces must face in order to remain as a vibrant force. I ask the Minister of State to consider restoring the numbers in Kosovo, for example, to 216. As regards new missions with the United Nations, it is quite clear that we could not enter into any new missions unless the triple lock mechanism is satisfied and those missions were mandated by the United Nations as peacekeeping missions.
With regard to the KFOR mission, as the security situation in Kosovo continues to improve, NATO has initiated plans to scale down its force in Kosovo. Provided the prevailing security conditions continue, the move to a deterrent presence is being implemented in a gradual and phased manner. It is proposed that KFOR will move from its current level of approximately 10,713 troops as of 1 February 2010 to 6,000 troops by August 2010 and a final figure of some 2,000 troops by 2011. This is a decision taken by NATO.
As for other requests, apart from the recent EU request to dispatch members of the Defence Forces to the CSDP mission in Somalia, no other deployments are planned or envisaged at this time.
68 Deputy Ruairí Quinn asked the Minister for Defence the savings that will accrue to his Department arising from the public service pay cuts applied by the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No 2) Act 2009; the number of personnel whose pay has been cut; the average reduction in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9191/10]
The Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Act 2009 provides for the reduction of public service salaries of up to €125,000 by 5% on the first €30,000 of salary, 7.5% on the next €40,000 of salary and 10% on the next €55,000 of salary. The Act also provides for a 5% reduction in the fixed-rate allowances payable to such public servants. It is estimated that gross savings of approximately €34 million will accrue in 2010 arising from the application of the pay reductions across the Department of Defence. There are three broad categories of employees on the Department's payroll. The payroll numbers affected in each category on 1 January 2010 were 9,915 military personnel, including Army nursing service personnel; 402 civil servants, including Civil Defence personnel; and 760 civilian employees. Based on the payroll outturn for 2009 and the average numbers in each category in that year, it is estimated that the average percentage pay reduction for each category will be 5.8% for military personnel, 5.9% for civil servants and 5.4% for civilian employees. Members of the Reserve Defence Force on paid training will be paid at the same reduced rates as their Permanent Defence Force counterparts.
I thank the Minister of State for those statistics. The Labour Party has received representations to the effect that members of the Defence Forces are availing of family income supplement to supplement their pay. It is difficult to establish how many people this may apply to. The Labour Party's major concern relates to lower paid staff in the Defence Forces, including civilian employees and civil servants. Does the Minister of State have information on how many members of the Defence Forces, including civilian employees and civil servants, are below the qualifying threshold for family income supplement?
I am afraid I do not have that information.
In recent times, a number of people have left the Defence Forces prematurely by taking early retirement. Can the Minister of State indicate why that has happened? Does he know whether it has happened for financial reasons, for example?
I do not. I understand from reading other material that a fairly high turnover within certain grades seems to be part of the military arrangements. I do not have any other information that might be of assistance to the Deputy.
69 Deputy Seán Sherlock asked the Minister for Defence if the report of the court of inquiry into the accident at Kilworth Camp, County Cork in June 2009 (details supplied) has been forwarded by the commanding officer of the Southern Brigade to the deputy chief of staff, support; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9188/10]
94 Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Defence if the report of the inquiry into the accident at Kilworth Camp, County Cork in June 2009 has been forwarded to the deputy chief of staff, support); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9177/10]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 69 and 94 together.
A member of the Defence Forces was injured in an incident involving the use of a short range anti-armour weapon at Kilworth Camp on 3 June 2009. A formation accident investigation team was established by the general officer commanding the Southern Brigade to investigate the incident. A formation accident investigation team is normally established in situations of this nature to examine the incident from a health and safety viewpoint. The purpose of such investigations, which are primarily preventative, is to discover the cause of incidents and to collect statistical data so corrective action be taken to prevent a recurrence of them.
Following completion of the initial report prepared by the investigation team, all employment and safety instructions were reviewed and amended as necessary. In accordance with Defence Forces regulations, a court of inquiry was also established to investigate the incident. The report compiled by the court of inquiry was received by the general officer commanding the Southern Brigade in November 2009. The general officer commanding the Southern Brigade forwarded the report to the Defence Forces' director of administration at the beginning of this month. The matter was referred to the director of legal service on 5 February 2010 for his comments and recommendations. The report remains under the consideration of the director of legal service who will make recommendations to the deputy chief of staff, support.
I take it that the report was forwarded to the deputy chief of staff, support, approximately a month ago and will be sent on to the legal services. Does that imply that legal proceedings may take place as a consequence of this event? I have no reason to believe that will be the case, but I would like the Minister to clarify why it has been referred to the legal services. When is it anticipated that this whole matter will be finalised?
I am concerned that there will be a full and thorough investigation of the circumstances of this incident. In this regard, I am advised that the Defence Forces have carried out a thorough investigation. Military investigations or courts of inquiry might not always be the best method of investigating accidents or incidents from a health and safety point of view. In order to address this, formation accident investigation teams are established to investigate the cause of incidents and to identify measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents. If a military police investigation or a court of inquiry has been convened, the formation accident investigation team is available to offer technical advice. I am not able to advise the Deputy on when a decision will be made on what action, if any, is required or will follow the submission of the report. I am sure the matter can be raised again by means of parliamentary question. When we get the information, we can convey it to the Deputy.
I thank the Minister of State for the information he has provided. It seems that at the current stage of the process, we have to await further outcomes.
On a related matter, I tried to table a question today about the investigation into the sinking of the Asgard II.
That is certainly stretching the scope of the questions before the House, which relate to an incident in Cork.
I was told that the matter is being considered by the Marine Casualty Investigation Board. The Taoiseach is now responsible for this area. Given that the Asgard II sank in September 2008, I urge the Minister of State to ensure that a report on the sinking of the vessel is brought before the House as soon as possible.
I will take that as a rhetorical question.
We have not yet received the report of the investigation. I hope the Minister of State, Deputy Pat Carey, will be here as Minister the next time this matter is considered. Can he assure us that the report will be available on that occasion?
No doubt the Deputy will table a question on the matter on that occasion.
I certainly will. I hope it will be allowed.
I am sure it will.
70 Deputy Joanna Tuffy asked the Minister for Defence if he will make a statement on the outcome of the preliminary investigation into the crash of a Pilatus PC-9 in Connemara on 12 October 2009 with the loss of two personnel. [9196/10]
The accident on 12 October 2009 which led to the loss of the lives of Captain Derek Furniss and Cadet David Jevens in Corr na Móna, County Galway, is being investigated by the air accident investigation unit of the Department of Transport. A preliminary report into the fatal air accident involving the Air Corps Pilatus PC-9 was published by the unit on 17 November 2009. This report is available to the public on the air accident investigation unit's website. The cause of the accident is not determined in the preliminary report. Only the facts known by the investigation team at this early stage are set out in that report. A final report, to be completed within a year of the accident, will provide full analysis of the accident and address its cause.
Deputy Deenihan and I attended the removal of the two Air Corps personnel who lost their lives in this unfortunate accident. I note that the preliminary report stated that, at this point in the investigation, no technical defect has been identified. In the case of an accident of this nature, every effort should be made to bring the process to a conclusion, in the interests of bringing about closure for the families of these two fine young men. I accept that procedures have to be followed and matters have to be fully investigated, but it is important for this process to be brought to the speediest possible conclusion. I ask the Minister of State to convey that to the Taoiseach.
Of course I will. The Government is determined to establish the causes of this accident and to put in place any remedial measures that may be required.
Deputy O'Shea and I, along with the then Minister, attended the poignant occasion mentioned by the Deputy. As he said, the families involved deserve some closure. The report should not be delayed in any way, particularly in comparison to other reports. It should take precedence. Resources should be provided to ensure the report is published as soon as possible.
The Department of Transport's unit conducts its investigation of aviation accidents and incidents in accordance with SI 205 of 1997. Pursuant to regulation 27 of this statutory instrument, the Ministers for Transport and for Defence agreed and directed the regulation would apply to the investigations of the Air Corps Pilatus PC-9 accident. On foot of this direction, the chief inspector of air accidents appointed an investigator-in-charge to carry out a formal investigation into the accident. The Minister appointed three Air Corps officers, including the Air Corps flight safety officer and the chief air wardens officer, as inspectors of air accidents for the duration of the investigation under the direction of the inspector-in-charge. The Minister for Transport has been assured of the full assistance of the Department of Defence in the matter.
71 Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Defence if, when new strengths by rank within the authorised 10,000 strength of the Defence Forces are agreed, the organisation will have sanction to promote on a continuous basis to ensure the numbers at each rank are maintained at the agreed levels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9328/10]
Resulting from the Government decision regarding the reduction of public service numbers and the reduced budgetary provision available for 2009, recruitment, promotions and acting-up appointments in the Permanent Defence Force were suspended. I am aware of the impact of the moratorium on the Permanent Defence Force, particularly in light of the high turnover rate that is part of any military organisation. Within the available resources, the Government is committed to maintaining the strength of the Defence Forces at a level of 10,000 all ranks for which Government approval was secured in budget 2010. This reflects the reductions in personnel recommended in the report of the special group on public service numbers and expenditure programmes.
Departmental officials continue to engage with the military authorities on a review of structures and posts required to meet the operational requirements of the Defence Forces in light of the Government decision to maintain a complement of 10,000 personnel. The review is expected to be completed in March. Following on from this, discussions will commence with the Department of Finance to agree structures and mechanisms for the ongoing promotion of personnel.
While these are challenging times, the Defence Forces have risen to the challenge and are organised, equipped and staffed in a manner which will ensure they can continue to deliver the services required of them by Government.
I welcome the Minister of State confirming the Government has accepted the authorised strength of the Defence Forces at 10,000. It was 11,500 but because of the McCarthy report and reductions it now stands at 10,000. I recognise new structures will have to be introduced in the Defence Forces because of this reduction. Obviously, there will be new demands at different unit levels. If the ranks have been agreed between the Department and the Defence Forces, then the moratorium on promotion should be removed to fill the large number of vacant ranks. Will the Minister of State give a commitment that the Defence Forces will be allowed to fill these ranks without the need for authorisation? Will he also give an exact figure for the number of vacancies?
I am advised the Defence Forces retain the capacity to undertake the tasks laid down by the Government at home and overseas. While a detailed response to the submission to the Minister for Finance has not yet been received, the objective is to achieve the implementation of the Government decision on savings measures in public service numbers in a manner that gives protection to the operational capacity of the Permanent Defence Force while meeting its obligations to contribute to the necessary public service economies.
The decision to reduce Permanent Defence Force numbers, as outlined in the White Paper, was the correct decision. The Defence Forces have subsequently delivered all services requested by the Government. This reduction in strength did not adversely affect the provision of services. Instead, significant gains and enhanced service provision have been achieved in the intervening years.
I am aware of one Defence Forces member who missed his opportunity for promotion because his final medical examination could not take place for reasons beyond his control. The former Minister for Defence was well aware of the case. Given the Minister of State's response, perhaps the case could be re-examined.
The Deputy can provide the Minister of State with the details
I hope the Minister of State will be the Minister for Defence at the next Question Time. I wish him the best of luck in that respect.
Written answers follow Adjournment Debate.
