Lisa Chambers
Question:19. Deputy Lisa Chambers asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence when the numbers in the Permanent Defence Force will reach the agreed ceiling of 9,500; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16898/16]
Other Questions
Defence Forces Strength
Bernard Durkan
Question:23. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if he is achieving optimum strength of the Army, Naval Service and Air Corps; the number of personnel who retired in the past 12 months; if recruitment is required in the short and medium term; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16708/16]
When does the Minister of State expect Permanent Defence Force numbers to reach the ceiling of 9,500 personnel?
I propose to take Questions Nos. 19 and 23 together.
The Government is committed to maintaining the stabilised strength of the Permanent Defence Force at 9,500 personnel, comprising 7,520 Army personnel, 886 Air Corps personnel and 1,094 Naval Service personnel, as stated in the 2015 White Paper on Defence. I am advised by the military authorities that the strength of the Permanent Defence Force at 31 May 2016, the latest date for which details are available, was 9,137 personnel, comprising 7,310 Army personnel, 733 Air Corps personnel and 1,094 Naval Service personnel. The manpower requirement of the Defence Forces is monitored on an ongoing basis in accordance with the operational requirements of each of the three services. Personnel are posted on the basis of operational needs across the organisation both at home and abroad and not on a regional basis. As there is significant turnover of personnel in the Permanent Defence Force targeted recruitment has been and is currently taking place so as to maintain the agreed strength levels. The current general service recruitment campaign, which was launched on 13 April 2016, envisages an intake of 600 general service recruits in 2016 and a further 850 in 2017. This recruitment will be phased over the 2016 and 2017 period in a manner designed to restore the established strength and plans are being put in place to this end.
The military authorities have advised of the following intake in 2016 to date. There have been 241 general service recruits inducted in 2016, with a further 150 having completed their recruit training in 2016 following induction in the fourth quarter of 2015. An Air Corps aircraft apprentice technician competition is planned later in 2016. The intake of cadets into the Permanent Defence Force is normally carried out on an annual basis, taking into consideration the operational requirements of the Defence Forces and the resource envelope allocated to defence. There are 75 cadets scheduled to be inducted in the third quarter following the current cadet competitions. The breakdown is 50 Army personnel, 15 Naval Service personnel and ten Air Corps personnel. Direct entry competitions are also held as required from which specialist appointments are filled.
Given that personnel can retire from the Permanent Defence Force for a variety of reasons, the Deputy will appreciate that it is not possible to accurately forecast retirements at this stage for 2016. However, I am advised by the military authorities that in 2015, 76 officers and 491 enlisted ranks retired or were discharged. Up to 31 May 2016, 34 officers and 193 enlisted ranks have retired or were discharged. In line with human resources policy, there is significant turnover of personnel in the Permanent Defence Force due to the requirement to maintain a lower age profile. With the support of the chief of staff and within the resources available, it is intended to retain the capacity of the Defence Forces to operate effectively across all roles and to undertake the tasks laid down by Government both at home and overseas.
I was told in a written reply in April this year that the serving strength of the Permanent Defence Force, PDF, was 9,146, which is nine fewer than October 2015. The former Minister, Deputy Coveney, stated that budget 2016 includes the provision of €416 million for Permanent Defence Force pay and this would allow for the payment of the full establishment of 9,500 personnel in line with the commitment in the White Paper on Defence. Will this happen in 2016?
In October 2014, the former Minister, Deputy Coveney, highlighted that 220 recruits were in training, with plans under way to enlist 180 additional recruits by the end of 2014. Yet in 2015, we dropped a further 140 members. When will we see numbers reach 9,500? Will it be in 2016? If the budget exists for it, why is not being achieved? The Minister of State has spoken about significant turnover, how it has always been that way and that he is very aware of that. If he is aware of the turnover, why is there no foresight and forward planning to ensure we keep those numbers at 9,500 personnel, rather than leaning back on the excuse for not reaching the levels to which we have committed?
Recruitment of personnel in any calendar year can fluctuate, depending on timing of recruitment, the holding of competitions and establishment of panels, Garda vetting and ongoing operational requirements that can impact the recruitment and training capacity. In 2015, 386 personnel were recruited, with 307 personnel recruited to the general service, 49 cadets for the 2015 cadet competitions, five Naval Service personnel, 19 personnel for the Defence Forces school of music, 24 personnel for the Air Corps, one medical officer and one conductor for the school of music. In 2014, 505 personnel were recruited, although I will not go through the numbers for specific areas in that calendar year. In 2013, 404 personnel were recruited.
I assure the Deputy that the Government and Defence Forces are ensuring that we hold at the ceiling of 9,500 personnel, although it is quite difficult at times because of the numbers of people leaving. It fluctuates from year to year. I outlined to the Deputy the number of people we are taking in for 2016 and 2017 to try to bring the level to 9,500 personnel.
The Minister of State still has not answered my question of when it is expected to reach 9,500 personnel. It is not something that can be arrived at magically. There are ways and means of achieving the number and the Minister of State knows the difficulties in the recruitment process. They exist every year and we must plan to deal with those difficulties, ensure we can overcome them and reach the targets we have set.
It was suggested by my predecessor on this bench that some of the defence budget is often held back to deal with an overrun on the Army pension side. Is this true? It certainly seems plausible when the Department's ministerial brief indicates there has been a continuous structural under-provision for the Army pension, resulting in successive Supplementary Estimates every year since 2005. It also indicates that the Department has managed to meet those shortfalls from payroll savings on the Defence Forces, with the example of payroll savings arising from the gap between retirements and the recruitment of replacement personnel. Will the Minister of State comment on that and is it why we see a continued shortfall? Is it deliberate and why have we not reached the target?
It is the Government's intention to maintain the stabilised strength of the Permanent Defence Force at 9,500, the optimum level to fulfil all roles assigned by government. In this context of the current strength being below the agreed strength as indicated, targeted recruitment is taking place within the resource envelope available to the Department. I am very much aware of the Deputy's concerns in the area about bringing strength to 9,500 personnel but I state again that this depends on fluctuating levels of people leaving from year to year. I cannot say at the start of a recruitment process that X number will leave and they must be replaced. We do our best-----
What about the pensions question? Is part of the budget held back every year to supplement the pensions shortfall?
-----to keep up the number. I do not want to say-----
The Minister of State can get back to me if he cannot reply now.
I will revert but I do not want to say a section of the budget is being held back to pay pensions. That is not the case. I will get the Deputy a full reply on that.
My apologies for arriving late. It takes a little while to get from my office over to here.
Is there a procedure within the Defence Forces whereby potential retirements are identified as a need for further recruitment, or are they identified as potential savings in the course of any particular year? To what extent can the Minister put in place a procedure whereby there is an automatic kick-in system under which losses or retirements are recorded or anticipated in advance, with a view to making the provision by way of recruitment? To what extent does his reply to the question so far relate to the Army, the Navy and the Air Corps separately?
The Department and the Defence Forces try at the start of every year to calculate how many retirements they expect in that calendar year. As I have said to the Deputy opposite, that fluctuates from time to time. It is very difficult to say exactly how many will retire. I have already indicated that personnel can retire from the Defence Forces for a variety of reasons and the Deputy will, therefore, appreciate that it is not possible to forecast retirements accurately for 2016 at this stage. However, I am advised by the military authorities that in 2015, 76 officers and 490 members of the enlisted ranks retired or were discharged and up to 21 May 2016, 34 officers and 193 in the enlisted ranks have retired or were discharged. In line with human resources policy, there is a significant turnover of personnel in the Permanent Defence Forces due to the requirement to maintain a lower age profile. I assure the Deputy that we continue to monitor this on an ongoing basis, to the best of the Department's and the Defence Forces' ability, to try to ensure that we replace the number of personnel retiring.
Is provision made automatically in respect of sensitive areas of the Defence Forces where retirements or resignations might cause a particular void in the structure and strength of the Defence Forces and its ability to respond to particular circumstances? To what extent can provision be made on an ongoing basis to ensure those vacancies are being provided for?
That is monitored on an ongoing basis, but I assure the Deputy that there are people ready and able to take up whatever positions people retire from. The Defence Forces have well-trained people who are capable of taking over whatever role may become vacant as a result of a retirement. Going back to the Deputy's other question, the current general service recruitment campaign, which was launched on 13 April 2016, envisages 600 general service recruits in 2016 and a further 850 in 2017. I understand that as of 31 May 2016, 34 officers and 193 enlisted ranks have retired or were discharged. I assure the Deputy that this is monitored and if someone is required in a particular role, there are people who have the capability to take over whatever position is required.
Departmental Properties
Robert Troy
Question:20. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence his plans for Columb Barracks in Mullingar, County Westmeath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16888/16]
Robert Troy
Question:29. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if he is aware that a local group in Mullingar, County Westmeath, is carrying out feasibility studies for the possible future use of Columb Barracks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16889/16]
The Minister of State will remember that in the last quarter of 2011 the previous Fine Gael and Labour Party Government decided with the stroke of a pen to close Columb Barracks in Mullingar and in doing so broke a rich Defence Forces tradition in the town. To date, the Department has done nothing to try to secure an alternative use for this fine premises and the facilities that remain there. I want to give the Minister of State an opportunity in the House today to outline his Department's plans for the long-term use of this site.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 20 and 29 together.
Following the closure of Columb Barracks in 2012, my Department has explored a number of avenues to try to secure the long-term future of the former barracks for the benefit of the local community. Departments and other public bodies, including Westmeath County Council, have been invited to declare any interest in acquiring the property. To date no interest has been identified.
As the barracks is no longer required for military purposes, the current financial and administrative burden resulting from the retention of the barracks cannot be sustained. The disposal of the property by public auction will be actively progressed in keeping with the Government’s policy and recent practice to dispose of surplus property no longer required for military purposes.
In the context of its potential future use contributing to the positive development of Mullingar, my Department remains open to viable proposals to these ends from Westmeath County Council. Having regard to the local community and development interest, I suggest that any local groups should engage with Westmeath County Council to explore such opportunities.
The first time the Department met Westmeath County Council was earlier this year. Prior to that, there had been no interaction. There are community groups using that facility at the moment - the GAA, the youth cafe, the Organisation of National Ex-Service Personnel - and many more community groups wish to avail of the facility. The simple fact is that the Department cannot expect Westmeath County Council, which already lacks sufficient funding to provide the services it is meant to be providing, to take this on board and open it to a wider community without getting the necessary financial supports from the Department. There is a public meeting this Thursday night, which I have convened to ascertain the level of public interest in the future use of this facility. If a plan were devised, would the Department press the pause button and say it will not put it up for public auction in order to give the community an opportunity to carry out a feasibility study and present the plan? Would the Department look at funding the implementation of that plan into the future?
The Department of Defence cannot be the landlord to a facility. We have given Westmeath County Council every opportunity to take over the barracks. Officials from my Department have been in contact with Westmeath County Council. I am also very much aware that Deputy Troy has spoken to officials from my Department and this has been outlined to him on a number of occasions. I hope he will be able to recognise that the Department of Defence cannot be the landlord of the barracks for the foreseeable future. As Deputy Troy well knows, the barracks is falling into disrepair and money needs to be spent on it. I understand there are a number of community groups in the barracks at present, but my officials will be in contact with the CEO of Westmeath County Council to ask whether it has a future in mind for the barracks. As Deputy Troy well knows, if State property is going from one institution of the State to another, we can hammer out some sort of a deal on that. I understand there is a public meeting on Thursday evening, but after that meeting, Deputy Troy and others can go to Westmeath County Council and explain their plan to the council.
I have spoken to officials in my own Department, as the Deputy has, and if there is no proposal we will go ahead with the sale. The proposal would have to come from Westmeath County Council so that it could be the landlord of all the community groups. It is not the responsibility of the Department of Defence to be the landlord for community groups.
I agree with the Minister that there is a sense of urgency, but why is that? It is because the Department did nothing in respect of this matter for four years but now the Minister of State wants us to have a public meeting on Thursday night and to come back very quickly with a plan. The Minister of State had four years to devise a plan and did not do so, but he wants us to do it in four days.
I ask him to press the pause button on this. Tell us on the floor of the House that the barracks will not go to public auction for the foreseeable future. Afford the community an opportunity to bring forward a plan. There are some very good ideas. It can be used for educational facilities or to house the Reserve Defence Force, in respect of which the Department is paying €25,000 per annum to a private landlord down the road. It can be used by the GAA or Mullingar Arts Centre. We want a commitment from the Minister to press the pause button so that the barracks does not go for public auction in the foreseeable future. He should allow an opportunity for community groups to come together to carry out a feasibility study for the long-term use of this facility. They could work with Westmeath County Council and Westmeath-Longford Education and Training Board, which might also have an interest in the building in terms of the provision of post leaving certificate courses or a new secondary school in Mullingar, something that is badly needed. The Minister should enable the community groups to work together to provide what was promised when he closed the facility - namely, that it would remain in community use.
I am providing a bit of latitude to the Deputy and the Minister on this, as there are two questions taken together.
There is a template in the form of what happened with the barracks in Cavan and Clonmel, which were closed at the same time. Cavan VEC took over Cavan barracks and Tipperary County Council has taken over Clonmel. I believe there are different tenants there now but I am open to correction on that. In any event, both communities were very active from the time their barracks closed in trying to find alternative uses for them. The security costs to the Department of Defence in 2015 were approximately €34,000. If we do not do something with Mullingar barracks and there is an accident, such as someone falling through a ceiling or something like that, the Deputy would be the first person on my doorstep asking why the Department left it in such a state and did not dispose of it. That is why I have taken a personal interest in this case. I am open to proposals-----
Is the Minister of State open to the idea of allowing six months for proposals to be brought forward?
-----but any proposal will have to come through Westmeath County Council.
The Deputy has one minute for a supplementary question.
The mind boggles with the thought that the Department is paying €34,000 per annum for security costs while paying €25,000 per annum for the Reserve Defence Force to train a couple of hundred metres down the road. That is mind-boggling and the Minister of State should be ashamed to say it on the floor of this House. The Reserve Defence Force wanted to continue to use the facility and would have been more than capable of maintaining it.
Nothing has happened because the previous Government gave a commitment that it would stay in community use. It entered negotiations with the GAA but reneged on those, and that is why we are now in the position we are in. I agree that something has to be done but I ask that the Minister put a timeline in place so that the community groups have six months to carry out feasibility studies.
There are 50 seconds left. Does the Deputy want to hear the Minister?
They can work with the education and training boards to see if it can be used for the community into the future.
There are now 48 seconds left. I ask the Minister to be brief.
It boggles my mind, too, that the Deputy has suddenly developed a great interest in this since I first said I had taken an interest in trying to dispose of Mullingar barracks. In the past five years neither my Department nor I have received one proposal-----
On a point of order, the record must be corrected.
Allow the Minister to speak. The Deputy will get his chance in a moment. There are no points of order in this case.
He actually received two proposals for the future use of the facility.
Let the Minister finish his response.
He received one during the negotiations on the White Paper on Defence-----
I ask the Deputy to take his seat and stop shouting.
-----and his predecessor received a proposal. The current Minister of State may not have seen it but proposals were made on the future use of the facility. It cannot be said that this is the first time I have taken an interest in this. The record will speak for the number of times I have raised this issue.
Please do not disrespect the Chair like that again. I have given the Deputy all the latitude I could to assist him in getting to the bottom of this issue and I do not appreciate his taking advantage of the Chair in this way. Do not interrupt again.
We have not received any proposal from Westmeath County Council, though we have given the council every opportunity to come forward with a proposal. I will take any proposal from Westmeath County Council on the use of these barracks.
We have heard that point, Minister.
For safety reasons, if we do not get such a proposal I will go ahead with the sale of Mullingar barracks.
Defence Forces Medicinal Products
Clare Daly
Question:21. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence when he will publish the report of the working group on Lariam; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16705/16]
This is similar to the question tabled earlier by Deputy Ó Snodaigh regarding the report of the working group on Lariam, which we were promised in 2013. It was promised that it would be published in January this year but as of yet we have not seen it. Lariam continues to be prescribed as the drug of first choice and there is an urgency in dealing with this. The veterans assembled on Saturday, many of them victims of this drug. They want this to be acknowledged and they want their problems to be rectified.
The health and welfare of the Defence Forces are a priority for me and this informs my approach to the issue of Lariam. As I have already advised the House today, a malaria working group was established in January 2011 and reported in April 2013. The group was reconvened in August 2015.
The purpose of the group is to review, inter alia, issues arising in relation to the use of Lariam, particularly in the context of the current and potential litigation. It is to review the approach of the Defence Forces to the use of malaria chemoprophylaxis. It is also to ensure that the procedures continue to be appropriate and in accordance with best medical practice. In addition, the group was tasked with reviewing the use of the drug primaquine as part of the overall medical treatment process for those deployed to malarious areas.
As with the group's original report, the current report is being produced in the context of current and potential litigation and is, therefore, legally privileged. I can confirm that the group is investigating all the various allegations surrounding the use of Lariam and has obtained advice from leading medical experts.
I know the history of the report and its terms of reference but I want to see it. It was promised that we would have the report in January this year. Everything has changed utterly and radically on this subject since the last Dáil. At the end of last month the British Defence Select Committee published a highly critical report that recommended banning the use of Lariam by Ministry of Defence personnel.
It stated that at the very least it should be the drug of last resort. We know that Lariam is the third line of choice for the US army in sub-Saharan Africa. Its use is banned in the US Special Forces. We know that members of the Australian defence forces who have been diagnosed as suffering side effects from the use of Lariam can claim compensation and have received an apology. This is critically urgent. We are endangering the lives of those who serve in our Defence Forces. Lariam's use is against best medical practice.
I met a man at the protest on Saturday. He had served in Lebanon and been shot in the leg. He served in Kosovo, where he dug up bodies, but did not receive any counselling. He then went to Liberia. He was prescribed Lariam and has suffered dreadful side effects. He suffers from deep depression and psychological problems. This is critically urgent in order to stop other people suffering as a result of it. We need to see the report and we need to stop using Lariam. Stopping its use will put us in line with best medical practice.
Deputy Daly mentioned the UK defence committee report on Lariam. I am very much aware of the report and its conclusions. However, the use of Lariam by other armed forces is an internal matter for them. It would be inappropriate for me to comment on the policy of other states in this regard. The Deputy may wish to note that the working group invited two of the doctors who provided evidence to the UK defence committee to submit material to it and both Dr. Remington Nevin and Dr. Ashley Croft submitted material for its consideration.
On the use of Lariam in an Irish context, the health and welfare of the men and women of the Defence Forces is a priority for me. I have never changed that line, nor did my predecessor. The choice of medication for overseas deployment, including the use of Lariam, is a medical decision by the medical officers in the Irish Defence Forces, having regard for the specific circumstances of the mission and the individual member of the Irish Defence Forces.
This is critically worrying in the extreme. Let us look at the conclusions of the British committee. It stated that there was "neither the need, nor any justification for continuing to issue this medication to Service personnel" unless they can be individually assessed in accordance with the manufacturer's requirements. We know that is not possible in an army setting. The British forces are also concerned with the health of their personnel. Does it not bother the Minister of State that practically every single defence force on the planet has changed its position regarding Lariam except for the Irish Defence Forces, which dig in and refuse to acknowledge what has gone on? There is nothing wrong with saying we made a mistake. There is nothing wrong with acknowledging the wrongdoing. It is wrong, however, to continue with a policy that has been abandoned in other jurisdictions because of legitimate health concerns. We are flying in the face of international knowledge on this issue, yet we carry on blindly. This report was produced in 2013 and the working group was reconvened in 2015. The Minister of State's predecessor told us we would have the report in January. Can we see it, please, or is the Minister of State saying we will never get to see it?
There are different practices between Ireland and the UK. Our position is that Lariam remains formally on the list of medications prescribed by the medical corps for Defence Forces personnel on appropriate overseas missions to ensure that our military personnel can have effective protection from the serious risks posed by malaria, which killed approximately 438,000 people in 2015, with 90% of deaths occurring in sub-Saharan Africa, as reported by the World Health Organization. Malaria is a serious threat to any military force operating in the area. It is notable that no member of the Defence Forces, despite the numbers who have served in malarial areas, has died from malaria. The use of and information on medications is kept under ongoing review. However, there are no plans at this time to withdraw Lariam from the range of anti-malarial medications available to the Irish Defence Forces.
Question No. 22 is in the name of Deputy David Cullinane, who is not in the House.
Question No. 22 replied to with Written Answers.
Questions No. 23 answered with Question No. 19.
EU Battle Groups
Gino Kenny
Question:24. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence for details of the oversight by Dáil Éireann of the participation of Irish troops in a British-led EU battle group in May 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16650/16]
Will the Minister for Defence provide details of the oversight by Dáil Éireann of a participation of Irish troops in a British-led EU battle group in May 2016, and will he make a statement on the matter?
A central plank of Irish foreign policy is support for the multilateral system of collective security represented by the United Nations. In this regard, Ireland has worked to uphold the primary role of the Security Council when it comes to international peace and security. This commitment has found expression in Ireland's long-standing tradition of participation in UN peacekeeping operations. Participation in EU battle groups is another means for Ireland to express our commitment to the UN and its principles.
At its meeting of 14 July 2015, the Government approved the participation of five members of the Permanent Defence Force in the UK-led EU battle group, which will be on stand-by for six months from 1 July 2016. The resolution on Ireland's accession to the memorandum of understanding for the battle group was passed by Dáil Eireann on 9 June. The opportunity to deploy a small number of Irish personnel to the operational and force headquarters of the battle group will enable the Defence Forces to gain a greater insight into UK operations and command structures, with a view to potential future participation jointly with the UK in peacekeeping operations.
The UK-led EU battle group will consist of participants from Ireland, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden and the UK. Following a change of Government in May 2016, Cyprus, which had originally intended participating in this EU battle group by providing a small number of staff officers to the operational headquarters, has advised that it will not now be doing so. It is important to note that each participating country retains the right to deploy or not to deploy its forces, irrespective of an EU decision to launch a battle group operation. As such, any deployment of the Irish contribution as part of the battle group will still be subject to a UN mandate and Government approval.
I recently gave an assurance to the House that, notwithstanding that Dáil approval is only required in respect of deployments of 12 or more personnel, in the event that a decision by Government might be required on an actual deployment of the EU battle group, I will be happy to facilitate discussion in the House in such circumstances.
I find the term battle group unsettling. I do not think it appropriate phraseology for a peacekeeping troop. On 18 May, Irish troops participated in the EU battle group. They spent 18 days doing war games on Salisbury Plain. To me, that compromises Irish neutrality. Ireland is meant to be neutral of any aggression. This is NATO-lite. Our troops should not be involved in any acts of aggression around the world. We should pull out of these battle groups, or whatever one might want to call them, because they are a de facto European army.
I absolutely agree that the term battle group is a misleading and unfortunate term. I have raised this with the Department but I understand that we alone cannot change it. A change in the term would have to go through the UN. The term is a standard, technical military term. Essentially, it is a battalion-size force with support elements including transport and logistics. The overall size of a battle group is approximately 1,500 personnel. EU battle groups have a readiness to deploy, within five to ten days, a range of possible missions.
The Deputy raised the issue of our neutrality. The participation in battle groups has no effect on our traditional policy of military neutrality. A commitment to a battle group does not involve any commitment to common or mutual defence. I will state again that any deployment of 12 or more personnel in a peacekeeping or peace enforcement operation will require a UN mandate as well as Government and Dáil approval in accordance with the triple lock mechanism. This is one of the reasons I brought the issue of the EU battle group to the Dáil recently.
Perhaps the Minister of State could indicate if he knows how many Irish troops took part in the war games on Salisbury Plain? I find it very unsettling that Irish troops are conducting these kinds of military exercise. I do not know if the Minister of State knows precisely how many troops were involved.
I am not aware of any war games that the Irish Defence Forces have participated in. I assure the Deputy, again, that our participation has no effect on our traditional policy of military neutrality. I am not aware, so far as I understand, that military training of that type is carried out in any battle group. I actually visited a battle group back in 2012 and I can assure the Deputy that the experience the Irish Defence Forces receive from a battle group, and which they can bring back home, is very beneficial to our military organisation, especially for those members who work with other like-minded countries. I understand the Deputy might have his own concerns, but the term "battle group" is unfortunate as it does send out the wrong message about what it is exactly we are participating in.
Is the Minister of State aware of the war games that took place in-----
I am not aware of-----
It was reported in The Sunday Times.
I did not see any such article on it.
It is bizarre that-----
The Deputy can have this conversation outside Question Time, if that is okay. I would now turn to No. 25, but Deputy Thomas Byrne is not in the House.
Question No. 25 replied to with Written Answers.
Naval Service Operations
Bernard Durkan
Question:26. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of refugees rescued by Irish Naval Service vessels in the Mediterranean sea; if it will continue with further missions there; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16707/16]
Following a Government decision on 12 May 2015, the Irish Naval Vessel LE Eithne was deployed to the Mediterranean Sea on 16 May 2015 to assist the Italian authorities with the migrant crisis. During 2015 two further vessels were deployed, LE Niamh and LE Samuel Beckett, and the deployment was completed on 29 November 2015, with LE Samuel Beckett arriving back in Ireland on 17 December 2015. During that period, 8,592 people were rescued in the Mediterranean Sea by Irish Naval Service vessels. In addition, the Irish Naval Service provided assistance to 1,144 migrants who were transferred from other vessels onto Irish Naval Service vessels and then transported to safety.
The Government, on 6 April 2016, approved the return of an Irish Naval Service vessel to undertake humanitarian search and rescue tasks in the Mediterranean Sea. This deployment will involve naval vessel rotation. Subject to the operational demands and requirements of the mission, it is intended that there will be two rotations, with each deployment lasting approximately 12 weeks.
LE Róisín was deployed to the Mediterranean Sea on 1 May 2016 and commenced patrolling in the area of operations on 12 May 2016. To date, LE Róisín has rescued 893 people, bringing the overall total rescued by the Naval Service during 2015 and 2016 to 9,485 people. In addition to the 893 migrants rescued by LE Róisín, assistance was provided to a further 683 migrants who were taken on board from other vessels.
The role of the Naval Service vessel is to provide a search and rescue capability and to undertake humanitarian search and rescue operations at sea in the Mediterranean. Assistance to persons in distress at sea will be provided in accordance with the applicable provisions of international conventions governing search and rescue situations.
I suggest that it is incumbent upon us all to acknowledge the tremendous work being done by the Defence Forces and by the Naval Service in this situation. I ask the Minister of State if he remains satisfied regarding the equipping and upgrading of Naval Service vessels, telecommunication systems and training, and the degree to which these remain in line with likely requirements in the future.
I can assure the Deputy that the members of the Naval Service who are carrying out the rescue operations were trained to a very high standard. If one looked at the work carried out in 2015 and to date in 2016 it would give an overview of exactly the training they have gone through for such an operation. Those involved must be commended on the work they have carried out to date, because it is very difficult. They came across two female fatalities in recent days, which can be very difficult for members. However, I assure the Deputy that the members of the forces are given every assistance and all training required to carry out their work on the Mediterranean Sea.
I will conclude by saying that the Irish Naval Service is very well served in the equipment it uses and the vessels it operates. Yesterday I signed off on the commission for a fourth vessel. The UK contractors will start building that fourth ship in the next few weeks. The Government's investment in the Irish Naval Service over the last years is very much to the fore.
I thank the Minister for his reply. I support the concept in general. Perhaps the Minister of State could reiterate the intention to continue providing humanitarian services which are urgently required in the Mediterranean Sea for as long as is necessary.
The Deputy will appreciate that the mission will be kept under ongoing review in light of developments in the Mediterranean Sea. There has been a significant decline in the number of migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea in the last week or two. It is unclear whether this is due to the adverse weather conditions or some other factor, but the current plan is to rotate LE Róisín after three months, which would be until some time around the end of July 2016. Deployment of a second vessel at that stage for a further three months will bring this up to the end of October. In the normal course, with the weather disimproving in the autumn, migrant numbers decline further. I had a briefing yesterday from the Department to the effect that there has been a drop in the number of migrants. However, I understand that on the Mediterranean Sea there is quite bad weather at the moment. That might contribute to the number of migrants rescued over the past while. I assure the Deputy that I, as Minister, very much appreciate the work that has been done, and we will keep the situation under constant review. I believe that all Members of the House, both Opposition and Government, very much appreciate the contribution that members of the Irish Naval Service have made in 2015 and in 2016 to date. They have clearly put the Irish Naval Service on the map.
Defence Forces Reserve
Lisa Chambers
Question:27. Deputy Lisa Chambers asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence his plans to send members of the Reserve Defence Force overseas in a civil or military co-operation role or in any other role; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16901/16]
As the Deputy will be aware, there is currently no provision in the Defence Acts to allow Reserve Defence Force personnel to be deployed overseas. The White Paper on Defence confirmed that the primary role of the Reserve Defence Force is to augment the Permanent Defence Force in crisis situations and to contribute to State ceremonial events. It was also identified in the White Paper on Defence that there may be professional skills that, on occasion, are not readily available in the Permanent Defence Force.
Arising from the fact that there may be individual members of the RDF who, by virtue of their professional civilian qualifications, have the competence to undertake such specialised tasks and fill the skills gap, the Government has decided that a panel of such professionally qualified members of the RDF, to be known as the specialist reserve, should be established. In tandem with the establishment of this specialist reserve, my Department will identify the options available to underpin the engagement of its members, whose personal circumstances would allow them to undertake required tasks, including on overseas missions where appropriate.
As part of the implementation plan for the wide range of initiatives relating to the reserve in the White Paper, the Secretary General, in conjunction with the Chief of Staff, will in due course bring forward proposals for the operation of such a scheme. This will be with a view to affording a small number of suitably qualified members of the RDF the opportunity to undertake operational duties at home and overseas with the Permanent Defence Force, PDF.
I am aware that there are no provisions in the Defence Acts but it is within the Minister of State’s gift to change that and make those provisions available, if so required. The Minister of State’s predecessor, Deputy Coveney, stated, as identified in the White Paper, that there may be professional skills that on occasion are not readily available in the PDF and that arising from that there may be individual members in the RDF who, as a result of their civilian qualifications and skills, may be able to complete certain tasks and bridge the gap where there is a shortfall of skills in the PDF and that a panel of professionally qualified people, known as the specialist reserve, should be put together. That White Paper issued last year. Has this reserve been established, and if not, why not? When does the Minister of State propose to do that?
The White Paper confirms that the primary role of the reserve is to augment the PDF in times of crisis and to participate in ceremonial events. Within that context, initiatives for the reserve outlined in the White Paper state that the potential to utilise the reserve in a voluntary unpaid capacity will be progressed in consultation with the representative associations and that consideration will be given to activating reserve sub-units for short periods of training with the PDF units or other support tasks. Specialist members of the RDF will be placed on a panel as a specialist reserve and, subject to their availability, will be considered for an option to meet specialist skills shortages. The terms and conditions of membership of the first line reserve will be revised to include capping the length of service for members, reactivating the annual paid leave, and introducing criteria for the retention of an effective member and the case for current gratuity will be examined. Consideration will be given to establishing a database of former members of the Army reserve, Naval Service reserve, first line reserve and PDF who could be called upon to volunteer in a crisis by listing these as an active reserve.
I thank the Minister of State but he still has not answered my question. When will the specialist reserve be established? In respect of identifying the role of the RDF, three times today the Minister of State has told me the role of the RDF. I served in the RDF for 13 years. I know very well the role of the RDF and do not need to be told it three times.
In respect of the skills survey to be undertaken, the Minister of State has said his Department will identify options available to underpin the engagement of the specialist reserve. Has he outlined these options? Has he engaged on the particular task about which he has just spoken? As outlined in the White Paper, the Secretary General in conjunction with the Chief of Staff will bring forward proposals for the operation of a scheme that affords a small number of suitably qualified members of the RDF whose personal circumstances allow them to participate in overseas service. Has the Secretary General brought forward such proposals?
I will come back to the Deputy on exactly when the specialist reserve will be set up. It will be done in conjunction with the Secretary General of the Department, the Chief of Staff and myself. I would like to see it being brought forward as soon as possible because it is in the White Paper which we are implementing. I will come back to the Deputy with an exact date in that regard.
What was the Deputy’s final question?
Has the Secretary General brought forward proposals for the operation of a scheme that affords a number of suitably qualified RDF members to undertake overseas service?
I have not yet seen any proposals. The next time I respond to parliamentary questions I will bring it to the Deputy’s attention when such a proposal is brought to my attention, if that answers the Deputy’s question.
Written Answers are published on the Oireachtas website.