Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 January 2014
534. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Defence if he will provide in tabular form the total amount spent since February 2011 on external reports commissioned by his Department including payments from ministerial allowances, broken down by report; if he will provide the details of any consultants employed; the name of each report and its status as published or ongoing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2358/14]
View answerMy Department has commissioned two external reports since March 2011.
On 19th April 2011, Mr Frank Callanan, SC, was commissioned to carry out an independent review into matters relevant to the deaths of Corporal Fintan Heneghan, Private Mannix Armstrong and Private Thomas Walsh on 21st March 1989 while serving with the 64th Infantry Battalion, United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). The report was completed in September 2011. The cost of this report was €51,660 including VAT.
Arising from one of the recommendations made in the Air Accident Investigation Unit’s report into the crash involving the Air Corps’ Pilatus PC9 aircraft at Cornamona, Co. Galway on 12th of October 2009, the Air Corps reviewed the operation of its Safety Management System and accepted the suggestion made that it include an external source in the auditing process. Accordingly, Mr Jacques Michaud was commissioned by the Air Corps in August 2013 to carry out a review of the Air Corps’ Safety Management System. The report entitled “Irish Air Corps Safety Management Review” was completed in November 2013 at a cost of €20,000.
