Written Answers Nos. 401-416
401. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Defence further to Parliamentary Question No. 294 of 10 March 2015, if Shannon airport has been designated as a military installation for the purposes of Irish army personnel providing security for military planes from the United States of America and allowing them to be present while unaccompanied by An Garda Síochána. [11516/15]
View answerPrimary responsibility for law and order, including the protection of the internal security of the State, rests with An Garda Síochána. Among the roles assigned to the Defence Forces is the provision of Aid to the Civil Power (ATCP) which, in practice, means to assist An Garda Síochána when requested to do so.
Shannon Airport is not a military installation and on occasions when the Defence Forces are deployed to Shannon Airport it is in an ATCP role in response to a request for support of An Garda Síochána.
402. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Defence in view of the fact that those who have served in the Defence Forces at home and in international United Nations service are often likely to suffer family breakdown and homelessness the specific services that are available to homeless former members of the Armed Forces and the outreach services that are available to ensure that those who served this country well are looked after following their return to civilian life. [11789/15]
View answerThe issue of housing and homelessness is a matter in the first instance for the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. My Department does not provide homes or accommodation for retired personnel.
My Department does provide an annual subvention of €40,000 to the Organisation of National Ex-Servicemen and Women (O.N.E.). O.N.E. is dedicated to looking after the welfare of ex-service personnel of the Irish Defence Forces by way of providing accommodation to homeless, elderly or disabled members in need of such domestic accommodation and shelter and other assistance that may be required. O.N.E. is a limited company with charitable status.
O.N.E. has accommodation in Smithfield, Dublin (Brú Na bhFiann with 30 places), Athlone (7 places), Letterkenny (7 places) and a drop- in centre in Limerick. Any retired soldier, male or female, may contact the Smithfield centre directly and O.N.E. will assist by directing the person to other facilities within the Health Services, the local authority services, or offer a room if vacant, in Dublin, Athlone or Letterkenny.
The funding from my Department is provided to support the general overheads of the organization and expressly not for the provision of services that are provided to citizens, including members of O.N.E., from other arms of the State. This covers housing, health, social assistance, etc. Dublin City Council continues to support, on an ongoing basis, the O.N.E. homeless initiative in Smithfield.
Additionally, Defence Forces personnel transitioning to civilian life have the option of attending a pre-retirement course. As part of the pre-retirement course personnel receive advice and guidance on all aspects of retirement including changes and relationships, financial matters, health and time management. They also receive information about how others have dealt successfully with these life changes. This is intended to enable them to anticipate the changes in their own lives and to ease the transition to civilian life.
403. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Defence the number of occasions since the start of 2014 on which the Secretary General of his Department has been involved in the clearing or approval of material for release under Freedom of Information legislation. [11796/15]
View answerIn accordance with the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act, 2014, the Minister for Defence is head of the Freedom of Information (FOI) body in relation to the Department of Defence.
Decision making functions regarding FOI requests are delegated formally to civil servants at Assistant Principal and Principal level. Requests for an internal appeal of an FOI decision are in turn delegated to the grade of Principal, in cases where the original decision was made by an Assistant Principal and to the grade of Assistant Secretary with regard to appeals in cases where the original decision was made at Principal level.
The Secretary General of the Department does not have a role in relation to the clearing or approval of material for release under FOI legislation.
404. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Defence his views on the use of a building (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11938/15]
View answerThe Department of Defence previously owned a property at Iveragh Road, Killorglin, Kerry. In 2005 Kerry County Council acquired the property for inclusion in a major town development project and in exchange a new purpose built Reserve Defence Force facility was provided on a nearby site. Following the reorganisation of the Defence Forces, the Reserve Defence Force Unit vacated the property in March 2013. The property continues to be a 12th Infantry Battalion location and is extensively used for training camps and courses throughout the year. Due to this high level of Defence Forces use, in the circumstances I regret that the property will not be available for lease at this time.
405. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Defence the contact he has had with a person (details supplied). [11979/15]
View answerSince becoming Minister for Defence I have received two written representations from the individual referred to by the Deputy. I have also had two conversations with the solicitor for the individual concerned, in order to explore their viewpoint in the context of a future review of the case and to attempt to reach agreement on a mutually satisfactory way forward for a review.
406. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Defence if Defence Forces personnel on exchange with the United Kingdom defence forces, as per the Memorandum of Understanding signed recently with the United Kingdom, may participate in overseas missions that have not been approved by Dáil Éireann, in conditions additional to the current circumstances where overseas deployments of not more than 12 personnel or unarmed personnel do not have to be approved by Dáil Éireann; his plans to publish the full text of the Memorandum of Understanding recently signed with the United Kingdom. [12036/15]
View answer407. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Defence the legal conditions under which Defence Forces personnel on exchange with the British military, as per the Memorandum of Understanding recently signed with the United Kingdom, will operate, that is, if they will be subject to the normal laws and regulations governing the overseas deployment and military operations of the Irish Defence Forces, or if will they be considered legally part of the United Kingdom's defence forces while they are on exchange. [12037/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 406 and 407 together.
The MoU provides a framework for developing and furthering bilateral co-operation and relations between the Department of Defence and the UK Ministry of Defence. The signing of the MoU places already existing co-operation arrangements in the Defence area between Ireland and the UK on a more formal and transparent footing, while fully respecting the differing policy positions and security arrangements of both States.
There is longstanding engagement between the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) and the UK Armed Forces, particularly in the area of training and staff to staff meetings. Members of the PDF attend a wide range of courses in the UK and members of the UK Forces have attended courses in Ireland, including in the UN School and on the Command and Staff Courses.
Members of the Defence Forces currently participate as part of a joint Ireland/UK contingent in the EU training mission in Mali. Defence Forces personnel have also recently deployed in support of the work of the UK Armed Forces in the fight against Ebola in Sierra Leone.
The conditions under which the Defence Forces may participate on 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” must be satisfied, i.e. the operation must be authorised/mandated by the United Nations; it must be approved by the Government, and it must be approved by way of a resolution of Dáil Éireann, where the size of a Defence Forces contribution is more than twelve personnel.
There is no requirement for Dáil approval for the dispatch of contingents of the Permanent Defence Force for service overseas as part of an International Force where that Force is unarmed or where the size of the Permanent Defence Force contingent does not exceed twelve members.
Outside of such contingent deployments, members of the Permanent Defence Force may also be deployed outside the State on a range of other duties including training, humanitarian operations, fact finding missions, ceremonial duties, etc under the authority of the Government in accordance with the provisions of the Defence (Amendment) Act, 2006, which formalised arrangements in this regard. The range of such duties is set out in Section 3 of the Defence (Amendment) Act 2006.
The MoU specifically states that any co-operation under the MoU will be carried out in accordance with the respective national legislation of the Participants and international law and subject to common agreement. Nothing in the MoU affects or prejudices the position or policy of either country, in particular, those relating to Common and/or Mutual Defence.
The Memorandum of Understanding was lodged to the Dáil Library on 21st January, 2015.
408. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Defence the extent to which in the context of review of Ireland’s defence policy, if it is expected to have regard to best defence policy practice in other European member states with particular reference to the need to be in a position to respond to potential acts of terrorism; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12122/15]
View answer409. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Defence the extent to which the Defence Forces here are likely to be in a position to avail of best international military practice in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12123/15]
View answer416. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Defence the extent to which he expects the Defence Forces here to be in a position to co-operate with the Defence Forces in other European jurisdictions in combatting terrorism or security emergencies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12130/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 408, 409 and 416 together.
The review of Ireland's defence policy is an issue for national consideration. However, as with the formulation of any policy, best practice and lessons learnt in other jurisdictions will always inform such policy formulation to ensure that it is robust, coherent and meets the needs of Ireland.
The response to acts of terrorism within the borders of the EU falls outside the remit of the EU's Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). This is an issue for the national security authorities of each member State and the EU does not deploy military assets under CSDP within the borders of the EU.
Ireland joined the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) and Partnership for Peace (PfP) on 1 December 1999. The EAPC is a multi-lateral body, made up of the 28 members of NATO and the 24 members of PfP, for political and security-related dialogue and consultation between its members. The primary aim of our PfP participation is to enhance the Defence Forces' interoperability with other professional military forces for the purpose of engaging in UN authorised peacekeeping and peace support operations led by the UN, EU or NATO. Participation in PfP is fundamental to Ireland being able to meet its obligations in providing trained peacekeepers for international crisis management and peacekeeping operations mandated by the UN. Membership of PfP has allowed the Defence Forces to gain access to NATO standards – which are internationally-recognised as representing best practice for the development of military capabilities.
The preparation of a new White Paper on Defence is a priority and drafting of the document is well underway. A key part of the development of the White Paper is the consideration of potential challenges to our defence and security environment that may emerge into the future. As recent events have highlighted, the defence and security environment can be volatile and unpredictable. In the course of deliberations on the White Paper the views of international organisations have been sought with a particular focus on likely future trends in international peace support operations. This work will underpin recommendations regarding future defence provision.
410. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Defence the extent to which recent recruitment is likely to address any diminution in the Defence Forces throughout the army, navy and air corps; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12124/15]
View answerThe Government is committed to maintaining the stabilised strength of the Permanent Defence Force at 9,500 personnel, comprising of 7,520 Army, 886 Air Corps and 1,094 Naval Service. Targeted recruitment has taken place so as to maintain the level of 9,500 personnel and to ensure the operational capacity of the Defence Forces.
As the Permanent Defence Force is currently below the agreed stabilised strength of 9,500, it is intended that targeted recruitment will continue in 2015, from the recruitment panels formed from the current General Service recruitment competition, launched in March 2014. It is planned that these panels will remain in place until they are exhausted. It is too early to say when this recruitment will commence, as this is dependent on the operational requirements of the Defence Forces and the budget allocation for Defence. An additional Naval Service recruitment campaign is under way for 2015.
With the support of the Chief of Staff and within the resources available, I intend 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.
411. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Defence the degree to which he has ongoing discussions with his European Union colleagues and the United Nations with a view to determination of the most appropriate defence policy in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12125/15]
View answerThe issue of defence policy is a national competence and the EU is not involved in its formulation. However, discussions are held in the context of developing an EU approach in certain areas such as military missions, defence capabilities and generic EU policies in relation to defence i.e. cyber security, maritime security etc. that affects the security of the EU as a whole.
These discussions occur four times per year, twice when Defence Ministers convene at the formal Foreign Affairs Council in Defence Ministers format and twice at the informal meetings of Ministers of Defence that are held in the country holding the Presidency of the European Council.
The meetings of Defence Ministers provide an opportunity for Ministers to discuss and make decisions on Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) issues. All Member States are represented at these meetings. However, Denmark does not participate in the decision making process under its general opt-out on decisions with defence or military implications. In addition, EU organisations including the European External Action Service, the Council Secretariat, the European Commission, the European Defence Agency, the Chairman of the EU Military Staff and the Chairman of the EU Military Committee also attend. Operational Commanders may also brief the Ministers on the most recent developments in the various EU missions.
Regarding discussions with the United Nations, there are no formal discussions on future defence policy. However, United Nations Representatives, typically from the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO), also attend the meetings mentioned above in order to enhance co-operation between the EU and the UN.
412. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Defence the extent to which agreement has been reached with members of the Defence Forces due to retire on completion of the relevant service but who are anxious to remain in the Defence Forces for a further period of time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12126/15]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, I, along with my colleague Mr Brendan Howlin, T.D., Minister for Public Expenditure & Reform, have accepted the findings of the Adjudicator's Report in respect of the Permanent Defence Force Other Ranks Representative Association (PDFORRA) claim under the Conciliation and Arbitration Scheme in relation to the service limits for Privates and Corporals who enlisted post 1 January 1994.
The report of the Adjudicator was laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas on 4 March 2015.
Military life places unique physical and psychological demands on individuals and it is necessary that its members be physically and mentally prepared to meet the challenges of all military operations and to undertake their duties on deployment overseas. To this end, it is vital the age and health profile of personnel be such as to ensure that operational capability and effectiveness are not compromised in any way.
I believe that the key elements of Defence Forces manpower policy have been maintained with this finding. The adjudication, strikes a reasonable balance between the need for regular throughput/turnover of personnel, while also retaining appropriate experience and expertise.
413. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Defence the extent to which the number of women throughout the Army, Naval Service and Air Corps has fluctuated during the embargo on recruitment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12127/15]
View answerThe Defence Forces traditionally has a high turnover rate of personnel. As a result, the public service recruitment embargo had a limited impact on the Defence Force's recruitment processes. Cadet induction took place in all years since 2008 while General Service recruitment took place in all years except 2009. General Service recruitment into the Defence Forces is a continuous process with the aim of attaining the agreed strength level of 9,500.
Females make up 6.1% of the Permanent Defence Force strength. This figure has remained steady in recent years with the five year average also calculated at 6.1%. The Defence Forces' recruitment policy continues to target this demographic, with the aim of maximising female participation at all ranks within the Defence Forces.
414. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Defence the extent to which it is expected to increase the strength of the Defence Forces in the wake of the embargo on recruitment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12128/15]
View answerThe Government is committed to maintaining the stabilised strength of the Permanent Defence Force at 9,500 personnel, comprising 7,520 Army, 886 Air Corps and 1,094 Naval Service. Targeted recruitment has taken place so as to maintain the level of 9,500 personnel and to ensure the operational capacity of the Defence Forces.
As the Permanent Defence Force is currently below the agreed stabilised strength of 9,500, it is intended that targeted recruitment will continue in 2015, from the recruitment panels formed from the current General Service recruitment competition, launched in March 2014. It is planned that these panels will remain in place until they are exhausted. It is too early to say when this recruitment will commence, as this is dependent on the operational requirements of the Defence Forces and the budget allocation for Defence. An additional Naval Service recruitment campaign is underway for 2015.
With the support of the Chief of Staff and within the resources available, I intend 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.
415. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Defence the extent to which he expects drones to be utilised in the future with particular reference to coastal air-sea surveillance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12129/15]
View answerThe Defence Forces currently operate an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle System, commonly referred to as UAVs. These UAVs are, in effect, an information gathering asset which have no offensive capability. They do not carry weapons.
The UAV systems were acquired to enhance the capability of the Defence Forces to provide a low cost and low risk means to increase surveillance capabilities and intelligence gathering. The UAVs operated by the Defence Forces can provide an aerial observation capability with the provision of a live feed back to a monitoring or Command Control post.
It is in this context that the Naval Service is currently examining the usefulness of such technology to extend patrol coverage, to aid in the intercepting of drugs shipments, fisheries protection, search and rescue missions and pollution monitoring.
The ongoing research in this area is part of the policy in ensuring that modern and effective technology is available to the Defence Forces to fulfil its role both at home and overseas.
