Written Answers Nos. 134 to 141
134. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when outstanding headage payments for 2015 will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42044/15]
View answerAn application under the 2015 Basic Payment/Areas of Natural Constraint Scheme was received from the person named on 8 April 2015. Payment under the Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme has not issued to the person named as, at this stage, the holding concerned has not satisfied the Scheme’s minimum stocking density requirements.
Under the 2015 Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme, eligible applicants are required to have met a minimum stocking density of 0.15 livestock units for a retention period of seven consecutive months and to maintain an annual average of 0.15 livestock units calculated over the twelve months of the scheme year. In respect of sheep farmers, they are requested to comply with EU Regulation 21/2004 and return an annual count of the numbers of sheep on their holding via the annual sheep census. Examination of departmental records confirms no record of a sheep census return in respect of the holding of the person named for the relevant period. An official from my Department has been in direct contact with the person named regarding this matter.
135. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has received representations from Irish cheese producers, particularly from the manufacturers of halloumi cheese, regarding the Cypriot application for protected designated origin status for Cypriot halloumi cheese; if he is aware that the British Government has lodged an objection to this application; if he will do likewise; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42046/15]
View answerI am aware of concerns regarding an application for PDO status for Halloumi Cheese. I am strongly supportive of the Protection of Designation of Origin (PDO) regulation and indeed a number of Irish products, supported by other member states, benefit from the protections afforded by the regime. This is a complex matter and my officials are considering an appropriate response at present.
136. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Defence the arrangements in place to pay Army pensions in December; if the pensions will be paid in mid-December; if he has received submissions from pensioners regarding this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41900/15]
View answerSince October 2015, monthly payments from the Defence Forces pensions payroll are being made by the Payroll Shared Services Centre (PSSC) – under the aegis of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform – rather than by the Department of Defence.
In relation to the December monthly pensions, arrangements have been made by my Department with the PSSC for Defence Forces pensions to be paid to all concerned on Friday 18th December 2015. I should say that this is in line with my Department’s longstanding practice in this regard. The main military veterans associations (ONE, IUNVA and ARCO) were informed of this in the course of a scheduled meeting with officials from my Department, which took place on Friday 20th November as part of their ongoing contacts.
137. Deputy Gabrielle McFadden asked the Minister for Defence the plans being put in place to use Custume Barracks in Athlone in County Westmeath as a base for overseas training; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42028/15]
View answerAs with many other Defence Forces barracks, Custume Barracks is used as a location for training for Units preparing to deploy overseas. The Defence Forces are participating in a German-led Battlegroup from July 2015 until December 2016. The Defence Forces Battlegroup contingent is based in Custume Barracks. This contribution to the German led Battlegroup is the Defence Forces major contribution to the EU Rapid Response under the Common Security and Defence Policy. Most of the preparations will take place in Custume Barracks Athlone, with the Battlegroup Certification Exercise taking place in Germany in April 2016. The Battlegroup will be on high readiness (i.e. 5 days’ notice to move) from 1 July to 31 Dec 2016.
138. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Defence if he will report on the European Union Ministers for Defence Council following the 13 November 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris in France; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42032/15]
View answerAt the opening session of the recent meeting of EU Ministers for Defence in Brussels, on 17th November 2015, the French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drein invoked Article 42.7 of the Treaty on European Union. Member States offered strong messages of solidarity and support. I extended my condolences to the French Minister and the French people and pledged Ireland's support for France at this difficult time.
The High Representative, Fredericka Mogherini, clearly outlined that Article 42.7 of the treaty does not give rise to any co-ordinated EU action or CSDP operation and that EU institutions have no function in the matter. The HRVP noted that it is an issue for France and the Member States acting on a bilateral basis. The meeting was advised that France will engage in bilateral discussions with other member States with a view to seeking support for all aspects of its response to the threat from the “Daesh” and in response to the atrocity committed in Paris.
The meeting of Defence Ministers then continued with an introduction by Commissioner Biekowska of the Commission’s European Defence Action Plan, the main objective of which is to bring together the core elements of the Commission’s policy on the internal market, industrial policy and research. Member States were supportive of this work in conjunction with the European Defence Agency (EDA) in the area of defence.
Discussion then moved to Capacity Building in Support of Security and Development (CBSD) and the challenges inherent in same. The discussion took place on the basis of a draft implementation plan prepared by the European External Action Service (EEAS) and Commission services. HRVP Mogherini noted that funding remains a particular concern, calling on Defence Ministers to push for national coherence with their respective Development Ministers on the funding issue and having regard to the clear link between security and development. In addressing the meeting, I welcomed the initiative. I suggested that pilot projects in this area could provide a useful tool to prove the underlying theory behind CBSD to the Development Community. Recognition of the link between peace-keeping, development aid and NGO activities was also needed in terms of feeding into Development Aid Policy. Agreeing with the notion that ‘Prevention is better than Intervention’, I also suggested that member States should identify short to medium-term solutions while the various funding options were being considered and that the establishment of Trust Funds into which MS could contribute might be a worthy interim solution in this regard.
The NATO Secretary General, Jens Stolenberg, who was invited to attend the item on Capacity Building in Support of Security and Development gave a brief overview of NATO’s current activities in the field of ‘Defence Capability Building’ – NATO’s version of CBSD - citing the initiative as another opportunity to further develop EU/NATO cooperation.
The last section of this session saw Ministers briefed on the ongoing CSDP military operations which focused on the future development of Operation Sophia (EUNAVFOR MED) the CSDP Naval operation in the Mediterranean, and the EU Military Assistance Mission in the Central African Republic (EUMAM CAR). It is proposed that the mission in the Central African Republic will transition to a training mission and initial planning will commence. A renewal of UN Security Council Resolutions for Operations Althea and Atalanta was confirmed.
The final working session of the meeting was in EDA Steering Board format, where Member States agreed the key taskings and the way ahead. A 2016 budget of €30.5m was approved and a further meeting will be held in December to revise the 3 Year Planning Framework, which had been devised based on an expected increased budget of €33m.
In the margins of the meeting I met with a number of colleagues to discuss issues of mutual interest. I also had a discussion with the Italian Minister for Defence in relation to our ongoing Naval Service humanitarian search and rescue operation. The Italian minister commented very positively on the work being done by the Naval Service and welcomed Ireland’s support for what is a difficult mission and at a difficult time.
139. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Defence in view of the French Minister for Defence having invoked article 42.7 of the Lisbon Treaty, if Ireland will be deploying troops to assist France without a vote in Dáil Éireann; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42033/15]
View answerFollowing the invoking of Article 42.7 of the Treaty on European Union by the French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drein, at the recent meeting of EU Defence Ministers in Brussels, it is expected that the framework within which the French authorities will request the aid and assistance required, military and otherwise, will be clarified in the coming days. I will report to Government in due course on any potential Defence Forces contribution. It goes without saying that any potential contribution will be considered within the framework of the Irish Constitution and Irish law.
140. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Defence if the attack on a hotel in Bamako in Mali on 20 November 2015 will have an impact on the planned deployment of the Defence Forces to Mali; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42043/15]
View answerAs evidenced by the recent tragic event in Bamako, the situation in Northern and Eastern Mali remains difficult. An anti-terrorist military operation Barkhane in Africa's Sahel region is being implemented by France on a bilateral basis, in partnership with Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad, as well as Mali. Defence Forces personnel will not become involved in this mission.
On 18 February 2013 the EU launched the EU Military Training Mission (EUTM) Mali, a CSDP mission to train and mentor the Malian Armed Forces (MAF) to improve their military capacity and their effectiveness in guaranteeing the country's territorial integrity. The mission has two aims: (1) to reform the chain of command in areas of training, logistics and military policy to ensure compliance with civilian authority and (2) to re-structure and train MAF units. There are 10 members of the Permanent Defence Force deployed to EUTM Mali, of whom 6 are part of a joint UK/Ireland training contingent.
A UN stabilisation force, Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), is also currently deployed to stabilise the country following the Tuareg rebellion. Ireland is not currently participating in this mission.
At a meeting of EU Defence Ministers in Brussels on 17 November, the French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drein invoked Article 42.7 of the Treaty on European Union.
There were initial contacts with French representatives outlining the broad areas in which France would seek support, including providing personnel to UN missions should France reduce their contributions to focus on their national security requirements. French personnel serve on UN-mandated missions in various locations including Mali. The purpose of an Irish deployment, if any, would be to ensure the continued effectiveness of UN peacekeeping missions where France may withdraw forces from these missions so as to address its security requirements.
The framework, within which the French authorities will request the aid and assistance required, military and otherwise, will be further clarified over the coming days.
141. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if the service record for a former civil servant (details supplied) can be acquired; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42021/15]
View answerMy Department is not in a position to say with certainty at this juncture what, if any, records relating to the person whose details were supplied are available, given the time period we are referring to. A request seeking the records should be submitted to the Human Resources Division, 51 St. Stephen's Green, Dublin 2. The request should give as much information as possible in order to assist the process of trying to retrieve the correct service record.
