Written Answers Nos. 1-35
22. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the cost of ensuring that workers in his Department recruited post-2011 are paid the pre-2011 salary rate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16653/16]
View answerPolicy in relation to pay in the Public Service is, in the first instance, a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.
The cost of ensuring that employees in my Department who were recruited post-2011 are paid the pre-2011 salary rate is governed by the manner in which the provisions of the National Recovery Plan and subsequent Haddington Road and Lansdowne Road Agreements have been implemented.
There are various factors which impact on the pay scale under which employees were recruited to my Department, including:
- Employees may have had prior public service experience in which case they would enter on pre-2011 pay scales.
- Employees may have been offered and accepted employment in my Department in 2010 but may not have been in a position to undertake duties until post-2011. Such staff were exempted from the 10% reduction in pay encompassed by the National Recovery Plan.
Accordingly, no additional costs would arise to ensure that employees in such instances were paid the pre-2011 rate.
Pay scales were further impacted by the merging of pre- and post- 2011 pay scales from 1 November 2013. The resultant level of mitigation would vary depending on the date of entry of the employee, the point on the pay scale the employee had entered at and whether they had subsequently been promoted and placed on a pre-2011 pay scale.
The complexity of calculating these costs is further compounded by the fact that pay costs impact on individual employees differently, depending on the pay band into which they fall.
Accordingly, it is not possible to accurately capture the notional costs referred to by the Deputy, given the above complexities.
I can assure the Deputy that the provisions of the Lansdowne Road Agreement, which takes cognisance of the State’s improved finances and which now commences the process of income restoration, will further mitigate any disparity which would have arisen initially under the National Recovery Plan between pre and post 2011 salaries, and the current implementation of the Haddington Road Agreement.
25. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence his plans for the future of Gormanston Camp in County Meath. [16861/16]
View answerGormanston Camp is, and will continue to be, an important operational military installation, and there are no plans to change this.
My Department has invested considerably in facilities and infrastructure at Gormanston Camp. Since 2010, just over €673,000 has been spent on a range of capital and non-capital developments and improvements whilst a further €50,000 is to be spent this year. This is in addition to routine ongoing investment in repair and maintenance of the facility.
In addition, in implementing the White Paper on Defence 2015, a number of projects have been identified that will address infrastructure requirements across the Defence Forces. In this regard, a rolling five year infrastructure development plan will be produced based on an assessment of needs for all individual barracks. In addition, a review will be carried out of training facilities, which includes Gormanston Camp, in order to ensure that they are developed in accordance with the needs of the Defence Forces. At present, the Camp is currently used for RDF training and is the only site in the Defence property portfolio that is used for Air Defence training and Air Corps firing.
28. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the cost of reintroducing public sector allowances for workers in his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16652/16]
View answerPolicy in relation to the payment of allowances in the Public Service is, in the first instance, a matter for the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.
I can say however, that following the review of public service allowances and premium pay, a number of changes were made in respect of allowances paid to public servants. This review was completed in 2012.
In that regard, the allowance which was payable to officials who travelled outside of Ireland and the UK to represent Ireland at meetings of the EU or other international organisations, or who acted as Chairpersons of EU committees, collectively known as Chairpersons and Delegates allowance, was abolished.
This was the only allowance in respect of civil servants in my Department that was abolished which had a cost implication for my Department.
This is a demand-led allowance, and depends on the number of times staff in my Department travel abroad to represent Ireland at meetings of the EU or other international organisations. On the basis that it is not possible to predict the number of such meetings to be attended it is not possible to calculate accurately the cost of restoring this allowance to staff in my Department.
30. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of aid-to-the-civil-power duties the Defence Forces carried out at Shannon Airport in County Clare and at Dublin Airport in County Dublin involving military aircraft of the United States of America, by month, in 2016; if he has concerns regarding the frequency of these duties; if he plans to discuss these arrangements with the Department of Justice and Equality; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16706/16]
View answerThe Department of Justice and Equality and An Garda Síochána have primary responsibility for the internal security of the State. Among the roles assigned to the Defence Forces in the White Paper on Defence is the provision of Aid to the Civil Power (ATCP) which, in practice, means to assist An Garda Síochána when requested to do so.
Since 5th February 2003, the Gardaí have requested support from the Defence Forces at Shannon Airport on occasion. I have no concerns with the frequency of these duties and I am satisfied that there is ongoing and close liaison between both An Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces, and between my Department and the Department of Justice and Equality regarding security matters generally, including the Defence Forces ATCP roles. The number of duties incurred in the provision of ATCP support at Shannon Airport in 2016 involving military aircraft of the United States of America is set out in the following table. There have been no such duties incurred in the provision of ATCP support at Dublin Airport in 2016.
|
Month |
No. of Duties |
|
January |
36 |
|
February |
27 |
|
March |
39 |
|
April |
47 |
|
May |
33 |
|
June (to date) |
21 |
31. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the details of the division of responsibilities between him and the Minister for State in his Department. [15600/16]
View answerI have been appointed as a Minister of State attending Government and Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach and the Department of Defence , with special responsibility for the Department of Defence.
Following this appointment, the Government has made the Defence (Delegation of Ministerial Functions) Order 2016 under the Minister and Secretaries (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1977 to delegate ministerial functions to me. Under this Order I now have statutory responsibility for a wide range of Defence matters as specified in the Order. The principal powers delegated include the powers to make regulations under the Defence Acts 1954 to 2015 covering a wide range of Defence matters and personnel-related issues affecting members of the Defence Forces. In addition, Ministerial powers arising under other legislation relating to the Department of Defence have been delegated to me.
On an overall level, primary responsibility for the Department of Defence will rest with An Taoiseach as Minister for Defence, who will remain responsible to Dáil Éireann and as a member of the Government for the exercise and performance of the statutory powers and duties delegated. Every power or duty delegated to me continues to be vested in An Taoiseach as Minister for Defence concurrently with me and may be exercised or performed by either.
32. Deputy Lisa Chambers asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence his plans to continue prescribing Lariam for members of the Defence Forces; the alternative medications available and used; the number of members of the Defence Forces, in the past or currently serving, who have reported negative health effects which they attribute to the use of Lariam; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16899/16]
View answerAs I have made clear, the health and welfare of the Defence Forces are a priority for me and this informs my approach to the issue of Lariam.
Malaria is a serious disease which killed approximately 438,000 people in 2015, with 90% of deaths occurring in sub-Saharan Africa as reported by the World Health Organization. It is a serious threat to any military force operating in the area. Anti-malarial medications, including Lariam, remain in the formulary 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 very serious risks posed by this highly dangerous disease.
There are three anti-malarial drugs in use by the Defence Forces, namely Lariam (mefloquine), Malarone and Doxycycline. The choice of medication for overseas deployment, including the use of Lariam, is a medical decision made by Medical Officers in the Defence Forces, having regard to the specific circumstances of the mission and the individual member of the Irish Defence Forces.
Information in relation to illnesses contracted by Defence Forces Personnel including instances of malaria is maintained on each individual’s medical file. While there is no way of providing the exact information sought by the Deputy without examining every medical record of each member who served overseas in sub-Saharan Africa, I am advised by the Medical Corps that the number of incidences of malaria among Defence Forces Personnel is low. The Deputy might also note that since deployment of Defence Forces Personnel to sub-Saharan Africa, not a single member has died from the malaria disease.
33. Deputy Lisa Chambers asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the steps he will take to address the attrition rate and identify the cause of premature departures and the loss of highly trained and skilled persons from the Defence Forces; and his plans to encourage and support the retention of persons. [16902/16]
View answerAs I have already advised the Deputy in my reply to her ealier question today, there are a number of initiatives in place that address recruitment and retention in the Defence Forces.
I wish to reaffirm to the Deputy that the Government is committed to maintaining the stabilised strength of the Permanent Defence Force at 9,500 personnel, comprising 7,519 Army, 887 Air Corps and 1,094 Naval Service as provided for in the current C.S.4 regulations.
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. As there is significant turnover of personnel in the Permanent Defence Force targeted recruitment takes place so as to maintain personnel numbers at or near the agreed strength levels.
I am satisfied that the operational capacity of the Defence Forces is being maintained. With the support of the Chief of Staff, I am confident that we shall retain the capacity of the Defence Forces to operate effectively across all roles and to undertake the tasks assigned by Government, both at home and overseas.
34. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the details of military exercises involving Irish soldiers and European Union battle groups; and other joint military exercises that have taken place in the past year, the other countries which were involved in the exercises; if he plans such exercises in the future;and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16872/16]
View answerParticipation in the EU Battlegroups demonstrates Ireland’s commitment to the development of EU capabilities in the area of crisis management and contributes to our reputation as professional and effective peacekeepers and our credibility within the Union.
In January 2014, the Government approved Ireland’s participation in the German led EU Battlegroup 2016, which will be on standby for the second six months of 2016. The other members of the Battlegroup are Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Croatia, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.
The Defence Forces contribution to the German Battlegroup will involve an ISTAR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Target, Acquisition and Reconnaissance) Company together with staff posts at both the Operational and Force headquarters. The total number of Irish Defence Force personnel that will be involved in the German Battlegroup, should it deploy will be about 175.
In July 2015, the Government approved Ireland’s participation in the UK Battlegroup, which will also be on standby for the second six months of 2016. The total number of Irish Defence Force personnel involved in the UK Battlegroup will be five and they will be deployed in the Operational and Force headquarters. Apart from Ireland, the other members of the Battlegroup are UK, Sweden, Finland, Latvia and Lithuania.
For the most part, Battlegroup training takes place in the contributing member States. For example, Irish troops are mainly trained in Ireland, Swedish troops in Sweden etc.
The pre-standby period for a Battlegroup involves a range of intensive planning exercises, training, and desktop and actual exercises for the different components of the Battlegroup and for the Battlegroup as a whole. This is essential so as to prepare Battlegroup personnel for the eventualities they may face if called upon to deploy on operations. As the Deputy will appreciate, from a force protection perspective, you would not want to have a situation where the first time a Battlegroup rapid response contingent actually meet and commence operations is on an operational deployment into a conflict zone. Exercises are designed to simulate the situations that may arise at the strategic, operational and tactical level so as the Battlegroup can operate as an effective and coherent military response. In Ireland's case participation in that response will be on the basis of supporting or reinforcing a mission a UN Mandated mission or a humanitarian operation.
Joint exercises in relation to both the German and UK led Battlegroups only commenced in January 2016. There were no exercises conducted in 2015.
In respect of the German led EU Battlegroup, ten Defence Force personnel, who will be deployed to the Force Headquarters, took part in a Command and Staff Certification exercise in Strasbourg, France in early 2016. A further Force Headquarters certification exercise took place in May, 2016, which included staff from the Defence Forces ISTAR component. A number of Irish Personnel from the ISTAR company and the Force Headquarters participated in the overall exercise for the German Battlegroup in Germany in April 2016.
Ireland completed its national exercise for its contribution to the German Battlegroup in the Glen of Imaal and Kilworth in March 2016. No other countries participated in this exercise which was observed by the Force Commander of the German led Battlegroup.
In March 2016, the five Defence Force personnel who will be deployed to UK Battlegroup took part in a Force Headquarters Command and Staff exercise in the UK. In May 2016, they participated in a Battle Group Certification Exercise, comprising the entire Battlegroup which was conducted on Salisbury Plains, UK. In April 2016, a Political Exercise was conducted in London, UK, bringing together civilian and military decision makers from the participating countries, to exercise the political and policy decision making processes for the Battlegroup.
No further joint training exercises for either Battlegroup are currently envisaged.
35. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of overseas missions on which Irish soldiers are serving; the number of these that only involve troops from European Union States or North Atlantic Treaty Organisation States; the number that involve soldiers from states that are neither in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation or the European Union; the names of these countries and the countries in which the missions are located; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16891/16]
View answerAs of 1 June 2016, Ireland is contributing 474 personnel to 11 different missions throughout the world. The main overseas missions, in which Defence Forces personnel are currently deployed, are:
1. the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) with 199 personnel,
2. the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) with 136 personnel and
3. the Naval Service Humanitarian mission in the Mediterranean with 57 personnel.
Ten of the eleven missions in which the Defence Forces include both European Union member States, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation members, and States who are members of neither organisation. Operation Pontus only involves Irish Personnel operating in co-ordination with the Italian authorities. Details of the contributors to all these missions are set out in the following table.
Contributors of personnel to the eleven missions in which the Defence Forces are participating
|
UNIFIL - Lebanon |
Armenia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Croatia, Cyprus, El Salvador, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Nepal, Nigeria, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Turkey, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and United Republic of Tanzania. |
|
UNDOF - Syria |
Bhutan, Czech Republic, Fiji, India, Ireland, Nepal and Netherlands. |
|
EUFOR – Bosnia & Herzegovina |
Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Chile, Czech Republic, Finland, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom. |
|
EUTM Mali |
Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom. |
|
KFOR – Kosovo |
Albania, Armenia, Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States and Ukraine. |
|
Naval Service Humanitarian Mission in the Mediterranean |
Ireland. |
|
UNTSO – Israel, Lebanon & Syria |
Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bhutan, Canada, Chile, China, Denmark, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, India, Ireland, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Russian Federation, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland and United States. |
|
MINURSO – Western Sahara |
Argentina, Austria, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brazil, China, Croatia, Djibouti, Egypt, El Salvador, France, Germany, Ghana, Guinea, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Kazakhstan, Malawi, Malaysia, Mexico, Mongolia, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Poland, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Togo, and Yemen. |
|
MONUSCO – Republic of Congo |
Bangladesh, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Canada, China, Côte d'Ivoire, Czech Republic, Egypt, France, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Jordan, Kenya, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Mongolia, Morocco, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Romania, Russian Federation, Senegal, Serbia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United Republic of Tanzania, United States, Uruguay, Yemen and Zambia. |
|
UNOCI – Ivory Coast |
Bangladesh, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Cameroon, Chad, China, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, France, Gambia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, India, Ireland, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Malawi, Morocco, Namibia, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Senegal, Serbia, Spain, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Ukraine, Uruguay, United Republic of Tanzania, Yemen, Zambia and Zimbabwe. |
|
OSCE – Bosnia & Herzegovina and Austria |
Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Holy See, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, Uzbekistan. |
