Written Answers Nos. 195-214
195. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the towns and villages in counties Longford and Westmeath that will benefit from the 2017 town and village renewal scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44174/17]
View answer196. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the detail of the allocation of €596,000 allocated to Westmeath County Council under the 2017 town and village renewal scheme; the towns and villages that will benefit from this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44175/17]
View answer197. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the detail of the allocation of €637,400 given to Longford County Council under the 2017 town and village renewal scheme; the towns and villages that will benefit from this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44176/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 195 to 197, inclusive, together.
The 2017 Town and Village Renewal Scheme was launched on 13th April last, with a focus on improving the economic development of our rural towns and villages. The scheme is funded by my Department and administered through the Local Authorities.
Following the assessment of all proposals received, I recently approved a total of €21.6 million in funding for 281 towns and villages throughout the country under the scheme. A total of 10 towns/villages in Co. Longford and 10 in Co. Westmeath were amongst the successful applicants.
Details of these towns and villages and the funding allocated to each of them under the 2017 Town and Village Renewal Scheme are provided in the following table.
|
Town and Village Renewal Scheme 2017 |
|
|
Town or Village |
Amount Offered |
|
Longford |
|
|
Ballymahon |
€58,240.00 |
|
Edgeworthstown |
€80,000.00 |
|
Ardagh |
€42,400.00 |
|
Granard |
€31,200.00 |
|
Lanesboro |
€30,000.00 |
|
Lisryan |
€51,200.00 |
|
Mullinalaghta |
€48,360.00 |
|
Newtownforbes |
€76,000.00 |
|
Newtowncashel |
€20,000.00 |
|
Longford |
€200,000.00 |
|
Total Longford |
€637,400.00 |
|
Westmeath |
|
|
Ballinahown |
€32,000.00 |
|
Ballinacargy |
€40,000.00 |
|
Collinstown |
€72,000.00 |
|
Delvin |
€68,000.00 |
|
Killucan/Rathwire |
€76,000.00 |
|
Kinnegad |
€33,600.00 |
|
Milltown Pass |
€84,000.00 |
|
Moate |
€92,000.00 |
|
Rahugh |
€38,400.00 |
|
Streamstown |
€60,000.00 |
|
Total Westmeath |
€596,000.00 |
198. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the way in which the task of lifting 113,000 children out of consistent poverty can be achieved with budget 2018 only allocating a small increase to the child dependant allowance of €3 per week; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44267/17]
View answerThe increase of €2 in the payment for qualified children (IQC), which most weekly social welfare payments can include, represents an increase of 6.7% in this payment, and will bring the estimated cost of this child-related element of the welfare budget to in the region of €579 million in 2017. This budgetary measure specifically targeted children in low-income families, and as such should assist in the goal of lifting such children out of poverty.
The measure should not be looked at in isolation. It is one of the three main child income support payments available to families, alongside Child Benefit and the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance. This increase brings the combined payment for children to almost €66 per child per week. Altogether, the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection will spend in excess of €3 billion in 2017 providing income support for families through Child Benefit, qualified child increases for welfare recipients, Family Income Supplement and the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance.
Social transfers play a crucial role in alleviating poverty and inequality and Ireland is among the best performing countries in the EU for reducing poverty through social transfers. But income supports cannot provide all the solutions. While protecting children and young people from poverty and social exclusion is about ensuring that they have adequate income and resources, it is also about ensuring that they can live in decent houses, have access to good quality education and health-care, and have every opportunity necessary to develop and to participate as equals in society. It is also about helping unemployed families to take-up work and to improve the rewards from work. Government employment policies, such as Pathways to Workand the Action Plan on Jobs, along with increases in minimum wage and income supports such as the Family Income Supplement and the Back to Work Family Dividend, both of which have been improved in Budget 2018, are clearly working in this regard.
Under the Better Outcomes Brighter Futures framework, a whole of Government approach to tackling child poverty has just been published, which recognises the crucial importance of services such as childcare, housing, and education. It is through this whole of Government approach, which emphasises the need for a combined approach of both income supports and provision of services, that we can find the key to tackling child poverty in Ireland.
199. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason back to work enterprise allowance is not included as a qualifying scheme for the purpose of awarding back to work family dividend; if she will include the back to work enterprise allowance as a qualifying criterion for the back to work family dividend; if she will address the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44105/17]
View answerIn order to be eligible for the BTWFD a customer must be aged under 66, must be resident and employed (the employment or self-employment can commence up to four weeks of the claim/scheme ending) in the State, and have been in receipt of an IQC (or equivalent) while in receipt of one of the following payments:
1. Jobseeker’s Benefit (JB) or Jobseeker’s Allowance (JA) for at least 312 days – of which at least 156 days must have been in the last 12 months.
2. One-Parent Family Payment (OFP) of any duration.
3. Jobseeker’s Transition (JST) Payment of any duration.
4. Customers who left jobseekers’ or OFP to participate in the following programmes may be eligible if, as part of the programme, they were paid an equivalent to an IQC and they exit the programme to employment or self-employment (i.e. they received a qualified child increase as part of their payment on the scheme/programme); Community Employment, Tús, RSS, Gateway, JobBridge, Work Placement Programme, Education Training Board (ETB) courses including VEC (VTOS) courses or Back to Education Allowance.
In this case, the person concerned was in receipt of back to Work Enterprise Allowance which is not (i) a scheme or programme of employment or work experience, or (ii) a course of education, training or development. As a result, the person concerned did not have an entitlement to Back to Work Family Dividend payment.
At present, there are no plans to revise the eligibility criteria for Back to Work Family Dividend.
I trust that this clarified the matter for the Deputy.
200. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the status of a pension appeal by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44147/17]
View answerThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 28 August 2017. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant Departmental papers and comments by the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought. When these papers have been received from the Department, the case in question will be referred to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral appeal hearing.
The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
201. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the basis and the way in which debts of approximately €89 million are owed in customer debt to the Social Insurance Fund; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44149/17]
View answerThe Social Insurance Fund (SIF) was established by the Social Welfare Act 1952 (as amended). The SIF operates under the terms of the Social Welfare (Consolidation Act) 2005. Under section 9 of that Act the SIF comprises a current account managed by the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection and an investment account managed by the Minister for Finance. The income of the SIF derives mainly from the pay-related social insurance collected by the Revenue in respect of employers and employees and self-employer persons. The accounts of the SIF are audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General.
Social insurance benefits, redundancy payment entitlement and occupational injury benefits are paid out of the SIF at rates established by the Social Welfare Acts. In the course of the administration of the schemes, overpayments arise which are assessed and become a debt to the Department. Debts arise when benefits are paid in excess of entitlement due to fraud, customer or official error. The Department does not apply interest or penalties on the amounts owing.
The historic outstanding customer debt balance, due in respect of the SIF, at the end of 2016 was €89 million in respect of 48,422 individual debts. This data is set out at scheme level in the following table.
TABLE: Details of Debt due to the Social Insurance Fund at end 2016 by Scheme
|
Scheme |
Cases |
Outstanding Debt at 31/12/16 € |
Average Debt per case € |
Share of debt per scheme |
|
Jobseekers Benefit |
30,731 |
23,155,922 |
754 |
26.0% |
|
Illness Benefit |
8,366 |
17,398,014 |
2,080 |
19.5% |
|
State Pension Contributory |
3,418 |
16,509,186 |
4,830 |
18.5% |
|
Widow(er)s Pension Contributory |
2,240 |
8,799,856 |
3,929 |
9.9% |
|
Invalidity Pension Contributory |
1,401 |
10,464,351 |
7,469 |
11.7% |
|
Maternity Benefit |
970 |
2,150,572 |
2,217 |
2.4% |
|
Deserted Wife's Benefit |
357 |
6,498,854 |
18,204 |
7.3% |
|
State Pension Transition Contributory |
351 |
1,425,999 |
4,063 |
1.6% |
|
Occupational Injuries Benefit |
183 |
126,060 |
689 |
0.1% |
|
Carer's Benefit |
115 |
349,504 |
3,039 |
0.4% |
|
Disablement Benefit |
105 |
914,842 |
8,713 |
1.0% |
|
Guardians Payment Contributory |
99 |
890,922 |
8,999 |
1.0% |
|
Redundancy Schemes |
29 |
100,431 |
3,463 |
0.1% |
|
Partial Capacity Benefit |
21 |
30,733 |
1,463 |
0.0% |
|
Health & Safety Benefit |
7 |
3,823 |
546 |
0.0% |
|
Adoptive Parent Benefit |
5 |
31,585 |
6,317 |
0.0% |
|
Treatment Benefit - Dental Benefit |
6 |
10,371 |
1,728 |
0.0% |
|
Widowed Parent Grant Con |
4 |
9,887 |
2,472 |
0.0% |
|
Household Benefits (Fund) |
4 |
2,624 |
656 |
0.0% |
|
Insolvency Scheme |
3 |
66,617 |
22,206 |
0.1% |
|
PRSI Refunds |
3 |
8,932 |
2,977 |
0.0% |
|
Death Benefit |
2 |
119,220 |
59,610 |
0.1% |
|
Paternity Benefit |
1 |
402 |
402 |
0.0% |
|
Medical Care |
1 |
395 |
395 |
0.0% |
|
Grand Total |
48,422 |
89,069,102 |
1,839 |
100.0% |
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
202. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of young persons under 26 years of age who are in receipt of jobseeker's allowance, jobseeker's benefit and signing for credits for 12 months or more; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44157/17]
View answerThe following table provides the number of persons under 26 years of age in receipt of jobseeker’s allowance, jobseeker’s benefit and credits with a duration greater than 1 year at end of September 2017.
|
Age |
Jobseeker's Allowance |
Jobseeker's Benefit |
Credits Only |
|
18 |
|||
|
19 |
906 |
||
|
20 |
1,379 |
3 |
|
|
21 |
1,439 |
2 |
|
|
22 |
1,544 |
3 |
5 |
|
23 |
1,578 |
5 |
9 |
|
24 |
1,661 |
5 |
13 |
|
25 |
2,041 |
16 |
15 |
|
10,548 |
29 |
47 |
Lower weekly rates for younger jobseeker’s allowance recipients were first introduced in 2009 and extended in subsequent Budgets. These measures were introduced to protect young people from welfare dependency by providing them with a strong financial incentive to engage in education or training or to take up employment. Should a young jobseeker on a reduced jobseeker’s allowance payment participate on an education or training programme they will receive a higher weekly payment of €193 which is the maximum personal rate for jobseeker’s allowance and this payment will be increased to €198 in March 2018.
I am committed to ensuring my Department continues to identify effective measures to incentivise and support young people in finding and securing sustainable jobs. The best way to do this is through engagement processes and by incentivising them to avail of educational and training opportunities, thereby enhancing their employment prospects.
As part of Budget 2018 I announced the introduction of the youth employment support scheme (YESS) which is targeted at young jobseekers who are long-term unemployed or who face barriers to employment. This new work experience programme aims to provide them with the opportunity to learn basic work and social skills in a supportive environment while on a work placement. Participation in the scheme will be completely voluntary, and participants will receive the equivalent of a net minimum wage payment. The details of the new scheme are still being finalised, but I expect to launch it in quarter two of next year.
203. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of young persons aged 18 to 25 years of age who have applied for a jobseeker's benefit or jobseeker's allowance and were unsuccessful and-or were ineligible for a payment in each of the years 2013 to 2016; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44158/17]
View answerI regret that this information is not readily available at this time, as the requested statistics are not routinely compiled by my Department.
204. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the actions she is taking to address the increase in consistent poverty and deprivation among young persons aged 15 to 24 years of age as detailed in the social inclusion monitor report published by her Department (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44160/17]
View answerThe effects of the economic recession were most severe during the period of time from 2009-2012. The number of young people experiencing consistent poverty rose sharply in these years – reflecting increased youth unemployment, and, more significantly, increased unemployment among the parents of young adults who were mainly still studying and living at home. Some improvement was already visible by 2015; the at-risk-of-poverty rate (before social transfers) and the deprivation rate for young people fell in both 2014 and 2015.
Moreover, the effects of the recovery have become increasingly visible since 2015. Unemployment has fallen from 10.2% at the beginning of 2015 to 6.1% in September of this year. The number of people in receipt of working-age income and employment supports has also continued to fall. Given this continuing economic recovery throughout 2016 and 2017 and the measures introduced in Budgets 2016 and 2017, I expect the poverty and deprivation figures for those years, when they become available, to show significant further improvement over the 2015 out-turn.
I also expect further improvement as the economy continues to recover. My Department continues to implement the Pathways to Work 2016 - 2020 Strategy which focuses on ensuring jobseekers, including young people, can access good quality work, training and education opportunities. It prioritises the activation of the long-term and young unemployed people, with supports provided through the network of Intreo offices. Poverty is strongly linked to unemployment, and as employment increases, we can expect to see decreases in poverty and deprivation.
Recent budgets have been forward looking, allocating limited resources in a prudent way, to make sure that everyone benefits from the recovery. Budget 2018 included an increase of €5 per week for Jobseekers aged under 26 and introduced the Youth Employment Support Scheme which is focused on helping young long-term jobseekers, aged 18 to 24 years, back to work and will be rolled out in 2018. There were also increases in the qualified child rate for children up to the age of 18 years (and up to 22 years for those in school/college) and in the Working Family Payment (formerly known as Family Income Supplement). The Back to Work Family Dividend has also been extended. These will positively impact on the lives of young people, and the households they live in.
The Government’s overall strategy for addressing poverty and social exclusion is set out in the National Action Plan for Social Inclusion. The Plan identifies a wide range of targeted actions and interventions to achieve the overall objective of reducing consistent poverty. My Department is reviewing the Plan this year, as it reaches the end of its current term, with a view to developing an updated plan for future periods. The Department will also review the national social target for poverty reduction. This review will be undertaken in consultation with relevant stakeholders.
The 2015 SILC results show that even now we have a long way to go to achieve the national social target for poverty reduction. I will continue to work with my Government colleagues to ensure that the economic recovery is experienced in all regions and by all families, households and individuals.
205. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the actions taken and progress made on each of the 14 recommendations in the study on the prevalence of zero hour contracts since the publication of this report, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44161/17]
View answerI would point out that the Deputy is referring to a report which was commissioned by the previous Government.
In May of this year the Government approved the drafting of legislation to address the commitment in the current Programme for Government to address problems caused by the increased casualisation of work and to strengthen the regulation of precarious work.
The proposed legislation aims to address a number of issues which have been identified as being areas where current employment rights legislation can be strengthened without imposing unnecessarily onerous burdens on employers and businesses. The draft Bill has a particular focus on low-paid, more vulnerable workers. It provides for five key issues:
- Ensuring that employees are better informed about the nature of their employment arrangements and in particular their core terms at an early stage of their employment.
- Strengthening the provisions around minimum payments to low-paid, vulnerable workers who may be called in to work for a period but not provided with that work.
- Prohibiting zero hours contracts in most circumstances.
- Ensuring that workers on low hour contracts who consistently work more hours each week than provided for in their contracts of employment, are entitled to be placed in a band of hours that better reflects the reality of the hours they have worked over an extended period.
- Strengthening the anti-victimisation provisions for employees who try to invoke a right under these proposals.
The draft legislation takes account of the University of Limerick (UL) study on zero hour contracts and low hour contracts and the extensive material and practical examples provided by respondents to the public consultation on the UL study, conducted by the former Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. Furthermore, the draft legislation has also been subject to a detailed dialogue process with ICTU and Ibec over a period of several months.
The Bill is currently being drafted and it is my intention to publish the Bill before the end of the year subject to Government approval.
206. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to abolish the sub-minimum rate of the minimum wage in view of its discriminatory impact on the estimated 10,000 young persons on these reduced rates; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44162/17]
View answerIn October 2016 the Low Pay Commission submitted its report on the sub-minima rates of the National Minimum Wage Act 2000, which included a study by the ESRI on the usage of sub-minima rates both in Ireland and internationally. The ESRI found that sub-minima rates of a similar nature are in use in a significant number of OECD countries. The Commission concluded that incidence of usage of the sub-minima rates in Ireland is extremely low, with typically less than 0.5% of employees impacted by either the youth or trainee rates. The report also indicated that there is no evidence of significant abuse when it comes to the application of sub-minima rates.
Given that the remit of the Low Pay Commission is to make its recommendations using an evidence-based approach, the Commission had agreed with the Central Statistics Office (CSO) in early 2016 the inclusion, on a pilot basis, of a specific question on the national minimum wage, and the use of sub-minima rates, in the CSO’s Quarterly National Household Survey (QNHS) series. The Commission indicated in its 2016 report that it would await the availability of the up-to-date data on usage of the rates from the CSO before making any recommendation in relation to sub-minima rates.
The QNHS results from the pilot question for 2016 are now available, and I understand that the Low Pay Commission intends to submit its recommendations to me in a supplementary report before the end of the year. The question of whether a change in the current system might be warranted or desirable will be considered further in light of the Commission’s recommendations.
207. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her views on the proposed Interinstitutional Proclamation on the European Pillar of Social Rights, COM/2017/251 final, that is due to be agreed by the European Parliament, the EU Council and the EU Commission at the Gothenburg Social Summit on 17 November 2017; the issues she has raised during the discussions on this initiative at European level; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44184/17]
View answerThe proposed Interinstitutional Proclamation (i.e. between the EU Council, Commission and Parliament) on the European Pillar of Social Rights was published by the Commission in April of this year following an extensive Commission consultation throughout 2016 on the EU Pillar of Social Rights.
Ireland has been fully engaged throughout the process, publishing a detailed response to the Commission consultation which was submitted to Government in August 2016 before transmission to the Commission in November 2016. It followed extensive cross-department discussions and engagement with civil society within Ireland.
Ireland has been supportive of the principles of the Interinstitutional Proclamation while seeking, along with other Member States, clarification from the Commission on its legal effects, its impact on national competences and its potential financial implications. The issue will be discussed at the forthcoming EPSCO Council meeting in Luxembourg (employment, social policy, health and consumer affairs (EPSCO)) next week which I will attend. I expect that the next steps will be clearer after that.
208. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the position regarding changes to the slurry spreading closed season deadline; if there is now provision for increased flexibility; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44096/17]
View answerThe European Union (Good Agricultural Practice for Protection of Waters) Regulations 2014, as amended, give legal effect in Ireland to the Nitrates Directive and to our Nitrates Action Programme (NAP). The Directive requires all member states to define set periods when the land application of fertiliser, including slurry, is not allowed and in Ireland the closed season commenced on 15 October.
The closed periods in Ireland were decided following extensive consultation and were discussed with farming bodies and the European Commission when Ireland’s Nitrates Action Programme was introduced. The provisions of the Regulations are underpinned by scientific research and good agricultural practice. The most recent scientific studies carried out on a diverse range of farm and soil types as part of Teagasc’s on-going Agicultural Catchments Programme has provided further evidence in support of the efficacy of the current closed periods in reducing nutrient losses to waters. A key message from the research is that there are disproportionately high nutrient losses to waters during the winter and the current closed period coincides with the time during which risks of incidental nutrient losses to water are highest. Farmers are advised to spread slurry early in the season when growth and nutrient uptake are at their peak.
My Department and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine have been closely monitoring the situation and have recognised that there may be some potential concerns for animal welfare arising from heavy rainfall in specific parts of the country (the north west in particular). Farmers with such concerns were advised to contact the Nitrates Section of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine at (053) 9163444 or by email to nitrates@agriculture.gov.ie with details of the flooding and/or trafficability situation, their herd number and other relevant data. Saturday 14 October was the latest date for such contact to be made.
Farmers wishing to avail of such flexibility are being being advised:
1. To spread only that volume of slurry necessary to ensure adequate storage capacity for the remainder of the closed period
2. That any spreading should occur as soon as good spreading conditions exist
3. That they will be prioritised for inspection by Local Authorities in the immediate future to ensure compliance with the Nitrates Regulations
4. That assessment of overall on-farm storage capacity may be part of that inspection process
5. That the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine will subsequently contact the farmers to ascertain and record the date(s) on which this additional spreading takes place.
Local Authority inspection reports will be returned to my Department and will be shared with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and those farms needing to avail of this flexibility will become a priority category for inspections in future years also.
209. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the detail of the budget funding of €12 million said to support a range of Traveller specific accommodation schemes and deliver 110 homes in 2018; the way in which, and locations where, these homes will be delivered; the number of these homes that are designated for the Cork area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44128/17]
View answerIn accordance with the Housing (Traveller Accommodation) Act 1998, housing authorities have statutory responsibility for the assessment of the accommodation needs of Travellers and the preparation, adoption and implementation of multi-annual Traveller Accommodation Programmes (TAPs) in their areas. My Department’s role is to ensure that there are adequate structures and supports in place to assist the authorities in providing such accommodation, including a national framework of policy, legislation and funding.
The current round of TAPs were adopted in 2014, with the five-year rolling programmes running from 2014 to 2018. These programmes provide a road map for local authority investment priorities over the period. The allocations and recoupment profiles for capital Traveller accommodation projects can vary across local authorities given the local priorities, circumstances and project timelines as set out in the TAPs.
Local authorities submit funding proposals for individual Traveller-specific projects and developments on an annual basis, which are assessed on a case-by-case basis in my Department in advance of allocations being made. In addition, further funding may be considered by my Department throughout the year, also on a case by case basis, in the light of progress across the programme generally. The number of traveller accommodation units to be delivered in all local authority areas, including Cork, will be finalized in the context of the 2018 funding allocations early next year.
210. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the implications for the Defence Forces of a hard border post-Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44088/17]
View answerAs part of a whole of Government approach, the Department of Defence is engaged in forward planning for the UK exit from the EU. While the implications for the border will emerge during the course of the negotiations, it is this Government’s stated goal to try to ensure that the current on-island border arrangements are maintained to the greatest extent possible. The fact of a UK exit from the EU does not of itself give rise to additional border security requirements at this time.
Primary responsibility for the internal security of the State rests with the Department of Justice and Equality and An Garda Síochána. Responsibility for the security aspect of border control rests with An Garda Síochána while the Revenue Commissioners also have responsibilities relating to their particular mandate.
Among the roles assigned to the Defence Forces in the White Paper on Defence is the provision of Aid to the Civil Power which, in practice, means to provide assistance and support to An Garda Síochána when requested to do so. The Defence Forces also provide support to the Revenue Commissioners on request.
The Defence Forces at all times keep operational plans under constant review. There is ongoing close liaison between An Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces regarding security matters and regular coordination and liaison meetings take place. I wish to re-assure the Deputy that my Department is monitoring the ongoing situation to ensure that my Department and the Defence Forces are fully prepared to address any potential issues arising in the defence area on foot of Brexit.
211. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence when his Department's statement of strategy 2017 to 2020 will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44171/17]
View answerArising from Government changes that occurred on the 14 June last, a draft Strategy Statement for the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces, covering the period 2017 to 2020, must be prepared and submitted to the Minister for Defence no later than the 14 December next.
Work on preparing a draft Strategy Statement is currently underway and, following Ministerial approval, it will be laid before each House of the Oireachtas and published on my Department’s website.
212. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of new recruits that joined the Reserve Defence Forces, RDF, in each of the years 2014 to 2016 and to date in 2017, in tabular form; when the last non-commissioned officer training course was held in the RDF; when the last officer training course was held in the RDF; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44172/17]
View answerThe following table sets out the number of new recruits to the Reserve Defence Force in each of the years 2014 to 2016, and to date in 2017.
|
Year |
No. of Inductees |
|
2014 |
157 |
|
2015 |
344 |
|
2016 |
80 |
|
2017 |
98 |
I am informed by the military authorities that the Defence Forces Training Management System records indicate that an RDF Potential NCOs course was completed in October 2016. There is an RDF Potential NCOs course ongoing, and it is scheduled for completion in September 2018. The last RDF Potential Officer course was completed in July 2012.
Given the competing recruitment demands at present, where PDF recruitment is and should remain a priority, recruitment to the Reserve is continuing. However, it is not possible at this point to indicate when the Army Reserve (AR) and Naval Service Reserve (NSR) establishment of 4,169 will realistically be achieved and I will keep this under review.
I would like to reassure you that I remain committed to the ongoing development of the RDF within the framework set out in the White Paper on Defence.
213. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the extent to which Defence Forces training continues to be in line with modern and international best practice; if particular procedures are shown to be in need of updating; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44246/17]
View answerThe primary function of training and education in the Defence Forces is to develop and maintain the capabilities necessary to enable it to fulfil the roles laid down by Government.
The Defence Forces conduct training and education under four broad categories namely; leadership, skills, career and collective training. Leadership training is the medium through which the Defence Forces ensure that personnel are prepared for exercising command authority across the full range of military functions both at home and overseas in international operations. Skills training is the medium through which the Defence Forces ensure that its personnel have the requisite individual, specialist, and crew skills. Career training and education provides the organisation with the necessary pool of leaders and commanders at all levels. Collective Training allows military personnel to use their individual, crew, specialist and career training together, to develop integrated and coherent combat forces.
I am advised that the Defence Forces seek to constantly benchmark training across all three arms against best military and academic practice. Military best practice is ensured by implementing a policy of standardisation that is in line with EU and NATO/Partnership for Peace partners. Academic best practice is ensured by benchmarking courses through accreditation under the National Framework of Qualifications which is validated by Quality and Qualifications Ireland.
The Defence Forces deliver military programmes and modules meeting national and international standards. The Defence Forces also engage with external educational institutions in order to facilitate organisational learning. This engagement with national and international educational institutions, military and civilian, aims to ensure that the Defence Forces retain currency with regards to best international practice and employ all relevant modern training methods.
I am committed to ensuring that the personnel of the D efence F orces continue to be trained to best international standards.
214. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the level of deployment and location of Irish troops overseas on UN or EU related missions; the extent to which further missions are planned or required; the extent to which the need for the upgrading of equipment has been noted arising from such deployment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44247/17]
View answerAs of 17 October 2017, Ireland is contributing 633 Defence Forces personnel to 10 different missions throughout the world and also to a range of international organisations and National representations. The main overseas mission in which Defence Forces personnel are currently deployed is the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) with 369 personnel and 136 personnel to the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in Syria. Also on 06 October 2017, L.É. Niamh with a crew of 57 personnel departed Haulbowline to join the EU naval mission Operation Sophia.
Full details of all personnel currently serving overseas are shown in the tabular statement.
The Department of Defence constantly reviews the deployment of Defence Forces personnel overseas. With regard to any future deployments of Defence Forces personnel overseas, Ireland receives requests, from time to time, in relation to participation in various missions and these are considered on a case-by-case basis.
Defence Forces personnel serving on all overseas missions are equipped with the most modern and effective equipment to carry out their mission. The Defence Forces equipment is upgraded on a continual basis. This equipment enables troops to fulfill the roles assigned to them, as well as providing the required protection specific to the mission.
Members of the Permanent Defence Force Serving Overseas As of 17 October 2017
1. UN MISSIONS
(i) UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) HQ - 30
UNIFIL 110th Infantry Battalion - 331
UNIFIL Sector West HQ - 8
(ii) UNTSO (United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation) Israel & Syria - 12
(iii) MINURSO (United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara) - 2
(iv) MONUSCO (United Nations Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo) - 4
(v) UNDOF (United Nations Disengagement Observer Force) HQ (Yafour Damascus) - 1
UNDOF Staff Appointments (Camp Ziouani) - 5
UNDOF 55th Infantry Group (Camp Ziouani) - 130
TOTAL - 523
UN MANDATED MISSIONS
(vi) EUFOR (EU-led Operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina) - 5
(vii) EUTM Mali (EU-Led Training Mission) - 20
(viii) KFOR (International Security Presence in Kosovo) HQ - 12
(ix) EUNAVFORMED (Op Sophia) L.E. Niamh - 57
TOTAL NUMBER OF PERSONNEL SERVING WITH UN MISSIONS - 617
2. ORGANISATION FOR SECURITY AND CO-OPERATION IN EUROPE (OSCE)
(i) OSCE Mission to Bosnia & Herzegovina - 1
(ii) - Staff Officer, High Level Planning Group, Vienna - 1
TOTAL NUMBER OF PERSONNEL SERVING WITH OSCE - 2
3. EU MILITARY STAFF
Brussels - 4
4. MILITARY REPRESENTATIVES/ADVISERS/STAFF
(i) Military Adviser, Permanent Mission to UN, New York - 1
(ii) Military Adviser, Irish Delegation to OSCE, Vienna - 1
(iii) Military Representative to EU (Brussels) - 4
(iv) Liaison Officer of Ireland, NATO/PfP (Brussels) - 2
(v) EU OHQ Operation Althea, Mons, Belgium - 1
(vi) Irish Liaison Officer to SHAPE & Military Co-Op Division, Mons, Belgium - 1
TOTAL NUMBER OF DEFENCE FORCES PERSONNEL SERVING OVERSEAS - 633
