Tuesday, 25 May 2021

Written Answers Nos. 319-332

Cybersecurity Policy

Questions (319)

Peadar Tóibín

Question:

319. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the investment made by his Department and State agencies under its remit in each year in cyber security for the past ten years. [28846/21]

Written answers

Minister for Foreign Affairs

There are no agencies under the remit of my Department. The approach to cyber security is multi-dimensional and in line with the advice of the National Cyber Security Centre. The expenditure on cyber security is integrated in overall ICT costs. Details of these for the last 10 years are as follows:2011 €13,994,067

2012 €13,632,644

2013 €13,543,983

2014 €15,719,431

2015 €10,727,429

2016 €11,718,241

2017 €10,304,745

2018 €12,072,621

2019 €12,011,065

2020 €12,858,109

Defence Forces

Questions (320)

Patricia Ryan

Question:

320. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Defence if he will establish a helpline to assist victims of sexual abuse in the Curragh Camp area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27611/21]

Written answers

Minister for Defence

In so far as this question relates to my policy brief or my functions, any person having any knowledge of possible criminal activity should report it to an Garda Síochána who are the proper authority to investigate such matters.

Allegations relating to sexual offences are taken very seriously by both the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces.

The Defence Forces have internal services available to assist and support serving Defence Force personnel. Those who wish to make a complaint can seek advice through these mechanisms.

These include:

- Military Police Corps who are responsible for the prevention and investigation of offences within the Defence Forces.

- Designated Contact Person (DCP) who can provide confidential support services to employees.

- PSS (Personnel Support Service).

- The Defence Forces Chaplaincy Service.

- Inspire 24/7 helpline and counselling service available to Defence Forces members and their families.

Through its various policies and strategies, the Minister is satisfied that the Defence Forces are taking all reasonable steps to provide an inclusive workplace environment, free from harassment, intimidation and bullying, and where dignity and respect are afforded to all.

Defence Forces

Questions (321)

Cathal Crowe

Question:

321. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Defence the status of contracts for certain Defence Force workers to allay concerns regarding their contracts post-2022 (details supplied) [27666/21]

Written answers

Minister for Defence

The Report of the Public Service Pay Commission (PSPC) on Recruitment and Retention in the Defence Forces was published on 4 July 2019. The Report was accepted in full by the Government at that time and, to facilitate implementation, an extensive High Level Plan titled "Strengthening our Defence Forces – Phase One” was also agreed and published on the same date.

The High Level Plan provides for actions or projects to be undertaken to deliver on the PSPC recommendations. It also proposes a timeframe for actions or projects to commence and identifies the lead actor to implement the action or project. The timeframe for commencement of actions is split into four distinct timelines i.e. immediate, short-term, medium-term and long-term.

The project to consider options to tackle barriers to extended participation in the PDF (including the possibility of extending retirement ages for members of the PDF) was identified as a medium term project being jointly led by my Department and the Defence Forces.

After initial research, it was decided that this project would be divided into two phases. The first phase, focusing on reviewing mandatory retirement ages for Officers and the second phase to review contracts of service for enlisted personnel. It was agreed with PDFORRA that enlisted privates and corporals who had reached 21 years’ service and are under 50, could remain in service until the end 2022. Sergeants who were due to retire are also permitted to continue to serve until that timeframe. These measures mean that that review could take place in an extended timeframe.

A report on the first phase of this project, reviewing mandatory retirement ages for Officers, was completed by the joint civil-military Project team and is currently with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform awaiting clarification on certain issues. Work on the second phase, examining contracts of service for enlisted personnel is underway and progressing well.

Any proposals or decision that arise from these considerations relating to mandatory retirement ages will be discussed with the Representative Associations.

Defence Forces

Questions (322, 323)

Cathal Berry

Question:

322. Deputy Cathal Berry asked the Minister for Defence the amount expended by his Department on the procurement of commercial flights for all Defence Forces troop rotations over the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27738/21]

Cathal Berry

Question:

323. Deputy Cathal Berry asked the Minister for Defence if he will provide details of the evaluation of cost savings by his Department associated with the procurement of an airlift capability for the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27739/21]

Written answers

Minister for Defence

I propose to take Questions Nos. 322 and 323 together.

My priority as Minister for Defence is to ensure that the operational capability of the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service is maintained to the greatest extent possible. This is primarily to enable the Defence Forces to carry out their roles as assigned by Government as set out in the White Paper on Defence. Equipment priorities for the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service are being considered in the context of the lifetime of the White Paper on Defence as part of the capability development and Equipment Development Planning (EDP) process.

In this context, the principal aim over the period of the White Paper is to replace and upgrade, as required, existing capabilities in order to retain a flexible response for a wide range of operational requirements at home and overseas. Budget 2021 provides a Capital allocation of €131m for investment in Defence equipment and barracks infrastructure and will enable continued investment in major equipment platforms such as Defence Forces vehicle fleet. The increased capital funding for 2021 builds on increased levels of capital expenditure totalling €392m over the years 2018 – 2020.

In relation to air-based capability, my immediate priorities have been the acquisition of three Pilatus PC-12 aircraft in the Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) role and for two Airbus C295 maritime patrol aircraft. An additional PC-12 was also acquired in response to the Covid 19 situation. No decisions have been made for the acquisition of additional aircraft in other roles. Some €276 million, including VAT, has been committed to the acquisition of these enhanced capabilities.

While the option of acquiring a wider military lift capability has been mentioned, it is not identified as an action for acquisition in the present 5 year Equipment Development Plan, which was developed through a joint civil military approach.

Should the situation arise in the future where the requirement to acquire military lift capability is identified as an action in the EDP, as with all capital investment decisions, costing over €10 million, the requirements of the Public Spending Code would need to be met. These requirements cover the various steps required in assessing the viability of the proposal and those associated with relevant decision-making and potential subsequent public investment in any additional aircraft, including a thorough evaluation of potential cost savings. At this point in time no such evaluation has commenced.

Much of this longer range lift capability for military purposes is provided by way of chartering aircraft through a competitive procurement process on an as-required basis. To date, this has been considered to be the most cost effective approach taking account of the acquisition, running and maintenance costs of larger aircraft in the context of their expected usage and contingency requirements. The overall priorities in the EDP will remain under review as it is progressively implemented and taking account of funding availability.

There are a total of four rotations of troops every year; two to UNDOF and two to UNIFIL. Rotations in the Springtime of every year are managed and paid for by the United Nations directly. Autumn rotations are the responsibility of my Department in collaboration with the Defence Forces. The table below provides details of the costs to the Irish State for the procurement of commercial flights for Defence Forces troop rotations for UNDOF and UNIFIL duties over the past five years (2016-2020).

Year	Contingent	Cost
2016	UNDOF	€93,500
2016	UNIFIL	€165,000
2017	UNDOF	€185,350
2017	UNIFIL	€372,470
2018	UNDOF	€224,000
2018	UNIFIL	€388,075
2019	UNDOF	€181,000
2019	UNIFIL	€509,400
2020	UNIFIL	€269,900

I am satisfied that the Defence Forces have the necessary resources available to them, including a modern and effective range of equipment which is line with best international standards in order to fulfil all roles assigned to them by Government.

Question No. 323 answered with Question No. 322.

Military Aircraft

Questions (324)

Eoin Ó Broin

Question:

324. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Defence if a US military transport plane landed at Baldonnel Aerodrome on 18 May 2021 to refuel; if so, the locations the aircraft was travelling to and from; and if the plane was carrying weapons. [27786/21]

Written answers

Minister for Defence

In accordance with the legislative requirements of the Air Navigation (Foreign Military Aircraft) Order 1952, all foreign military aircraft wishing to overfly or land in the State require the permission of the Minister for Foreign Affairs. A request is received by the Department of Foreign Affairs from the relevant embassy of the visiting/overflying foreign aircraft. This request is then forwarded to a number of parties including the Department of Defence and the Department of Justice for observations. In the Department of Defence's case this will also involve confirmation that an aircraft can be facilitated for landing at Casement Aerodrome if part of the request.

I can confirm the permission was granted for the USAF C-17 to land at Baldonnel on Tuesday, 18 May 2021, on a refuelling stop as part of a crew training mission en-route to the UK.

The provision of diplomatic clearance to foreign military and State aircraft to land and overfly the State is subject to strict conditions. Permission was granted in this case subject to the conditions that routinely apply to landings at Irish airports by foreign military aircraft; namely that the aircraft is unarmed, carries no arms, ammunition or explosives and does not engage in intelligence gathering, and that the flight in question does not form any part of a military exercise or operation.

Defence Forces

Questions (325)

Patrick Costello

Question:

325. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Defence if he will seek to have the plaque at the monument to the Defence Forces in Merrion Square, Dublin 2 amended to correct the misspelling of the word emanate which appears as eminate. [27857/21]

Written answers

Minister for Defence

The National Memorial to members of the Defence Forces who died in the service of the State was unveiled at a ceremony in November 2008. The ceremony was led by the then President, Mrs. Mary McAleese, who laid a wreath at the memorial.

The memorial which is situated in a prominent position close to Dáil Éireann and to Government Buildings was designed by Mr. Brian King. It is a pyramid shape made primarily of granite slabs resting on a steel frame interspaced with toughened glass panels. Four Defence Force personnel in relief are cast in bronze, representing the Air Corps, Army and Naval Service and the Reserve. The sentries stand to attention guarding the eternal flame that emanates from the Defence Forces Badge at the centre of the structure.

This memorial stands as public recognition of the contribution and sacrifice made by members of the Defence Forces whether at home or on peace support operations overseas.

With regard to the Deputy's specific enquiry, I can advise that my Department is currently investigating the matter but it has not been possible in the time available to prepare a substantive response on the matter.

A substantive response to the question raised will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.

The following deferred reply was received under Standing Order 51

I refer to your recent Parliamentary Question in relation to the National Memorial to members of the Defence Forces who died in the service of the State at Merrion Square, Dublin 2.

A substantive response on the matter was not provided to you in advance of the deadline for Parliamentary Questions responses as the issue was being researched.

The original plaque erected at the memorial at the time of unveiling in 2008 had been replaced since with the misspelling appearing in the replacement plaque. My Department is researching the matter further but I can confirm that steps will be taken to correct the misspelling.

I would like to thank you for bringing this issue to my attention.

Defence Forces

Questions (326)

Martin Browne

Question:

326. Deputy Martin Browne asked the Minister for Defence the companies which supply helmets and uniform equipment to the Defence Forces; and the amount spent on this equipment per year for the past ten years. [27874/21]

Written answers

Minister for Defence

My priority as Minister for Defence is to ensure that the operational capability of the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service is maintained to the greatest extent possible. This is primarily to enable the Defence Forces to carry out their roles as assigned by Government as set out in the White Paper on Defence. Equipment priorities for the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service are being considered in the context of the lifetime of the White Paper on Defence as part of the capability development and Equipment Development Planning (EDP) process.

In this context, the principal aim over the period of the White Paper is to replace and upgrade, as required, existing capabilities in order to retain a flexible response for a wide range of operational requirements at home and overseas. Budget 2021 provides a Capital allocation of €131m for investment in Defence equipment and barracks infrastructure and will enable continued investment in major equipment platforms such as Defence Forces vehicle fleet. The increased capital funding for 2021 builds on increased levels of capital expenditure totalling €392m over the years 2018 – 2020.

Helmets, uniforms and other personal military equipment are important contributors to capability and personal protection. The replacement or renewal of such items are progressed in a planned way having regard to usage levels, availability of suitable replacements, obsolescence and changing operational requirements.

With regard to investment in helmets, there have been two (2) contracts for the supply of helmets for Special Operations Forces personnel. For operational and security purposes it is not possible to provide the detailed information required by the Deputy. The aggregate spend on helmets for the period in question was €345,366.38 inclusive of VAT.

Of more significant scale and in accordance with the Equipment Development Planning prioritisation process, a tender competition is being advanced for the purchase of a new operational general service helmet with enhanced protective and operational functions for general issue within the Defence Forces. These general service helmets will replace the current helmets in use by the Defence Forces. It is intended that this purchase will be by way of a public procurement competition. More details will be available when the competition is published to the market.

With regard to investment in uniforms, the Defence Forces has two contracts in place under Office of Government Procurement Framework arrangements for the supply of Operational and Ceremonial uniforms. The Table below provides a breakdown of the companies and expenditure involved over the specified timeframe for these.

Table Uniforms

Year	Ceremonial Uniform Supplier	Expenditure inclusive of VAT	Operational Uniform Supplier	Expenditure inclusive of VAT
2012	HUNTER APPAREL LTD	€399,879.34	COONEEN WATTS & STONE DEFENCE	€1,459,917.75
2013	HUNTER APPAREL LTD	€262,757.05	COONEEN WATTS & STONE DEFENCE	€427,502.94
2014	TAILORED IMAGE LTD	€482,761.18	SEYNTEX N.V	€558,257.97
2015	TAILORED IMAGE LTD	€568,866.36	SEYNTEX N.V	€312,639.41
2016	TAILORED IMAGE LTD	€1,721,177.07	SEYNTEX N.V	€1,385,540.39
2017	TAILORED IMAGE LTD	€1,078,210.66	SEYNTEX N.V	€1,269,923.23
2018	TAILORED IMAGE LTD	€1,202,705.87	SEYNTEX N.V	€1,040,372.32
2019	TAILORED IMAGE LTD	€1,062,816.84	SEYNTEX N.V	€1,985,796.88
2020	TAILORED IMAGE LTD	€1,945,004.60	SEYNTEX N.V	€289,179.54
2021	TAILORED IMAGE LTD	€783,494.55	SEYNTEX N.V	€723,103.43

I am satisfied that the Defence Forces have the necessary modern and effective range of equipment available to them which is in line with best international standards in order to fulfil all roles assigned to them by Government.

Maritime Jurisdiction

Questions (327)

Thomas Pringle

Question:

327. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Defence if a ship (details supplied) was in Irish waters on 13 and 14 May 2021; if the vessel had permission to pass through Irish waters; if so, the distance it passed off the west coast at the time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27919/21]

Written answers

Minister for Defence

With regard to Ireland's EEZ, it is not unusual for naval ships or vessels of other States to carry out training exercises within this area or to passage through this area.

This would normally involve prior notification to Irish Authorities where an exercise was taking place close to our Territorial Waters but this is not a requirement. In the case of the USS Paul Ignatius the US authorities did inform Irish Authorities of their presence in the region in advance and I welcome this engagement by our US colleagues.

The location of the US destroyer was within the Irish EEZ, however the ship did not enter into Irish territorial waters. Other State's naval ships or vessels would be within their rights to carry out a training exercise in our EEZ or to traverse the Irish EEZ. This is not in any way an infringement of our national territory.

Military Aircraft

Questions (328)

Thomas Pringle

Question:

328. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Defence if an aircraft (details supplied) en route to Israel landed at Baldonnel Aerodrome; if these type of flights are facilitated often at Baldonnel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27921/21]

Written answers

Minister for Defence

In accordance with the legislative requirements of the Air Navigation (Foreign Military Aircraft) Order 1952, all foreign military aircraft wishing to overfly or land in the State require the permission of the Minister for Foreign Affairs. A request is received by the Department of Foreign Affairs from the relevant embassy of the visiting/overflying foreign aircraft. This request is then forwarded to a number of parties including the Department of Defence and the Department of Justice for observations. In the Department of Defence's case this will also involve confirmation that an aircraft can be facilitated for landing at Casement Aerodrome if part of the request.

I can confirm the permission was granted for the USAF C-17 to land at Baldonnel on Tuesday 18th May 2021, on a refuelling stop as part of a crew training mission en-route to the UK.

The provision of diplomatic clearance to foreign military and State aircraft to land and overfly the State is subject to strict conditions. Permission was granted in this case subject to the conditions that routinely apply to landings at Irish airports by foreign military aircraft; namely that the aircraft is unarmed, carries no arms, ammunition or explosives and does not engage in intelligence gathering, and that the flight in question does not form any part of a military exercise or operation.

I can confirm that landings by US aircraft at Casement Aerodrome are not routine, however in any given ordinary year requests may be received for a number of foreign military aircraft to land at Casement Aerodrome , for a variety of reasons, including support to the likes of the annual Bray Airshow.

Departmental Data

Questions (329)

Seán Sherlock

Question:

329. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Defence if there is a policy of data back-up in the operations of his Department and all agencies under his remit. [28114/21]

Written answers

Minister for Defence

For operational security reasons, my Department is not in a position to provide any details of its data security systems or those of the bodies under its aegis, as it would be inappropriate to disclose information that may in any way assist those with malicious intent.

Departmental Legal Services

Questions (330)

Mairéad Farrell

Question:

330. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Defence the amount spent by his Department on external professional legal services in 2014, 2019 and 2020, in tabular form. [28298/21]

Written answers

Minister for Defence

The expenditure incurred by my Department in respect of external legal fees in each of the years 2014, 2019 and 2020 is set out in the table below.

Year	Amount
2014	€10,302
2019	Nil
2020	€122,114.35

The Chief State Solicitor's Office is responsible for the costs of the State's legal teams in litigation cases that it manages on behalf of my Department. The State Claims Agency (SCA) manages and provides legal representation in relation to personal injury cases taken against the Minister for Defence. External legal costs incurred by the SCA arising from the defence of any claims managed by the Agency for my Department are refunded to the Agency by the Department.

Cybersecurity Policy

Questions (331)

Peadar Tóibín

Question:

331. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Defence the investment made by his Department and State agencies under its remit in each year in cyber security for the past ten years. [28842/21]

Written answers

Minister for Defence

My Department implements a security-by-design and defence-in-depth approach to cybersecurity. My Department migrated its core IT infrastructure to the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) under the 'Build to Share Managed Desktop' shared service in 2020.

The Government’s services are still actively involved in managing and remediating the recent cyberattack on the HSE. Our technical staff continue to operate and monitor all relevant systems to the highest levels, and are closely engaged with experts in the OGCIO and the NCSC to seek to ensure that we follow best practice as it relates to all aspects of cybersecurity. For operational and security reasons, we are advised by the NCSC not to disclose details of systems and processes which could in any way compromise those efforts. In particular, it is not considered appropriate to disclose information which might assist criminals to assess potential vulnerabilities in departmental cybersecurity arrangements. Therefore it is not considered appropriate to disclose particular arrangements in place in relation to cyber security tools and services and my Department does not comment on operational security matters.

There are no separate figures available for IT and email security costs in my Department as security is an integrated aspect of all ICT services. I have set out the details of ICT related expenditure incurred by my Department over the past 10 years in the table below. The costs incurred do not relate to internal staffing costs, but do include costs of hardware, software, licences, support and maintenance services.

Year	Expenditure (incl. VAT)
2010	€1,947,421
2011	€2,677,588
2012	€1,247,948
2013	€1,069,881
2014	€2,662,670
2015	€2,582,645
2016	€2,820,752
2017	€2,983,020
2018	€3,274,199
2019	€2,587,180
2020	€4,559,917

Legislative Programme

Questions (332)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Question:

332. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Education the estimated timeline for the progression of the Education (Student and Parent Charter) Bill 2019; and when this will be before Dáil Éireann at second stage. [27508/21]

Written answers

Minister for Education

The Education (Student and Parent Charter) Bill 2019 completed all stages of the Seanad in late 2019. My Department is currently awaiting an order for Second Stage in the Dáil at which time the Bill will be read a second time and continue through the legislative process in that House.

I support the overall aim of this legislation which is to improve the level of engagement between the school community by inviting feedback, comment and observations from students and parents and by further developing a listening culture in our schools.

This legislation will provide greater clarity for students and their parents on what they can expect from schools and will help ensure that schools and students and parents continue to work in partnership effectively together.

My officials will continue to work on progressing this important legislation.