Written Answers Nos. 441-460
441. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Defence if he will detail the number of civilian job vacancies that are currently open at Defence Forces facilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39001/22]
View answerCivilian Employees are employed by my Department to support the operational capability of the Defence Forces. The recruitment of Civilian Employees for military instillations is an ongoing process, informed by prioritisation of posts by military management.
My Department is currently running the following open competitions and are at various stages in the recruitment process:
- Storekeeper Clerk (Grade 1) in the Defence Forces Training Centre, Curragh, Co. Kildare.
- Senior Clinical Psychologist in St Bricin’s Military Hospital, Dublin.
- Head Quantity Surveyor in McKee Barracks, Dublin.
A number of internal competitions are also currently underway.
444. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Defence if he will detail the pay and renumeration structure for all ranks in the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39004/22]
View answerI wish to advise the Deputy that the current rates of pay and allowances for all members of the Defence Forces are publicly available through the Department of Defence Website at the following link:
www.gov.ie/en/organisation-information/e8132-routinely-published-information/#defence-forces-pay-scales
445. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Defence the measures that are in place to provide for the healthcare of members of the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39005/22]
View answerA wide range of medical services are provided to members of the Permanent Defence Force, including an annual medical examination, sick parades, GP services, prescription services, laboratory services, physiotherapy, chiropody, radiology, ophthalmic examinations, clinical mental health services provided by an in-house psychiatrist and two in-house psychologists, in-patient and outpatient public hospital charges, and routine dental treatment.
In addition, Commissioned Officers and members of the Army Nursing Service may also avail of private consultant appointments and diagnostic tests, and private/semi-private hospital treatment dependent on rank. The Programme for Government contains a commitment to "ensure that all enlisted members of the Defence Forces have the same access to health care as officers currently do". A Working Group has been established with a view to bringing forward proposals on this matter.
In the case of Defence Forces personnel assigned to longer term overseas administrative posts, these personnel, and any accompanying dependents, are provided with global comprehensive medical insurance for which a formal arrangement is in place with a health insurance provider. This involves the organisation paying the difference between a basic minimum payment and the cost of the global plan.
In addition, the Defence Forces Personnel Support Service provide a welfare, information, psycho-social support and referral service, that is professional, responsive and confidential, to serving members of the Defence Forces and their families to sustain and enhance the individual wellbeing of personnel, and to promote a safe and positive work culture in order to support the effectiveness of the Defence Forces.
As additional support, the Department of Defence has arranged the provision of a confidential counselling, referral and support service, on a wide range of personal and work related issues, for serving members of the Defence Forces, civilian employees and Civil Defence members. A Freephone confidential helpline is available on a 24/7 basis 365 days a year and is staffed by fully-trained and experienced counsellors.
The Chaplaincy Service also provides confidential, comprehensive pastoral support and spiritual care to personnel at home and overseas.
449. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Defence the number of Defence Forces Barracks that provide living quarters; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39009/22]
View answer450. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Defence the occupancy of the Defence Forces Army Barracks that provide living quarters; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39010/22]
View answer451. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Defence the last time that there was a vacancy in the living quarters provided by the Defence Forces. [39011/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 449 to 451, inclusive, together.
As the Deputy will be aware it is a long standing policy that long term residential married quarters are no longer provided. It is not intended to reverse this long standing policy which was introduced in the early 1990s and was implemented on a gradual basis in recognition of the sensitivities involved for those personal and their families.
Single-Living-In (SLI) accommodation is provided in every permanently occupied military installation. The occupancy of SLI accommodation can fluctuate on a daily basis, depending on location, the number of courses being held in a location and the duration of the course.
I am advised by the Military authorities that there are a total of 59 Married Quarters, of which 1 is currently unoccupied and, pending electrical repairs, will be available and fit for occupation.
There are 4,569 Single Living-In beds in the various Defence Forces Installations, of which 2,576 beds are for short-term training purposes and the balance are for operational occupancy.
452. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Defence the number of apprentices are there on points 1-3 of the pay scale, inclusive, for enlisted personnel of the Permanent Defence Forces in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39012/22]
View answerThere are a total of 67 apprentices currently serving in the Permanent Defence Force, of which 47 are on points 1 to 3 of the payscale. The table below shows the breakdown of the number of apprentices on each of the referenced scale points.
|
Scale Point |
Number of Apprentices |
|
1 |
23 |
|
2 |
16 |
|
3 |
8 |
|
Total |
47 |
Apprentices in all sectors, including Defence are paid a proportion of the qualified rate, increasing on a yearly basis. This is the norm for all apprentices
453. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Defence the details of the wages cost per year for the provision of security at Portlaoise Prison by members of the Defence Forces over the past five years in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39013/22]
View answer454. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Defence the number of hours worked per year over the past five years by members of the Defence Forces while providing security at Portlaoise Prison in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39014/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 453 and 454 together.
The Department of Justice 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.
Defence Forces personnel acting in an armed Aid to the Civil Power role, deploy troops on the direction of the Government, in order to assist the Prison Service and An Garda Síochána. They provide 24/7, 365 days a year, security at Portlaoise Prison.
Military personnel drawn from all Brigades are mobilised into a special unit for this purpose. Each unit's tour of duty normally lasts for about two months on a four days on, two days off rota basis. In addition to basic pay, prison duty allowance is paid to personnel of the Permanent Defence Force below the rank of Commandant engaged on security duties in Portlaoise prison, currently this daily Prison Duty allowance is between €84.37 and €86.71 depending on rank. There is also a separate on call Portlaoise Hospital Guard Allowance for Enlisted Personnel of €28.12 (weekday) and €56.22 (Sunday and Defence Forces Holiday), for escorting prisoners to medical appointments.
The table below provides the breakdown for the last 5 years of the total number of hours worked based upon the total number of security and support staff provided to Portlaoise Prison. The table also outlines the allowances paid to the Defence Forces while providing security at the Prison. The yearly costs of basic pay, military service allowance or any other allowances paid are not included, as regardless of employment on Prison Duties, Defence Forces personnel are still in receipt of their pay.
|
Description |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
|
Total number of hours worked |
248,000 |
248,000 |
248,000 |
249,000 |
248,000 |
|
Allowances: Portlaoise Prison Duty |
€2,342,066 |
€2,186,567 |
€2,376,619 |
€2,552,424 |
€2,568,951 |
|
Allowances: On-call Hospital Guard Duty |
€61,073 |
€67,454 |
€77,527 |
€86,657 |
€90,274 |
|
Total Prison Duty/Hospital Guard Allowance |
€2,403,139 |
€2,254,021 |
€2,454,146 |
€2,639,081 |
€2,659,225 |
455. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Defence the details of the allocation and costs of the military service allowance, including payments made; the number and rank of personnel who received payment; the tax that is owed on the payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39015/22]
View answerMilitary service allowance is paid to Defence Forces personnel for the special disadvantages associated with military life. The number in receipt of military service allowance for 2021 was some 8,600 personnel at an annual cost of some €52.5 million.
The tax collected in respect of military service allowance in each individual case will vary from person to person depending on the personal tax credits, reliefs and exemptions applied by the Revenue Commissioners.
The distinguishing feature of military service allowance is that it is paid on a continuous basis to every member of the Defence Forces up to the rank of Colonel (with the exception of those in training or in third-level education) regardless of the appointment held or duty undertaken.
456. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Defence if he will provide details of the costs of the navy patrol duty allowance payment, including payments made; the number and rank of naval personnel who received payment; the tax that is owed on the payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39016/22]
View answerPatrol duty allowance is payable to personnel serving aboard a Naval Service ship on patrol away from the Naval Base. The number in receipt of this allowance for 2021 was 502 personnel at a cost of some €1.6 million.
The tax collected in respect of patrol duty allowance in each individual case will vary from person to person depending on the personal tax credits, reliefs and exemptions provided by the Revenue Commissioners.
Defence Forces personnel undertaking sea-going duties are paid patrol duty allowance for each patrol day that they undertake. This is in addition to their basic pay, military service allowance and any other applicable allowances.
457. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Defence the number of Defence Forces personnel who were paid the specialised instructor's allowance from 2017 to date in 2022, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39017/22]
View answer458. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Defence the amount paid under the specialised instructor allowance from 2017 to date in 2022, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39018/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 457 and 458 together.
To answer the Deputy’s questions, the following table outlines the amount of specialised instructor allowance paid to enlisted personnel in the payroll years from 2017 to date in 2022.
|
Payroll Year |
Value |
Number of Personnel |
|
2017 |
313,184.75 |
111 |
|
2018 |
407,521.43 |
174 |
|
2019 |
389,657.27 |
157 |
|
2020 |
350,860.98 |
134 |
|
2021 |
430,567.39 |
148 |
|
2022 YTD |
243,901.81 |
127 |
With regard to the payment of SIA for officers, the Deputy may be aware that with the agreement of RACO, the Specialised Instructors Allowance for Officers was bought out under the Defence Sector Collective Agreement of the Public Service Agreement 2013-2016 (the Haddington Road Agreement).
While the May 2019 Report of the Public Service Pay Commission on Recruitment and Retention in the Permanent Defence Force made a recommendation regarding Defence Forces allowances, it did not make any recommendation on the re-establishment of any allowances which were abolished under the Haddington Road Agreement. Rather, the Commission recommended that Defence Forces allowances, which were retained under Haddington Road Agreement but reduced above and beyond any reductions made under FEMPI, have their reductions restored. Given that the Specialised Instructors Allowance for Officers was abolished, rather than reduced, it was not encompassed by any recommendation of the Commission.
In 2017 RACO submitted a claim to Conciliation and Arbitration Council of the C&A Scheme seeking reinstatement of the Specialist Instructors Allowance for officers. As the claim was a cost increasing measure, under the terms of the pay agreement of the day - the Public Services Stability Agreement 2018-2020 - the claim was not considered.
There was scope in the context of the current pay agreement - "Building Momentum - A New Public Service Pay Agreement 2021 -2022", to which RACO signed up, to have the matter of the restoration of the Specialist Instructors Allowance considered under the sectoral bargaining element of that fund. RACO members chose not to take that option however, instead deciding to utilise the fund for a general round of pay increases.
RACO has since reinstated its claim for reinstatement of the Allowance, and the matter is currently being processed through the Conciliation and Arbitration scheme for members of the Permanent Defence Force. As discussions in the scheme are confidential to the parties concerned, I am constrained on commenting further, at this juncture.
459. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Defence his Department’s involvement in increasing the State’s cybersecurity infrastructure, including additional financial resources allocated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39152/22]
View answer460. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Defence his Department’s interaction with international agencies and other states in relation to improving the State’s cybersecurity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39153/22]
View answer461. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Defence if he will detail if any additional personnel from the Defence Forces of his Department have been tasked with dealing with hybrid and cybersecurity threats to the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39154/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 459 to 461, inclusive, together.
In terms of cyber security, at national level the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications has the lead role with inputs in the security domain from An Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces. The National Cyber Security Centre, which is part of the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications, is the primary authority responsible for cyber security in the State, including incident response, cyber resilience and information provision.
While the primary role of the Defence Forces with regard to Cyber Security relates to the defence and security of its own networks and systems, the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces are committed to participating, under the leadership of the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications, in the delivery of measures to improve the Cyber Security of the State. This is being done in line with the Programme for Government commitment to implement the National Cyber Security Strategy, recognising the potential and important role of the Defence Forces.
Officials in my Department and members of the Defence Forces work closely with the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications and other Government Departments and Agencies to support measures to deal with cyber challenges. A member of the Defence Forces is also currently seconded to the Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence in Tallinn, Estonia. The Centre is staffed and financed by 34 different countries. It is involved in carrying out cyber-defence focused training, awareness campaigns, workshops, and courses, developing and conducting cyber defence-focused exercises and developing its ability to provide cyber defence exercise support, providing a link between small and medium enterprises in the sector and governments, and developing its capability in cyber defence testing and validation. Having a member of the Defence Forces in the Centre of Excellence means we get important insight into developing trends in cyber security and it strengthens the ability of the State to respond to such threats.
The Dail very recently gave approval to join the PESCO project known as the Cyber Threats and Incident Response Information Sharing Platform. This project aims to strengthen EU Member States’ cyber defence capabilities and response to cyber incidents by promoting cooperation in the field of cyber threat information sharing. Ireland also participates in projects in the European Defence Agency which aim to maintain and improve cyber resilience as well as the levels of awareness, insight and expertise of EU Member States' Defence Forces personnel in the area of cyber defence.
While it would be inappropriate, from an operational perspective, to comment on the Cyber capability of the Defence Forces other than to say that there is on-going development of cyber capabilities within the Defence Forces, on 12July Government approval was given for a move to ‘Level of Ambition 2’ (LOA2), as set out in the capability framework devised by the Commission on the Defence Forces. The Government also approved the High Level Action Plan, which sets out the response of Government in relation to each of the 130 specific recommendations in the Commission’s report. LOA2 includes a number of cyber-related measures such as deepening Defence Forces involvement in relevant national and international forums to enhance capability development in the cyber domain. Among the early actions identified in the High Level Action Plan, a detailed implementation plan will be published before the end of 2022, which will set out the recommendations to be delivered over the short, medium and long term.
