Written Answers Nos. 171-180
171. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if his Department has availed of services and or consultancy from a list of related companies (details supplied) in the past five years to date; if so, if he will provide a schedule of costs and the purpose for which the company was engaged; and if he continued to use services provided by it.; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3776/24]
View answerMy Department has not had any engagement or availed of any services from the company referred to by the Deputy in the past five years to date.
172. Deputy Cathal Berry asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence in light of commitments given on military housing by the Tánaiste last year, what the plan is for the currently unoccupied houses in an area (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3797/24]
View answerThese properties are no longer in the possession of the Department.
173. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the percentage of the 2023 budget allocation for purchasing new horses for the Defence Forces equitation school that was actually spent; and if any of underspend from the 2023 budget is automatically forwarded to the 2024 budget for same. [3880/24]
View answerThe School’s budget allocation in 2023 for horse acquisitions was initially set at €350,000. Additional funding was secured in 2023 as the Horse Purchase Board identified a number of suitable horses that were available for purchase. Five new horses were bought in 2023 as well as payments made for the continued lease of two horses. The total cost of these payments was €524,500. The School’s budget allocation in 2024 for horse acquisitions is set at €500,000.
174. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if he has considered amending the upper age limits for persons that have an ambition to become a member of the Defence Forces (detail supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3908/24]
View answerThe age limits for personnel wishing to enter the Defence Forces are as set out in Regulations made pursuant to the Defence Act 1954, as amended. The entry age limits for General Service Recruits, Air Corps Aircraft Apprentices and certain Direct Entry ‘other rank’ specialists (DFSM Instrumentalists) were increased to 29 years in 2023.
Further age increases for these streams require legislative change and, in that context, the General Scheme of the Defence Amendment Bill 2023, published on 10 January 2024, includes an amendment to the provisions regarding the engagement of enlisted personnel. This amendment will remove current obstacles, and provide for greater flexibility on increasing the maximum age limits for personnel who wish to enlist in the Defence Forces.
Increases in age limits for other streams, including Direct Entry Officers, are currently being considered.
175. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence to provide an update on the restrictions he intends placing on Defence Forces representative associations; the reason he believes that a Defence Forces representative association or a representative of such association should be prohibited in law from making a public statement or comment concerning a political matter [or question or express an opinion on the merits of any policy] of the Government or a Minister of the Government or on the merits of the objectives of such policy (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4043/24]
View answerThe proposals set out in the General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2023 to prohibit the Defence Force Representative Associations from making a public statement or comment concerning a political matter is already provided for in Regulation, namely the Defence Force Regulation (DFR) S.6, which states that “No public statement or comment concerning a political matter shall be made by the Association” . This position was also confirmed as part of the terms of the 2022 High Court settlement with the Representative Associations in connection with temporary associate membership of ICTU.
Representative Associations are, however, entitled to comment on the impact that a particular policy is having on its members. Under Defence Forces Regulation DFR S.6, regulation 27 (2), a Representative Association can comment on matters within the scope of representation of the Association as set out in the Third Schedule to these regulations, and the internal affairs of the Association.
It is intended that the Representative Associations will continue to have the right to comment on matters as provided for under existing Regulations.
176. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the reason he has moved to legislate with the General Scheme (Defence) Amendment Bill 2023 for the prohibition of membership of a representative association for two named appointments (Director of Military Prosecutions and Military Judge) in complete contravention of the finding of a Government appointed adjudicator within the Defence Forces conciliation and arbitration scheme, whose ruling was laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas in June 2023 and has not been overturned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4044/24]
View answerIt is the case that since 23 January 2020, the holder of the post of Director of Military Prosecutions (DMP) cannot be a member of a Representative Association. This point is set out in Defence Force Regulation (DFR) 02/2020, Section 4(1) and Section 6(2).
This draft Defence (Amendment) Bill will further include the post of the Military Judge (MJ), as both these posts are unique, within the Defence Forces, in that the post holders are independent in the performance of their functions, are not obliged to report to anyone in relation to their functions and the post holders are not in the chain of command. Equally, the DMP and MJ posts are for all members of the Defence Forces and as such they must be seen to be wholly independent, by all, in carrying out their specific duties.
Furthermore the posts of DMP and MJ are open to the public to apply and the terms and conditions for those posts are set out in legislation.
The ruling from the Adjudicator under the Conciliation and Arbitration (C&A) Scheme, for members of the permanent Defence Forces, is currently under appeal to the defence sector Arbitration Board. This appeal is part and parcel of the rights of all parties to the C&A Scheme.
177. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the strength of the Defence Forces at end December 2023; how many of these personnel are in full-time induction training, recruits, two star training, cadet training or apprenticeships and therefore non deployable; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4045/24]
View answerAs at 31 December 2023, the strength of the PDF was 7,550 personnel. Of that strength, 364 personnel were in full time induction training of varying duration, comprised of 86 recruits, 116 Private 2 star, 103 Cadets, 12 Air Corp Trainee Military Aircraft Systems Technician and 47 Air Corp Apprentice Technicians.
The establishment for the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) was recently increased by 89 to 9,589 to account for the first cohort of Commission on the Defence Forces (CODF) appointments. Personnel in training are counted as part of the 9,589 establishment level. Members of the PDF, when not deployed overseas, are engaged in a range of ongoing operations and training and are available for service at all times, including those in induction training, where appropriate.
178. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the number of females currently in recruit training for both Army and Naval Service as of 23 January 2024. [4084/24]
View answerThe military authorities have advised that, as of 23 January 2024, the following number of women were in General Service Recruit or Cadet training across all Branches.
|
Army |
Air Corp |
Naval Service |
|
|
Recruit* |
10 |
6** |
4 |
|
Cadets |
15 |
3 |
1 |
*Includes personnel undergoing initial recruit training and Private 2* training and excludes apprentices.
** includes 2 Trainee Military Aircraft Systems Technicians undergoing initial recruit training.
The Cadet figures reflect the number of females in both the 2022 and 2023 Cadet classes.
The Government remains committed to a policy of equal opportunity for men and women throughout the Defence Forces and to the full participation by women in all aspects of Defence Forces activities. It is also Government policy to increase female participation rates at all levels of the Defence Forces in order to increase capability and to better reflect the society from which the Defence Forces are drawn and serve.
179. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if his Department is purchasing military equipment from Israeli companies (details supplied) whose weapons are currently being used in the genocidal assault against the Palestinian people; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4117/24]
View answerI am advised by the Defence Forces that their records indicate there are contracts currently in place with Elbit Systems Ltd (Elbit Systems Land Ltd and Elbit Systems C4I & Cyber).
The Defence Forces have also indicated that the companies listed from 2-11 do not appear on their records.
180. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence to provide a schedule of the number of civilian drivers and Garda drivers attached to him and to Ministers of State of his Department; to provide the official work pattern for each driver and the total annual hours worked by each driver; and to indicate the number of drivers assigned to each Minister and Minister of State. [4215/24]
View answerI can confirm that there are no civilian or Garda drivers appointed to me in my capacity as Minister for Defence or to the Minister of State in the Department of Defence.
