Vol. 939 No. 1
35. Deputy Lisa Chambers asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if he will commission an independent health outcome study of aircraft maintenance personnel and of personnel working in aircraft maintenance shops in Baldonnel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7601/17]
My question asks if the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence will commission an independent health outcome study of aircraft maintenance personnel and of personnel working in aircraft maintenance shops in Baldonnel; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
At the outset I would like to assure the Deputy that the health and welfare of the men and women of the Defence Forces are a key priority for me and for civil and military management. As the Deputy is aware, there are a number of processes already in train relating to reviewing health and safety procedures in the Air Corps.
As I stated in the Dáil on 25 January 2017, the Health and Safety Authority, HSA, conducted inspections at the Air Corps premises at Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel, on three occasions in February, April and September last year. During these visits the Air Corps outlined the most recent developments regarding its health and safety practice and procedures, which were being developed in consultation with risk management experts. I understand that the HSA met with Air Corps personnel, safety representatives and other employees and observed some workplaces and work practices.
On 21 October 2016, the HSA issued its inspection report to the Air Corps which listed a number of advisory items for follow-up. They included the areas of risk assessment, health surveillance, monitoring of employees' actual exposure to particular hazardous substances and the provision and use of personal protective equipment. On 20 December 2016, the Air Corps wrote to the HSA outlining its proposed improvement plan. The Air Corps advised that it was fully committed to implementing the improved safety measures to protect workers from potential exposures to chemicals and will ensure risks are as low as reasonably practicable. The Air Corps improvement plan is being conducted over eight phases. I am advised that seven out of the eight phases are planned to be completed by May 2017. Additional risk assessment of particular chemicals, policy review and health surveillance and biological monitoring will also be considered.
As recognised in the HSA report of October 2016, the Air Corps had already commenced activities of improvement and was proactive in implementing change before, during and after the engagement with the HSA.
In addition to the HSA review, the Deputy is aware that, in September 2016, I appointed an independent third party to review allegations made in a number of protected disclosures relating to health and safety issues in the Air Corps, which I received in late 2015 and early 2016. It is important that I get a clear and independent view of the issues raised by those who have made such disclosures.
Interim recommendations and observations from the independent reviewer were received by me in December 2016 and were passed to the military authorities for immediate action, where appropriate, and response.
Additional information not given on the floor of the House
On 7 January 2017, a response was received from the military authorities outlining the actions under way and this has been forwarded to the independent reviewer for consideration. I understand that the reviewer is considering this material, and determining the next steps required in order to finalise his review.
I assure the Deputy that I will ensure that all recommendations, whether arising from the work of the Health and Safety Authority or the ongoing protected disclosure review, will be acted upon to ensure the safety of the men and women of the Air Corps.
In the circumstances, and pending the completion of the current processes, I have no plans at this time to commission an independent health outcome study of aircraft maintenance personnel and of personnel working in aircraft maintenance shops in the Air Corps.
This matter has been ongoing for quite some time and I raised it, with other Deputies, as a topical issue matter a few weeks ago. Since then the story has developed and, as Deputy Micheál Martin said in response to the investigation of the Irish Examiner, it has revealed quite a horror story within the Air Corps. Last week there were details of text messages between the Chief Whip, Deputy Regina Doherty, and a whistleblower who had warned the Government of Air Corps staff exposure to cancer-causing chemicals while working at Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel. She undertook to contact the Minister for Defence about the matter. In January 2015 she passed a message on to the whistleblower indicating that the then Minister, Deputy Simon Coveney, would call the next day. This is contrary to his claim that he was unaware of such an appeal. Major inconsistencies have emerged in the Government's account of how it has managed the warnings it has received over concerns over Air Corps technicians' health. None of the three whistleblowers has been contacted by Deputy Coveney or the current Minister for Defence since they made their disclosures more than a year ago. Can I assume this is still the case?
Has the Minister made contact with the whistleblowers concerned? We are already seeing a lot of turmoil about the treatment of whistleblowers in another arm of the State. Have we learned nothing? Has the Minister met with the whistleblowers? If not, why not?
I have not met the whistleblowers. As the Deputy is aware, these are protected disclosures and litigation is ongoing so it would be wrong of me to meet the whistleblowers. When I was informed of this, after my appointment in July 2016, I got the full report and appointed an independent person to carry out a review of the disclosures made by the three individuals. The independent person reviewed the files and felt that they did not have the qualifications to carry out an independent assessment. Upon that, I appointed another person in early September and that independent assessor gave a preliminary report to my office in late November. In December I sent a copy of the report to the military authorities and they have sent back their thoughts and views on the report. I have kept on top of this issue since my appointment in May 2016 and it is incorrect to say there has not been some form of dialogue and communication with the people who made the protected disclosures.
The manner in which the whistleblowers have been treated is completely unsatisfactory. The Chief Whip and the then Minister for Defence, Deputy Simon Coveney, seem to be at odds about who said what and when, and Deputy Coveney seems to be unaware that the whistleblowers wanted to meet with him personally while the Chief Whip says otherwise.
In the context of a health review of those potentially affected, we need to assess what soldiers were affected by this chemical issue and what their health implications are or were. We need to sit down with the individuals concerned and put together a health package for them to ensure their health needs are met into the future. If the health of any of them has been adversely affected because of failings on the part of the State to provide proper health and safety equipment and a safe place to work, the State needs to step up to the plate. It should ensure the health needs of these people are met into the future and that they do not have to foot the bill themselves.
I have been assured by the Chief of Staff and the military authorities that all health and safety precautions have been put in place. The HSA also carried out a review of the Air Corps and made a number of recommendations around the health and safety of personnel.
That is in the past. I am asking about the situation going forward.
I wrote to the Chief of Staff and he says all these matters are receiving the fullest attention. I will not jump to any conclusions. I will wait until I have the full independent review of the person I appointed in 2016. I will look at the recommendations he makes and consider the findings of the report. It would be totally wrong of me to jump to any conclusions. I will use the recommendations of the assessor's report together with those of the HSA to make sure all safety precautions are in place in the Air Corps.
36. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the length of time he, his Department and the military authorities have been aware of the issues highlighted by the protected disclosures made by former and serving members of the Air Corps into the health and safety and working conditions in Casement Aerodrome; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7648/17]
My question asks how long the Minister, his Department and the Air Corps authorities have been aware of the major health and safety issues related to the handling of, and exposure to, chemicals for personnel stationed at Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel.
The State Claims Agency is currently managing six claims taken between 2013 and 2016 by former and current members of the Air Corps against the Minister for Defence for personal injuries alleging exposure to chemical and toxic substances whilst working in the Air Corps in Baldonnel in the period 1991 to 2006. As such, my Department and the Defence Forces were aware of allegations relating to exposure to chemical and toxic substances in the Air Corps. Given my responsibilities and the fact that the Minister for Defence is the defendant in these claims, the Deputy will appreciate that it would be inappropriate for me to make any comment in relation to these cases whilst such litigation is ongoing.
Protected disclosures submitted in respect of health and safety issues in the Air Corps were received in November and December 2015 and January 2016.
I was made aware of these disclosures following my appointment in May 2016. As I have previously advised the House, I appointed an independent third party to review the matter in July 2016. Unfortunately, that individual was not subsequently in a position to proceed and he notified the Department of this in August 2016. I appointed another individual to review the matter in September 2016 and that process is at an advanced stage.
As the Deputy is aware, during 2016 the Health and Safety Authority, HSA, conducted inspections at Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel, on three occasions - 4 February 2016, 5 April 2016 and 28 September 2016.
On 21 October 2016, the HSA issued its report of inspection to the Air Corps. The report outlined a number of general improvements and recommendations and included the areas of risk assessment, health surveillance, monitoring of employees' actual exposure to particular hazardous substances, and the provision and use of personal protective equipment.
The health and safety report of October 2016 acknowledged that some or all of the advice items contained in that report may already have been receiving active consideration. The military authorities have advised me that the Air Corps were proactively engaged in mitigating health and safety risks in the Air Corps before, during and after the engagement with the HSA and were pursuing the development of a chemical register template commenced in quarter two, 2015; a review of the risk assessment of chemicals process commenced in quarter two, 2015 and the HSA provided advice on this process during their visits; and, a new approach to chemical awareness training within the Air Corps commenced in quarter one, 2016.
Additional information not given on the floor of the House
On 20 December 2016, a response from the Air Corps outlining its improvement plan was returned to the HSA. This confirmed the Air Corps' full commitment to implementing improved safety measures that protect workers and ensure risks are as low as reasonably practicable. This Air Corps plan will be implemented over eight phases. The first phase commenced in September 2016 with planned phased completion dates to December 2017. The military authorities have advised me that phases 1, 2 and 3 are now complete with phase 4 under way. I am also advised that seven out of the eight phases are planned to be completed by May 2017.
The military authorities have confirmed that the Air Corps provides personal protective equipment, PPE, to all workers in the Air Corps and that they are required to wear such equipment in the workplace when necessary. These requirements are set out in a range of military policy and practice documents. The Air Corps plan also provides for further actions relating to risk assessments and training focused on PPE.
I can assure the Deputy that the health and safety of the men and women of the Defence Forces is of the highest priority for me and for the military authorities. I am advised that all reports made to the military authorities are investigated and any recommendations arising are implemented as part of the continual review of their health and safety procedures.
I asked a simple question and did not get a simple answer, but that is nothing new in here. When was the Minister of State aware of the health and safety concerns about the handling of chemicals? From his answer, the Minister of State seems to suggest that the military authorities were obviously briefing him. I have known the Minister of State a long time and I am not accusing him of a cover-up, but there is a cover-up here.
I have seen health and safety reports going back as far as 1995. All of them pointed specifically to the issues that were addressed in The Examiner newspaper. A number of Deputies have been raising these issues with the Minister of State, so this is not a new issue. It is a cover-up because the military authorities in Casement Aerodrome did not take the required steps when it was highlighted to them that dangerous chemicals existed.
Is the Minister of State aware of any health or safety reports or assessments carried out on the different workshops in Casement Aerodrome?
Let me repeat this for the Deputy. I was made aware of the protected disclosures following my appointment in May 2016, as I have previously advised the House during another debate. A number of litigation cases between claimants and the Defence Forces, specifically in the Air Corps, have been going on since 1991. I stand to be corrected on that but I think the date is 1991. If I am wrong on that I will get back to the Deputy directly.
When I was advised and briefed on these protected disclosures, I immediately appointed an independent assessor. I reappointed another one later because the original person felt he was unable to carry out the review that was before him.
Let me assure the Deputy that I have asked the military what other complainants are there. This is what I have been briefed on and told. I can absolutely assure the Deputy that this is something I take quite seriously. The health and safety of any person in any workplace is of the utmost importance. We must ensure that they are given the correct course of action and provided with all the health and safety equipment to protect themselves.
The other issue concerns the HSA report and I am keeping on top of that.
I take the Minister of State at his word. As I said, I have known him for a long time. There is a major question here, however, in that the Minister of State is not getting the information to enable him to come here and answer correctly what we are asking. In some ways, that is a bigger scandal than the one we have been dealing with for a number of days here, given the amount of people who were exposed to chemicals since the first reports I saw were initiated and which directed the military authorities to take specific steps. I ask the Minister of State to go back to the military authorities and remind them that they have carried out assessments in Casement Aerodrome which specifically pointed to major failings. They did not take any action until the HSA report was completed, which is even more scandalous.
I will of course go back to the military authorities, but I can assure the Deputy that thus far this is what I have been briefed on and told. If the Deputy has any information that he wants to bring to my attention, involving the health and safety of the men and women of the Defence Forces - specifically in the Air Corps to which he referred - I will take it on board. He can be assured that I will go back to the Defence Forces, including the Air Corps, to inquire if there are any further issues surrounding the health and safety of the men and women who serve there.
37. Deputy Lisa Chambers asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence his views on claims that the Reserve Defence Force could cease to exist within months if extra commitments are not provided to strengthen the organisation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7602/17]
I wish to ask the Minister of State at the Department of Defence for his response to claims that the Reserve Defence Force could cease to exist within months if extra commitments are not given to strengthen the organisation, and if he will make a statement.
For the avoidance of any doubt, I want to state very clearly that there are no plans to stand down the Reserve and I do not accept the assertion that the Reserve will cease to exist within months. On the contrary, in the White Paper on Defence 2015, the Government has reaffirmed its commitment in terms of the Reserve. My Government colleagues and I recognise the important role that the Reserve Defence Force has played in contributing to Ireland's defence capability, and in particular, to the voluntary service which has been the hallmark of the Reserve. The Government appreciates the service of the members of the Reserve and the White Paper on Defence is clear that there is a continued requirement to retain and develop the Reserve.
Under the current phase of the implementation of White Paper actions, two relate specifically to the RDF, that is, attracting recruits from all backgrounds and conducting a skills survey with a view to establishing a Specialist Reserve.
Recruitment to both the PDF and RDF remains a priority in 2017. Membership of the RDF is voluntary and unpaid and the quest for recruits must compete with the other organisations within the voluntary sector. These conditions along with the unique demands of military service make the issue of attracting recruits a challenging one. In the context of both finite resources and personnel, it is necessary to strike an appropriate balance in terms of PDF and RDF recruitment, so as to deliver the desired effects of maintaining the capacity of the Defence Forces to undertake all roles assigned to it by Government and to advance the single force structure.
Within the Defence Vote, the Government allocates over €2 million to support paid training and it also grants financial support to the RDF Representative Association.
The Government is fully committed to the retention of the RDF.
The Minister of State might be aware that the Reserve Defence Forces Representative Association, RDFRA, appeared before the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, Defence last week. The Minister of State's own Government colleague, Deputy Seán Barrett, said the report presented to the committee was the most damning one he had seen in his 36 years as a Deputy.
Maybe the Minister of State is not aware of the current problems facing the Reserve Defence Force. RDFRA believes that the organisation will struggle to exist within two years on its current trajectory. I have raised the issue of recruitment to the Reserve Defence Force many times with the Minister of State. This is not a new issue. To put it in context, he keeps talking about the difficulty and challenges of attracting recruits. Last year, there were almost 5,000 applicants to the RDF but fewer than 100 were inducted. The issue is not about attracting recruits, it is about getting them into the organisation. The blockage is with the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces. What will the Minister of State do to address that particular issue? He should stop standing behind the excuse of challenges in attracting people. That is not the problem.
I refer to the issue raised by RDFRA at the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence last week. A rolling recruitment campaign for the Reserve Defence Force general service was launched in September 2015. As of 31 December 2016, a total of 5,891 applications were received of which 726 were from females. The Army Reserve had 5,190 applications while the Naval Service Reserve had 771. A total of 78 recruits were recruited to the RDF in 2016. The Defence Forces will continue to process applications from the campaign through the various competition stages. The rate of intake is disappointing. I agree entirely with the Deputy opposite on that. It reflects a number of factors, including the time the recruitment process took place, security clearances in particular, the high rate of no-shows at various stages throughout the induction campaign, the priority of keeping PDF recruitment at an appropriate level and the overhead of safe and effective training places on the resources of the PDF. While there have been a large number of applications to join the RDF, the resilience of the panel has proven to be very low.
Does the Minister of State hear what he is reading out to me? He has spoken previously about challenges in terms of attracting people and then he tells me there were over 5,000 applicants but less than 100 were inducted. Does he not see that there is a major problem with the Reserve Defence Forces? With every month that goes by in which we do not take people in, the Government is killing that organisation piece by piece. It will not exist in a number of years. That is a fact. We have people retiring who are fed up with the way the organisation is being run. The single force concept does not appear to be working and it may be that we need to rejig it.
The Government must put in place set timelines for the Defence Forces to process the applications of Reserve applicants. The fact is that the Permanent Defence Forces are under severe pressure because of years of cuts. They do not have the staff to process these applications. Processing Reserve applications probably ranks way down on the list of priorities. I tell the Minister of State in the Chamber today that what is happening is that those applications are sitting on someone's desk for months on end and they are not being processed. When they are got around to, perhaps people have run out of time. People are being asked two and three times to apply for Garda clearance. These are people who are asking to volunteer for their country and they are being treated in this manner.
Unless the Minister of State takes it upon himself to put set timelines in place for processing applications so that people get a response within a set timeframe and know what they are dealing with, we will have this problem again in two months and in six months. In two years, we will be back to talk about why the Reserve Defence Forces are ceasing to exist.
The Deputy opposite is well aware that I have similar issues of Garda clearance checks and vetting.
Garda clearance is not the problem.
It is an issue.
The Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality told me it is not.
It is an issue for the time it is taking. I have to try to balance the PDF and the RDF. I met the deputy Chief of Staff, Major General Kevin Cotter, last week around recruitment for both the PDF and the RDF. I have a meeting with him and his team every nine weeks. I agree with the Deputy that we face a challenge, but I assure her that I have in no way-----
It is a crisis not a challenge.
It is not a crisis if one looks at recruitment in previous years. While 2016 was a very disappointing year, I am willing and want to correct the position we are in. I have my own thoughts about the single force concept. I will bring those forward. I assure the Deputy that I am working with the military to resolve the recruitment issue.
38. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of deployments of troops there were to Shannon Airport in 2016; the cost to the Exchequer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7720/17]
39. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence his views on whether there has been any alteration in aid to civil power duties at Shannon Airport in 2017; and if he will provide details of same. [7644/17]
Can the Minister of State clarify whether Questions Nos. 38 and 39 are being taken together? If so, it is the first questioner who will introduce the question.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 38 and 39 together.
The Department of Defence circulated groupings earlier and these questions were not grouped. I register that point. I will not make any bigger deal about it, but it cannot happen again.
I apologise if that is the case.
It is the case.
Despite overwhelming public opposition, more than 2.5 million US troops have been facilitated at Shannon Airport since 2003 with the support of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to conduct bloody wars in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and Yemen, killing hundreds of thousands of people. The public is paying for this. How much are the Defence Forces spending to facilitate the US war machine? Does the Government intend to continue to spend that money when we now have a racist warmonger in the White House intent on unleashing even more war on people across the world?
As I said, I propose to take Questions Nos. 38 and 39 together.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade has responsibility for the use of Shannon Airport by foreign military aircraft and for the granting of permission for overflights by foreign military aircraft. The Department of Justice and Equality and An Garda Síochána have primary responsibility for the internal security of the State.
Among the roles assigned to the Defence Forces in the White Paper on Defence is the provision of aid to the civil power which, in practice, means to assist An Garda Síochána when requested to do so. Since 5 February 2003, An Garda Síochána has requested support from the Defence Forces at Shannon Airport on occasion. Security assessments are carried out by An Garda Síochána which determines if Defence Forces assistance is required. There has been no alteration to these arrangements in 2017. For security reasons, it would not be appropriate to disclose the precise detail of such deployments. The number of occasions that aid to the civil power functions were carried out by Defence Forces personnel at Shannon Airport in 2016 was 396. The cost incurred in the provision of this support by the Defence Forces to An Garda Síochána in 2016 was €181,669. These costs comprise payment of security duty allowance, provision of rations and fuel. To date in 2017, the Defence Forces have provided support to An Garda Síochána at Shannon Airport on 36 occasions at a cost of €19,822.
I am satisfied that there is ongoing and close liaison between both An Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces and between my Department and the Department of Justice and Equality regarding security matters generally, including the Defence Forces' aid to the civil power role.
We have long disagreed with Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil on the facilitation of the US war machine at Shannon and the bloody consequences of that for Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and Yemen and on the spending of money to facilitate that by the Department of Defence and others. Can the Minister of State tell me if the Government intends to continue to spend public money to facilitate the US military at Shannon when we have a bloodthirsty racist warmonger in the White House? It is unconscionable if that is the case. The US Secretary of Defence is a bloodthirsty maniac whose name is "Mad Dog" Mattis and who has boasted about how it is fun to shoot and kill people and about how he wants to go and shoot more people in Afghanistan. Literally, the stench of death from the horrendous activities of the US military and Iraqi forces in Mosul means people have to cover their faces in the streets because of the stench of rotting bodies. These people want more of this. Is the Irish Government going to facilitate the war machine headed up by these maniacs, warmongers and bloodthirsty killers at Shannon Airport and spend public money on it? It seems unbelievable that it is.
I take it from his contribution that Deputy Boyd Barrett is no friend of Donald Trump.
I certainly am not.
As I stated in my initial reply, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade has responsibility for the use of Shannon Airport by foreign military aircraft and the granting of permission for overflight by foreign military aircraft. As I also made the Deputy aware, the Department of Justice and Equality and An Garda Síochána have primary responsibility for the internal security of the State. We only come to the aid of the civil power when requested to do so by An Garda Síochána. As such, the Deputy's question would more appropriately be directed to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade.
My question should never have been grouped with this one. It is actually different and I am not having the Minister of State hide behind a grouping of questions. My question is whether there has been any alteration in aid to the civil power duties in Shannon this year. I ask because €200,000 of the defence budget was spent to carry out these duties at Shannon 385 times last year.
Has that changed? The reason I am asking is because there have been some very peculiar developments at Shannon Airport, where civilian aircraft are landing and overflying our airspace with civilian registration, and then leaving and changing those call signs to military signs which means that the State would or should have a role in that regard.
For example, the Atlas Air B767 chartered to the US military overflew Ireland yesterday morning, coming from Carolina and using a civilian flight code. It then changed it after it left Irish airspace 20 minutes later to a military one. It travelled to Turkey to a base that is being used for bombings in Syria. Have there been any changes in aid to civil power duties and, if not, why not?
There has been no change. We are directed by An Garda Síochána to assist in aid to the civil power. The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade has responsibility for the use of Shannon Airport and what flights go in and out of it. As I have repeatedly stated in the Chamber in response to Deputy Clare Daly and others, we are requested by An Garda Síochána to assist in aid to the civil power. That is the only involvement we have in flights landing at Shannon Airport.
Defence Forces personnel have been called out to protect US military aircraft. Have they been called out to protect any other aircraft? For example, on Monday of this week a Miami Air flight arrived at Shannon with a civilian call sign, but took off with a military call sign. Did Defence Forces personnel form an aid to civil power duty on this plane? Did they do so on 17 January with a Sun Country airlines flight which arrived on 18 January when an aeroplane was heading for Qatar?
Unusual developments are taking place at Shannon and I do not know whether things are being done to circumvent the supposed neutrality we have and the idea that permission needs to be sought. I am not clear on what the Minister of State is saying. Can he confirm that he is telling us that Defence Forces personnel have played no role in protecting those aircraft, despite the fact that they are repeatedly called out to protect official military aircraft?
We are called by An Garda Síochána to aid in the civil power to Shannon Airport on occasion. We protect the planes. We do not search them or make any policy decision whatsoever. That is a matter for the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade. I have repeated that in the House on numerous occasions.
I am not sure whether the Deputy is looking for information on exact dates, but I will come back to her with further clarification. I do not have the exact date on which we were involved in aid to the civil power in Shannon Airport in January 2017. I will come back to the Deputy on that.
Could the Minister of State check which aircraft were involved?
To hide behind the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade when the senior Minister in the Minister of State's Department is the Taoiseach on this issue is, to be honest, preposterous.
Has anything changed in the mindset of the Government vis-à-vis the facilitation of the US war machine at Shannon given that there is now a president that even the Government has brought itself to criticise? The President of the United States has racist attitudes and a dangerous agenda. Mattis, the Secretary for Defense, said, "The first time you blow someone away is not an insignificant event. That said, there are some assholes in the world who just need to be shot." He carries on like that. That is the thinking of the new Secretary for Defense. Does the Minister of State think we should facilitate a military machine and pay money to do so at Shannon Airport when the head of that machine thinks that way? Has anything changed?
We have carried out this facilitation for over 50 years. Our policy has not changed.
