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Gnáthamharc

Departmental Priorities.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 28 October 2004

Thursday, 28 October 2004

Ceisteanna (375)

Richard Bruton

Ceist:

375 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Defence the five measurable performance indicators which he regards as target of greatest priority within his Department; the way in which this measure has changed in each year since 1997; his views on whether confining priorities to five indicators gives too partial a picture of Departmental priorities; and if he will indicate the movement over the period 1997 to 2004 of other primary indicators of performance. [26718/04]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

In the period 1997-2001 my Department had four strategic objectives and a number of associated strategies and performance indicators which were set out in successive strategy statements. A fifth objective, dealing with emergency planning, was added in 2001. Successive annual reports detail the progress made in respect of each of the objectives in terms of the associated strategies and performance indicators.

The strategic objectives have been essentially the same since 1997, except in emergency planning, and are currently set out in the Department of Defence strategy statement for 2003-05. The objectives are to contribute to the security of the State principally against the threat of armed aggression and thus contribute to political and economic well being — the security objective; to promote the co-ordination of emergency planning functions across all Departments and agencies and to oversee the emergency planning process in general — the emergency planning objective; to facilitate through the local authorities Civil Defence responses for emergency relief and support to ensure the operation of vital services and the maintenance of public life and to provide all other supports as directed by Government — the Civil Defence objective; to continue the modernisation of the Defence Forces by implementing the White Paper on Defence and related modernisation initiatives — the White Paper objective; and to provide the Minister for Defence with the best policy advice and support on the management of defence — the policy advice and support objective.

Given that these objectives closely follow the Defence commitments made in the programme for Government, each of the objectives is important, as are all of the related strategies and performance indicators. It would be invidious to try to isolate any five or more as of greater priority than the others.

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