Thursday, 12 Jul 2018

Written Answers Nos. 45-60

Departmental Staff Data

Ceisteanna (45)

Fiona O'Loughlin

Ceist:

45. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the ratio of men and women at each Civil Service grade in his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31690/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Defence

The number of men and women employed in my Department on 10 July 2018 at each Civil Service grade is as follows:

Grade	Women	Men	Total
Secretary General	0	1	1
Assistant Secretary	0	3	3
Principal	7	11	18
Assistant Principal	18	27	45
Administrative Officer	3	3	6
Higher Executive Officer	44	23	67
Executive Officer	72	25	97
Clerical Officer	85	16	101
Service Officer	0	10	11
Total	229	121	348

In addition, my 2 advisers, both of whom are men, are appointed in the grade of Principal in an unestablished capacity.

Naval Service

Ceisteanna (46, 47)

Clare Daly

Ceist:

46. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if the Naval Service has a written policy in regard to dealing with sexual harassment within the service. [31832/18]

Clare Daly

Ceist:

47. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if his attention has been drawn to issues with regard to sexual harassment within the Naval Service and-or allegations of a culture of impunity in regard to sexual harassment therein. [31833/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Defence

I propose to take Questions Nos. 46 and 47 together.

The Chief of Staff provides me with updates on cases of bullying, harassment and unacceptable behaviour, on a regular basis. Defence Forces policy is this area is unambiguous. All personnel have the right to be treated with respect, equality and dignity and the right to carry out their duties free from any form of sexual harassment, other forms of harassment or bullying.

This is clearly set out in the Defence Forces Equality Policy, which pertains to all services and personnel in the Defence Forces. Furthermore, Administrative Instruction A7 (Interpersonal Relationships in the Defence Forces), sets out Policy and procedures regarding such relationships, in order to promote a service environment based on mutual respect, equality and professionalism. Additionally, the Defence Forces Dignity Charter commits to maintaining a "service environment, whether within the state or when deployed overseas, that encourages and supports the right to dignity at work. All personnel of the Defence Forces are expected to respect the right of each individual to dignity in their work environment and in all activities of their service."

All known incidents of inappropriate behaviour are properly investigated bearing in mind the need for due process which requires fairness to all parties to the complaint. Through the induction process and general notifications, the non-tolerance of such behaviour is stressed to all members of the Defence Forces. The formal and informal procedures in force are there to encourage any individual who wishes to make a complaint to do so.

Complaints of unacceptable behaviour can be dealt with at different levels, either by way of an informal approach or formal process. The overall aim is to ensure that any complaint is dealt with, in the first instance, at the lowest level possible. Informal complaints can be resolved directly by the complainant with the assistance of a third party if required. Such third parties can include any member of the Defence Forces who has the trust and confidence of the complainant. Specially trained Designated Contact Persons (DCPs) are also available to assist complainants.

The formal procedure requires that a complaint is made in writing. These complaints are dealt with by the military chain of command either through the legal/disciplinary process or by administrative action.

Naval Service Staff

Ceisteanna (48, 49, 50, 51)

Clare Daly

Ceist:

48. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the steps the Naval Service is taking to retain female officers and ratings and to facilitate them in progressing to higher ranks in their specialties. [31834/18]

Clare Daly

Ceist:

49. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of female Naval Service personnel in the service in each of the years from 2010 to 2017 and to date in 2018; and the number of male Naval Service members in each of the years from 2010 to 2017 and to date in 2018. [31835/18]

Clare Daly

Ceist:

50. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of female Naval Service members who left the service in each of the years from 2010 to 2017 and to date in 2018; and the number of male Naval Service members who left the service in each of the years from 2010 to 2017 and to date in 2018. [31836/18]

Clare Daly

Ceist:

51. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of female chief petty officers appointed in the Naval Service since 1995. [31837/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Defence

I propose to take Questions Nos. 48 to 51, inclusive, together.

The Defence Forces is an inclusive organisation and encourages participation of women at all levels. I am informed by the military authorities that no female personnel have been promoted to the rank of Chief Petty Officer in the Naval Service to date. However it should be noted that all roles are open to women and men on merit and an equal opportunities basis.

The Defence Forces are committed to promoting equality in all aspects of their work and this is clearly set out in the Defence Forces Equality Policy, which commits to ensuring that the principles of equality are adhered to in all its employment policies, procedures, instructions and regulations. The policy also commits to an inclusive workplace environment where dignity and respect are afforded to all, regardless of rank, gender, race, religion, civil status, family status, sexual orientation and membership of the travelling community.

A Women's Network was established in 2016 and its aim is to support women in their work and to lead to their greater participation at all levels. There are also 30 trained facilitators within the Defence Forces which conduct female-only meetings in order to allow women to explore gender equality and military professional themes in an atmosphere of confidentially and trust.

In addition, the Naval Service has a Female Forum, for all ranks, that meets regularly to discuss issues relevant to female personnel in the Naval Service and to develop a network to extend support opportunities and enhance their Naval experience. Furthermore, practical and emotional support is provided through the facilities of the Personnel Support Service Section, through which female personnel have access to dedicated full-time professionals and a female Occupational Social Worker on the Naval Base.

Career advice and mentoring is provided to all Naval Service Personnel through Branch Warrant Officers and the Naval Service HR Officer.

The following table sets out the number of female and male personnel in the Naval Service from 2010 to 2018 (to date).

Year (31 Dec)	NS Personnel (Male)	NS Personnel (Female)
2010	962	70
2011	929	68
2012	988	70
2013	958	65
2014	993	64
2015	1,022	61
2016	1,031	59
2017	983	70
2018 (31 May 2018)	979	68

The following table sets out the number of female and male personnel who have left the Naval Service from 2010 to 2018 (to date). This includes personnel who exited during initial training.

Year	NS Personnel Exits (Male)	NS Personnel Exits (Female)
2010	44	2
2011	84	1
2012	74	2
2013	64	4
2014	54	1
2015	63	4
2016	88	5
2017	76	6
2018	44	6

Defence Forces Strength

Ceisteanna (52, 54)

Jack Chambers

Ceist:

52. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the most up to date figures for the strength of the Permanent Defence Force, with regard to all three services and all ranks; the gender breakdown of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31958/18]

Jack Chambers

Ceist:

54. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of additional recruits the Permanent Defence Force has taken on to date in 2018, with regard to all three services; the gender breakdown of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31960/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Defence

I propose to take Questions Nos. 52 and 54 together.

As of 31 May 2018 (the latest date for which figures are available), the strength of the Permanent Defence Force (whole time equivalents), across all three services and ranks, broken down by gender, was as follows:

Service	Female Personnel	Total Personnel
Army	491	7,248
Naval Service	68	1,047
Air Corps	30	715
Total	589	9,010

With the aim of increasing strength levels, a total of 751 personnel were inducted in 2017, of which 73 (9.72%) were female. This comprised of:

- 615 General Service Recruits across the Army and Naval Service

- 101 Cadets

- 22 Air Corps Apprentices

- 13 Direct Entry Officers (11 Naval Service Officers and 1 Military Doctors)

In 2018, as of 29th June, 194 General Service Recruits were inducted, comprised of:

Service	Female Personnel	Total Personnel
Army	5	169
Naval Service	3	25
Air Corps	0	0
Total	8	194

5 Direct Entry Officers (4 Medical Officers and 1 Naval Service Officer) were also inducted during this period.

Recruitment levels similar to those in 2017 are planned for this year and further inductions are planned. I remain committed to ensuring that the Defence Forces retain the capacity to operate effectively across all roles assigned by Government.

Defence Forces Reserve Strength

Ceisteanna (53, 55)

Jack Chambers

Ceist:

53. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the most up to date figures for the strength of the Reserve Defence Force, with regard to all three services and all ranks; the gender breakdown of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31959/18]

Jack Chambers

Ceist:

55. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of additional recruits the Reserve Defence Force has taken on to date in 2018, with regard to all services; the gender breakdown of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31961/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Defence

I propose to take Questions Nos. 53 and 55 together.

As of 31 May 2018 (the latest date for which figures are available), the strength of the First Line Reserve was as follows:

	Female Personnel	Total Personnel
First Line Reserve (FLR)	25	273

There is no establishment figure for the FLR.

As of 31 May 2018 (the latest date for which figures are available), the effective strength of the Army Reserve and the Naval Service Reserve was as follows:

Service	Female Personnel	Total Personnel
Army Reserve (AR)	231	1,663
Naval Service Reserve (NSR)	17	115

I am aware that there is a difference between these figures and the establishment for the AR and NSR which provides for 4,069 personnel. To address this difference, I directed the military authorities to maximise recruitment to the Army Reserve and the Naval Service Reserve, having regard to training demands arising from significant ongoing recruitment to the PDF. This has resulted in 139 personnel (10 females) being inducted in 2017 and in 2018, as of 5th July, a further 76 personnel (8 females) were inducted.

A total of 1,364 applications, of which 12% (164) were from females, were received for the recent RDF General Service Recruitment campaign. Applications for this recruitment campaign, which ran between 23 April and 4 June 2018, are currently being processed.

I can assure the Deputy that I remain committed to the on-going development of the RDF within the framework set out in the White Paper on Defence.

Question No. 54 answered with Question No. 52.

Question No. 55 answered with Question No. 53.

Army Bomb Disposals Data

Ceisteanna (56)

Jack Chambers

Ceist:

56. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of suspect devices that the Army bomb disposal unit has dealt with to date in 2018, by county, in tabular form. [31962/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Defence

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.

The Defence Forces Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) teams respond when a request for assistance is made by An Garda Síochána in dealing with a suspect device. The number of EOD callouts, which include viable devices, hoaxes, false alarms, post-blast analysis and the removal of unstable chemicals in laboratories dealt with up to date in 2018, by county, are set out in the tabular statement:

County	Number of Callouts
Clare	1
Cork	2
Dublin	15
Galway	1
Kerry	1
Kildare	4
Louth	4
Mayo	1
Monaghan	1
Sligo	1
Tipperary	3
Waterford	1
Wexford	1
Wicklow	2
Total	38

Naval Service

Ceisteanna (57)

Jack Chambers

Ceist:

57. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of days spent at sea by members of the Naval Service Reserve in 2017 and to date in 2018. [31963/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Defence

The number of days spent at sea by members of the Naval Service Reserve in 2017 and 2018 is as follows:

Year	Sea Days
2017	167 days
2018	29 days (up to 4 July 2018)

Defence Forces Personnel Data

Ceisteanna (58)

Jack Chambers

Ceist:

58. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of sick days taken by members in each service of the Defence Forces in 2016, 2017 and to date in 2018. [31964/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Defence

The total number of days sick leave taken by members of the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service in the years 2016, 2017 and to 12th July in 2018, as advised by the Military authorities, is outlined in the tabular statement:

	2016	2017	2018*
ARMY	60,739	62,111	34,192
AIR CORPS	6,630	7,034	3,767
NAVAL SERVICE	5,195	6,706	4,260
TOTAL	72,564	75,851	42,219

*as at 12th July 2018

The procedures for managing absences due to the ill health of members of the Permanent Defence Force are governed by the provisions of Defence Force Regulations A.12 (Medical Treatment). All absences due to ill health are recorded on the Defence Forces Personnel Management System and DFR A.12 provides that commanding officers are required to play an active role in managing sick leave in their areas.

Capital Expenditure Programme

Ceisteanna (59)

Fergus O'Dowd

Ceist:

59. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the funding provided towards capital projects in counties Meath and Louth in 2016, 2017 and to date in 2018, by project name, location and cost, in tabular form. [31987/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Defence

Expenditure by my Department is mainly on pay and allowances and the operational costs and capital investment across the Defence Forces. My Department does not provide funding on a geographic basis, with the limited exception of the funding provided from the Defence Vote in respect of Civil Defence and for the maintenance and upgrade of military installations.

The funding provided towards capital projects in relation to Counties Meath and Louth is in respect of maintenance and upgrade of military installations for the years 2016 to 2018 (to date) and is as follows:

County Meath	2016	2017	2018 to date
Gormanston Camp.	€102,854	€137,462	€57,864

County Louth	2016	2017	2018 to date
Aiken Barracks, Dundalk.	Nil	Nil	€51,876

Local Authority Funding

Ceisteanna (60)

Fergus O'Dowd

Ceist:

60. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the applications submitted for funding and projects from Meath and Louth County Councils in 2016, 2017 and to date in 2018 for projects decided upon or in progress, in tabular form. [32003/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Defence

Applications for funding and projects arise in my Department only in respect of funding for a proportion of Civil Defence costs incurred by Local Authorities. Such applications are based on the actual expenditure incurred during the year and are submitted and paid retrospectively.

Civil Defence training and operations are funded by a combination of an annual grant from the Department of Defence and a contribution from the relevant local authority on a 70/30 basis. Grants are also issued to the Local Authorities on application from time to time towards the purchase of vehicles and equipment for Civil Defence use.

Details of grant funding provided to Meath and Louth County Councils for Civil Defence for the past three years are outlined in the following tables.

County Meath	2016	2017	2018 to date
Annual Operational Grant for Civil Defence	€116,771	€85,115	Nil
Other Grants	€31,095	€73,443	€104

Meath County Council have made an application to the Department of Defence for a contribution towards the cost of developing a new headquarters for their Civil Defence Unit, which is currently being considered.

Meath County Council have recently submitted a request to the Department of Defence for a grant of €24,800 towards the purchase of a 4x4 vehicle and this is being considered.

County Louth	2016	2017	2018 to date
Annual Operational Grant for Civil Defence	€67,568	€77,369	€86,688
Other Grants	€17,750	Nil	Nil

A grant of €25,000 for the purchase of a 4x4 vehicle for Louth County Council has recently been approved.