Written Answers Nos. 1-20
6. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the status of the investigation into the killing of a member of the Defence Forces in Lebanon in December 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4946/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra55. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the progress being made in the investigation into the death in Lebanon of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4386/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra63. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if has he full confidence in the investigation into the death of a person (details supplied) following his visit to Lebanon; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5031/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 6, 55 and 63 together.
On 14th December 2022, eight personnel from the 121st Infantry Battalion were involved in an incident resulting in the death of Private Seán Rooney and injuries suffered by a number of others, including Trooper Shane Kearney who suffered critical injuries.
This tragic event has brought home to all of us the fragility of peace in Lebanon and the tragedy that war and conflict can bring to so many innocent people.
In addition to a Defence Forces multi-disciplinary team investigation into the operational circumstances of the fatal incident, Private Rooney's death is also the subject of a number of parallel investigations, in particular the criminal investigation being carried out by the Lebanese authorities as well as the standard UNIFIL investigation that arises in relation to such situations. An Garda Síochána, pursuant to the provisions of the Coroners Act 1962 (as amended), are carrying out an investigation for the purposes of preparing report for the Coroner.
The House will appreciate that it is not appropriate for me to comment further in relation to any of these investigations at this time.
Last week, I had the opportunity to visit and meet with the personnel of the 121st Inf Battalion. As well as being able to express my sympathy and that of the Government on the loss of their colleague, Private Sean Rooney, it also gave me the opportunity to express my appreciation for the work that they and hundreds of other Defence Forces personnel are doing to contribute to peace and stability in fragile regions of the world.
During my trip to Lebanon, I met with United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Mr Jean-Pierre Lacroix, and he indicated to me that, upon completion of the investigation, Ireland will be informed of the findings, which is likely to be some time later in February.
I also met with the Lebanese Minister for Defence Mr Maurice Sleem, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs & Emigrants Dr Abdullah Bou Habib during by recent visit. I underlined to the Lebanese Ministers the need to ensure that the ongoing Lebanese investigation into Private Rooney's death, is as thorough as possible. I reiterated the Irish Government's determination that all of the facts and circumstances of the incident in which Private Rooney was killed are fully established and that those responsible are brought to justice.
While these investigations are underway, I don’t propose to speculate on the circumstances of the incident and nor would it be helpful for me to do so.
As I said when I was in Lebanon last week, the Government is absolutely determined that all of the facts and circumstances of the incident are fully established and that no stone will be left unturned to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.
The tradition of UN Peacekeeping, in which we have participated for over 60 years, is about saving lives and ensuring others can enjoy the gift of peace. This is the ultimate sacrifice in the pursuit of that noblest of objectives – the pursuit of peace.
7. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the strategies and improvements required to attract females to enlist in the Defence Forces and to feel fully respected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5032/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn terms of recruitment strategies generally, as I have already highlighted, my immediate focus is on stabilising the staffing situation in the Naval Service, and thereafter on bringing the strength of the Naval Service and Defence Forces generally, to the numbers required to meet the agreed level of ambition arising from the report of the Commission on the Defence Forces. Within this commitment, I wish to confirm that it is Government policy to increase female participation rates at all levels across the Defence Forces.
The High Level Action Plan agreed by Government on the Commission on the Defence Forces contains a range of recommendations designed to assist in increasing female participation in the Defence Forces. A number of these recommendations have been identified as early actions, including the appointment of a senior Gender Advisor at Colonel level, options for female participation at General Staff level, review of fitness standards, and the development of gender, diversity and unconscious bias training. These are critical recommendations which will underpin the commitment to moving to a strong representation by women across the ranks.
I would say that a number of initiatives are already in place with a view to increasing the level of female participation e.g.
- A Gender Equality and Diversity Officer to promote gender equality policies and training
- A Defence Forces Women's Network with the aim of increasing the participation of female personnel.
- Special consideration is paid to women as a target group for recruitment within the general recruitment framework. I have been advised that the Defence Forces have engaged a Marketing and Media partner to assist with recruitment advertising to ensure engagement with the recruitment demographic across social media and other media platforms.
While in Lebanon recently, I met with a number of female serving members who described the positive experiences in the Defence Forces and the opportunities they were able to avail of in terms of achieving valuable qualifications. This was heartening to hear and reinforces the fact that a key element of any successful organisation is that its members can undertake their work and avail of opportunities for advancement, in an environment underpinned by dignity, equality and respect.
The Judge-led Independent Review Group, established on 25 January 2022 has been examining the systems, policies and procedures for dealing with issues relating to bullying, discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment and sexual misconduct in the Defence Forces as well as the prevailing workplace culture.
As I have already mentioned earlier, the Group are nearing the conclusion of the report and it’s expected to be submitted to me later this week. I am very much looking forward to receiving this Report which I will be considering in full.
12. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence his plans for the Reserve Defence Force in 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5135/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government remains fully committed to the advancement of the Reserve Defence Force (RDF). The 2015 White Paper on Defence is quite clear that there is a continued requirement to retain and develop the Reserve and this is not in question.
The Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces (CODF), published last February, equally serves to reinforce that commitment and as the Deputy will be aware, that Report contains many recommendations on the future role and structure of the RDF.
Two recommendations from the report, which have been identified as Early Actions, relate to the RDF, namely the establishment of the Office of Reserve Affairs (ORA), and the development of a Regeneration Plan for the Reserve.
Planning by the military authorities has commenced on establishing the ORA and once this is established, it will be actively involved in implementing the other accepted recommendations of the CoDF.
This process will also take into consideration, of course, the recommendations relating to the structure and strength of the RDF, which include that the future establishment of the RDF should be increased and should include, at a minimum, an Air Force Reserve of 200, and a Navy Reserve of 400.
The Deputy may also be aware that a recruitment drive for the RDF was launched in March 2022, which was advertised across a number of media channels. I'm told that Recruit Liaison Officers across the RDF conducted local recruitment to attract applicants for this campaign.
Over 1000 applications were received during this window, which is very encouraging, and I understand that the majority of those applications are now through the initial assessment stages and are currently moving to the medicals process.
To date, 90 RDF recruits have been inducted into the Defence Forces with further inductions scheduled, and the military authorities have additionally advised me that once the body of work arising from last year's campaign is completed, consideration will be given to the launch of a further recruitment initiative in mid-2023.
I would like to assure the Deputy that it is my intention, and that of the Chief of Staff, to ensure that the momentum behind the regeneration of the RDF will be maintained throughout 2023 and beyond, thereby enabling us, going forward, to create a Reserve Defence Force that can seamlessly train, operate and deploy with the Permanent Defence Force, both nationally and internationally.
16. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence his Department’s plans in relation to further investment to update and procure new aircraft for the Air Corps; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5102/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy priority as Minister for Defence is to ensure that the operational capability of the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service is maintained and developed. This is to enable the Defence Forces to carry out the roles assigned by Government, as set out in the White Paper on Defence.
In this context, the principal aim over the period of the White Paper is to replace and upgrade, as required, existing capabilities in order to retain a flexible response for a wide range of operational requirements at home and overseas.
Equipment priorities for the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service are being considered as part of the capability development and Equipment Development Planning (EDP) process. A five year Equipment Development Plan for continued re-equipment was developed on a civil military basis and was published in June 2020. The Equipment Planning process recognises the need to maintain and upgrade military capabilities having regard to emerging priorities, operational requirements and changes in technology. This is an ongoing iterative process.
In relation to air-based capability a contract has been awarded at a cost of €68 million, including VAT, for the provision of a new Fixed Wing Military Transport Aircraft for the Defence Forces. The Airbus C295W aircraft is highly versatile and will provide a dedicated asset to support the Defence Forces military airlift transport requirements and provide a wide contingent capability. The aircraft will enable the Air Corps to provide a wide range of services including logistics support and transport of troops and equipment, medical evacuation and air ambulance, Special Operations Forces operations and a general utility role. Delivery of this aircraft is expected in 2025.
The programme for the supply of two C295 Maritime Patrol Aircraft is well underway with delivery of the aircraft expected in 2023.
Alongside the four PC-12 aircraft acquired in 2020, some €344 million, including VAT, has been committed to the acquisition of all of these enhanced capabilities.
The Department of Defence has received a capital allocation under the national development plan of €566 million over the 2022 to 2025 timeframe. The Defence annual capital budget for 2023 is €176 million. The recent Budget for 2023 included an increase of €67m over the 2022 budget for Defence. This includes an almost 25% increase in Capital funding and demonstrates the Government’s strong commitment to support the transformation of the Defence Forces into a modern, agile military force, capable of responding to increasingly complex security threats.
This is following Government approval for a move over a six-year period to a level of Defence Forces’ capability equivalent to ‘Level of Ambition 2’ (LOA2), as set out in the capability framework devised by the Commission on Defence Forces, which will entail funding increases to reach a Defence budget of approximately €1.5 billion (at January 2022 prices) by 2028 through the annual Estimates.
This level of capital funding will allow the Defence Organisation to undertake a programme of sustained equipment replacement and infrastructural development across the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service as identified and prioritised in the Defence White Paper and the Report of the Commission, while building on the significant investment programme over recent years.
17. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if the independent assessment (details supplied) with regard to the independent review to examine the effectiveness of the policies, systems and procedures in place for dealing with bullying, harassment, discrimination, sexual harassment and sexual assault in the Defence Forces, has been received by the independent review group to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4834/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn 2020, an individual commenced considerable correspondence detailing allegations of sexual misconduct within the Permanent Defence Force. The incidences spanned a broad period between the 1970s and 1990s. The allegations included one of the existence of a paedophile ring in the Curragh Camp.
The individual sought an acknowledgement that abuse happened, a statement of apology and compensation for those who suffered abuse. The Department of Defence advised him that the allegations, some of which were first hand accounts and others not, were matters appropriate to an Garda Síochána.
The Department of Defence brought the matter to the attention of an Garda Síochána who subsequently contacted the individual who provided the information. I understand also that the individual was in touch with Tusla.
The then Minister was keen to ensure that the actions taken by the Department of Defence were appropriate in the circumstances having regard to the regulatory frameworks, policies and internal grievance systems in place. For that reason, Minister Coveney, in May 2022, on foot of a nomination from the Office of the Attorney General, appointed a Senior Counsel to assess the actions taken and to advise what if anything, could be done by the Department of Defence in circumstances of continued receipt of correspondence.
The substantive report was received by the Department of Defence on Thursday 26 January 2023. The Terms of Reference for Counsel provided that the report could be sent to the Independent Review Group for their awareness and this has been done.
The report is now being considered in consultation with the Attorney General's Office and thereafter it is intended that the report will be discussed with the individual concerned.
18. Deputy John Brady asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the number of fully-qualified doctors in the Defence Forces; the establishment figure for doctors in the Defence Forces; the number that are currently active in Ireland at this time; the roles they are employed in; the number of locums that are being used by the Defence Forces; the number that are serving abroad; the specific missions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5157/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraAt the outset, I would like to state that all doctors employed by the Defence Forces are fully qualified.
The military authorities inform me that the current number of Defence Forces Medical Officers is twenty-two (22), plus one (1) civilian consultant psychiatrist. The establishment figure, including the position of psychiatrist, is 28. The effective Medical Officer strength is currently 20.5 as three officers are undertaking the Military Medicine Training Scheme, which requires them to rotate every six months between Defence Forces and civilian general practice. Two of these doctors will graduate from the scheme in 2023 giving an increase in strength of one full time doctor, and two direct entry Medical Officers are in the process of being security cleared from the ongoing recruitment campaign.
All Medical Officers not overseas are active in Ireland. The overseas contingent is based in UNIFIL and UNDOF. For periods of the year, there are Medical Officers on pre-deployment form-up with the deploying unit or on post-deployment Overseas Mission Return Leave. Medical Officers are employed in Occupational Medicine, Primary Care, Force Health Protection, Medical Administration, Medico-Legal duties, Training & Education, Overseas and other roles as assigned to them. With reference to locums, there are 13 doctors engaged through an externally contracted service to provide Sick Parade at military installations.
Medical Officers are key enablers to ensure a layered level of medical cover for all operations undertaken both on land and overseas.
The recruitment and retention of trained medical personnel, as with other specialist areas within the Defence Forces, is a matter of priority.
19. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if he will declare any conflict of interest in defence matters; if any matters came to him as Taoiseach that required his decision that now mean he has a prior position on them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5226/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, Government decisions are made on the basis of the principle of collective Cabinet responsibility. Article 28.4.2? of the Constitution provides that: "the Government shall meet and act as a collective authority, and shall be collectively responsible for the Departments of State administered by the members of Government."
In that context, decisions made by Government in respect of all matters, including defence, represent the policy to be pursued by Government. Therefore, irrespective of the role I hold at any time in Government, I act on the basis of the decisions made by Government as a whole and therefore no conflict of interest arises.
Indeed, I am delighted to have the opportunity to take forward those decisions made by Government in respect of the defence sector on foot of the recommendations of the Commission on the Defence Forces.
This involves implementation of a High Level Action Plan and a move over a six year period to a level of Defence Forces' capability equivalent to 'Level of Ambition 2', as set out in the capability framework devised by the Commission, which will entail funding increases to reach a defence budget of circa €1.5 billion (at January 2022 prices) by 2028 through the annual Estimates process.
I am confident that the decisions made by Government will provide a firm basis for the future development of the Defence Forces and I look forward to driving implementation of those decisions as Minister for Defence.
20. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if has met with the representative organisations from the permanent Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5044/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have not yet had the opportunity to meet with the Representative Associations for the Defence Forces, namely PDFORRA and RACO since taking up the role of Minister for Defence on 17 December 2022.However I did speak with both organisations soon after I was appointed . I look forward to meeting and engaging with the Representative Associations, in due course, on matters that fall within the scope of representation.
I would also like to add that both RACO and PDFORRA have access to ongoing mechanisms for addressing concerns regarding their members pay and conditions.
Officials in my Department regularly engage with the Representative Associations on matters within the scope of representation via the Conciliation and Arbitration Scheme for members of the Permanent Defence Force.
This is the key avenue available for the Representative Associations to raise matters of concern to their members with my Department.
As the Deputy may be aware, the Conciliation & Arbitration Scheme is the mechanism for addressing industrial issues within the Defence sector.
In line with the Irish model of industrial relations, it is a voluntary mechanism which provides structures for management and staff to engage on collective issues that may arise. These structures have helped to maintain positive industrial relations in the sector over a number of years.
A revised Conciliation and Arbitration scheme for members of the Permanent Defence Force is in place since 2020. An independent Chair of Conciliation Council, which the Permanent Defence Force representative associations had sought as a key outcome of this review, was appointed in March 2020.
A review of the revised Scheme, which is now three years in operation, is scheduled to commence shortly.
