Written Answers Nos. 121-133
121. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence to list the composition of his private office, inclusive of the grade and increment of each civil servant assigned to the office; whether they are located in the private or constituency office; the value of any allowance paid to those individuals and the purpose of each allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3264/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Office as Minister for Defence comprises of 1 Assistant Principal Officer, 1 Executive Officer and 2 Clerical Officers. Each officer is paid at the rate applicable to the civil service salary for the grade in which they serve. The Assistant Principal, as Private Secretary to the Minister, receives an allowance of €24,952.76 per annum.
122. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the number of public sector workers in each of the local electoral areas in County Clare under headings (details supplied), in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3375/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has Civil Service staff located in Newbridge, Galway, Roscrea, Cork and Dublin, with its headquarters in Newbridge, Co. Kildare. The Department also employs Civilian Employees who work to support Defence Forces’ capability in military establishments around the country. My Department has no locations in any of the local electoral areas in County Clare in which it employs public sector workers.
123. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the number of known unauthorised incursions into Irish territorial waters by military vessels of other States during each of the years 2022, 2023 and 2024; if such matters have been raised with the States concerned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3406/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will appreciate, for security and operational reasons it would not be appropriate to comment on specific details that are held by the military authorities in relation to same. It is important to note that The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) allows for all vessels, including military vessels, to transit through the territorial waters of coastal states when conducting innocent passage (as defined by art. 19 of UNCLOS).
Furthermore, naval vessels are permitted to conduct exercises outside of territorial waters in a country’s Exclusive Economic Zone so long as this does not unduly interfere with the Coastal State. This is not an infringement of our national territory. Any vessels transiting Irish waters must do so in compliance with international law and may be subject to sighting and observation by the Naval Service and Air Corps without their innocent passage being infringed.
124. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the numbers of personnel leaving the Army in advance of their contract ending, each year from 2014 to 2024, tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3426/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra126. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the numbers of personnel leaving the Naval Service in advance of their contract ending, each year from 2014 to 2024, tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3428/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra131. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the numbers of personnel leaving the Air Corps in advance of their contract ending, each year from 2014 to 2024, tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3433/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 124, 126 and 131 together.
The military authorities have advised that the numbers of personnel leaving the Permanent Defence Force in advance of their contract ending, each year from 2014 to 2024, is as outlined in the table below. The data encompass those who discharged at their own request, discharged at their own request on compassionate grounds and discharged by purchase in each year. The military authorities have further advised that data on the requested breakdown by Army Air Corps and Naval Service is currently not collected as part of their reporting procedures.
2024 saw a continuation of the downward trend in the total number of discharges advised by the military authorities. There were 674 discharges in total in 2024, compared to 755 in 2023, and 891 in 2022. The military authorities also advise that overall strength stabilised in 2024 at 7,557 compared to 7,550 in 2023.
Numbers of PDF personnel leaving in advance of their contract ending from 2014 to 2024
|
Year |
Total |
|
2014 |
151 |
|
2015 |
171 |
|
2016 |
264 |
|
2017 |
328 |
|
2018 |
302 |
|
2019 |
383 |
|
2020 |
285 |
|
2021 |
301 |
|
2022 |
352 |
|
2023 |
276 |
|
2024 |
288 |
125. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the current number of commissioned officers and enlisted personnel, by rank, currently serving in the Army; the current target figure for Army personnel across each rank, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3427/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra127. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the current number of commissioned officers and enlisted personnel, by rank, currently serving in the Naval Service; the current target figure for Naval Service personnel across each rank, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3429/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra130. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the current number of commissioned officers and enlisted personnel, by rank, currently serving in the Air Corps; the current target figure for Air Corps personnel across each rank, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3432/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 125, 127 and 130 together.
The military authorities advise that as of the 31 December 2024, the latest date for which the requested figures are available for, the strength of the Permanent Defence Force stood at 7,557 personnel. The table at the following link provides the establishment and current strength, by Branch and rank.
A range of recruitment measures, along with financial and non-financial retention incentives, including the recent application of the Working Time Directive across the Defence Forces, and continued progress on pay and allowances, have been implemented to address recruitment challenges. 2024 saw a stabilisation of the downward trend in numbers.
128. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if the LÉ Aoibhinn has reached full operational capability; the number of crew required for her deployment; whether that complement of personnel is in place; and the range of duties that she will carry out during 2025. [3430/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra129. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence when the LÉ Gobnait will reach full operational capability; the number of crew required for her deployment; whether that complement of personnel is in place; and the range of duties that she will carry out during 2025. [3431/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 128 and 129 together.
The LE Aoibhinn, a Naval Service P70 Class Inshore Patrol Vessels, has a minimum crew number for the P70 class of vessel is 24 personnel.
The LÉ Aoibhinn (P71) is fully crewed and continues to be regularly deployed on Maritime Defence and Security Operations (MDSO) within Irish territorial waters and the Irish Exclusive Economic Zone since her entry into service in July 2024, reaching full operational capability in November 2024.
132. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence what plans, if any, his Department has for four homes owned by his Department at 17, 18, 23 and 24 Grosvenor Lodge, Rathmines, Dublin 6; if he is aware that these premises are active files for Dublin City Council’s derelict sites unit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3462/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraOn 23 July 2024, Dublin City Council notified the Department that properties were being considered for inclusion on the derelict sites register. The Department has previously transferred properties outside of military installations to the relevant Local Authorities, as the relevant housing authorities. The Department has previously met with the City Council with a view to transferring the properties in question to the local authority and this offer remains open.
None of these properties can be occupied without considerable refurbishment and were built before the Building Regulations and associated standards arising from same came into effect. An assessment has also been ordered to ascertain their suitability to a return to modern single living in accommodation usage for serving personnel. A report from the Defence Forces in this regard is expected.
133. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the measures his Department is taking to encourage civil servants in his Department to take or avail of special leave or career breaks, or other forms of leave to encourage and facilitate Ireland's 2026 EU Presidency, the Government "Career for EU" jobs strategy, and the Department's Gaeilge-Irish language policy and promotion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3943/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraPreparations in my Department for the 2026 EU Presidency have already begun. My Department will be leading on matters related to the Defence sector and this will involve significant work both for those based in the Permanent Representation of Ireland to the EU in Brussels and for those based in Ireland. As part of workforce planning, my Department has sought initial expressions of interest from all grades across the Department who would be interested in being involved in work related to the EU Presidency.
In relation to facilitating civil servants in my Department to take or avail of special leave or career breaks, to encourage and facilitate Ireland's 2026 EU Presidency, special unpaid leave may be availed of under the provisions of Circular 33/1991 in order to serve with the EU and up to five years unpaid leave to serve with an international organisation of which Ireland is a member. Special leave to serve with the EU may be granted for a maximum of ten years or up to the minimum retiring age, whichever is the shorter.
Ireland's 'A Career for EU' strategy sets out a series of measures that aim to significantly increase the number of Irish officials in both permanent and temporary positions within the EU Institutions. My Department currently provides a number of staff that are based and working in the Permanent Representation in Brussels to support Ireland's engagement in the EU's Common Security and Defence Policy and the related EU institutions, including the European External Action Security, the European Defence Agency and the European Commission. To this end, officials from the Department are assigned to the Political and Security Committee (PSC) delegation within the Permanent Representation of Ireland to the European Union. A number of the staff also, as part of their role, support Ireland's engagement in NATO Partnership for Peace through the PfP Liaison Office in Brussels.
The National Experts in Professional Training (NEPT) programme is a bi-annual training scheme and provides officials with a first-hand experience of working in the European Commission. The skills and experiences acquired by Irish officials during their traineeship also have the potential to benefit Departments and facilitate greater understanding about the functioning of the European institutions. Participation in the programme is also in line with the Government’s overall EU engagement strategy including that of raising the numbers of Irish officials serving in the EU Institutions, and this Department regularly encourages officials to apply for placement when the opportunity arises. My Department also facilitates secondments under the Seconded National Expert (SNE) programme when vacancies for positions in the European Commission arise.
The Department of Defence is committed to fulfilling the obligations set out in the Official Languages Act, 2003 and the Official Languages (Amendment) Act, 2021, with regard to the level of service provided through Irish. In 2023, the Department appointed a member of staff from senior management to oversee the performance of, and report to the Head of the Department in relation to, its obligations under the Official Languages (Amendment) Act, 2021. In addition to meeting the Department’s commitments, staff received training at various skills levels to improve the provision of public services through the medium of Irish. The Department will continue to ensure that these provisions are met.
