Written Answers Nos. 62-71
62. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the expenditure incurred in relation to Columb Barracks, Mullingar, per expense type and including a description of the works undertaken, for 2020, 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form. [20234/23]
View answerI can confirm to the Deputy that there has been no expenditure incurred in terms of capital works in relation to Columb Barracks, Mullingar. As the Deputy will be aware, there are several community groups availing of the premises at no cost. The Department pays electricity bills, security fees and other costs. The information sought by the Deputy is not readily available in the format requested. My officials will compile the information requested and I will arrange to have this data forwarded in due course.
63. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the last report produced by his Department in relation to the architectural significance and historical significance of Columb Barracks, Mullingar. [20235/23]
View answerI am advised that my Department has not commissioned such a report. The determination of such matters is primarily a matter for the planning authority, who are the authority responsible for determining Protected buildings under the planning code.
64. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if the runway at Baldonnel Aerodrome has the capacity to handle Airbus A380 types of aircraft. [20494/23]
View answerCasement Aerodrome Baldonnel is a military installation and home to the air component of the Permanent Defence Force. The aerodrome facilitates training and operations by Air Corps aircraft, including the operation of the Ministerial Air Transport Service, the Garda Air Support Unit, fishery protection patrols, air ambulance missions etc.
The Air Corps is responsible for the management of air traffic at Casement Aerodrome. I am advised that the longest runway at Casement Aerodrome is 1828 metres long and therefore does not have the capacity to handle the A380 aircraft. The Airbus A380 is the world’s largest passenger airliner requiring nearly 3000 metres in runway length in order to take off.
However, I am however satisfied that the existing infrastructure provision at Baldonnel is sufficient to enable the Air Corps carry out its current training and operational requirements.
65. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if he plans to have a bilateral meeting with his Italian counterpart. [20495/23]
View answerI plan to attend a meeting of EU Defence Ministers in Brussels later this month. This will provide the opportunity to meet as many of my colleagues as possible, including my Italian counterpart. While I have no plans to formally meet with the Italian Minister for Defence, I would welcome an opportunity for a bi-lateral with him or any of my EU counterparts on the margins of the EU Defence Ministers' meeting.
66. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if a person (details supplied) will chair each of the four sessions of the Consultative Forum on International Security Policy planned for June 2023. [20532/23]
View answer67. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the person or body that will be invited to the Consultative Forum on International Security Policy; and how their expertise will be determined. [20533/23]
View answer68. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence how long the Consultative Forum on International Security Policy will sit on each of the four days scheduled for June 2023. [20534/23]
View answer69. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if all seven of the planned themes will be discussed at each of the four planned sessions of the Consultative Forum on International Security Policy. [20535/23]
View answer70. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence if members of the public will be permitted to attend the Consultative Forum on International Security Policy; and how they can apply for admission. [20536/23]
View answer71. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence when the final report of the Consultative Forum on International Security Policy will be published. [20537/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 66 to 71, inclusive, together.
In order to build a deeper understanding of the threats faced by the State, and the links to, and between, our foreign, security and defence policy, I have convened a Consultative Forum on International Security Policy.
The Consultative Forum will take place over four full days in three different locations; on 22 June at University College Cork, on 23 June at the University of Galway, and on 26-27 June at Dublin Castle.
The Forum will be chaired by Louise Richardson DBE (formerly Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford and Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of St Andrews), who will produce a report to be delivered to me following its conclusion.
The Forum will be open, inclusive and, as the name suggests, consultative. It will involve a wide range of stakeholders, with participation from civilian and military experts and practitioners. Attendance at the Forum will consist of invited guests, from Ireland and internationally, with expertise and practical experience in the areas to be discussed.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Defence are currently consulting with academic, civil society, research and state agency partners to identify a wide range of speakers and participants to participate in the Forum, representing a breadth of experience and views.
There will also be space reserved for attendance by the general public. Discussions will be live-streamed and there will be an opportunity for online submissions, which will form part of the chairperson’s consideration. Anyone interested in engaging in the process will be able to do so.
The Forum will be a broad discussion with a series of individual sessions across the four days, each looking at specific issues, such as examining the threats we face, including cyber, hybrid, disinformation and threats to critical infrastructure. These sessions will also provide an opportunity for detailed discussion on Ireland’s work to protect the rules-based international order, through our engagement in peacekeeping, conflict prevention and peacebuilding, as well as arms control and disarmament.
The programme for and the topics to be discussed at each session are being developed and the daily programmes will be published as soon as possible.
Full details of the arrangements for registration, live-streaming and the making of submissions will be published by the Departments of Foreign Affairs and Defence in the coming weeks.
Importantly, there are no predetermined or preconceived outcomes from discussions at the Forum and participants will be free to raise any relevant issues during deliberations. Once the Chair’s report has been submitted to me, I will consider its findings and decide whether to take recommendations to Government.
