Results 5,441-5,460 of 50,136 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: The National Cyber Security Centre is our main centre for dealing with cybersecurity from a national perspective. Our military contributes to and attends. The primary role of the Defence Forces with regard to cybersecurity relates to our own defence and security networks and systems. They participate under the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications through the National...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: Sorry?

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: Yes.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: I do not have the exact numbers here but I will get them for the Deputy. It is an issue I am concerned about. We need far greater diversity. For anyone born in Ireland there is no issue irrespective of-----

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: Yes, I think there is a bit of conservatism within the system.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: I have discussed this recently with the defence leadership. Not only that but we should we seek to recruit from overseas just like we do in every other sector.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: Yes. I have made it clear. One of the issues is vetting. Vetting for internationally recruited personnel can be far more protracted and takes a far greater length of time than vetting within the country. That is Garda vetting and so on.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: Yes. At the moment we have approximately 559 women. We had approximately 7.4%. In the RDF there was approximately 13% and it is approximately 19% of civilian employees. We need to get that significantly up to international norms. A female-specific recruitment has been established to co-ordinate the attendance of tri-service female-specific recruiting teams at national and regional level....

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: Yes.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: It is under subhead A22. About €360,000 was allocated in grants to veterans' organisations, including Dormant Accounts funding. We recognise two veterans' organisations, Óglaigh Náisiúnta na hÉireann and the Irish United Nations Veterans Association, IUNVA. The Department has service level agreements in place outlining supports in respect of both organisations...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: I visited the headquarters of ONE last year. I was very taken by the social services and housing supports it provides, as well as the sense of comradery there and veterans looking after each other. It is very touching and something I will be eager to continue to support.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: I think I gave that earlier.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: At the moment, the figure stands at 6,136 for the Army, 689 for the Air Corps, at the end of 2023, and 725 for the Naval Service. Overall, this gives us a total of 7,550.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: Basically, people needing medical care will go to their medical officer. They are then referred to a consultant, of their choice really, but depending on the medical discipline or the issue. The cost is fully reimbursed.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: Deputy Stanton is from east Cork, so a curveball is nothing new to him. It is a very reasonable question to ask, by the way. I have to be honest with the Deputy and say I have not yet addressed this issue with the military leadership and I will have to come back to him on it. The obvious issues arise.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: It is a conservative enough organisation in many respects. Security is important as well.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: At the same time, though, and Deputy Stanton is working in this field, redemption is important. People can get things wrong in their young lives but can then make an outstanding contribution later in their lives. If we look at the Two Norries podcast, which has now come to an end, I remember being interviewed by the presenters and being very struck by their backgrounds, their life journeys...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: The minute's silence for peace today was very welcome given the state of the world. I am always conscious of our Defence Forces and our UNIFIL contingent in Lebanon. This is why I am very anxious there would not be an escalation of the situation in the Middle East. Lebanon is very much on the horizon in this regard. At the recent meeting of the European Foreign Affairs Council, FAC, I was...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: I hope it will be within the next fortnight or so.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: Yes.