Results 6,221-6,240 of 17,012 for speaker:Paul Kehoe

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Recruitment (24 Jan 2019)

Paul Kehoe: I am advised that the delay in providing the information sought was brought about by the need to source material to provide a comprehensive reply.  The questions and subsequent reply were also connected to another Ministerial Representation in the system at the time.  The reply to all three questions is expected to issue shortly.

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Recruitment (24 Jan 2019)

Paul Kehoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 76 to 79, inclusive, together. The minimum height requirement for general service recruitment is set out in Defence Forces Regulation.  This prescribes a minimum height requirement for enlistment for general service in the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) of 157.48cm.  This requirement was made following recommendations by a Defence Forces Working...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (24 Jan 2019)

Paul Kehoe: 101. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the works outstanding at a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3513/19]

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Ratification of EU and NATO Status of Forces Agreements: Discussion (24 Jan 2019)

Paul Kehoe: I am joined by Mr. Ciaran Murphy and Ms Bernie Maguire. I will make a short opening statement, outlining the motion I will bring before the Dáil for final consideration in the coming weeks. I will also highlight the need for the approval of the terms of both the EU status of forces agreement, SOFA, and the NATO Partnership for Peace. I will explain throughout this statement that such...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Ratification of EU and NATO Status of Forces Agreements: Discussion (24 Jan 2019)

Paul Kehoe: The Defence Forces contribution to the German battle group will involve a special operations task force comprising special operations forces platoon, engineer special search capability, explosive ordnance disposal capability, and security platoon, together with staff posts at both the operational and force headquarters. I would single out one capability from that list, that of explosive...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Ratification of EU and NATO Status of Forces Agreements: Discussion (24 Jan 2019)

Paul Kehoe: It is a wider argument.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Ratification of EU and NATO Status of Forces Agreements: Discussion (24 Jan 2019)

Paul Kehoe: Absolutely.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Ratification of EU and NATO Status of Forces Agreements: Discussion (24 Jan 2019)

Paul Kehoe: Deputy Ó Snodaigh has asked a wide range of questions. He has been at Representative Association for Commissioned Officers, RACO, and Permanent Defence Forces Other Ranks Representative Association, PDFORRA, conferences over the last number of years, and members of the Defence Forces have raised this issue with me, both at the conferences and outside. I have often been accused of not...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Ratification of EU and NATO Status of Forces Agreements: Discussion (24 Jan 2019)

Paul Kehoe: Other neutral member states, including Finland, Sweden and Austria, have ratified the EU SOFA. This does not have to be approved in Dáil Éireann; I can do this at Cabinet level and forget about it.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Ratification of EU and NATO Status of Forces Agreements: Discussion (24 Jan 2019)

Paul Kehoe: If I do that, I can be absolutely assured that I would be accused of trying to pull the wool over everyone's eyes. I am not saying that Deputy Ó Snodaigh would say that, but other Members of these Houses might. I am being open, transparent and honest because I understand that this is a very sensitive area for many people. As the Minister of State at the Department of Defence, I feel...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Ratification of EU and NATO Status of Forces Agreements: Discussion (24 Jan 2019)

Paul Kehoe: Deputy Barrett raised a range of different issues. I refer to peacekeeping and the manner in which members of the Defence Forces carry out their duties as peacekeepers. They still excel in carrying out their duties as peacekeepers. Unfortunately, peacekeeping has changed over the years. I do not want the Deputy to take me up the wrong way. Compared to when Deputy Barrett was Minister,...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Ratification of EU and NATO Status of Forces Agreements: Discussion (24 Jan 2019)

Paul Kehoe: I will cite UNIFIL as one of the perfect examples. If we had not participated in the training missions, the battle group training and so on over the past number of years and sent members of the Defence Forces to UNIFIL, military personnel and management assure me, we should not have been participating in it. I refer to having the necessary training, looking at like-minded states and the...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Ratification of EU and NATO Status of Forces Agreements: Discussion (24 Jan 2019)

Paul Kehoe: I am making the genuine argument that peacekeeping has changed over the past 20 years.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Ratification of EU and NATO Status of Forces Agreements: Discussion (24 Jan 2019)

Paul Kehoe: I have made the argument to the Chairman. The only way to see the change in the way our peacekeepers operate and the complexities of the different types of threat is to visit one of the missions and speak to the people on the ground. They have the experience of what peacekeepers do on a daily basis. I had a visit from a veteran last St. Patrick's Day and he spoke about one of the most...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Ratification of EU and NATO Status of Forces Agreements: Discussion (24 Jan 2019)

Paul Kehoe: We still do that to a very high standard.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Ratification of EU and NATO Status of Forces Agreements: Discussion (24 Jan 2019)

Paul Kehoe: As a Minister of State of the Government, I have the obligation to protect members of the Defence Forces when they go overseas. It is about giving them the very best of training and equipment. If this is part and parcel of that effort, I will do it.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Ratification of EU and NATO Status of Forces Agreements: Discussion (24 Jan 2019)

Paul Kehoe: The Deputy mentioned lorries full of equipment but if we did not send that out and if something happened to a member of the Defence Forces, I would be in the Dáil being asked why members of the Defence Forces were not given right and proper equipment on overseas peacekeeping duties. The complexities of peacekeeping have changed totally over the years. Those personnel are still very...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Ratification of EU and NATO Status of Forces Agreements: Discussion (24 Jan 2019)

Paul Kehoe: I do not have any knowledge of it. I will come back to the Deputy on it. I will mention the humanitarian aid projects. We have had some contact on the paper the Deputy spoke about. If there are Irish Aid agencies working underground in mission areas, we will get more involved in it. I have spoken to military management about it. They go hand in hand. We cannot have development aid...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Ratification of EU and NATO Status of Forces Agreements: Discussion (24 Jan 2019)

Paul Kehoe: The Deputy accused me of leading the way for Ireland to join an EU army at some point in the future. As I have stressed, the Treaty of Lisbon does not provide for the creation of a European army or conscription to any military formation. Any change to that position would require a treaty change and no such change is proposed. The protocol on the concerns of the Irish people on the Treaty...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Ratification of EU and NATO Status of Forces Agreements: Discussion (24 Jan 2019)

Paul Kehoe: The PfP SOFA requires the approval of Dáil Éireann under Article 29.5 of the Constitution.