Results 41,601-41,620 of 51,305 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Capital Expenditure Programme (21 Mar 2023)

Micheál Martin: The principal demand drivers of Defence capital requirements are the ongoing acquisition, renewal and retention of military equipment along with the development and upgrade of Defence Forces built infrastructure. The importance of this was set out in the 2019 White Paper Update and reinforced in the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces in 2022. The acquisition of military...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Civil Defence (21 Mar 2023)

Micheál Martin: The number of active volunteers in each Civil Defence Unit on those dates is as follows. Civil Defence Unit February 2013 March 2014 January 2015 February 2016 January 2017 CARLOW 68 69 60 55 59 CAVAN 279 270 261 268 212 ...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Data (21 Mar 2023)

Micheál Martin: A recruitment drive for the RDF was launched in March 2022, which was advertised across a number of media channels while Recruit Liaison Officers across the RDF conducted local recruitment to attract applicants for this campaign. Over 1,000 applications were received during this window, which is very encouraging, and the majority of those applications (800+) have now gone through the initial...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Reports (21 Mar 2023)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 591 and 592 together. In July 2022, Government approval was given for a move to ‘Level of Ambition 2’ (LOA2), as set out in the capability framework devised by the Commission on the Defence Forces in its Report which was published in February of 2022. This results in the Defence budget rising from €1.1 billion to €1.5 billion by...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Sustainable Development Goals (21 Mar 2023)

Micheál Martin: In September 2015, 193 UN Member Countries including Ireland adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which consist of 169 targets around the 17 high level goals. These goals are a global blueprint for collective progress to a more prosperous and sustainable world by 2030. They are applicable to all countries, developed and developing, and action is required for their implementation...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Funding (21 Mar 2023)

Micheál Martin: Ireland joined the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) in 2017, the establishment of which represents a further development in EU Cooperation in support of international peace and security under CSDP. Under PESCO, Member States come together in different project groups to develop and make available additional capabilities and enablers for peacekeeping and crisis management operations As...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (21 Mar 2023)

Micheál Martin: A recruitment drive for the RDF was launched in March 2022, which was advertised across a number of media channels while Recruit Liaison Officers across the RDF conducted local recruitment to attract applicants for this campaign. Over 1,000 applications were received during this window, which is very encouraging, and the majority of those applications (800+) have now gone through the initial...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Air Corps (21 Mar 2023)

Micheál Martin: Since my appointment as Tánaiste and Minister for Defence, I have visited Casement Aerodrome on 8 occasions, both as part of my travel in and out of the country, and for official engagements at the Aerodrome. I am due to visit again on official business in the coming weeks.

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Policies (21 Mar 2023)

Micheál Martin: Military life places unique demands on individuals and it is necessary that Defence Forces personnel are prepared to meet the challenges of all military operations. For this reason compulsory retirement ages for ranks in the Permanent Defence Force are considerably lower than in other employments. The Public Service Pay Commission in their report on recruitment and retention in the...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Data (21 Mar 2023)

Micheál Martin: The following table details the number of PDF personnel due to retire in the next three years on age grounds: Year Total Personnel 2023 121 2024 112 2025 152 Compulsory retirement ages and service limits in the Defence Forces are kept under review with key considerations of manpower policy...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Data (21 Mar 2023)

Micheál Martin: I am advised by the military authorities that there are currently 26 trained paramedics in the Defence Forces, comprising 18 Paramedics and 8 Advanced Paramedics. Paramedics and advanced paramedics are enlisted personnel in the Defence Forces that have been trained in these skills during the course of their careers. Therefore, their retirement ages are determined by their rank and length...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Policies (21 Mar 2023)

Micheál Martin: Defence Forces pension entitlements, including gratuities, are payable in accordance with the rules of the relevant Defence Forces pension scheme of which an individual is a member. There is no provision in the Defence Forces pension schemes rules for the payment of a gratuity prior to the date a member leaves the Defence Forces as such payments are due as a consequence of the retirement or...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Ukraine War (21 Mar 2023)

Micheál Martin: On 21 February 2023, the Government approved the participation of up to 30 Defence Forces’ personnel in the newly established European Union Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine (EUMAM Ukraine). The primary role of the Defence Forces will be to provide training to members of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) in one or more EU Member States in which the training will...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Naval Service (23 Mar 2023)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 12 and 35 together. Two Inshore Patrol Vessels (IPVs) were purchased for €26 million on a Government to Government basis from New Zealand, to replace the now decommissioned LÉ Orla and LÉ Ciara. The ceremonial handover of the vessels took place in Auckland last week, representing the culmination of a year long project to regenerate and modify...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (23 Mar 2023)

Micheál Martin: Primary responsibility for the internal security of the State rests with the Minister for Justice and Equality and An Garda Síochána. Accordingly, responsibility for the security aspect of border control rests with An Garda Síochána, while the Revenue Commissioners also have responsibilities relating to their particular mandate. Among the roles assigned to the Defence...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Foreign Policy (23 Mar 2023)

Micheál Martin: Ireland has been a member of NATO’s Partnership for Peace (PfP) since 1999. Our relationship with NATO is partner-led, which allows us to choose those areas on which we wish to cooperate and the extent to which we wish to cooperate. Over the past 24 years, participation in Partnership for Peace has been fundamental to Ireland being able to keep abreast of developments in areas such as...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: European Union (23 Mar 2023)

Micheál Martin: Let me be clear, participation in a Battlegroup has no effect on our traditional policy of military neutrality which is characterised by non-participation in military alliances or common or mutual defence arrangements. The decision to participate in an EU Battlegroup does not presume any further decision in relation to participation in an actual Battlegroup operation. Any such decision is...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Ukraine War (23 Mar 2023)

Micheál Martin: I propose to take Questions Nos. 16, 17 and 42 together. On 21st February, the Government approved the participation of up to 30 Defence Forces’ personnel in the newly established European Union Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine (EUMAM Ukraine). The primary role of the Defence Forces will be to provide training to members of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) in one or...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (23 Mar 2023)

Micheál Martin: The benefit of the 2% pay increase effective from 1 March 2023 under the extension of the Building Momentum Agreement 2022-2023 is applicable to the vast majority of Defence Forces pensioners. Currently there are in excess of 13,100 Defence Forces pensioners in receipt of payments. The existing government pension policy, as it applies to the Defence Forces, is as follows: For Defence Forces...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (23 Mar 2023)

Micheál Martin: I last met both Permanent Defence Forces Representative Associations, RACO and PDFORRA, on 13th February this year. At this meeting, we had discussions on a number of key issues, including on pay and conditions matters for Defence Forces personnel. There have been a number of key recent improvements in pay for Defence Forces personnel, which I will take this opportunity to outline to the...