Results 7,281-7,300 of 17,012 for speaker:Paul Kehoe

Ceisteanna - Questions (resumed) - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Reserve Strength (21 Jun 2016)

Paul Kehoe: I assure the Deputy that neither the Defence Forces nor the Department are holding up applications to the Reserve Defence Forces. As the Deputy is aware, when one applies for the Reserve Defence Forces, one is going into a specific area. I will check with the Minister for Justice and Equality what the average waiting time on applications for Garda clearance is. Given the importance of...

Ceisteanna - Questions (resumed) - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Reserve Strength (21 Jun 2016)

Paul Kehoe: I am as anxious as the Deputy to make sure we bring as many participants into the Reserve Defence Forces as possible. We have some very fine people in the Reserve Defence Forces. If a person talks to me about joining the Army, I always encourage them to join the Reserve first and to see at first hand exactly what is involved in military and defence life. The person gets a first-hand...

Ceisteanna - Questions (resumed) - Priority Questions: Partnership for Peace (21 Jun 2016)

Paul Kehoe: Ireland's co-operation with NATO is conducted through the Partnership for Peace, which we joined in 1999 following approval by Dáil Éireann. Ireland’s purpose in participating in the Partnership for Peace is to improve Defence Forces capabilities and to ensure that our Defence Forces are interoperable with the forces of other states engaged in UN mandated crisis management...

Ceisteanna - Questions (resumed) - Priority Questions: Partnership for Peace (21 Jun 2016)

Paul Kehoe: We have no plans to withdraw. The primary aim of our Partnership for Peace membership is to enhance the Defence Forces' interoperability with other professional military forces for the purpose of engaging in UN authorised peacekeeping and peace support operations led by the UN, EU or NATO. Participation in Partnership for Peace is fundamental to Ireland being able to meet its obligations in...

Ceisteanna - Questions (resumed) - Priority Questions: Partnership for Peace (21 Jun 2016)

Paul Kehoe: NATO's interoperability policy is designed to support the capacity for member countries to act coherently, effectively and efficiently to achieve tactical operational and strategic objectives. Specifically, it enables forces, units and systems to operate together and allows them to share common doctrine and procedures, infrastructure and bases and the ability to be able to communicate...

Ceisteanna - Questions (resumed) - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Recruitment (21 Jun 2016)

Paul Kehoe: I thank the Deputy for his question and wish him the best of luck in his new role. The 2016 general service recruitment competition closed to applicants on 22 May 2016. At the time of closing, there were 4,590 applications with 15% or 680 of applicants being female. The Government is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for men and women throughout the Defence Forces and to the...

Ceisteanna - Questions (resumed) - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Recruitment (21 Jun 2016)

Paul Kehoe: Initiatives established in 2014-2015 continue to be developed through active engagement with organisations such as the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network, GLEN, in order to promote the Defence Forces as an employer. This engagement will include an external audit of the Defence Forces by GLEN in terms of organisational culture and diversity in 2017. In addition, work is well progressed on a...

Ceisteanna - Questions (resumed) - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Recruitment (21 Jun 2016)

Paul Kehoe: As Deputy Ryan will be aware, psychometric testing is important for entry to the Defence Forces, An Garda Síochána and many other organisations. The candidate must have a specific skill set. The psychometric testing is a challenge. I am aware of some candidates passing it online and failing when they go physically to take it in an examination hall. That is unfortunate and many...

Other Questions: Defence Forces Strength (21 Jun 2016)

Paul Kehoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 19 and 23 together. The Government is committed to maintaining the stabilised strength of the Permanent Defence Force at 9,500 personnel, comprising 7,520 Army personnel, 886 Air Corps personnel and 1,094 Naval Service personnel, as stated in the 2015 White Paper on Defence. I am advised by the military authorities that the strength of the Permanent Defence...

Other Questions: Defence Forces Strength (21 Jun 2016)

Paul Kehoe: Recruitment of personnel in any calendar year can fluctuate, depending on timing of recruitment, the holding of competitions and establishment of panels, Garda vetting and ongoing operational requirements that can impact the recruitment and training capacity. In 2015, 386 personnel were recruited, with 307 personnel recruited to the general service, 49 cadets for the 2015 cadet competitions,...

Other Questions: Defence Forces Strength (21 Jun 2016)

Paul Kehoe: It is the Government's intention to maintain the stabilised strength of the Permanent Defence Force at 9,500, the optimum level to fulfil all roles assigned by government. In this context of the current strength being below the agreed strength as indicated, targeted recruitment is taking place within the resource envelope available to the Department. I am very much aware of the Deputy's...

Other Questions: Defence Forces Strength (21 Jun 2016)

Paul Kehoe: -----to keep up the number. I do not want to say-----

Other Questions: Defence Forces Strength (21 Jun 2016)

Paul Kehoe: I will revert but I do not want to say a section of the budget is being held back to pay pensions. That is not the case. I will get the Deputy a full reply on that.

Other Questions: Defence Forces Strength (21 Jun 2016)

Paul Kehoe: The Department and the Defence Forces try at the start of every year to calculate how many retirements they expect in that calendar year. As I have said to the Deputy opposite, that fluctuates from time to time. It is very difficult to say exactly how many will retire. I have already indicated that personnel can retire from the Defence Forces for a variety of reasons and the Deputy will,...

Other Questions: Defence Forces Strength (21 Jun 2016)

Paul Kehoe: That is monitored on an ongoing basis, but I assure the Deputy that there are people ready and able to take up whatever positions people retire from. The Defence Forces have well-trained people who are capable of taking over whatever role may become vacant as a result of a retirement. Going back to the Deputy's other question, the current general service recruitment campaign, which was...

Other Questions: Departmental Properties (21 Jun 2016)

Paul Kehoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 20 and 29 together. Following the closure of Columb Barracks in 2012, my Department has explored a number of avenues to try to secure the long-term future of the former barracks for the benefit of the local community. Departments and other public bodies, including Westmeath County Council, have been invited to declare any interest in acquiring the...

Other Questions: Departmental Properties (21 Jun 2016)

Paul Kehoe: The Department of Defence cannot be the landlord to a facility. We have given Westmeath County Council every opportunity to take over the barracks. Officials from my Department have been in contact with Westmeath County Council. I am also very much aware that Deputy Troy has spoken to officials from my Department and this has been outlined to him on a number of occasions. I hope he will...

Other Questions: Departmental Properties (21 Jun 2016)

Paul Kehoe: There is a template in the form of what happened with the barracks in Cavan and Clonmel, which were closed at the same time. Cavan VEC took over Cavan barracks and Tipperary County Council has taken over Clonmel. I believe there are different tenants there now but I am open to correction on that. In any event, both communities were very active from the time their barracks closed in trying...

Other Questions: Departmental Properties (21 Jun 2016)

Paul Kehoe: -----but any proposal will have to come through Westmeath County Council.

Other Questions: Departmental Properties (21 Jun 2016)

Paul Kehoe: It boggles my mind, too, that the Deputy has suddenly developed a great interest in this since I first said I had taken an interest in trying to dispose of Mullingar barracks. In the past five years neither my Department nor I have received one proposal-----