Results 8,101-8,120 of 17,012 for speaker:Paul Kehoe

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (23 Mar 2017)

Paul Kehoe: Thank you. I welcome this opportunity to engage with the Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade and Defence, to consider the 2017 Revised Estimates for Vote 35, Army Pensions and Vote 36, Defence. I have a short opening statement which will set out the overall position and update the members on some of the main developments within the defence sector over recent times. Before I...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (23 Mar 2017)

Paul Kehoe: I will address the last question from Deputy O'Sullivan first. No members of the Irish Defence Forces are in Afghanistan at the moment. Deputy O'Sullivan asked about the RDF. First, I recognise the value of the important work that the Reserve Defence Force has played and continues to play in contributing to Ireland's defence capability. As I have said on previous occasions, I admire the...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (23 Mar 2017)

Paul Kehoe: I will address Deputy McLoughlin's question. He is important. We will be recruiting almost 900 new recruits to the Permanent Defence Force this year. I assure Deputy McLoughlin that all funding is in place to realise a strength of 9,500 personnel. The campaign was launched recently. Thus far, more than 5,000 people have applied for the Permanent Defence Force. That figure includes all...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (23 Mar 2017)

Paul Kehoe: Deputy Lisa Chambers asked about service medals and Jadotville in particular. In recognition of the mission in Jadotville and the contribution that members of the Irish Defence Forces made, I made this a priority when I came into the Department. This issue has gone on for many years and has been dealt with by many Ministers. I have asked the Chief of Staff to see what records there are...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (23 Mar 2017)

Paul Kehoe: I understand what Deputy Chambers is saying about the gratuity payment. That money was actually put back into training, however. We can differ on that.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (23 Mar 2017)

Paul Kehoe: There is flexibility there. I will discuss it with the officials in the Department. I take on board the importance of encouraging people to come in and recognising the contribution existing members are making. On the health and safety issues in the Air Corps, I expect to get the independent review over the next few weeks. When I see its findings I will consider them and make...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (23 Mar 2017)

Paul Kehoe: I will have to examine the findings first but I will come back to the Deputy on that issue.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (23 Mar 2017)

Paul Kehoe: With regard to the RDF, 14 days notice is required for any payment. The Chairman said they were waiting for up to a month and I will examine that. The Secretary General has informed me that he is working with his military colleagues to speed up the payment process. I will follow up the issue. I am working closely with the chairman of the Red Cross, former Minister, Pat Carey, on the Red...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (23 Mar 2017)

Paul Kehoe: Air Corps operational flight hours amounted to 5,009 in 2014. They amounted to 3,894 in 2015 and 4,286 in 2016. There is a replacement for the Cessna aircraft and we are purchasing a new Pilatus aircraft as well for training purposes to replace the one that was in a training accident in 2008 or 2009. That will come on stream this year.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (23 Mar 2017)

Paul Kehoe: In response to the questions on Operation Pontus from both Deputies, I received the review of the 2016 mission from the Defence Forces last Friday week, before I went on my St. Patrick's Day trip to Lebanon. I have looked at the review but I have not had a chance to consider it. I am due to meet the Chief of Staff and the Secretary General of my Department next week or the following week...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (23 Mar 2017)

Paul Kehoe: I have no issue with that. The area of sea fishery protection relates more to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine than the Department of Defence because it is responsible for the policy in terms of quotas and working with the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority. We work with it as a partner and first responder in terms of enforcement and assistance with boarding ships.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (23 Mar 2017)

Paul Kehoe: I fully agree with Deputy Barrett. As I indicated to Deputy Lisa Chambers, there is a senior official in my Department working on all Brexit-related matters who reports directly to the Department of the Taoiseach. I and my officials have met with the Department of the Taoiseach on Brexit matters. The short-term and long-term impacts of Brexit on the domestic operation of the Defence Forces...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2017
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (23 Mar 2017)

Paul Kehoe: I received a review of the 2016 mission from the Defence Forces which I am considering at the moment. I will meet the Chief of Staff and the Secretary General of the Department within the next week to week and a half. A proposal will have to be brought to Cabinet first and if such a decision is taken I will do that in the coming weeks. The 2016 mission did not deploy until early to mid-May...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Service by the Defence Forces with the United Nations in 2015: Motion (23 Mar 2017)

Paul Kehoe: I am pleased to report to the select committee on Irish Defence Forces participation in United Nations missions in 2015. The report for 2015 was laid before Dáil Éireann on 21 September 2016 and the following motion has been placed on the Order Paper for Dáil Éireann:That Dáil Éireann approves the report by the Minister for Defence regarding service by the...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Service by the Defence Forces with the United Nations in 2015: Motion (23 Mar 2017)

Paul Kehoe: I will respond to Deputy Noel Grealish first. In 2014 the cost was €28 million. We got back €6.1 million from the United Nations. When salaries and every other expense were taken out, the cost was €9.9 million. In 2015, after taking everything out, including the UN contribution, the cost was €10.9 million and in 2016, €12 million. Whether they were...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: EU Directives (28 Mar 2017)

Paul Kehoe: 542. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if there are current EU directives that have to be enacted here that deal with an issue (details suppled). [14934/17]

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Representative Organisations (28 Mar 2017)

Paul Kehoe: I propose to take Question Nos. 632 and 633 together. The Conciliation and Arbitration scheme for members of the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) provides a formal mechanism for their Representative Associations, RACO and PDFORRA, to engage with the Official side. The purpose of the scheme is to provide a means for the determination of claims and proposals from the Associations relating...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Military Medals (28 Mar 2017)

Paul Kehoe: The person in question made an application for a Certificate of Military Service under the Military Service Pensions Act 1924, in relation to his service from 1 April 1916 to 30 June 1922. His application was assessed by the Board of Assessors (a Judge and two senior Old IRA officers) which was constituted under that Act to assess such applications and service. Although he had claimed for...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Recruitment (28 Mar 2017)

Paul Kehoe: The Government is committed to maintaining the stabilised strength of the Permanent Defence Force at 9,500, comprising of 7,520 Army, 886 Air Corps and 1,094 Naval Service personnel, as stated in the 2015 White Paper on Defence. The manpower requirement of the Defence Forces is monitored on an ongoing basis in accordance with the operational requirements of each of the three services. As...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Reserve Training (28 Mar 2017)

Paul Kehoe: The primary function of training and education in both the Permanent Defence Force and Reserve Defence Force is to develop and maintain capabilities necessary to enable personnel to fulfil the roles laid down by Government. The scheduling of training in the Defence Forces, including the Reserve, is underpinned by an analysis of training needed to meet operational output requirements and...