Results 8,841-8,860 of 17,012 for speaker:Paul Kehoe

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Strength (18 Oct 2017)

Paul Kehoe: There were pay increases for members of the Defence Forces in the Lansdowne Road agreement, which they signed up to. They now have an opportunity to sign up to the extended Lansdowne Road agreement. The Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Paschal Donohoe, announced yesterday that the Public Service Pay Commission will begin work shortly. It will examine a number...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Strength (18 Oct 2017)

Paul Kehoe: The Deputy and other members of her group have often thrown out the line that significant numbers of members of the Defence Forces are in receipt of FIS. That is totally incorrect. I will send on information on the number of people within the Defence Forces in receipt of FIS. She will be quite surprised to learn that the numbers are not as large as she and her colleagues have spoken about...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Strength (18 Oct 2017)

Paul Kehoe: I have to stay within the confines of public pay and the extended Lansdowne Road agreement. I would love to be able to take out the public pay cheque book and start giving people pay increases across the board. However, I do not have the power to do that. I have to work with the Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform when he sets out public pay for all sectors within the...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: EU Bodies (18 Oct 2017)

Paul Kehoe: I am fully satisfied all correct national and EU procedures were followed in the nomination of Vice Admiral Mellett, the current Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces, for appointment as chair of the European Union Military Committee, the most senior military establishment within the European Union. It was established under Council Decision 2001/79/CFSP. When meeting in chiefs of defence...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: EU Bodies (18 Oct 2017)

Paul Kehoe: The timing of the decision coincided with the opening of nominations for the position. The decision does not call into question our policy on neutrality. Ireland has been a member of the European Union Military Committee since its inception in 2001. It was supported by successive Governments comprising Fianna Fáil and Independents; Fianna Fáil and the Progressive Democrats;...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: EU Bodies (18 Oct 2017)

Paul Kehoe: It was a Government decision. The Deputy mentioned Operation Sophia. It came within the triple-lock mechanism as it is a UN-mandated mission. It received Government approval and the approval of this House. I have never been afraid to bring decisions to the Chamber, knowing that I could walk out the door saying the Dáil and the Government had made the right decision. This is good for...

Other Questions: Defence Forces Operations (18 Oct 2017)

Paul Kehoe: I am surprised that the Deputy read a House of Lords report. I did not think he would be into it.

Other Questions: Defence Forces Operations (18 Oct 2017)

Paul Kehoe: I understand. I did not think reports from the House of Lords had reached Wellingtonbridge, County Wexford.

Other Questions: Defence Forces Operations (18 Oct 2017)

Paul Kehoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 33 and 50 together. The EU Common Security and Defence Policy naval operation EUNAVFOR MED (Operation Sophia), against human smugglers and traffickers, is one element of a comprehensive approach to addressing the migration crisis in the South Central Mediterranean. Operation Sophia was launched in June 2015 as part of the EU’s broader action to provide...

Other Questions: Defence Forces Operations (18 Oct 2017)

Paul Kehoe: Operation Sofia, like Operation Pontus, allows us to bring migrants to the coast of Italy. We have the authorisation and permission of the Italian authorities to bring any migrants picked up in Operation Sophia there. This is a UN mandated mission. The Naval Service has yet to be given full operation tasks involving the rescuing of people. People have been brought safely to port or...

Other Questions: Defence Forces Operations (18 Oct 2017)

Paul Kehoe: I respect both Deputies' views but I do not accept them. There is no issue with that. I disagree with some of their points. I see and hear at first hand from members of the Irish Naval Service who tell me of thousands of men, women and children losing their lives because they are being disembarked on the Libyan coastline in unsafe vessels which go out maybe a couple of miles and sink and...

Other Questions: Defence Forces Personnel (18 Oct 2017)

Paul Kehoe: Fixed period promotion in the Permanent Defence Force was a promotion which took place after a fixed period of time. It was part of the terms and conditions of specialist service officers such as engineers and doctors. The whole notion of fixed period promotions as an expectation or a right continuing for specialist personnel did not sit comfortably with, and was not in keeping with the...

Other Questions: Defence Forces Personnel (18 Oct 2017)

Paul Kehoe: Section 3 of the public service stability agreement 2018-2020 provides that the Public Service Pay Commission be requested to complete a comprehensive examination of underlying difficulties in recruitment and retention in those sectors and employment streams identified in the report of the Public Sector Pay Commission. I would be the first to admit that there are a number of areas within the...

Other Questions: Defence Forces Personnel (18 Oct 2017)

Paul Kehoe: I have committed to reviewing all contracts and I have put a civil and administrative committee together to look at direct entry and re-entry into the organisation. Quite a number of people, including officers, from a range of areas who left the organisation now want to re-enter it. Those willing to return include those in explosive ordnance disposal and pilots. In common with other...

Other Questions: Defence Forces Representative Organisations (18 Oct 2017)

Paul Kehoe: The conciliation and arbitration scheme for members of the Permanent Defence Force, PDF, provides a formal mechanism for the PDF representative associations, RACO and PDFORRA, to engage with the official side. Having regard to commitments made under pay agreements, members of the Permanent Defence Force can make representations in relation to their pay and conditions of service through their...

Other Questions: Defence Forces Representative Organisations (18 Oct 2017)

Paul Kehoe: PDFORRA and RACO both participated in the recent negotiations on the extension of the Lansdowne Road agreement which were facilitated by the Workplace Relations Commission. Both RACO and PDFORRA were invited to negotiations which were held under the auspices of the Workplace Relations Commission and were given the full esteem accorded to the non-ICTU associations. The Defence Force...

Other Questions: Defence Forces Representative Organisations (18 Oct 2017)

Paul Kehoe: Following the interaction of members of both associations at the pay talks, I will meet both associations tomorrow. If we do not discuss the matter tomorrow, I will ask for their thoughts and for feedback on the interaction during their first time at pay talks. On what is happening internally, the conciliation and arbitration process works, although it requires review. That is why I...

Other Questions: Military Neutrality (18 Oct 2017)

Paul Kehoe: As I indicated in my earlier reply, following last month's approval by the Government, Vice Admiral Mark Mellett, Chief of Staff of the Irish Defence Forces, was formally nominated on behalf of the Irish Government for election to the position of chair of the European Union Military Committee, EUMC. The position of chair of the EUMC will become vacant in November 2018 and Ireland's nominee,...

Other Questions: Military Neutrality (18 Oct 2017)

Paul Kehoe: At a time when the world has become a more unstable and insecure place, Ireland remains fully supportive of the efforts of EU member states within the treaty provisions to contribute to the Union's capacity to respond to all the challenges in the security environment, including through the EU's common security and defence policy. The position of the chair of the EUMC, as I have previously...

Other Questions: Military Neutrality (18 Oct 2017)

Paul Kehoe: I should have answered Deputy Ó Snodaigh's question. The chief steps down as Chief of Staff of the Irish Defence Forces. He remains as an officer in the Irish Defence Forces but no longer Chief of Staff if he is successful.