Results 8,861-8,880 of 17,012 for speaker:Paul Kehoe

Other Questions: Military Neutrality (18 Oct 2017)

Paul Kehoe: He is still an Irish officer of the Defence Forces. There were further questions on us sending our Naval Service ship to the tradeshow in Britain. This is a decision I made. Babcock, the builder of our three naval vessels, asked me if I would consider it. I did so. I also made a decision to send members to the trade show because we are in the business of buying equipment. It is like...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Training (18 Oct 2017)

Paul Kehoe: The Defence Forces attended a live firing practice of the RBS 70 surface to air missile system in Karlskoga, Sweden in May 2017. The main purpose of the live firing shoot, which involved the firing of Defence Forces RBS 70 missiles, was to validate the training and capability of on island Ground Based Air Defence training. These RBS 70 missiles cannot be test fired on island due to...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Protected Disclosures (18 Oct 2017)

Paul Kehoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 38, 47 and 65 together. The health and welfare of the men and women of the Defence Forces are a priority for me; that is why I ensured that protected disclosures alleging exposure to chemical and toxic substances were investigated by an independent third party. The reviewer’s report has indicated that he felt that given the breadth of the remit of...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Reserve Strength (18 Oct 2017)

Paul Kehoe: The White Paper on Defence confirms that the primary role of the Reserve is to augment the Permanent Defence Force in times of crisis. In non-crisis situations, the main focus will be on training to prepare for this role. The Government appreciates the service of the members of the Reserve and the White Paper on Defence is clear that there is a continued requirement to retain and develop...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Ceremonies (18 Oct 2017)

Paul Kehoe: The Defence Forces have provided ceremonial support alongside members of other military forces in a number of ceremonial public events both here and abroad to date in 2017. The level of participation is determined by my Department in consultation with the Military authorities and is dependent on the scale of the event in question and the availability of Military resources. On 30 March...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Recruitment (18 Oct 2017)

Paul Kehoe: As part of a whole of Government approach, the Department of Defence is engaged in forward planning for the UK exit from the EU. While the full implications for the border will emerge during the course of the negotiations, it is this Government’s stated goal to try to ensure that the current on-island border arrangements are maintained to the greatest extent possible. From the...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Allowances (18 Oct 2017)

Paul Kehoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 43, 58 and 73 together. Depending on rank, the annual leave entitlement for officers varies from 31 to 43 days and for non-commissioned officers and privates from 28 to 30 days. Non-Commissioned Officers or Privates filling appointments as Instrumentalists in the establishments of the Defence Forces School of Music may be granted 31 days annual leave...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Strength (18 Oct 2017)

Paul Kehoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 44 and 53 together. Since January 2016, 446 enlisted personnel have been discharged by purchase (as of 31 August 2017). Almost half of this figure, that is 205, were Recruits. Discharge by Purchase is governed by Defence Forces Regulation A10, which sets out the payment scale in relation to such discharges. When assessing issues such as turnover of...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Reorganisation (18 Oct 2017)

Paul Kehoe: The current Defence Forces organisational structures have now been in place for almost five years and followed a series of barrack closures (which continued the a rationalisation agenda initiated by previous Governments). The re-organisation of the Defence Forces resulted in a fundamental restructuring of Army Formations and Units across the country including a number of operational posts....

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Common Security and Defence Policy (18 Oct 2017)

Paul Kehoe: There is significant ongoing engagement by Ireland with the EU Institutions and with other EU member States on the important area of security and defence. These meetings take place both bilaterally, and within the institutional framework of the European External Action Service, the EU Military Committee and the European Defence Agency. My officials participate in all meetings of the...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Strength (18 Oct 2017)

Paul Kehoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 48, 63, 68, 72 and 74 together. The Government is committed to maintaining the establishment of the Permanent Defence Force at 9,500 personnel. The rank distribution within the 9,500 PDF establishment was set in 2012 on foot of a reorganisation of the Defence Forces. The White Paper on Defence (2015) confirmed that this organisational structure continues...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Recruitment (18 Oct 2017)

Paul Kehoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 49 and 217 together. The Government is committed to maintaining the establishment of the Permanent Defence Force at 9,500 personnel, comprising of 7,520 Army, 886 Air Corps and 1,094 Naval Service, as stated in the 2015 White Paper on Defence. The manpower requirements of the Permanent Defence Force are monitored on an ongoing basis in accordance...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: White Paper on Defence (18 Oct 2017)

Paul Kehoe: As you will be aware from my response to your previous PQ 23328/17 on 17 May 2017, the White Paper on Defence included a commitment to evaluating the potential development of a new Institute for Peace Support and Leadership Training at the Defence Forces Training Centre in The Curragh. The Programme for a Partnership Government also included a commitment to developing this Institute. It is...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Recruitment (18 Oct 2017)

Paul Kehoe: The Government is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for men and women in the Defence Forces and to the full participation by women in all aspects of Defence Forces activities. This is underlined by a commitment in the Programme for Government to increase the level of female participation in the Defence Forces. A number of specific initiatives have been implemented to increase the...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Review (18 Oct 2017)

Paul Kehoe: The Defence Forces Climate Survey was commissioned on foot of a recommendation contained in the third and most recent Report of the Independent Monitoring Group (IMG) which was established to oversee the implementation of recommendations relating to harassment, bullying, discrimination and sexual harassment within the Defence Forces. The focus group report referred to by the Deputy is a...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Remuneration (18 Oct 2017)

Paul Kehoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 55 and 71 together. Budget 2018 includes an increased provision of €25 million for 2018, and an additional €98 million for capital expenditure out to 2021. This reflects the Government’s commitment to defence and to our Defence Forces. The 2018 pay allocation of some €509 million provides for the pay and allowances for a full...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Representative Organisations (18 Oct 2017)

Paul Kehoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 56 and 224 together. A Scheme of Conciliation and Arbitration (C&A) for members of the Permanent Defence Force was established in 1993 and provides a formal mechanism for the Permanent Defence Force representative associations. Having regard to commitments made under national pay agreements, members of the Permanent Defence Force can make...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Medicinal Products (18 Oct 2017)

Paul Kehoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 57 and 59 together. As I stated in my reply to the Private Members’ Motion, which was before the Dáil on 28 June, fundamentally the use of anti-malarial drugs is a medical matter that should be decided by qualified medical professionals. In the Defence Forces these are decisions for highly qualified Medical Officers having regard to the...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Pensions (18 Oct 2017)

Paul Kehoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 60 and 61 together. I assume that the Deputy is referring to Paragraph 6.4 of the Public Service Stability Agreement 2018-2020 which indicates that a review is being undertaken by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, with public service employers, of the current statutory and operational considerations giving rise to barriers to extended...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Contracts (18 Oct 2017)

Paul Kehoe: The bi-annual Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) exhibition was held in London from Tuesday 12 September 2017 to Friday 15 September 2017. The event was attended by a number of Department of Defence and Defence Forces personnel. Attendance by Defence Organisation personnel at such Defence exhibitions is standard practice and has been a feature at previous exhibitions....