Results 9,081-9,100 of 17,012 for speaker:Paul Kehoe

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Permanent Structured Cooperation: Motion (6 Dec 2017)

Paul Kehoe: No.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Permanent Structured Cooperation: Motion (6 Dec 2017)

Paul Kehoe: We have sought legal advice from the Attorney General's office. The legal advice is that this does not go beyond our traditional policy of neutrality in any way. I read an extract from the final text of the PESCO document for Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan, which said that the agreement reflects a country's neutrality and its own traditional policies. On the question of why we are joining...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Permanent Structured Cooperation: Motion (6 Dec 2017)

Paul Kehoe: The Deputy is right when he says he raised questions about PESCO in the past. This has been spoken about in the Dáil since 2016. I recall written parliamentary questions that were tabled to me on 16 December 2016. Within a month of my appointment as Minister of State in May 2016, I was asked oral parliamentary questions about Ireland's plans in respect of PESCO. I could not tell the...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Permanent Structured Cooperation: Motion (6 Dec 2017)

Paul Kehoe: If the Deputy looks at the protocols within the Lisbon treaty he will see that it deals with the European army and with defence spending as being matters for each member state. The Deputy spoke of Juncker and his European army. I do not agree with him; there will not be a European army. There are no provisions within PESCO for a European army.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Permanent Structured Cooperation: Motion (6 Dec 2017)

Paul Kehoe: The Deputy was the person who-----

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Permanent Structured Cooperation: Motion (6 Dec 2017)

Paul Kehoe: I disagree with that. The Deputy, and others, are the type of people who are peddling this thing about a European army over the last number of days. Quite frankly it is rubbish.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Permanent Structured Cooperation: Motion (6 Dec 2017)

Paul Kehoe: Yes absolutely. I totally disagree with him. There will be no European army and this is in the protocols of Lisbon Treaty. At the European Council meeting in June it was agreed to launch PESCO by the end of the year. That was an unfinished document. I was not going to bring an unfinished document before the House. This has been in the public domain since my appointment in May or June...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Permanent Structured Cooperation: Motion (6 Dec 2017)

Paul Kehoe: It comes back to the point the Deputy made. We have to update our equipment whenever necessary. The maritime surveillance is a very similar project. We participate in the European Defence Agency, EDA. I spoke last week about EDA projects and the committee and the Dáil cleared them. I am sure the Deputy is aware that we are participating in Operation Sophia. The maritime...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Permanent Structured Cooperation: Motion (6 Dec 2017)

Paul Kehoe: I did not say that.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Permanent Structured Cooperation: Motion (6 Dec 2017)

Paul Kehoe: I highlighted this point before Deputy Ryan came in. This document was finalised in the first week in November. On 13 November we had a Council meeting. I brought it to Government on Tuesday, 21 November and now we are bringing it to the Dáil. The Deputy asked why we have to decide to join up by Friday. The PESCO notification was published in mid-November, as I have highlighted, and...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Permanent Structured Cooperation: Motion (6 Dec 2017)

Paul Kehoe: What I have stated is that after 11 December, all decisions concerning PESCO, the Permanent Structured Co-operation Agreement, including projects, can only be taken by those member states that joined PESCO.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Permanent Structured Cooperation: Motion (6 Dec 2017)

Paul Kehoe: I did not interrupt either of the questioners. If we defer our decision on joining, we are outside of PESCO and cannot influence its development. We have secured language in the final document, which I have highlighted, that we were able to influence within the closing days of the document being finalised. The notification restates the EU's commitment to multilateralism within the UN at...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Permanent Structured Cooperation: Motion (6 Dec 2017)

Paul Kehoe: Deputy Chambers is one of the Deputies who questioned me on numerous occasions about this, through oral and written parliamentary questions, since the beginning of my appointment in May or June of 2016. I would like to thank her and her party for their support in this. She is right in what she states about defence policy. Defence policy is not about me. Defence policy concerns the...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Permanent Structured Cooperation: Motion (6 Dec 2017)

Paul Kehoe: No, it is not the case that we could join next year.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Permanent Structured Cooperation: Motion (6 Dec 2017)

Paul Kehoe: We can join, but we-----

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Permanent Structured Cooperation: Motion (6 Dec 2017)

Paul Kehoe: I will go back to Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Permanent Structured Cooperation: Motion (6 Dec 2017)

Paul Kehoe: On 9 November in The Irish Timesthere was a good article on PESCO.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Permanent Structured Cooperation: Motion (6 Dec 2017)

Paul Kehoe: It was written by Mr. Patrick Smyth. I can give the Deputy a copy. To say this was not in the ether or that we were holding onto it and not letting anyone know about it is not correct. Deputy Lisa Chambers was right when she stated she was aware of it and had been questioned on it. It is not something we have been cooking up in small private smoke-filled rooms. Before I leave I will give...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Permanent Structured Cooperation: Motion (6 Dec 2017)

Paul Kehoe: What was the question?

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Permanent Structured Cooperation: Motion (6 Dec 2017)

Paul Kehoe: The commitment we are making is to increase spending. We increase our spending year on year. That is provided for. The Deputy spoke about NATO standards. Of course, we always work to them. If we are sending troops abroad, of course, they will have to be fully trained and equipped. There have to be standards when sending troops going abroad to participate in peacekeeping missions....