Results 9,121-9,140 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: The commitment we are making, and which is expected of us, is to participate in the projects I have highlighted throughout the debate thus far.

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

Paul Kehoe: Any mission in which we participate will be subject to the triple lock. The approval of the UN, the Dáil and the Government will be required.

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

Paul Kehoe: What is the Deputy's question?

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

Paul Kehoe: There was a joint meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council of the European Council with representatives from the Departments of Defence and Foreign Affairs and Trade on 13 November. There are normally a number of such meetings throughout the year. At that meeting the Minister, Deputy Coveney, indicated that it was our intention to join PESCO, as did I in my contribution that day, but that we...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (7 Dec 2017)

Paul Kehoe: 84. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will request the HSE to take over a former health clinic (details supplied) to facilitate a school expansion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52426/17]

Written Answers — Department of Health: HSE Properties (7 Dec 2017)

Paul Kehoe: 153. To ask the Minister for Health his plans for a former HSE clinic (details supplied); his views on a proposal for its alternative use; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52427/17]

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Retirement Scheme (12 Dec 2017)

Paul Kehoe: Military life places unique physical and psychological demands on individuals. It is necessary that members of the Defence Forces are physically and mentally capable of meeting the challenges of all military operations and to undertake duties on deployments at home and overseas.  To this end, it is vital that the age and health profile of personnel be such as to ensure that operational...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Retirement Scheme (12 Dec 2017)

Paul Kehoe: I thank the Deputy. At the recent Representative Association of Commissioned Officers, RACO, conference, similar concerns to those the Deputy has raised were raised with me in speeches by the president and the general secretary and also in a private capacity in one of the meetings I had with members of RACO. I took their concerns on board. I spoke to the Minister for Public Expenditure and...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Retirement Scheme (12 Dec 2017)

Paul Kehoe: I do not have the powers to do that. That accusation has been put to me previously. This only affects people who retire early and are on permanent retirement. If an officer of member of the Defence Forces retires at 50 or 55 years of age and he or she continues to work for ten years, up to the official retirement age, they do not get the supplementary pension. It only affects a small...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Remuneration (12 Dec 2017)

Paul Kehoe: Rates of pay and conditions of employment in the Defence Forces have traditionally been set by reference to relative levels of pay across the various sectors of the Irish public sector. Like other areas within the public service, the pay of the Permanent Defence Force was reduced during the financial crisis. The Government appreciates the contribution made by all public servants, including...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Remuneration (12 Dec 2017)

Paul Kehoe: There has been a decrease in the number of people in receipt of family income supplement. The latest figure is 117, but it has decreased since the pay increases came into being. I have heard reports of Defence Forces members having to sleep in cars. I do not dispute it but if it is the case and the Deputy has examples, I would appreciate it if he would bring those cases to my attention....

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Remuneration (12 Dec 2017)

Paul Kehoe: I will make sure that nobody is victimised, nor should they be victimised, if they approach either association because they have fallen on hard times. I find it unbelievable to think that people would be victimised in such a way. The Deputy spoke about the 24-hour duty allowance. I met the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Donohoe, two weeks ago to discuss this matter....

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Strength (12 Dec 2017)

Paul Kehoe: The 2015 White Paper on Defence commits to maintaining the strength of the Permanent Defence Force at 9,500 personnel, comprising of 7,520 Army, 886 Air Corps and 1,094 Naval Service personnel. The strength of the Permanent Defence Force on 31 October 2017 stood at 9,219, whole-time equivalent, which is 97% of the establishment. This comprises 7,417 member of the Army, 744 members of the Air...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Strength (12 Dec 2017)

Paul Kehoe: First, I recognise that we do have challenges at officer level, specifically at the ranks of lieutenant and captain. There were, however, increases in the cadet classes in 2016 and 2017 and I am committed to continuing to have large intakes of cadets because it is the only way in which we can address the challenges we have at officer level. I do not want to stop officers going overseas or...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Strength (12 Dec 2017)

Paul Kehoe: The figures I gave are accurate. I got them from my Department. The current officer strength level is 86%. I absolutely recognise that we have challenges in specific areas. I have stated this on numerous occasions. I am trying to come up with proposals and ideas on how to surmount those challenges. One of the things I have asked for is direct entry and re-entry. A number of officers,...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Remuneration (12 Dec 2017)

Paul Kehoe: As I stated in an earlier reply, the rates of pay and conditions of employment in the Defence Forces have traditionally been set by reference to relative levels of pay across the various parts of the public sector. Arising from the serious financial crisis the country faced, the pay of members of the Permanent Defence Force was reduced in a similar way to that of staff in other areas of the...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Remuneration (12 Dec 2017)

Paul Kehoe: The Deputy was in government with me from 2011 to 2016 and saw at first hand the challenges faced by the country and the decisions that had to be taken. Now that we are in better economic times, there is an opportunity to give back to all public servants what was taken from them during the recession. That is why the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Donohoe, has set out a...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Remuneration (12 Dec 2017)

Paul Kehoe: The Deputy stated that 20% of members of the Permanent Defence Forces are in receipt of family income supplement. I ask him to check his figures. Fewer than 117 members of the Defence Forces out of a total personnel of a little over 9,200 are in receipt of family income supplement. To state that 20% are in receipt of family income supplement is untrue. That myth has been peddled in recent...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Remuneration (12 Dec 2017)

Paul Kehoe: Plenty of public servants receive family income supplement and that depends on their family circumstances, which is why the payment is available. I have put in place a full review of the conciliation and arbitration scheme as both PDFORRA and RACO have sought for many years and will soon be announcing a chairperson in that regard. I heard Deputy Howlin's proposal last week regarding taking...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Reserve (12 Dec 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 is on training to prepare for that role. The Government has also assigned a formal role to the Reserve in respect of contributing to State ceremonial events. The Government appreciates the service of the members of...