Results 10,241-10,260 of 17,012 for speaker:Paul Kehoe

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Naval Service Operations (3 Oct 2018)

Paul Kehoe: If the Deputy listened, he would know it was a joint submission in which both parties were very much involved. It was submitted to the Public Service Pay Commission in early September. I am giving the commission the space and time to carry out its work on pay within the Defence Forces. Maybe the Deputy will read the commission's report of May 2017, which I have highlighted to him a number...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Service Pay Commission Reports (3 Oct 2018)

Paul Kehoe: The Public Service Pay Commission was established to provide objective advice to Government on public service remuneration policy. In 2017, under my direction, the Department of Defence brought issues of recruitment and retention in the Defence Forces to the attention of the commission. The commission produced its initial report in May 2017 and highlighted recruitment and retention issues,...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Service Pay Commission Reports (3 Oct 2018)

Paul Kehoe: The joint submission from the Department of Defence and military management was submitted on 10 September to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. This was a very comprehensive evidence-based submission and it was what the pay commission sought. The submission was supported by statistics and I know the commission is engaging with members of the Defence Forces now, as it has done...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Service Pay Commission Reports (3 Oct 2018)

Paul Kehoe: I instructed my Department that I did not want a wishy-washy submission from the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces. I wanted a comprehensive evidence-based submission. It runs to well over 100 pages, with graphs of trends and everything like that. The Deputy asked when I expect the pay commission to report. In April this year a submission was sent regarding pilot retention, and...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Service Pay Commission Reports (3 Oct 2018)

Paul Kehoe: As I have outlined, the Public Service Pay Commission was established to provide objective advice to the Government relating to public service remuneration policy. The Department of Defence has provided detailed data to enable the commission to undertake an evidence-based analysis of recruitment and retention issues. The commission's work is ongoing and I have no intention of speculating on...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Service Pay Commission Reports (3 Oct 2018)

Paul Kehoe: The minimum payment for a Defence Forces member is €27,000 and it has increased with the public service stability agreement payment. I am giving the Public Service Pay Commission the time and space to carry out its work. We gave it a very comprehensive joint submission from the Department of Defence and military management, which worked very hard on this evidence-based document. It...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Service Pay Commission Reports (3 Oct 2018)

Paul Kehoe: No, it is not. This is a pay commission. The Deputy might want to go back and look at the terms of reference of the pay commission. He spoke about people buying themselves out. There are reasons people have to do so and the Deputy should check them out.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Service Pay Commission Reports (3 Oct 2018)

Paul Kehoe: The Deputy should go back and look at the confidence and supply agreement because his party signed up to the pay commission and agreed to its terms of reference. I would ask the Deputy to look at the terms of reference. His party signed up to them under the confidence and supply agreement. It is not up to me to make recommendations. It is up to the pay commission to do that. We were...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Personnel (3 Oct 2018)

Paul Kehoe: The Defence Forces climate survey was commissioned on foot of a recommendation contained in the third report of the independent monitoring group which was established to oversee the implementation of recommendations relating to harassment, bullying, discrimination and sexual harassment within the Defence Forces. Follow-up work to the initial findings in the survey was conducted by University...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Personnel (3 Oct 2018)

Paul Kehoe: The Defence Forces have full control over recruitment. No civilian is involved in this. It is solely the responsibility of the Defence Forces headed by military management and the Chief of Staff who has his own people in that recruitment office. The Deputy raised a wide range of issues. I have outlined the process we are using under the public service stability programme between now and...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Personnel (3 Oct 2018)

Paul Kehoe: The Garda Commissioner does not set pay levels for members of An Garda Síochána.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Personnel (3 Oct 2018)

Paul Kehoe: That does not matter because he still does not set pay levels for members of An Garda Síochána. The minimum wage level of a member of the Defence Forces is €27,000. That trained young private could be 22 or 23 years old and have one child, two children or none at all. That is the way it is, but there is support available in the form of the working family payment, if required.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Personnel (3 Oct 2018)

Paul Kehoe: The Deputy knows how the working family payment scheme works. I do not have to explain it to him.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Personnel (3 Oct 2018)

Paul Kehoe: He has to accept this. The payment is made in certain circumstances and supports families, if needed and required. That is why it is available. I am doing my best in advocating on behalf of the Defence Forces and have stated I live up to my responsibilities. I listen to the representative associations, be it the Permanent Defence Force Other Ranks Representative Association, PDFORRA, or...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Naval Service Vessels (3 Oct 2018)

Paul Kehoe: My priority as Minister of State with responsibility for defence matters is to ensure the operational capability of the Army, the Air Corps and the Naval Service is maintained to the greatest extent possible so as to enable the Defence Forces to carry out their roles as assigned by the Government, both at home and overseas. As the State’s principal sea-going agency and in accordance...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Naval Service Vessels (3 Oct 2018)

Paul Kehoe: I have firmly believed since my appointment that members of the Defence Forces should be equipped to the very best standard. That is exactly what the Government has been doing in the past few years. There has been significant investment in the Naval Service. I do not see the Defence Forces being involved in any aggressive military operation. The Deputy is fully aware of our policy of...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Naval Service Vessels (3 Oct 2018)

Paul Kehoe: We are and have been involved in Operation Sophia for some time. I am proud of the great work members of the Naval Service are doing in the Mediterranean. Migrants picked up by it are brought to a safe European port. That has always been and will continue to be the case. On the matter of the multi-role vessel to which the Deputy referred, we are in the preliminary stages of planning. The...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Naval Service Vessels (3 Oct 2018)

Paul Kehoe: I do not believe we should scrap the project. This is a commitment from the Government. We will continue until tendering stage. When we get to that stage we will look at the resource envelope available to the Defence Forces. I make no apologies for equipping members of the Defence Forces with the very best equipment.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Shannon Airport Facilities (3 Oct 2018)

Paul Kehoe: The Department of Justice and Equality and An Garda Síochána have primary responsibility for the internal security of the State. Among the roles assigned to the Defence Forces in the White Paper on Defence 2015 is the provision of aid to the civil power, ATCP, which in practice means to assist An Garda Síochána when requested to do so. On each occasion that the support...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Shannon Airport Facilities (3 Oct 2018)

Paul Kehoe: I acknowledge the points the Deputy has made and will take them on board. However, his question is a matter for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. I know the Deputy is passionate about this issue, but the involvement of the Defence Forces solely consists of aid to the civil power to An Garda Síochána. I am aware that the Deputy has raised this issue on a number of...