Results 1,141-1,160 of 3,962 for speaker:Lisa Chambers

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Army Pensions (Revised) (8 Mar 2018)

Lisa Chambers: Are the projects included under these Estimates?

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Army Pensions (Revised) (8 Mar 2018)

Lisa Chambers: Is it under subhead A23, costs arising directly from Ireland’s participation in the EU’s common security and defence policy? It looks as if we are estimating that we will spend less this year than we did last year, but we are participating in two additional projects. I am just trying to understand-----

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Army Pensions (Revised) (8 Mar 2018)

Lisa Chambers: These projects come under this subhead.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Army Pensions (Revised) (8 Mar 2018)

Lisa Chambers: The reason I ask is that the Minister of State is estimating we will spend less this year, which just does not seem to work out. If we are participating in additional projects, one would imagine the Estimate for this year would be larger than last year.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Army Pensions (Revised) (8 Mar 2018)

Lisa Chambers: I understand this is fairly new. We might come back to it. The second issue I wish to raise with the Minister of State I have raised with him in the Chamber. It concerns the state of barracks, specifically the accommodation and the bedding and equipment within barracks. I am looking under subhead A12. I see the 2018 Estimate provides for a slight increase in expenditure on this. I wish...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Army Pensions (Revised) (8 Mar 2018)

Lisa Chambers: In the Chamber during our most recent questions session I raised the issue of the state of the accommodation in the barracks.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Army Pensions (Revised) (8 Mar 2018)

Lisa Chambers: The Minister of State said there was a process-----

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Army Pensions (Revised) (8 Mar 2018)

Lisa Chambers: Specifically regarding the bedding and mattresses, that stuff-----

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Army Pensions (Revised) (8 Mar 2018)

Lisa Chambers: In this day and age it is not really acceptable. My next question concerns the recruitment campaign. This has been ongoing for the past number of years. We are still not at the establishment strength of 9,500 that we should be at. We are taking people in but losing them at an even greater rate. How much did the recruitment campaign cost in 2017, and what is the projected cost of the...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Army Pensions (Revised) (8 Mar 2018)

Lisa Chambers: That does not explain why we still only have a net increase of about 100.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Army Pensions (Revised) (8 Mar 2018)

Lisa Chambers: What is the cost of those campaigns?

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Army Pensions (Revised) (8 Mar 2018)

Lisa Chambers: Sorry. Is that a €150,000 increase?

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Army Pensions (Revised) (8 Mar 2018)

Lisa Chambers: What is it on top of?

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Army Pensions (Revised) (8 Mar 2018)

Lisa Chambers: There was €300,000 spent in 2017 then. Is that correct?

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Army Pensions (Revised) (8 Mar 2018)

Lisa Chambers: The next issue I wish to raise brings me to the Permanent Defence Force, PDF, allowances. In this context I wish to comment on the record on the outstanding work of the Defence Forces in respect of Storm Emma. So many of our soldiers went above and beyond the call of duty and worked day and night. I am sure they are still recovering and still quite tired after the work. I know some of...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Army Pensions (Revised) (8 Mar 2018)

Lisa Chambers: My next question is on the Air Corps. I know this question has been raised with the Minister of State but there are ongoing issues in respect of litigation. We cannot get into that. It is probably an explanation as to why litigation costs have gone up by €1.5 million for this year. I have my own views on that, which I have made known to the Minister of State within the Chamber. I...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Army Pensions (Revised) (8 Mar 2018)

Lisa Chambers: I have.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Army Pensions (Revised) (8 Mar 2018)

Lisa Chambers: I have one brief follow-up point. In respect of the allowances, I appreciate that if they are entitled to the current allowances, as they are, they will be paid. The point I was making was that perhaps we could look to see how we could allow more flexibility and generosity in the whole area of allowances. It became so slimmed down that it took away a huge chunk of weekly take-home pay. ...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Army Pensions (Revised) (8 Mar 2018)

Lisa Chambers: I thank the Minster of State.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Service by the Defence Forces with the United Nations in 2016: Motion (8 Mar 2018)

Lisa Chambers: Most things have been said. Overall, the report is very positive and very welcome. As Deputy Seán Barrett has said, we are extremely proud of our soldiers who serve on overseas missions. I have made the point several times that it is not a holiday they embark upon but very serious missions which pose a threat to life and safety and to their health and well-being. They undertake this...