Results 22,461-22,480 of 26,255 for speaker:Seán Ó Fearghaíl

Other Questions: Proposed Legislation (24 Mar 2015)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl: This goes to a matter that I have raised repeatedly on the Order of Business, that being, the publication of the Red Cross (amendment) Bill. Recent media reports suggest that all may not be well within the Red Cross, which emphasises the need for legislation on addressing governance issues to be introduced as a matter of urgency. I am particularly conscious of the fact that the secretary...

Other Questions: Proposed Legislation (24 Mar 2015)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl: I will be brief. While I accept the Minister's answer, all is clearly not well. When three senior line managers in the organisation resign simultaneously, it indicates that there is a problem. That problem needs to be addressed urgently. The legislation to which the Minister referred needs to be introduced. It is not as though the Department of Defence is overrun in terms of the...

Other Questions: Defence Forces Deployment (24 Mar 2015)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl: 128. To ask the Minister for Defence if Ireland has received, or expects to receive, any request for the Defence Forces to participate in any mission to Libya; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11642/15]

Other Questions: Defence Forces Deployment (24 Mar 2015)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl: With regard to the political situation in Libya, we are currently aware that there are peace talks taking place in Morocco with a view to bringing about the creation of a government and national unity. In this context, there has been much speculation that the UN might ask the EU under the common security and defence policy to send in a force to support the peace initiative. Has Ireland...

Other Questions: White Paper on Defence (24 Mar 2015)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl: Budgetary constraints are the major impediment at present and I note defence spending has fallen by approximately 20% since 2008, bringing Ireland to the point where it has the second lowest expenditure on defence in Europe, in terms of percentage of GDP spent, behind Luxembourg. As part of this White Paper process, does the Minister envisage that this fundamental situation will change?

Other Questions: White Paper on Defence (24 Mar 2015)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl: 124. To ask the Minister for Defence when the White Paper on Defence will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11641/15]

Other Questions: White Paper on Defence (24 Mar 2015)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl: The Minister referred several times to the impending White Paper on Defence. It is two years since the Green Paper on Defence was produced and 18 months since the deadline for receipt of submissions elapsed. The Minister is running out of time to publish this important White Paper. Is he in a position to indicate a timeframe for its publication?

Other Questions: White Paper on Defence (24 Mar 2015)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl: The timescale the Minister outlined is welcome if it can be realised. The Minister stated recently that he intends to consult on the White Paper nationally and internationally. With which categories of people or stakeholders will he consult? Will he also give an undertaking to use as a resource the large repository of skills and information that exists among retired officers? Those who...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Air Corps Equipment (24 Mar 2015)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl: The capacity or range of our aircraft is between 10% and 20% of that of Russian aeroplanes. If we are to address any challenge, from Russia or anywhere else outside the European Union, we need to consider this issue. Can the Minister commit to some rolling programme to replace the five Cessnas? It is welcome that there has been some engagement with the Russian ambassador on this matter....

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Air Corps Equipment (24 Mar 2015)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl: 122. To ask the Minister for Defence if he is satisfied that the Air Corps is capable of dealing with unauthorised incursions into Irish airspace by military aircraft from other countries; the action he took on foot of recent developments involving military aircraft from other countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11698/15]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Air Corps Equipment (24 Mar 2015)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl: This question is straightforward. It asks the Minister whether he is satisfied with the capacity of the Air Corps to deal with unauthorised incursions by military aircraft into Irish airspace, whether sovereign or Irish controlled, and the actions that he has taken in the aftermath of the recent two Russian incursions, whereby bombers flew across Irish controlled airspace with their...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Air Corps Equipment (24 Mar 2015)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl: I ask the Minister to tell us what the agreed response was. One would assume there was some engagement by our Government with the representatives of the Russian authorities. The public were certainly concerned about the incursion. A security expert, Dr. Tom Clonan, referred to Ireland's airspace defences as Europe's weakest link and suggested that if terrorists took over an aircraft in...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Cyber Security Policy (24 Mar 2015)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl: I am surprised and pleased to learn there is a unit within the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources but it is a very well kept secret because today is the first I have heard of it. It is, however, in the Department of Defence that such a unit should be based because the high level of expertise required to secure our cyberspace rests primarily within the Minister's...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Cyber Security Policy (24 Mar 2015)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl: My problem with what the Minister has said is that the risk exists now. We have see the hacking of the Twitter account of central command in the US and production was stopped at Intel, in my own county, earlier this year following a bomb threat. Security risks exist now and we need to move urgently to address those risks. It is very much in the broad national interest that we do so, having...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Cyber Security Policy (24 Mar 2015)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl: 119. To ask the Minister for Defence the role he envisages for the Defence Forces in addressing cyber-security issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11697/15]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Cyber Security Policy (24 Mar 2015)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl: This question focuses on the issue of our national security, which nowadays is not just concerned with the security of our communities and Border, but also the security of our cyberspace. Will the Minister focus on the need to develop within the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces a dedicated cyber-defence unit? Could the signals intelligence unit be the body to play that role?

Written Answers — Department of Defence: International Agreements (24 Mar 2015)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl: 131. To ask the Minister for Defence if he will provide an update on the implementation of the memorandum of understanding recently entered into with the Ministry of Defence of the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11645/15]

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Air Corps (24 Mar 2015)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl: 140. To ask the Minister for Defence his views on whether the Air Corps is capable of dealing with unauthorised incursions into Irish airspace by military aircraft from other countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11644/15]

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Gender Recognition (24 Mar 2015)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl: 150. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will address the concerns raised in correspondence (details supplied) regarding the Gender Recognition Bill 2014; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11252/15]

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Local Employment Service (24 Mar 2015)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl: 158. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the work undertaken by the County Kildare Local Employment Service Network; in view of the fact that the network spent approximately €170,000 in training costs for unemployed clients in 2014; the reason that she has allocated a mere €78,157.00 for training interventions in 2015; if she accepts that...