Results 3,341-3,360 of 18,442 for speaker:Brendan Smith
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Recruitment and Retention in the Defence Forces: Discussion with Minister of State (28 Nov 2019)
Brendan Smith: I am not responsible for the Minister of State's response.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Recruitment and Retention in the Defence Forces: Discussion with Minister of State (28 Nov 2019)
Brendan Smith: I ask the Minister of State to respond to the specific questions that were put to him. Deputy Jack Chambers asked specific questions, not for speeches. I ask the Minister of State to respond specifically to the questions asked.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Recruitment and Retention in the Defence Forces: Discussion with Minister of State (28 Nov 2019)
Brendan Smith: One second, Minister.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Recruitment and Retention in the Defence Forces: Discussion with Minister of State (28 Nov 2019)
Brendan Smith: I am not going back and wasting more time. He asked you specifically about the ships and you answered the question. If you would answer in the same format as to whether you had or had not been informed, we would appreciate it. We want to make progress and there are other members who wish to contribute.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Recruitment and Retention in the Defence Forces: Discussion with Minister of State (28 Nov 2019)
Brendan Smith: You are supplementing the reasons.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Recruitment and Retention in the Defence Forces: Discussion with Minister of State (28 Nov 2019)
Brendan Smith: We are under time constraints and please be mindful that other members wish to contribute.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Recruitment and Retention in the Defence Forces: Discussion with Minister of State (28 Nov 2019)
Brendan Smith: Minister, do not speak when I am speaking. Other members of the committee wish to contribute and you should try to co-operate and ensure that everybody has an opportunity to pose their questions and that you have an opportunity to answer them. Please proceed.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Recruitment and Retention in the Defence Forces: Discussion with Minister of State (28 Nov 2019)
Brendan Smith: I will take the questions of Senator Craughwell and Deputy O'Loughlin together.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Recruitment and Retention in the Defence Forces: Discussion with Minister of State (28 Nov 2019)
Brendan Smith: A query that came to us via the Committee on Public Petitions is whether there are plans to increase the upper age limit for recruitment of officer cadets, Naval Service recruits and apprentices? When we compare the age limits for An Garda Síochána and members of the defence forces in Britain and the US, they are higher than ours. Is this being considered?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Recruitment and Retention in the Defence Forces: Discussion with Minister of State (28 Nov 2019)
Brendan Smith: Perfect.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Recruitment and Retention in the Defence Forces: Discussion with Minister of State (28 Nov 2019)
Brendan Smith: We are very short of time.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Recruitment and Retention in the Defence Forces: Discussion with Minister of State (28 Nov 2019)
Brendan Smith: Please.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Recruitment and Retention in the Defence Forces: Discussion with Minister of State (28 Nov 2019)
Brendan Smith: There were questions from Deputies O'Loughlin and Mitchell.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Recruitment and Retention in the Defence Forces: Discussion with Minister of State (28 Nov 2019)
Brendan Smith: Deputy Mitchell had several questions. We are over time.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Recruitment and Retention in the Defence Forces: Discussion with Minister of State (28 Nov 2019)
Brendan Smith: The Minister of State has three minutes.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Recruitment and Retention in the Defence Forces: Discussion with Minister of State (28 Nov 2019)
Brendan Smith: How much went unspent in 2018?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Recruitment and Retention in the Defence Forces: Discussion with Minister of State (28 Nov 2019)
Brendan Smith: We will deal with this in the select committee meeting in a few minutes.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Recruitment and Retention in the Defence Forces: Discussion with Minister of State (28 Nov 2019)
Brendan Smith: Each year the Minister of State has come before the committee with a Supplementary Estimate to move money to pay for pensions.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Recruitment and Retention in the Defence Forces: Discussion with Minister of State (28 Nov 2019)
Brendan Smith: Therefore, the figures for the beginning of the year are not reflected at the end of the year. In reality, then, the Department's projected expenditure in respect of pensions has been wrong each year. Is that not why we meet in December each year, to move money?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Recruitment and Retention in the Defence Forces: Discussion with Minister of State (28 Nov 2019)
Brendan Smith: The way in which this has been presented is incorrect.