Results 341-360 of 1,039,541 for in 'Dáil debates' OR (speaker:Rory O'Hanlon OR speaker:Pearse Doherty OR speaker:James O'Connor) in 'Committee meetings'

Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Micheál Martin: I am not saying it is the Deputy's intention at all. I said it is out there in terms of representations that have been made on this issue.

Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Réada Cronin: Well talk to them then and stop grumbling about them.

Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Micheál Martin: The whole train of thought has been around the idea that if the Secretary General is on it, the Chief of Staff should be on it, or the representative bodies should be on it.

Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Brendan Howlin: We are not suggesting that.

Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Micheál Martin: That is not the way I look at it. It is as if the Department is at loggerheads with the Defence Forces and it should not be. That should not be the frame around which the debate happens. There is an element of that happening in this context. This has been a relentless campaign about undermining the Secretary General's role on the oversight body. I regret that it has come to this. We have...

Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Bernard Durkan: I thank the Minister. In the same order, I call Deputy Cronin.

Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Réada Cronin: I will pass it over for the moment.

Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Bernard Durkan: Is the Deputy deferring?

Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Réada Cronin: I will let the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach know in a second.

Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Bernard Durkan: I call Deputy Howlin.

Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Brendan Howlin: It is unworthy of the Tánaiste to suggest that nobody from this side of the House mentioned victims. The whole focus of establishing an oversight body is to address the concerns of victims.

Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Micheál Martin: However, no one did mention them.

Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Brendan Howlin: There is no hierarchy of concern with regard to victims. That should not have been said. The central point I want to make in the amendment is that, objectively, and I have dealt with many bodies and reviews and so on, it is not appropriate to have the Secretary General of the Department on it. That is not anti-Secretary General; that is daft. It is nothing to do with the personalities....

Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Cathal Berry: I will speak on my amendment No. 8 and in support of Deputies Cronin and Howlin. First, there is a lot of good stuff in this Bill, but this is a lightning rod for any discontent. I think we all welcome true, independent oversight. It is a good model. I think everybody here wants this oversight body to be a success. We want it to not only be a success but an exemplar of good governance....

Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I would like to speak in support of these amendments. I do not see how it is at all credible that the Secretary General of the Department of Defence can sit on a body that is supposed to be an independent, external oversight body over the Defence Forces. As Deputy Berry has just pointed out, there is a glaring contradiction when you talk about having the right to remove people where there...

Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Micheál Martin: No, it is not.

Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Richard Boyd Barrett: It says in the Bill that it does.

Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Micheál Martin: Not individually.

Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Okay. I will read it out, since the Minister decided to interrupt me.

Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Report and Final Stages (12 Jun 2024)

Micheál Martin: The Deputy does not have to. I will explain it later.