Results 3,821-3,840 of 18,449 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Retention of Defence Forces Personnel: Discussion with Representative Association of Commissioned Officers (30 May 2019)

Brendan Smith: I am sure RACO engages in dialogue with other defence forces. Commandant King might let us know if he comes across a different structure with regard to the Accounting Officer position.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Retention of Defence Forces Personnel: Discussion with Representative Association of Commissioned Officers (30 May 2019)

Brendan Smith: We speak for ourselves. We have been positive in this engagement.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Retention of Defence Forces Personnel: Discussion with Representative Association of Commissioned Officers (30 May 2019)

Brendan Smith: All colleagues present and others who were here earlier want to be positive. This committee under my stewardship has probably been more active on defence issues than other committees in the past. We needed to be active on them and that would be the view of the members of all parties and none on this committee. Commandant King might respond to Senator Craughwell's brief question and then I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Retention of Defence Forces Personnel: Discussion with Representative Association of Commissioned Officers (30 May 2019)

Brendan Smith: I appreciate that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Retention of Defence Forces Personnel: Discussion with Representative Association of Commissioned Officers (30 May 2019)

Brendan Smith: I appreciate that. I thought somebody following these proceedings might think that we were not active on these issues.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Retention of Defence Forces Personnel: Discussion with Representative Association of Commissioned Officers (30 May 2019)

Brendan Smith: Commandant King might respond to Senator's Craughwell's question concerning ICTU.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Retention of Defence Forces Personnel: Discussion with Representative Association of Commissioned Officers (30 May 2019)

Brendan Smith: I thank Commandant King for those comments. I will take final brief supplementary questions from Deputy Jack Chambers and other colleagues.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Retention of Defence Forces Personnel: Discussion with Representative Association of Commissioned Officers (30 May 2019)

Brendan Smith: I thank the Deputy for those questions. I have a final question. The briefing from the Department indicates that the strength of the Permanent Defence Force at the end of March was 8,847 whole-time equivalents. The witnesses have remarked to us that in reality the strength is nearly 1,000 lower than that, taking into consideration duties and the training of others. I ask them to go back...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Retention of Defence Forces Personnel: Discussion with Representative Association of Commissioned Officers (30 May 2019)

Brendan Smith: Mr. King is saying that the operational capacity of the Defence Forces is nearer to 7,000 at this time.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Retention of Defence Forces Personnel: Discussion with Representative Association of Commissioned Officers (30 May 2019)

Brendan Smith: On behalf of the committee, I thank the witnesses for their presentation and attendance today. They have painted a very bleak picture of the situation at all ranks in our Permanent Defence Forces. They referred to very low morale and raised questions regarding the well-being of officers, soldiers, sailors and aircrews. They also spoke about the loss of corporate knowledge, expertise and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Retention of Defence Forces Personnel: Discussion with Representative Association of Commissioned Officers (30 May 2019)

Brendan Smith: -----from the late 1960s until the late 1990s. I recall very well the enormous contribution of members of the Permanent Defence Forces, An Garda Síochána and the Reserve Defence Force in dealing with the dangers that confronted our society. Of course, the great work our Defence Forces have been doing for decades overseas has enhanced our international reputation. It has also...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agrifood Sector (21 May 2019)

Brendan Smith: 468. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of support for the agrifood sector from the EU as a Brexit mitigation measure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21361/19]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Home Care Packages Funding (16 May 2019)

Brendan Smith: 131. To ask the Minister for Health when necessary financial resources will be allocated to the HSE to eliminate the delays in providing home support for persons already approved for home help but awaiting provision of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21320/19]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Home Help Service Data (16 May 2019)

Brendan Smith: 134. To ask the Minister for Health the number of persons approved for home help in CHO 1 and CHO 2 areas and awaiting provision of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21330/19]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Industry (15 May 2019)

Brendan Smith: 230. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to implement measures to assist the suckler beef sector in view of ongoing difficulties facing farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21074/19]

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Building Regulations (8 May 2019)

Brendan Smith: 1574. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government when a scheme (details supplied) will be approved; his plans to ensure that there are no further delays in having such a properly funded scheme put in place due to the severe hardship caused to householders at present; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19659/19]

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Cyber Security Policy (18 Apr 2019)

Brendan Smith: 44. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the specific meetings over the past 18 months between his Department, the Defence Forces and the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment in which the issue of developing civil and military co-operation as set out in the National Cyber Security Strategy 2015-2017 was on the agenda; and if he will make a statement on the...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Cyber Security Policy (18 Apr 2019)

Brendan Smith: 45. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence further to Parliamentary Question No. 7 of 11 April 2019, if further clarification will be provided (details supplied); the reason this is not a priority; the obstacles to the provision of these critical resources; the specific measures he is taking to address these issues in 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18218/19]

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: European Council Meetings (18 Apr 2019)

Brendan Smith: 53. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the outcome of the most recent discussions at the EU Foreign Affairs Council regarding Brexit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18292/19]

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Northern Ireland (18 Apr 2019)

Brendan Smith: 59. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the proposals there are to resume talks with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and the political parties in Northern Ireland on the need to have the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive restored; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18378/19]