Results 401-420 of 1,029,503 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Michael McNamara OR speaker:Hildegarde Naughton)

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

Micheál Martin: The idea that we are insulting anybody is outrageous. There is no intention to do that. We are protecting people from potential embroilment in all sorts of issues. We are maintaining the framework within which the Defence Forces operate. We are advancing it insofar as they will now enjoy statutory underpinning of association membership with ICTU. This is an advance. To respond to...

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

Brendan Howlin: The Tánaiste is right that the view of the Attorney General is there is a saver clause that allows discussion but there is an explicit prohibition that overrules it, as the Bill states they cannot engage in a matter of Government policy. If anybody looks at the Bill, they will see it is explicit that they cannot do it. The Tánaiste may state there are other undisclosed matters...

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

Micheál Martin: No, that would not be right. That would not be correct. For example, the conciliation and arbitration mechanism is well used by the representative associations on a range of issues. We have come a long way since 1990.

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

Brendan Howlin: If it were Government policy not to give-----

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

Micheál Martin: Deputy Lahart outlined its origins. The formation and establishment by former Fianna Fáil Minister for Defence Brian Lenihan senior in respect of the representative associations was a breakthrough at the time. We have advanced since then. There is healthy engagement with RACO and PDFORRA. I do not think they could argue there is any attempt to restrict. I must stress that we...

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

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputies for their comments. If we stand back, everybody at the committee said they accepted that the Defence Forces should not be political.

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

Brendan Howlin: Yes, they should not be party political.

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

Micheál Martin: What do we mean by that? What the Government is proposing is exactly that.

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

Réada Cronin: It is not. The Bill refers to a "matter of Government policy".

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

Micheál Martin: It includes reference to "in uniform". Are we seriously suggesting-----

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

Brendan Howlin: The Bill also refers to members of the Defence Forces who are otherwise identifiable as such.

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

Réada Cronin: It does not only refer to those in uniform.

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

Micheál Martin: I did not interrupt others. Are we seriously suggesting that the military should become politicised? That is what the Deputies are saying.

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

Réada Cronin: We are not.

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

Micheál Martin: That is what is being said. We need to be careful not to undermine what has been a strength of our democracy, namely, our apolitical Defence Forces. That is important, irrespective of who is in government. We are all birds of passage. We hope this legislation will apply for a significant period. Much of what is in the Bill is already in regulations and, in fact, may be less restrictive...

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

Brendan Howlin: The Bill states "identifiable".

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

Réada Cronin: Not everybody is in uniform.

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

Micheál Martin: No, and a member does not have to identify himself or herself as a member of the Defence Forces when criticising the Government or engaged in agitation and so forth. I went back to the Attorney General after Committee Stage because I was concerned about the piece around representative associations and whether they might be restricted in representing their members and so on. We put in an...

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

John Lahart: I support the Tánaiste's position. I remember as a young man sitting in the Gallery when the late Brian Lenihan senior, a former Minister for Defence, introduced the legislation that allowed for PDFORRA and the representative piece. Many of the same arguments were being made then about allowing the Army a representative voice on general human resource issues, conciliation issues and...

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

Brendan Howlin: Nobody is going to argue against the proposition that the Defence Forces should be apolitical, should be perceived to be apolitical and should not be involved in any political controversy. That is a given. However, we are not still in 1954. In other developed countries, such as the Netherlands and others, there is a more participative discussion with defence forces personnel as workers on...