Results 421-440 of 798 for speaker:Cathal Berry

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (6 Jul 2022)

Cathal Berry: I very much welcome the Government's announcement some months ago about the €1,000 Covid bonus payment. The Government is going to extend it to members of the Defence Forces. The Minister might not be aware that not a single soldier, sailor or flight crew member has received that €1,000 bonus payment yet. Worse still, not only have they not received it, but they have not even...

Defence Forces: Motions (5 Jul 2022)

Cathal Berry: I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this debate. I welcome even more the opportunity to listen to the debate. I have listened to all sides, particularly those who may have different views from me. There are two, pretty much, motions before us. One is about Defence Forces overseas and the other is about the PESCO projects. I will deal with the first one first. I echo many...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Reports on Service by the Defence Forces with the UN and Permanent Structured Cooperation Projects: Motions (30 Jun 2022)

Cathal Berry: I am conscious of the clock so I will be as quick as I can. I acknowledge the presence of the Defence Force veterans and their spouses in the Public Gallery. Many of the contributors pointed quite rightly to the excellent reputation of Irish peacekeepers overseas. That is because of the people sitting behind me, so well done to them. They are most welcome here any time at all. I have...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Reports on Service by the Defence Forces with the UN and Permanent Structured Cooperation Projects: Motions (30 Jun 2022)

Cathal Berry: I wish to make a small point on that, and I am glad the Minister raised it. I know the Irish Small and Medium Enterprises Association, ISME, and IBEC are important, but the biggest and most important employer in this link is the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. If we could get agreement in the public service first and demonstrate to ISME and IBEC that this is quite doable, then...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) Projects: Motion (30 Jun 2022)

Cathal Berry: I very much welcome these proposals, primarily for two reasons. First, the military is very much in favour of them because the skill set will empower them but also personally. In the last 20 years I have benefited enormously from international training in my former line of work. I did multiple courses with the UK Armed Forces.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) Projects: Motion (30 Jun 2022)

Cathal Berry: I appreciate both sides of the argument here. I would say the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces will go to the Government on Tuesday week, supposedly. After that, there will be a full Dáil debate on it. There also is to be a full Dáil debate on these four PESCO projects as well.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) Projects: Motion (30 Jun 2022)

Cathal Berry: I do appreciate what Deputy Clarke has said. A lot of groundwork and preparatory work has been done but the real debate happens in the Dáil anyway. It will be subsequent to today and to the Cabinet’s decision. I will make one final-----

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) Projects: Motion (30 Jun 2022)

Cathal Berry: I will make my last point, and everyone here might not agree with me on this, but the farm boy inside me is speaking. PESCO to the military is really what Europol is to An Garda Síochána. An Garda Síochána interacts with Europol. It gets excellent information and it gets excellent training. It ploughs that back and makes Ireland a safer place. I see the four...

Offences against the State (Amendment) Act 1998: Motion (29 Jun 2022)

Cathal Berry: I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this important debate on the Offences against the State Act and the Criminal Justice Act. I also welcome that we have to renew these special powers at least every 12 months; it is a prudent and sensible way to do business. We would all prefer if the Special Criminal Court did not exist and if there was no need for it. However, the court...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces (28 Jun 2022)

Cathal Berry: I thank the Minister for his response. I welcome the permission for the PDFORRA and RACO to associate with ICTU. That is at least half a step forward. The measures to which I specifically referred are on page XXIV - it is in Roman numerals - in the report. The commission identified four things: it recommended an increase in military service allowance for people with fewer than three...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces (28 Jun 2022)

Cathal Berry: I thank the Minister. The reason I raise the Labour Court issue is that many of the Minister's Cabinet colleagues would probably not be aware – I would not expect them to be aware – that military personnel are the only people without access to the Labour Court. To me, a panel of international experts recommending specific pay improvements should at least hold equivalence. It...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces (28 Jun 2022)

Cathal Berry: 69. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if he will outline the pay improvement measures recommended by the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces; the expected timeline for the implementation of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33771/22]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces (28 Jun 2022)

Cathal Berry: As we are aware, approximately five months ago, the Commission on the Defence Forces report was published. There are a number of very specific pay improvement recommendations in that report. I would be grateful if the Minister could update the House on what those pay improvement recommendations are and, most importantly, what is the timeline for implementation of the recommendations.

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (28 Jun 2022)

Cathal Berry: 99. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if members of the Defence Forces are being paid at least the national minimum wage of €10.50 per hour in accordance with the National Minimum Wage Act 2000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33770/22]

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (28 Jun 2022)

Cathal Berry: 109. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence when he expects the first member of the Reserve Defence Force to deploy overseas on a six-month tour of duty on a United Nations mandated peace support operation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33772/22]

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (28 Jun 2022)

Cathal Berry: 116. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of advanced paramedics and paramedics in the Defence Forces in each of the years 2018 to 2021 and to date in 2022; if this decline in numbers is compromising the safety of Ireland’s troops; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33773/22]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Situation in Ukraine: Engagement with Ukrainian Committee on Foreign Affairs and Inter-Parliamentary Co-operation (28 Jun 2022)

Cathal Berry: I thank Mr. Merezhko for his excellent presentation. We are very sorry for what is going on in his country at the moment and we totally recognise the reality of the situation. I take his views on board in relation to recognising Russia as a terrorist state and applying pressure and greater advocacy in relation to classifying it as sponsor of state terrorism as well. I appreciate those...

Proposal for a Directive on Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence: Motion (21 Jun 2022)

Cathal Berry: I very much welcome the opportunity to contribute to this important debate on the proposal for an EU directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence. I support it for number of reasons. It modernises our procedures and, as the Minister said, standardises them to a minimum standard, at least, across the European Union. I wish to focus on three areas. It is good that...

Pre-European Council Meeting: Statements (21 Jun 2022)

Cathal Berry: I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this debate in advance of the EU summit later this week. On Friday, it will be four months since the outbreak of hostilities in Ukraine so it is fitting and appropriate that the agenda of the EU summit is dominated by the Ukrainian crisis. That is as it should be. First, I welcome that it now appears Ukraine and Moldova will officially...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 Jun 2022)

Cathal Berry: We know that central banks across the world are starting to raise interest rates now. The European Central Bank, ECB, is likely to begin to move the rate next month. Traditionally, Irish retail banks have been very quick to raise interest rates for borrowers but very slow to raise them for depositors and savers. Does the Government have any plans to ensure that Irish retail banks will not...