Results 5,281-5,300 of 17,012 for speaker:Paul Kehoe

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Expenditure (24 Sep 2019)

Paul Kehoe: The Deputy should go back and talk to some of his party colleagues who were in government and had responsibility, but they did not use it wisely.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Trade Union Membership (24 Sep 2019)

Paul Kehoe: I am aware of the long-standing desire of PDFORRA to associate with the ICTU. Section 2(3) of the Defence (Amendment) Act 1990 prohibits the Defence Forces representative associations from being associated with or affiliated to any trade union or any other body without the consent of the Minister. Members of the Permanent Defence Force also cannot become members of a trade union. To...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Trade Union Membership (24 Sep 2019)

Paul Kehoe: The Deputy understands this originally came from the European Committee of Social Rights. As I have stated, my officials are engaging with the ICTU. I will await the outcome of that engagement. The Deputy is right that a motion was passed in the Dáil. It was a Fianna Fáil Private Members' motion, in which Fianna Fáil, with the support of Sinn Féin and the Labour Party,...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Strength (24 Sep 2019)

Paul Kehoe: I had very constructive meetings last week with RACO and PDFORRA. I addressed the conference this morning and I totally disagree with the Deputy's assertion. While Deputy Crowe mentioned allowances, the Public Service Pay Commission report has restored the allowances to pre-Haddington Road agreement levels and the Deputy fails to acknowledge that. Any officer of the Defence Forces, having...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Strength (24 Sep 2019)

Paul Kehoe: Were I in the Deputy's position in opposition, I would not have the responsibility of Government and I could shout from the rooftop that core pay should be increased. That is very easy to say. I assure the Deputy that were I to state that we would increase core pay for the Defence Forces but for nobody else, he would be in here the next morning hopping off the ceiling saying that if the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Strength (24 Sep 2019)

Paul Kehoe: I am also happy about the restoration of allowances in the pay commission's report. There is also an implementation plan. There is a clear set of guidelines and timelines to ensure that whatever its recommendations, they will be implemented.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Expenditure (24 Sep 2019)

Paul Kehoe: The Defence Vote was allocated with a funding envelope of €758 million in 2019. This represented an increase of €51 million, or 7%, over the corresponding 2018 allocation and includes funding for pay and allowances for over 10,400 public service employees, ongoing Defence Forces standing and operational costs and the ongoing renewal and upgrading of defence equipment and...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Expenditure (24 Sep 2019)

Paul Kehoe: I am not sure of the Deputy's question. I assure him that any savings from pay is redirected to the organisation with the agreement of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. The Deputy and I have attended meetings of the defence committee where we discussed Estimates. It goes into Army pensions or is redirected into the organisation to buy ships or otherwise improving...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Remuneration (24 Sep 2019)

Paul Kehoe: I have acknowledged that there are significant challenges within the Defence Forces. As I stated, we are competing in a very strong and buoyant jobs market in which there is almost full employment. I asked the two Defence Forces representative associations to consider very carefully the report of the pay commission published in July. I am delighted that the recommendations of the public...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Remuneration (24 Sep 2019)

Paul Kehoe: It is very easy to stand on the sidelines and criticise. The Deputy does not have the responsibility of dealing with public sector pay. Of course, his party previously had that responsibility and got us into a big mess. I want to get back to a strength level of 9,500 personnel and that is achievable with the assistance of military management, the Department of Defence, RACO and the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Strength (24 Sep 2019)

Paul Kehoe: The Government has acknowledged that there are recruitment and retention difficulties and challenges in the Defence Forces. The buoyant labour market and increased competition across sectors to attract personnel are key factors. The level of the departure of personnel can fluctuate, as can the timing of departures. As such, it is very difficult to predict accurately future departure rates....

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Remuneration (24 Sep 2019)

Paul Kehoe: The Government has acknowledged that there are recruitment and retention issues in the Defence Forces that must be addressed.  It is a fact that members of the Permanent Defence Force, PDF, are being attracted to jobs elsewhere in a buoyant labour market. In light of the particular challenges faced by the defence sector, the Government tasked the Public Service Pay Commission...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Strength (24 Sep 2019)

Paul Kehoe: The military authorities have advised that the strength of the Permanent Defence Force (whole time equivalent), across all services, at 31st August 2019, was 8,653 personnel. Whilst I am very much aware that there continues to be a shortfall between the current strength figures and those of the establishment I remain committed to restoring the strength of the Defence Forces to 9,500. The...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Industrial Relations (24 Sep 2019)

Paul Kehoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 13, 17, 20, 26, 30, 34 and 36 together. I am aware of the longstanding desire of PDFORRA to associate with ICTU. In 2017, in a non-binding ruling, the European Committee of Social Rights concluded that prohibiting military personnel from the right to strike was not in breach of the European Social Charter, but that the Charter was breached by...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Personnel Data (24 Sep 2019)

Paul Kehoe: As at 31st August 2019, 558 personnel had discharged from the Permanent Defence Force. The term 'discharges' encompasses personnel who left for a variety of reasons including on age grounds, at end of contract and voluntary discharges and also includes a number of trainees who exited prior to completion of their initial training. There will be additional discharges in 2019 for various...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Medical Services (24 Sep 2019)

Paul Kehoe: The health and welfare of the men and women of the Defence Forces is a high priority for me and my Department. Mental health supports are part of a range of medical and non-medical services provided to ensure that Defence Forces personnel are medically fit to undertake the duties assigned to them. Medical mental health services available to personnel include access to clinical psychology...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Medical Services (24 Sep 2019)

Paul Kehoe: Deputies will already be aware of the ongoing efforts made by my Department to fill the vacancy left by the previous in-house military psychiatrist, who retired in May 2018. In this regard, a direct entrant competition for the position of military psychiatrist, which closed on 30th September 2018, yielded no applications. To continue to provide an interim in-house service until such time...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Training (24 Sep 2019)

Paul Kehoe: In accordance with the Framework for Major Emergency Management, primary responsibility for responding to emergencies caused by severe weather events, such as storms and flooding, rests with the three designated principal response agencies, namely, the relevant Local Authority, An Garda Síochána, and the Health Service Executive. The Defence Forces provide the fullest possible...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Brexit Preparations (24 Sep 2019)

Paul Kehoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 22 and 31 together. As part of a whole of Government approach, my Department continues to engage in forward planning with the other Departments involved in addressing all issues relevant to the UK's decision to leave the European Union. On 9th July last, the Government published the Brexit Contingency Action Plan Update. This reflects the extensive work...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Operations (24 Sep 2019)

Paul Kehoe: The Department of Justice and Equality and An Garda Síochána have primary responsibility for the internal security of the State. Among the roles assigned to the Defence Forces in the White Paper on Defence is the provision of Aid to the Civil Power (ATCP) which, in practice, means to assist An Garda Síochána when requested to do so. On each occasion that the support of...