Results 5,321-5,340 of 18,319 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Irish Aid Programme Review (5 Oct 2017)

Brendan Smith: Northern Ireland most definitely does not come under any heading of "overseas" in our constituency.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Irish Aid Programme Review (5 Oct 2017)

Brendan Smith: I ask for responses to be as succinct as possible and only to the relevant topics for today's meeting.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Irish Aid Programme Review (5 Oct 2017)

Brendan Smith: Senator Higgins is next, but it must be brief because we are in additional time.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Irish Aid Programme Review (5 Oct 2017)

Brendan Smith: Before I invite Mr. Burgess and Mr. de Búrca to make their concluding remarks, I strongly endorse Deputy Barrett's comments on the need for all of us to create a better awareness. This was also referred to by Deputy Crowe. Does Irish Aid run a programme with schools involving, for example, the like of ourselves or officials speaking about Irish Aid? The green flag programme has been...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Irish Aid Programme Review (5 Oct 2017)

Brendan Smith: I endorse what the Deputy has said. I call Mr. Burgess.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Irish Aid Programme Review (5 Oct 2017)

Brendan Smith: I thank Mr. de Búrca and the Secretary General and all of his colleagues for their attendance, interaction with members and responses to the questions asked. When they review their notes, if there are issues on which they did not have a chance to respond, I would appreciate it if they would write to us and we will circulate the responses. We have a number of hearings planned on this...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence Forces Strategy Statement 2017 to 2020: Department of Defence (5 Oct 2017)

Brendan Smith: In this part of the meeting we will have a discussion on the Defence Forces strategy statement for the period 2017 to 2020 with Mr. Maurice Quinn, Secretary General of the Department of Defence, who is accompanied by Mr. Des Dowling and Mr. Cathal Duffy. They are all very welcome. Committee members welcome the opportunity to discuss the development of the Department's strategy and other...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence Forces Strategy Statement 2017 to 2020: Department of Defence (5 Oct 2017)

Brendan Smith: I thank Mr. Quinn. Mr. Quinn mentioned significant, prioritised military and civil work is under way across the full spectrum of human resources matters. I know from engaging with a lot of people, many of whom are former Permanent Defence Force members in my constituency of Cavan-Monaghan, that it is an issue of considerable concern. In 2016 and 2017, the Defence Forces representative...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence Forces Strategy Statement 2017 to 2020: Department of Defence (5 Oct 2017)

Brendan Smith: We have Deputy Ó Snodaigh, Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan and Senator Higgins.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence Forces Strategy Statement 2017 to 2020: Department of Defence (5 Oct 2017)

Brendan Smith: I wish to follow up on some issues, which were also mentioned by Deputy Ó Snodaigh. The Minister of State, Deputy Kehoe, has repeatedly stated that the loss of highly skilled personnel is as a result of their skills being much sought after in the private sector. I believe the Taoiseach also referred to that recently. I know from my interaction with members of the Permanent Defence...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence Forces Strategy Statement 2017 to 2020: Department of Defence (5 Oct 2017)

Brendan Smith: The pay budget is subventing the capital-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence Forces Strategy Statement 2017 to 2020: Department of Defence (5 Oct 2017)

Brendan Smith: The sum of €28 million is being taken from the pay budget. It is needed for pay. The personnel are needed and they obviously need to be remunerated adequately and to have adequate conditions. We need the numbers. Is the current strength of the Permanent Defence Force 9,000? The Department and successive Ministers always stated they did not want the number to decrease below 9,500....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence Forces Strategy Statement 2017 to 2020: Department of Defence (5 Oct 2017)

Brendan Smith: On the numbers and the recruitment campaign, is there a similar retention campaign? Years ago specific efforts were made by the Department to retain Air Corps personnel.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence Forces Strategy Statement 2017 to 2020: Department of Defence (5 Oct 2017)

Brendan Smith: Are there no particular incentives to retain highly skilled, well trained personnel?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence Forces Strategy Statement 2017 to 2020: Department of Defence (5 Oct 2017)

Brendan Smith: I refer to skill sets. In some areas of the public service staff with knowledge of financial services are lost, for example. There are more people available for recruitment than pilots or specialist engineers. The force has a small pool to pick from or to retain. We cannot let services be disrupted. We all have an interest in ensuring the public service is able to deliver the services we...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence Forces Strategy Statement 2017 to 2020: Department of Defence (5 Oct 2017)

Brendan Smith: If successful, is there a timescale for completion of the next round?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence Forces Strategy Statement 2017 to 2020: Department of Defence (5 Oct 2017)

Brendan Smith: I appreciate that. To what is the Department working?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence Forces Strategy Statement 2017 to 2020: Department of Defence (5 Oct 2017)

Brendan Smith: It is not the Department's fault but the way the Government operates. Could it be 12 months?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence Forces Strategy Statement 2017 to 2020: Department of Defence (5 Oct 2017)

Brendan Smith: I appreciate that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence Forces Strategy Statement 2017 to 2020: Department of Defence (5 Oct 2017)

Brendan Smith: I thank Mr. Quinn. We have gone way over time but appreciate the engagement. I ask him and his colleagues to review their notes and the issues raised. If there are issues they did not respond to, we would appreciate if they would respond to the clerk and we will circulate replies to all members. We appreciate the attendance of the witnesses today and we will appreciate any follow-up...