Results 5,361-5,380 of 50,064 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: Anyway, I will come back to the Deputy on that.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: It is still ongoing.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: Yes.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: There is a review under way now on what the impact has been on recruitment to the Naval Service because of the decision to waive the psychometric test. It was felt that it was a bit early to do it a couple of months after its introduction. The concern I had, and the concern we still have, is that quite a significant number of people apply to join the Defence Forces. Okay, we might say that...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: -----as opposed to having to meet the standard on day one, which is a sensible and welcome change. The Chief of Staff and his team are very alert to this and I have certainly articulated the kind of points articulated by the Deputy to them. Objectively, and as lay people watching, we have to be conscious of the wider field of recruitment out there with full employment. The idea of bringing...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: Exactly.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: That should be the case and we do not normally have difficulties. It is something we should provide for legislatively. That is my view. We have to enhance the idea and prioritise the view that people who wish to contribute to the State through joining the Reserve Defence Forces are not impeded or punished in any way.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: There are a number of aspects to this. First of all, we do not say to every young person coming out of school to join the Army or whatever but I have met some people from Reserve Defence Forces who are specialists in technology. The opportunities are very significant in terms of added capacity particularly in a time of need such as Covid, a pandemic or whatever to have a ready reservoir of...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: The National Cyber Security Centre is our main centre for dealing with cybersecurity from a national perspective. Our military contributes to and attends. The primary role of the Defence Forces with regard to cybersecurity relates to our own defence and security networks and systems. They participate under the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications through the National...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: Sorry?

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: Yes.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: I do not have the exact numbers here but I will get them for the Deputy. It is an issue I am concerned about. We need far greater diversity. For anyone born in Ireland there is no issue irrespective of-----

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: Yes, I think there is a bit of conservatism within the system.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: I have discussed this recently with the defence leadership. Not only that but we should we seek to recruit from overseas just like we do in every other sector.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: Yes. I have made it clear. One of the issues is vetting. Vetting for internationally recruited personnel can be far more protracted and takes a far greater length of time than vetting within the country. That is Garda vetting and so on.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: Yes. At the moment we have approximately 559 women. We had approximately 7.4%. In the RDF there was approximately 13% and it is approximately 19% of civilian employees. We need to get that significantly up to international norms. A female-specific recruitment has been established to co-ordinate the attendance of tri-service female-specific recruiting teams at national and regional level....

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: Yes.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: It is under subhead A22. About €360,000 was allocated in grants to veterans' organisations, including Dormant Accounts funding. We recognise two veterans' organisations, Óglaigh Náisiúnta na hÉireann and the Irish United Nations Veterans Association, IUNVA. The Department has service level agreements in place outlining supports in respect of both organisations...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: I visited the headquarters of ONE last year. I was very taken by the social services and housing supports it provides, as well as the sense of comradery there and veterans looking after each other. It is very touching and something I will be eager to continue to support.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (1 Feb 2024)

Micheál Martin: I think I gave that earlier.