Results 5,801-5,820 of 17,012 for speaker:Paul Kehoe

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Overseas Missions (16 Apr 2019)

Paul Kehoe: The rotation of Defence Force personnel serving in the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) missions  happens twice yearly, in April/May and October/November.  In accordance with agreed arrangements, the United Nations is responsible for making transport arrangements for the rotation of troops in...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Personnel (16 Apr 2019)

Paul Kehoe: Arising from an adjudication in 2015, the adjudicator recommended that a review be conducted on the service limits for Privates and Corporals recruited to the Defence Forces post 1 January 1994. This adjudication resulted from a claim from PDFORRA seeking extensions in the service of these personnel to age 50. While the adjudicator did not rule in favour of PDFORRA, he did recommend an...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Equipment (16 Apr 2019)

Paul Kehoe: My priority as Minister with Responsibility for Defence is to ensure that the operational capability of the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service  is  maintained to the greatest extent possible so as to enable the Defence Forces to carry out their roles as assigned by Government both at home and overseas. The acquisition of new equipment for the Defence Forces remains a clear focus...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (16 Apr 2019)

Paul Kehoe: 202. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if an application by a school (details supplied) has been granted; if so, when formal notification will be provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17718/19]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: UN Missions (11 Apr 2019)

Paul Kehoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 11, 15 and 19 together. The recent UNDOF rotation was due to be completed on Thursday, 4 April 2019. The UN was responsible for organising the rotation flights to transport the current UNDOF contingent back to Ireland and has been organising these rotation flights for decades without incident. On 3 April, the UN advised my Department that the Lebanese...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: UN Missions (11 Apr 2019)

Paul Kehoe: In response to Deputy Jack Chambers, my office announced this on social media on Thursday afternoon. Some media outlets picked up on that. I would call them very professional because they were able to pick up on that. I understand that the Deputy and his party communicate through social media. It is a very important tool that allows us to communicate-----

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: UN Missions (11 Apr 2019)

Paul Kehoe: The Deputy might listen. He is not good at listening. We communicate through social media to inform the families. It would have taken 130 phone calls and up to very late on Thursday night to do that. I want to be able to communicate the message as quickly as possible. Many media outlets picked up on that. In response to Deputy Jack Chambers and Clare Daly, the UN was responsible for...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Defence Forces Remuneration (11 Apr 2019)

Paul Kehoe: The Deputy is incorrect in saying there has been a turnover of 10%. I have often stated publicly that we have challenges in the recruitment and retention of personnel in the Defence Forces. That is why the Government prioritised the health and defence sectors within the remit of the Public Service Pay Commission. I hope to have the recommendations of the commission soon and bring them to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Defence Forces Remuneration (11 Apr 2019)

Paul Kehoe: In the confidence and supply agreement the Deputy's party agreed to the public service pay agreement on core pay. There are already many educational opportunities in the Defence Forces for enlisted personnel and members of the officer corps. The Defence Forces' website demonstrates the many opportunities available. I agree with the Deputy that it is important we provide opportunities to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Defence Forces Strength (11 Apr 2019)

Paul Kehoe: The military authorities have advised that the strength of the Defence Forces, whole-time equivalents, across all services and ranks, on 28 February was 8,857, comprising 7,167 Army personnel, 716 Air Corps personnel and 974 Naval Service personnel. The Government remains committed to returning to, and maintaining, the agreed strength of the Defence Forces at 9,500 personnel as set out in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Defence Forces Strength (11 Apr 2019)

Paul Kehoe: There is ongoing recruitment, which is important. The Minister, the Department of Defence and I came up with that initiative. When I first entered the Department, there was only one opportunity to engage in recruitment at the start of the year. We then expanded that number to two. It is important, however, that a person can go online at any stage to apply to enlist in the Air Corps, the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Defence Forces Strength (11 Apr 2019)

Paul Kehoe: I have recently initiated a review of recruitment to the Defence Forces. We have to examine many lessons which have been learned to see what we can do better to improve recruitment, including advertising. We also have to look at the current recruitment process. We brought in an independent chairperson to look at the conciliation and arbitration scheme within the Defence Forces. I can bring...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: UN Missions (11 Apr 2019)

Paul Kehoe: My apologies. I am sorry, it is Article 7.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: UN Missions (11 Apr 2019)

Paul Kehoe: My apologies, it is Article 7, not Article 6. I was not trying to trick the Deputy in any way. It is a reply similar to the one I gave the Deputy in January because we have not yet made a decision. We are gathering information. I am not sure whether I stated to the Deputy that on my most recent visit to Mali in January, I met the head of mission of MINUSMA, by whom I was fully briefed. I...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: UN Missions (11 Apr 2019)

Paul Kehoe: First, no decision has been made to deploy the Army Rangers Wing to MINUSMA. Any such decision will be based on an assessment of the requirements of the mission and, as I stated, the capacity and capability of the Defence Forces to contribute to it. The possible deployment of Defence Forces personnel has been under consideration for some time and is unconnected to the Seco campaign. It is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Defence Forces Remuneration (11 Apr 2019)

Paul Kehoe: Similar to other sectors of the public service, the pay of Permanent Defence Force personnel was reduced as one of the measures to assist in stabilising the national finances during the financial crisis. Pay is being restored to members of the Defence Forces and other public servants in accordance with public sector pay agreements. The focus of these increases is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Cyber Security Policy (11 Apr 2019)

Paul Kehoe: As outlined in the Government's White Paper on Defence 2015, the issue of cybersecurity has very significant implications for governmental administration, for industry, for economic well-being and for the security and safety of citizens. Cybersecurity is a standing item on the agenda of the Government task force on emergency planning, which I chair. The response to cyberthreats remains...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Cyber Security Policy (11 Apr 2019)

Paul Kehoe: Some of the Deputy's remarks are very disingenuous. He received a reply to a parliamentary question this week relating to military management that on January 2019 the established figure for technical officers in the communications and information service, CIS, corps of the Defence Forces is 22 personnel, that is, 18 Army and four Air Corps, and all posts are currently filled. The...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Cyber Security Policy (11 Apr 2019)

Paul Kehoe: The Deputy might take this up with the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Deputy Bruton. The first national cybersecurity strategy, agreed by the Government in 2015, set out a series of measures that would be taken to build the capability of the NCSC and to achieve a high level of security for computer networks and critical infrastructure of the State. These...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: UN Missions (11 Apr 2019)

Paul Kehoe:  The Army Ranger Wing, ARW, is the special operations force of the Defence Forces and is part of the capabilities available to the State to be deployed in support of our national security and overseas peace support operations.  MINUSMA, the UN mission in Mali, is authorised under Chapter VII of the UN Charter by the UN Security Council. It is a significant UN peace enforcement...