Results 581-600 of 732 for speaker:Cathal Berry

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (25 May 2021)

Cathal Berry: 323. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if he will provide details of the evaluation of cost savings by his Department associated with the procurement of an airlift capability for the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27739/21]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence Forces: Discussion with Permanent Defence Force Other Ranks Representative Association (25 May 2021)

Cathal Berry: I am in your hands, Chairman, so whatever suits you best.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence Forces: Discussion with Permanent Defence Force Other Ranks Representative Association (25 May 2021)

Cathal Berry: I welcome Mr. Guinan and his team. I also wish to convey my sincere sympathies to the Bright family. I ask the witnesses to convey to their members the huge amount of appreciation and gratitude we have for all their hard work, particularly over the last 15 months on the pandemic and in the last few weeks in respect of the cyberattack. The country would be lost without them. I also thank...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Defence Forces: Discussion with Permanent Defence Force Other Ranks Representative Association (25 May 2021)

Cathal Berry: My first question is for Mr. Guinan. I thank him for updating the committee on the announcement made in the last 24 hours on the technical pay situation. I presume that the committee will probably write to the Minister following this meeting. Would it be a fair to assert that we would appreciate early clarity and swift implementation of what was announced yesterday? Would that be a...

Situation in Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel: Statements (20 May 2021)

Cathal Berry: I thank the Minister for outlining the Irish State's position on the appalling ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Palestine, and in particular in the Gaza Strip. I acknowledge the Minister's efforts in New York and his attempt to try to seek consensus and a Security Council resolution, and his work at European Union level in trying to shame it into a more proactive stance. I welcome the...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for the Public Services 2021
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (20 May 2021)

Cathal Berry: I thank the Minister and his team for coming in today and for the opening statement. The Defence Estimates are very clearly itemised. It is very insightful with regard to what is going on in the Defence Forces at the moment. I will go through the Estimates one page at a time, starting with page 3 if that is okay. I will flag a few things. The strength of the Reserve Defence Force at...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for the Public Services 2021
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (20 May 2021)

Cathal Berry: I am happy to finish and follow up with a written query.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for the Public Services 2021
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (20 May 2021)

Cathal Berry: I thank the Chair and Deputy Clarke for her latitude and understanding. I think 60 seconds should be enough. On page 32, there is reference to receipts from occupation of official quarters. Some €90,000 was taken in rent. This proves that if we invest in military accommodation, it would not be a cost; it would actually be an investment because the Department would receive rent...

Water and Wastewater Treatment Services: Motion [Private Members] (19 May 2021)

Cathal Berry: I am delighted to support the motion on investing in our public water and waste water treatment infrastructure. As a proud member of the Regional Group, I am very much in favour of balanced regional development across regional, rural and even coastal Ireland. It is not that I am particularly biased towards living in the countryside; I am just biased towards progress. Living in regional...

Recent Cyberattack and its Impact on the Health System: Statements (18 May 2021)

Cathal Berry: I welcome the Minister and Minister of State. I will start with a brief statement and progress to questions and answers immediately afterwards. I utterly condemn this outrageous attack. It is an attack not only on the Irish health service but also on Irish sovereignty by criminal elements outside this jurisdiction. It is a heinous attack, a heinous crime. The blame for the incident lies...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Properties (13 May 2021)

Cathal Berry: I am regularly asked on what I would spend the extra funding if the defence budget were increased. The budget negotiations will be coming up in the next few months and I ask the Minister to advocate as strongly as possible to his Cabinet colleagues - I know he does so - that if the defence budget was increased, there would be more money available for infrastructural projects and to invest in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Air Corps (13 May 2021)

Cathal Berry: 11. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if he is still committed to the Air Corps having a role in search and rescue; his views on whether the Air Corps should be tasked to undertake this role in the same way as it was tasked to provide the emergency aeromedical service and Garda air support unit service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24605/21]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Air Corps (13 May 2021)

Cathal Berry: My question relates to the national search and rescue service. The service is up for renewal in 2023 and I understand proposals will shortly be brought to Cabinet with regard to how best to configure the service from 2023 onwards. I was very grateful for the comments of the Minister a few months ago when he stated that, in his view, the Air Corps should be given the most significant role in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Air Corps (13 May 2021)

Cathal Berry: I thank the Minister for his very supportive and useful comments. When Roscommon hospital was closed down in 2013 and there was a need to establish a medevac helicopter in Athlone, the Air Corps was tasked with providing this aeromedical emergency service. It has been providing that service successfully for the past ten years. It did not go out to contract; the Air Corps was just tasked...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Air Corps (13 May 2021)

Cathal Berry: I fully appreciate how limited and restricted the Minister is in his comments. The key final point I wish to get across is that this contract could be an enormous contract, worth up to €1 billion over ten years, which is the equivalent of half a children's hospital, but without having a children's hospital or even half a children's hospital to show for it. My specific recommendations...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Properties (13 May 2021)

Cathal Berry: 9. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence his plans for the remaining residential properties owned by his Department in Orchard Park, Curragh; if he plans to hand over the estate to Kildare County Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24607/21]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Properties (13 May 2021)

Cathal Berry: My question is in respect of Orchard Park, which is the residential estate in the Curragh Camp which is currently being run and managed by the Department of Defence. There are a number of vacant homes in that estate. I would be grateful to hear the Minister's thoughts on what the plans are for those vacant homes and is he minded to hand over the estate to Kildare County Council?

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Properties (13 May 2021)

Cathal Berry: I thank the Minister for that excellent and very useful update, which is most helpful. From a broader perspective, the Curragh Camp, as we both know, is an excellent place full of wonderful people but dereliction is a major issue in the camp on foot of decades of neglect. It is quite an old Victorian camp. To be fair to the Department of Defence, it has a finite budget. There is only so...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces (13 May 2021)

Cathal Berry: 21. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the plan for the old post office building at the crossroads in the Curragh Camp; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24606/21]