Results 7,181-7,200 of 51,889 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: In our discussions with the Department of public expenditure, the idea of converting is a model we are trying to avoid into the future. It is not an ideal way to fund capital into the future. That is the point we have been making in terms of the Estimate. The NDP base was not strong enough. The current allocation came into primer up on previous years. We are saying we just want a...

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: This is while they were in the Civil Defence and on a Civil Defence mission.

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 will check that out then.

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 is something that should be provided for. The Deputy and I both know that the jurisdictional issues. I surmise-----

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 also the domain protections that people go on with that we should be using.

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.