Results 7,201-7,220 of 17,012 for speaker:Paul Kehoe

Seanad: Defence Forces: Statements (1 May 2018)

Paul Kehoe: I might be a little over the eight minutes. I might ask for leniency. I very much welcome the opportunity the Senators have given me to speak about our Defence Forces and the actions that the Government is taking to develop the Defence Forces as outlined in the White Paper on Defence 2015. Defence is a very serious matter and there is a strong danger that overstating the issues facing the...

Seanad: Defence Forces: Statements (1 May 2018)

Paul Kehoe: As many Members raised the issue of pay, that will be the first issue I will address. Thereafter, I will try to go through as many of the issues people have raised with me as possible. There have been significant improvements in pay for members of the Defence Forces under the Lansdowne Road agreement, particularly for lower-paid members. The pay scales will increase further in all ranks...

Seanad: Defence Forces: Statements (1 May 2018)

Paul Kehoe: Actually, it was not Senator Leyden.

Seanad: Defence Forces: Statements (1 May 2018)

Paul Kehoe: A total of 209 personnel in training left in 2017. In 2001, during the so-called boom, 302 personnel left. In 2007, which was the height of the boom, 188 left. The numbers leaving fell in each of the years from 2011 to 2014 because there was a recession and people wanted to stay. A total of 169 left in 2016 and 209 left for various reasons in 2017. Some might not have been up to it and...

Sex Offenders (Amendment) Bill 2018: Second Stage [Private Members] (1 May 2018)

Paul Kehoe: I thank all the Deputies for their considered input to tonight's thought-provoking debate on this important subject. As the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Flanagan, outlined, he has given much thought to the key intention of this Bill, which is to prevent harm to the most vulnerable. As a society, we must always be concerned with those who are most in need of protection and it is...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Army Barracks (1 May 2018)

Paul Kehoe: It is not possible, within the time allocated to respond to PQs, to provide the information sought by the Deputy. The matter is being investigated with a view to furnishing a detailed response to the Deputy in due course.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Foreign Affairs Council: Defence and Related Matters (26 Apr 2018)

Paul Kehoe: I thank the Chairman and members for this opportunity to exchange views on defence matters. I welcome this opportunity to engage with the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence and provide an update on Ireland’s position and role in regard to the European Union Common Security and Defence Policy, CSDP, and my recent attendance at the meeting of the Foreign Affairs...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Foreign Affairs Council: Defence and Related Matters (26 Apr 2018)

Paul Kehoe: The reports in the newspaper on my Department sitting on a report from military management on pay could not be further from the truth. Whoever leaked it or gave the information to the reporter was misinformed. The Deputy is aware of the report of the Public Service Pay Commission published in May 2017. Members of the Defence Forces are highlighted throughout the report. The public service...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Foreign Affairs Council: Defence and Related Matters (26 Apr 2018)

Paul Kehoe: I was told on coming to the meeting that I was to talk primarily about the Foreign Affairs Council and also defence and other matters relevant to the Defence Forces. However, I have no issue whatsoever with talking about pay. I could talk about it all day long.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Foreign Affairs Council: Defence and Related Matters (26 Apr 2018)

Paul Kehoe: Does the Deputy want to ask a number of questions?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Foreign Affairs Council: Defence and Related Matters (26 Apr 2018)

Paul Kehoe: Sorry, will the Deputy repeat the question?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Foreign Affairs Council: Defence and Related Matters (26 Apr 2018)

Paul Kehoe: I am running out of paper.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Foreign Affairs Council: Defence and Related Matters (26 Apr 2018)

Paul Kehoe: I will address Senator McFadden's queries first as she has to leave.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Foreign Affairs Council: Defence and Related Matters (26 Apr 2018)

Paul Kehoe: The Senator referred to Operation Sophia. The Naval Service deployed on Operation Sophia last Sunday week. A total of 54 personnel is participating in that operation. Since Ireland entered into Operation Sophia the Naval Service has been gathering information on oil smuggling, has focused patrols on countering illegal arms trafficking, has operations around intercepting smugglers and is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Foreign Affairs Council: Defence and Related Matters (26 Apr 2018)

Paul Kehoe: There is a process going on. I wrote to the Minister, Deputy Paschal Donohoe and to the Public Service Pay Commission in April of last year. Out of that and the report of May 2017, in October 2017, the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, updated the Cabinet and identified the health sector and the Defence Forces as the two priority areas to be dealt with under the Public Service Pay Commission. That...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Foreign Affairs Council: Defence and Related Matters (26 Apr 2018)

Paul Kehoe: I want to give the Deputy the background as well.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Foreign Affairs Council: Defence and Related Matters (26 Apr 2018)

Paul Kehoe: The Deputy had a great go at me so I think it is only right-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Foreign Affairs Council: Defence and Related Matters (26 Apr 2018)

Paul Kehoe: That is okay, Chairman. There was a political charge made to me so I think I have the right-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Foreign Affairs Council: Defence and Related Matters (26 Apr 2018)

Paul Kehoe: The Deputy said I was refusing to address the elephant in the room. It is only right that I do so.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Foreign Affairs Council: Defence and Related Matters (26 Apr 2018)

Paul Kehoe: I absolutely recognise that there are huge numbers leaving the Defence Forces. I am not going to dispute that. We have been competing through a very buoyant economy over the past two or three years. This has always been the case. When the economy was buoyant back in the early 2000s, there were people leaving the Defence Forces and going into the private sector. I outlined to the Deputy...