Results 7,441-7,460 of 17,012 for speaker:Paul Kehoe

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Beef Data and Genomics Programme (20 Mar 2018)

Paul Kehoe: 732. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when the next round of payments under the beef data genomics scheme will issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12553/18]

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Army Pensions (Revised) (8 Mar 2018)

Paul Kehoe: I welcome the opportunity to engage with the Oireachtas Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence in considering the 2018 Revised Estimates for Vote 35 - Army Pensions and Vote 36 - Defence. I concur with the Chairman's remarks and acknowledge, on behalf of the Government, the efforts made by all public servants, communities and volunteers in responding to the severe weather...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Army Pensions (Revised) (8 Mar 2018)

Paul Kehoe: I will take questions, Chairman.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Army Pensions (Revised) (8 Mar 2018)

Paul Kehoe: It is similar across the public service. It depends on the salary of each member, and that is reflected in the pension payment. Any retired member of the Defence Forces who is entitled to a pension will receive that pension. There is never any shortfall-----

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Army Pensions (Revised) (8 Mar 2018)

Paul Kehoe: Absolutely. That would be-----

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Army Pensions (Revised) (8 Mar 2018)

Paul Kehoe: No. It is the overall issue. The average pension of all ranks combined is €19,100; it is €30,600 for retired officers and €16,000 for retired non-commissioned officers, NCOs, and privates. The average retirement gratuity, the lump sum, for all ranks combined is €52,000; it is €81,000 for officers newly retired on pension and €44,000 for NCOs and...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Army Pensions (Revised) (8 Mar 2018)

Paul Kehoe: I will not disagree with the Deputy as this affects every public service organisation, whether it involves nurses, teachers or otherwise. While I am not sure if Ministers such as Deputy Simon Harris or Deputy Richard Bruton have to come in here and argue for the pensions of retired nurses, doctors or teachers, I concur with the Deputy in this regard. We got an increase of €9.5...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Army Pensions (Revised) (8 Mar 2018)

Paul Kehoe: The widows received the special 50% boost in their monthly pensions from the Department of Defence on 1 January 2016. That would have given an average of €175 per month, increasing their average annual payments from €4,200 to €6,300 per head. At the moment there are 48 such persons receiving the payments to spouses of deceased veterans of the War of Independence.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Army Pensions (Revised) (8 Mar 2018)

Paul Kehoe: That is an estimate.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Army Pensions (Revised) (8 Mar 2018)

Paul Kehoe: That was a once-off payment. It was a gesture at the time and it has been maintained every year since.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Army Pensions (Revised) (8 Mar 2018)

Paul Kehoe: I will take the Deputy's views on board.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Army Pensions (Revised) (8 Mar 2018)

Paul Kehoe: No, we will get straight into it.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Army Pensions (Revised) (8 Mar 2018)

Paul Kehoe: The projected figure for UN overseas allowances in 2018 is €4,313,000.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Army Pensions (Revised) (8 Mar 2018)

Paul Kehoe: It takes time for the money to be reimbursed.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Army Pensions (Revised) (8 Mar 2018)

Paul Kehoe: I will come back to the Deputy on that matter. On whole-time equivalents, the Army establishment figure is 7,520. The current strength is 7,425. The establishment figure for the Air Corps is 886 and the current strength is 737. The establishment figure for the Naval Service is 1,094 and the current strength is 1,052.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Army Pensions (Revised) (8 Mar 2018)

Paul Kehoe: Pilots and air traffic controllers are the two-----

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Army Pensions (Revised) (8 Mar 2018)

Paul Kehoe: I am not sure if the Deputy has followed Mr. Michael O'Leary and Ryanair in the past while-----

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Army Pensions (Revised) (8 Mar 2018)

Paul Kehoe: That answers the question.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Army Pensions (Revised) (8 Mar 2018)

Paul Kehoe: The Department and the Defence Forces are making submissions to the Public Service Pay Commission on specialised pay. Pilots and air traffic controllers will come under that heading. We are working on the submission.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Army Pensions (Revised) (8 Mar 2018)

Paul Kehoe: As the Deputy understands, that would be a matter for An Garda Síochána. If required, Army personnel would act in aid of the civil power. Deputy Tony McLoughlin is right about Civil Defence. It is an organisation in which staff are voluntary and unpaid. The Department looks after whatever investment is required to provide whatever equipment Civil Defence needs. The budget...