Results 7,661-7,680 of 17,012 for speaker:Paul Kehoe

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Properties (24 Jan 2018)

Paul Kehoe: Each overholder case is assessed individually. A decision on how to proceed is made based on the facts of each case. We are sensitive to the specific vulnerabilities which may exist in such cases. The Deputy may have an individual case which he might prefer to raise with me privately rather than in the Chamber. I would be more than happy to look into it for him. The property...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Properties (24 Jan 2018)

Paul Kehoe: I am glad no one is going to invade us any time soon.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Properties (24 Jan 2018)

Paul Kehoe: The Deputy stated the Department has a legal obligation in this regard. It has no legal obligation whatsoever.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Properties (24 Jan 2018)

Paul Kehoe: The Department does not make any profit on the occupation of married quarters. The housing stock is generally old and the Department has found in assessing vacated housing that substantial investment is needed to bring the stock up to the required standard for letting. This would not be cost-effective in the long term. When properties become vacant, they are withdrawn from use for several...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Representative Organisations (24 Jan 2018)

Paul Kehoe: I will not give any commitments today on the outcome of the review. However, I have left the terms of reference broad enough for some of the issues that Deputy Lisa Chambers has outlined to be brought to the attention of the independent reviewer. It is totally up to both representative organisations to bring forward their views and thoughts on the special status the Deputy believes members...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Personnel (24 Jan 2018)

Paul Kehoe: The Government is committed to maintaining the strength of the Permanent Defence Force at 9,500 personnel, as set out in the White Paper on Defence. To achieve this, there is significant ongoing recruitment. In 2017, a total of 751 new personnel were inducted into the Permanent Defence Force. These comprised general service recruits and cadets and specialists for the Army, Air...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Personnel (24 Jan 2018)

Paul Kehoe: In the first instance, Deputy Barry's information is absolutely incorrect. We have eight ships and they are operating at present. I met the new flat officer commanding of the Naval Service, Commodore Mick Malone, recently. I congratulate him on his appointment and wish him the very best of luck. Yes, there are vacancies. I acknowledge that we have vacancies, and we are working towards...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Personnel (24 Jan 2018)

Paul Kehoe: I stand over my information in the same way that the Deputy has stated he will stand over his. There is a difference of opinion. I have no problem with that whatsoever. I have differences of opinion with many people. That is the way life works.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Personnel (24 Jan 2018)

Paul Kehoe: I met the flag officer commanding recently. Eight ships are fully operational and I am quite satisfied with that. I also stated that we have a number of vacancies and we are filling them.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Air Corps (24 Jan 2018)

Paul Kehoe: There is a duty of care. I have taken this issue very seriously and I outlined the process that I put in place upon my appointment. I met with the whistleblowers, the personnel who made the disclosures, and I listened to their concerns. I will act on the concerns they outlined to me in writing upon being given the review. Deputy Ó Snodaigh said there are quite a number of people. I...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Representative Organisations (24 Jan 2018)

Paul Kehoe: The conciliation and arbitration scheme for members of the Permanent Defence Force provides a formal mechanism for the Permanent Defence Force representative associations, PDFORRA and RACO, to engage with the official side. Having regard to commitments made under pay agreements, members of the Permanent Defence Force can make representations in relation to their pay and conditions of service...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Representative Organisations (24 Jan 2018)

Paul Kehoe: I was put under pressure by nobody. I am very much my own man. If the Deputy listened to any of my replies in the House earlier, she would have heard me indicate that I wished to have some form of review of the conciliation and arbitration scheme. One thing I did was to listen to the representative associations, both PDFORRA and RACO. When I went to the PDFORRA conference in late 2017, it...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Army Barracks (24 Jan 2018)

Paul Kehoe: To be clear, I said that at the end of 2017 some €35 million worth of projects were at various stages of implementation ranging from design to construction. I did not say that €35 million was spent in 2017. I wish it was so but unfortunately, that was not the case. A number of years ago the Department sought a review of all accommodation for members of the Defence Forces. We...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Army Barracks (24 Jan 2018)

Paul Kehoe: A sum of €14.2 million has been provided for the delivery of these projects in 2018. I would be the first to acknowledge that a number of accommodation blocks in different barracks across the country are not up to standard but we are bringing them up to standard. It is a matter for the Defence Forces themselves and it is up to the Officers Commanding, OCs and the General Officers...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Air Corps (24 Jan 2018)

Paul Kehoe: At the outset let me state again, as I have done previously in this House, that the health and welfare of the men and women of Óglaigh na hÉireann is a priority for me and my Department. In this regard, a number of processes are already in train relating to reviewing health and safety procedures in the Air Corps. First, as the Deputy is aware, in September 2016, I appointed an...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Air Corps (24 Jan 2018)

Paul Kehoe: The Deputy is correct that the Air Corps event to which he refers is historical in nature. The HSA has been very involved in ensuring the health, safety and well-being of members of the Air Corps, as I have already outlined. It is working to make sure that what happened in the past will not happen again. As I have already said, protected disclosures were received in late 2015 and early...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Army Barracks (24 Jan 2018)

Paul Kehoe: In order to ensure that the Defence Forces have the capability to deliver on all of the roles assigned by the Government, my Department is committed to the development and improvement of the physical environment and living conditions in military barracks. This is achieved through the Defence Forces built infrastructure programme, which is designed to modernise and enhance training,...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Army Barracks (24 Jan 2018)

Paul Kehoe: We have set out a rolling plan. I agree with the Deputy that I should be able to accept the living conditions of members of the Defence Forces for myself, but she will understand that, from 2008 until the past two or three years, there was little investment in some of those living quarters. I wish to give the Deputy a flavour of some of the projects which are at various stages, from design...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Permanent Structured Co-operation (24 Jan 2018)

Paul Kehoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 9, 21, 23, 24, 31 and 37 together. Under the Defence Acts, the deployment of the Defence Forces overseas on peacekeeping missions requires the approval of the Government and Dáil Éireann and the specific mission must be authorised by the United Nations Security Council. This is what is termed the “triple-lock”. The United...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Recruitment (24 Jan 2018)

Paul Kehoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 10, 42 and 43 together. The Government is committed to maintaining the strength of the Permanent Defence Force at 9,500 personnel, as set out in the White Paper on Defence. To achieve this, there is significant on-going recruitment. In 2017 some 751 new personnel were inducted into the Permanent Defence Force, comprising of...