Results 7,881-7,900 of 17,012 for speaker:Paul Kehoe

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Funding (12 Dec 2017)

Paul Kehoe: I can confirm that funding is available to my Department to assist the Naval Service and the Air Corps in Control and Enforcement Activities from a fund overseen by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine under the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund 2014-2020. As the Deputy may be aware, the Naval Service conducts routine maritime surveillance patrols throughout...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Personnel Data (12 Dec 2017)

Paul Kehoe: The number of female personnel (Whole Time Equivalent) serving at all ranks in the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service is set out in the following table: - 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017* Army 450 464 458 476 496 Air Corps 31 35 33 33 34 Naval Service 65 64 61 59 74 Total 546 563 552 568 604 *As of 31October 2017. The Government is committed to a policy of equal...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Reserve Strength (12 Dec 2017)

Paul Kehoe: The following table sets out the effective strength of the Reserve Defence Force over the last six years: End of Year RDF Strength 2012 4,978* 2013 3,655* 2014 2,302 2015 2,280 2016 2,049 2017 (31 October 2017) 1,856 *Due to the reorganisation of the Reserve Defence Force, there is a significantly larger margin of error applicable to these figures. The White Paper on...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Properties (12 Dec 2017)

Paul Kehoe: Over the past 25 years my Department has disposed of a range of properties that were deemed surplus to military requirements. Between 1992 and 1997, the old military barracks at Cavan was sold to Cavan County Council and six former Reserve Defence Force (RDF) premises were sold to private individuals. During this same period, some lands at various locations were disposed of, including part...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Emergency Planning (12 Dec 2017)

Paul Kehoe: My priority as Minister with Responsibility for Defence is to ensure that the operational capability of the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service, is maintained to the greatest extent possible so as to enable the Defence Forces to carry out their roles as assigned by Government. Within the Naval Service, examples of this include the acquisition of new ships under the ship replacement programme....

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Equipment (12 Dec 2017)

Paul Kehoe: My priority as Minister with Responsibility for Defence is to ensure that the operational capability of the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service is maintained to the greatest extent possible so as to enable the Defence Forces to carry out their roles as assigned by Government as set out on the White Paper on Defence. Equipment priorities for the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service are being...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Site Acquisitions (7 Dec 2017)

Paul Kehoe: 84. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will request the HSE to take over a former health clinic (details supplied) to facilitate a school expansion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52426/17]

Written Answers — Department of Health: HSE Properties (7 Dec 2017)

Paul Kehoe: 153. To ask the Minister for Health his plans for a former HSE clinic (details supplied); his views on a proposal for its alternative use; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52427/17]

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Permanent Structured Cooperation: Motion (6 Dec 2017)

Paul Kehoe: The following motion has been placed on the Order Paper and was referred to this committee:That Dáil Éireann approves Ireland’s participation in Permanent Structured Cooperation, pursuant to the provisions of section 3 of the Defence (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009. I welcome the opportunity to address the committee today on the important issue of permanent structured...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Permanent Structured Cooperation: Motion (6 Dec 2017)

Paul Kehoe: I have answered parliamentary questions, both written and oral, about PESCO. I replied to written Parliamentary Questions on 16 December 2016, 17 May 2017, 12 July 2017, 27 July 2017 and 17 November 2017. I replied to oral parliamentary questions on 11 July 2017, a Topical Issue debate on 21 November 2017 and a Commencement debate in the Seanad on 21 November 2017. PESCO has also discussed...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Permanent Structured Cooperation: Motion (6 Dec 2017)

Paul Kehoe: Denmark has an opt-out in respect of the common security and defence policy, CSDP. The UK will not be participating with PESCO at this time due to Brexit but may participate with PESCO projects in the future, as there are provisions for third-country participation. Portugal did not sign the notification document on 23 November but is joining following consideration via its own process....

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Permanent Structured Cooperation: Motion (6 Dec 2017)

Paul Kehoe: No.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Permanent Structured Cooperation: Motion (6 Dec 2017)

Paul Kehoe: We have sought legal advice from the Attorney General's office. The legal advice is that this does not go beyond our traditional policy of neutrality in any way. I read an extract from the final text of the PESCO document for Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan, which said that the agreement reflects a country's neutrality and its own traditional policies. On the question of why we are joining...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Permanent Structured Cooperation: Motion (6 Dec 2017)

Paul Kehoe: The Deputy is right when he says he raised questions about PESCO in the past. This has been spoken about in the Dáil since 2016. I recall written parliamentary questions that were tabled to me on 16 December 2016. Within a month of my appointment as Minister of State in May 2016, I was asked oral parliamentary questions about Ireland's plans in respect of PESCO. I could not tell the...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Permanent Structured Cooperation: Motion (6 Dec 2017)

Paul Kehoe: If the Deputy looks at the protocols within the Lisbon treaty he will see that it deals with the European army and with defence spending as being matters for each member state. The Deputy spoke of Juncker and his European army. I do not agree with him; there will not be a European army. There are no provisions within PESCO for a European army.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Permanent Structured Cooperation: Motion (6 Dec 2017)

Paul Kehoe: The Deputy was the person who-----

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Permanent Structured Cooperation: Motion (6 Dec 2017)

Paul Kehoe: I disagree with that. The Deputy, and others, are the type of people who are peddling this thing about a European army over the last number of days. Quite frankly it is rubbish.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Permanent Structured Cooperation: Motion (6 Dec 2017)

Paul Kehoe: Yes absolutely. I totally disagree with him. There will be no European army and this is in the protocols of Lisbon Treaty. At the European Council meeting in June it was agreed to launch PESCO by the end of the year. That was an unfinished document. I was not going to bring an unfinished document before the House. This has been in the public domain since my appointment in May or June...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Permanent Structured Cooperation: Motion (6 Dec 2017)

Paul Kehoe: It comes back to the point the Deputy made. We have to update our equipment whenever necessary. The maritime surveillance is a very similar project. We participate in the European Defence Agency, EDA. I spoke last week about EDA projects and the committee and the Dáil cleared them. I am sure the Deputy is aware that we are participating in Operation Sophia. The maritime...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Permanent Structured Cooperation: Motion (6 Dec 2017)

Paul Kehoe: I did not say that.