Results 9,041-9,060 of 50,136 for speaker:Micheál Martin

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (14 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: So, basically, does it cover-----

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (14 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: What barracks is that?

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (14 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: First of all, in terms of the 8% increase in current expenditure and the 25% increase in capital expenditure, I believe those increases in both current and capital expenditure are very much tied into achieving the recommendations of the Commission on the Defence Forces, particularly on the capital side. Considering that there is a fairly significant lead-in time in capital projects more...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (14 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: We have multi-annual capital funding of approximately €566 million allocated out to 2025. Outside of aircraft, we are looking at defensive equipment, the Mowag upgrade, which is significant, and provision of helmets, body armour and ammunition. All of that is provided for in the Estimate. The Deputy referred to cybersecurity.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (14 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: We do not comment on security matters. However, I will try to get an answer to that question. My understanding is that one location has been identified. A Civil Defence building in Roscrea apparently has Hikvision cameras.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (14 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: We can be confident it knows more about it than we do. I do not like second-guessing military expertise or, indeed, Garda expertise regarding the security of the State.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (14 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: All procurement and use of security systems is kept under review, ultimately with the objective of being as secure as possible.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (14 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: I want to respond first to the Deputy's question on cybersecurity. The Department of Defence is represented at the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence in Tallinn, Estonia. The centre is not actually run by NATO but is accredited by it. I was there last year. It is important that we are part of that endeavour because it deals at a very high level with all sorts of scenario...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (14 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: Could the Deputy say which recommendations again?

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (14 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: Do they relate to the chief of defence, CHOD?

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (14 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: The big stuff.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (14 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for his comments and questions. On recruitment to the Permanent Defence Forces, 435 personnel had been inducted, including 350 general service recruits, as of 31 December last, but, as I said earlier, that is not enough, not least in light of the number of retirements. There are difficulties relating to specialist skills and to those who develop specialist skills within...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (14 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: No, the tender has come back.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (14 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: In fairness, I admire the skill of those who put the notes together. Having been around a while, I do read between them. I do not mean this in a bad way. Basically, the competition was run in late 2022 and a letter of acceptance issued. This is done. There are the pre-contract signing negotiations, which happen normally in situations like this. I give it six months from now, potentially.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (14 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: Yes.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (14 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: Yes.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (14 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: That is over.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (14 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: I know, and as the Minister for Defence I am saying it is over.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (14 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: The stakeholders are also very important. We are all presuming that everyone in Cathal Brugha barracks is living in and around there, but I would say a fair few people are travelling fair distances as well. The feasibility study, however, should bring out the views of stakeholders and the strategic concerns around the defence and security of the capital. All these issues must be taken on board.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 35 - Army Pensions (Revised)
Vote 36 - Defence (Revised) (14 Feb 2023)

Micheál Martin: Regarding the proposed CHOD, we could go on forever on this point but I have been clear on it. The matter went for legal opinion within the existing legislative framework, in terms of the chain of command essentially. It is time to get off the fence on this issue now, not that I was ever on it. The entire system must make decisions on this matter. Again, this comes in the context of the...