Results 10,901-10,920 of 17,012 for speaker:Paul Kehoe

Other Questions: Defence Forces Recruitment (18 Jul 2013)

Paul Kehoe: I am advised by the military authorities that the strength of the Permanent Defence Force, PDF, at 30 June 2013, the latest date for which details are available, was 9,093, which comprised 7,306 Army, 779 Air Corps and 1,008 Naval Service personnel. These figures do not include 70 members of the PDF who are on career breaks or on leave of absence. As the Permanent Defence Force is below the...

Other Questions: Overseas Missions (18 Jul 2013)

Paul Kehoe: I understand that our troops are based in headquarters and rotate in respect different responsibilities. I commend the members of the Defence Forces who are out there because it is a very difficult and dangerous mission. Even though they are based in headquarters, they have a very difficult role to play that is very important to the entire mission. The Government and the Defence Forces are...

Other Questions: Overseas Missions (18 Jul 2013)

Paul Kehoe: The current ISAF mission will end in December 2014 and NATO will then lead a follow-on mission to continue to support the development of the capacity of Afghan national security forces. It is envisaged that the NATO-led force post-2014 will be made up of military trainers and advisors from the US and other NATO partner countries. Any participation by Ireland in the follow-up mission would...

Other Questions: Foreign Conflicts (18 Jul 2013)

Paul Kehoe: As part of Ireland's Presidency of the Council of the European Union, my colleague the Minister for Justice and Equality and Defence addressed a seminar in May 2013 on the European Council on Defence meeting scheduled to take place in December. During his address, the Minister referred to events that had taken place in Mali. In the context of discussions that have taken place in respect of...

Other Questions: Foreign Conflicts (18 Jul 2013)

Paul Kehoe: I will get back to the Deputy. The EU training mission to Mali is a common security and defence policy mission focused on providing military training and advice to the Malian armed forces to improve their military capacity and effectiveness in guaranteeing the country's territorial integrity. Training is also being provided in international humanitarian law, the protection of civilians and...

Other Questions: Overseas Missions (18 Jul 2013)

Paul Kehoe: I will respond to Deputy Clare Daly's question first. The Minister for Defence estimates that the additional cost of deploying troops to the Golan Heights in 2013 will be approximately €2 million and the additional cost for a full year will be approximately €5 million. Approximately three quarters of this will be recoverable from the UN. The Minister for Defence is satisfied...

Other Questions: Cybersecurity Policy (18 Jul 2013)

Paul Kehoe: As part of Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union, this country, in association with the Estonian Ministry of Defence and the European Defence Agency, hosted a high level conference on cybersecurity co-operation in the European Union in Brussels on 20 June last. The conference was attended by representatives of EU member states, the External Action Service, the...

Other Questions: Cybersecurity Policy (18 Jul 2013)

Paul Kehoe: The Deputy has asked a number of questions. I was not in attendance at the conference. I do not have the exact details sought by the Deputy in some of his questions. It is important for everyone to take a collective view of collaboration. People need to work together. It was important for the Minister, Deputy Shatter, to attend the cybersecurity conference in his capacity as Minister for...

Other Questions: Cybersecurity Policy (18 Jul 2013)

Paul Kehoe: I spoke to him about this issue when I learned that I would be answering questions on it. Progress was made at the conference. There will be follow-up interaction regarding this issue going along. Ireland's participation in cybersecurity matters will be reviewed on a continual basis.

Other Questions: Cybersecurity Policy (18 Jul 2013)

Paul Kehoe: I remind the House that the conference aimed to advance the debate on the preparedness of member states to face cybersecurity threats at national level and across the EU as a whole. I am aware of Deputy Eoghan Murphy's work on the European committee he mentioned, which is doing a great deal of work on this issue. It is important for Ireland to make an input into this area. I assure the...

Other Questions: Overseas Missions (18 Jul 2013)

Paul Kehoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 and 21 together. Ireland has participated in the NATO–led UN mandated mission in Afghanistan since 5 July 2002. On 25 June last, the Government agreed to continue to provide seven members of the Permanent Defence Force for service with the International Security Assistance Force for a further period from July 2013, subject to ongoing review by the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Green Paper on Defence (18 Jul 2013)

Paul Kehoe: The final sentence of section 2.7 of the Green Paper, which deals with overseas deployment and the triple lock mechanism, states that this is an issue worthy of discussion in advance of the adoption of a new White Paper. That sets out clearly the Government's intentions regarding the triple lock. It is stated in this document that we want it to be debated and to get people's views on it....

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Green Paper on Defence (18 Jul 2013)

Paul Kehoe: I am not going to dissociate myself from any comments that the Minister, Deputy Shatter, made. As I said to Deputy Ó Fearghaíl, we have an opportunity to discuss the area of neutrality and many other issues will be addressed in the discussions around the Green Paper in preparation for the new White Paper. That will give everyone an opportunity to debate the issues and then we will...

Other Questions: Overseas Missions (18 Jul 2013)

Paul Kehoe: As of 30 June 2013, Ireland is contributing approximately 449 Defence Forces personnel to 13 different missions throughout the world. Full details of all personnel currently serving overseas are listed in the tabular statement together with details of the latest available costings which are in respect of 2012. The main overseas missions in which Defence Forces personnel are currently...

Other Questions: Overseas Missions (18 Jul 2013)

Paul Kehoe: I think the figure in respect of reimbursement for this year is 75%. I will come back to the Deputy with the exact percentage of the return from the UN. It is important for Ireland to be involved in these peacekeeping measures. We spoke about the importance of Irish missions before the Deputy came into House and the opportunities they present for members of our Defence Forces to...

Other Questions: Overseas Missions (18 Jul 2013)

Paul Kehoe: I will give way to the Deputy.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Green Paper on Defence (18 Jul 2013)

Paul Kehoe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 4 and 5 together. Ireland’s first White Paper on Defence was published in 2000. In the intervening period there have been significant changes in the defence and security environment with the emergence of new and complex security challenges. In that context, the Government decided that there is a requirement to prepare a new White Paper on Defence....

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Green Paper on Defence (18 Jul 2013)

Paul Kehoe: I was on the Fine Gael Front Bench when the motion to which the Deputy refers was debated. There would be no harm is engaging in a healthy debate on the triple lock. I welcome the fact that it is going to be discussed by all branches of the Defence Forces, the relevant committee, the political parties, etc. This issue has been raised not just by Fine Gael but also by other political...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Green Paper on Defence (18 Jul 2013)

Paul Kehoe: I should have replied to what Deputy Ó Fearghaíl said in respect of the Minister, Deputy Shatter, putting the cart before the horse. We were obliged to restructure the Defence Forces as a result of the state the country's finances were in when the Deputy's party left power.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Green Paper on Defence (18 Jul 2013)

Paul Kehoe: We were faced with a situation whereby we could either not recruit personnel or else have plenty of barracks but with no one stationed in them. The Minister, Deputy Shatter, and the Government made the correct decision when they decided to deal with the issue of recruitment. It was the Deputy's party which suspended the recruitment of personnel for the Defence Forces. In line with a...