Results 241-260 of 704 for speaker:Cathal Berry

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Revised) (14 Feb 2023)

Cathal Berry: I thank the Tánaiste and his team for coming in. I have a few quick questions. Deliberations were taking place over the last few months in relation to the proposed Irish embassy in Tehran. When will we get a final decision on that? I think most members of the committee here would share my concern that this is not the appropriate time to be opening an embassy, considering what is...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Revised) (14 Feb 2023)

Cathal Berry: Sorry?

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Revised) (14 Feb 2023)

Cathal Berry: That would be an appropriate mechanism if there was a team embedded in that Rapid Response Corps so we could actually expand that. Rather than sending one or two members, we could have at least one search and rescue team and a medical team as part of the Rapid Response Corps. I think that is something that we should certainly look at. With the Airbus Defence C295 arriving in 2025, we will...

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)

Cathal Berry: Absolutely and sometimes the line is trotted out, obviously in good faith, that the reason there is a recruitment problem in the Permanent Defence Force is because of the strong buoyant economy. People can have a job in the strong buoyant economy and still be a member of the Reserve Defence Force. This is where we can certainly target. It is a factor but it is not the dominant factor....

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Properties (2 Feb 2023)

Cathal Berry: 66. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of family quarters and homes managed by his Department; the number that are currently unoccupied; if there are plans to bring them back into use; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5129/23]

Post-European Council Meeting: Statements (31 Jan 2023)

Cathal Berry: I am very grateful for the opportunity to make some brief comments on the outcome of the most recent EU Council meeting in Brussels in December. I thank the Tánaiste for his background briefs to the House, which were very useful. I welcome that the meeting's agenda was rightly dominated by the situation in Ukraine brought about by the unnecessary and illegal attack by the Russian...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (31 Jan 2023)

Cathal Berry: We are all aware the VAT rate for the hospitality sector is scheduled to increase from 9% to 13.5% on 1 March, which is pretty much four weeks from today. In light of last year's exceptional Exchequer returns, an additional surplus of €5.2 billion, and that something similar is expected for this year, there are many positive soundings in the media that this 9% rate might perhaps be...

Human Tissue (Transplantation, Post-Mortem, Anatomical Examination and Public Display) Bill 2022: Second Stage (24 Jan 2023)

Cathal Berry: I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute on the Bill. As the Minister pointed out, it is historic legislation. There are so many people and families waiting for organs or clarification. I very much welcome the Bill, though I wish it had come before the House long before now. I am very happy to support its passage through the Dáil for several reasons. The first is from a...

Statement by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (24 Jan 2023)

Cathal Berry: I am sharing time with Deputy Tóibín, four minutes for myself and two for Deputy Tóibín. I thank the Minister for his opening statement. I have a number of follow-up questions. He mentioned that he is currently amending his returns for the 2020 general election. When are we likely to get a formal submission of those returns? Is it going to be some day this week?...

Statement by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (24 Jan 2023)

Cathal Berry: Is this all the information?

Statement by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (24 Jan 2023)

Cathal Berry: I thank the Minister. I have a couple more questions. All the Deputies in the Chamber are aware that there is a ceiling for expenditure for every candidate in a general election, depending on whether they are in a three-seater, four-seater or five-seater constituency. Had the donation of services been properly accounted for, would that have pushed the Minister's expenditure above the limit?

Statement by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (24 Jan 2023)

Cathal Berry: This is my last question. This matter was flagged to the Minister in 2017. Is there anything he can say to the House and to the public as to why it was not acted on and why he did not recognise the severity and the seriousness of this complaint at the time and take action at the time?

Statement by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (24 Jan 2023)

Cathal Berry: I will yield to Deputy Tóibín.

Public Dental Services: Motion [Private Members] (19 Jan 2023)

Cathal Berry: I thank the Minister for his opening statement. I am very grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this debate. I thank Deputy Naughten and Ms Cáit Nic Amhlaoibh, our group administrator, who have done most of the legwork in preparing this motion. I would also like to acknowledge two dental colleagues in the Public Gallery, who are very welcome to this debate. I very much like...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces (19 Jan 2023)

Cathal Berry: I thank the Minister for that detailed response. There are a lot of figures there. I will try to get my head around it. I tabled the question arising from an article by Ken Foxe, published in the Irish Independenton 1 January, in which he outlined correspondence between Jacqui McCrum, Secretary General of the Department of Defence, and presumably the Secretary General of the Department of...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces (19 Jan 2023)

Cathal Berry: For clarity, I wish to emphasise in my final wrap-up that Ireland spends approximately one third of the EU norm on defence. This funding is desperately needed. The Minister referred to the modernisation and reform programme announced only six months ago that has to be funded. The war in Ukraine is likely to intensify significantly in March, with spring offensives. We have no idea where...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces (19 Jan 2023)

Cathal Berry: 107. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the amount that was returned unspent by the Department of Defence from 2022; if any of this money was from pay savings due to the significantly under strength Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2528/23]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces (19 Jan 2023)

Cathal Berry: I thank the Minister for that point of clarification. My question relates to the defence budget. Specifically, I would like to know if any unspent money was returned to the Exchequer by the Department of Defence at the end of last year. If so, where did that money come from? Was it from so-called pay savings, whereby the underspend in defence was as a result of the Defence Forces being...

Statement by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (18 Jan 2023)

Cathal Berry: I thank the Minister for his opening statement. We all appreciate that standards in public office are hugely important in order to maintain public trust and public confidence in our democratic system and, indeed, in democracy itself. It has been generally acknowledged that standards have been improving in recent years and it is very important that we keep that trend going, that we do not...