Results 161-180 of 702 for speaker:Cathal Berry

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Jun 2023)

Cathal Berry: I wish to raise a very important issue with the Minister, which is the inability of our Defence Forces to recognise the bravery of their troops due to overly restrictive regulations placed on them. I wish, if I may, to use the tragic case of Private Billy Kedian as an example of this. Billy was a very young Irish soldier who was killed in action 24 years ago in south Lebanon. I welcome a...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Jun 2023)

Cathal Berry: I thank the Minister for that encouraging response. The country could do with a few heroes these days. The great irony is that we already have them, we just have not found a way to recognise and acknowledge them. We have done so in the sporting and business worlds, but not in the military world. I look forward to engaging with the Tánaiste on this issue because it is long past time...

Our Rural Future Policy: Statements (14 Jun 2023)

Cathal Berry: I am delighted to be in the Chamber this afternoon to speak about rural Ireland. As a farm boy, it is a topic that is close to my heart. From the outset, I should say I never really bought into the urban-rural divide, and I know the Minister of State is a Dublin Deputy. I know it exists but it should not. I never felt there was an "us" and "them". If rural Ireland thrives, it is in...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Third Level Education (1 Jun 2023)

Cathal Berry: That is excellent. It is very encouraging. I very much welcome that the review has been completed and the report is on the Minister's desk. That is good. He probably received the same emails and the same type of correspondence we all have all. The requests by the PhD fraternity are quite reasonable. They are just looking for a living wage. They are looking to reduce the cost of tuition...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Third Level Education (1 Jun 2023)

Cathal Berry: That is again very positive and reassuring. It is better than I was expecting, which is good. As the Minister will be aware, it is not just about the fourth level students; it is about third level students and the downstream consequences. If we do not support our PhD researchers, there will be huge consequences for teachers at third level and also in regard to exam invigilation, the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Third Level Education (1 Jun 2023)

Cathal Berry: 82. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills how he intends to ensure that PhD students receive a living wage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26969/23]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Third Level Education (1 Jun 2023)

Cathal Berry: I would like to discuss the issues for PhD researchers. The specific question is how the Minister intends to ensure that they will get paid a living wage as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Costs (1 Jun 2023)

Cathal Berry: 384. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills how he intends to reduce the cost of attending third level education for the academic year 2023-2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26970/23]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: High-Level Action Plan for the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces: Discussion (30 May 2023)

Cathal Berry: I welcome Ms Sinnamon and I hope she will be a regular visitor before the committee as the process continues. I agree with a lot of the comments that have been made. I acknowledge that some progress has been made in the 15 months since the commission reported. Membership of ICTU for PDFORRA and RACO was a sacred cow. We thought the world would fall in if they ever got affiliated to ICTU...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: High-Level Action Plan for the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces: Discussion (30 May 2023)

Cathal Berry: To back up Deputy Stanton, in relation to aptitude tests, I also take Ms Sinnamon's point. I totally agree that aptitude tests are needed for pilots and air traffic controllers. Aptitude tests were initially introduced for the Defence Forces because there were thousands of applicants. They could not all be interviewed. It was a blunt instrument to cut the numbers down radically. That is...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Aquaculture Industry (25 May 2023)

Cathal Berry: The last word is to the Minister.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: An Garda Síochána (25 May 2023)

Cathal Berry: 4. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality how he intends to improve recruitment and retention rates in An Garda Síochána; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25403/23]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: An Garda Síochána (25 May 2023)

Cathal Berry: I wish to discuss with the Minister the strength of An Garda Síochána and any measures he intends to introduce to improve recruitment and retention rates.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: An Garda Síochána (25 May 2023)

Cathal Berry: I very much welcome the increased budget allocation. I accept that there has been an increase from 2015 to 2020. I know the Covid pandemic has been used for a number of reasons, some genuine and some perhaps not so. There seems to be an overemphasis on recruitment. As we both know, retention is the second side of that coin. Instead of just focusing on recruitment figures, we should...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: An Garda Síochána (25 May 2023)

Cathal Berry: I thank the Minister for that useful information. Most people would say that being a garda is not the job that it used to be. It is not as attractive a career as it was in the past. This relates to shift work, work-life balance and perhaps the lack of respect for gardaí among some members of the public. It is a more dangerous job. Post 2013 the paltry pension is a fraction of what...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (23 May 2023)

Cathal Berry: I wish the Taoiseach a good afternoon. There was a very positive meeting in Newbridge last night that was chaired by Ms Jennifer Caffrey and hosted by Newbridge Community Development. The one item on the agenda was the cost and availability of public transport in Dublin's commuter belt. As we all know, the National Transport Authority will be publishing new fare rates at the end of June...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Engagement with the National Cyber Security Centre (23 May 2023)

Cathal Berry: I agree on the point about the products. I welcome Dr. Browne and Ms Woods and thank them for the NCSC's opening statement. From the opening statements, it seems that the witnesses have transformed things over the last 12 months. The big takeaway for me - and I think most people on the committee - is that if we actually resourced our State agencies properly, there would be a profound...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Engagement with the National Cyber Security Centre (23 May 2023)

Cathal Berry: It seems to be unique to the public service. I have not detected that level of interest in working in a particular entity in the public service in my time in the Oireachtas. The NCSC must be doing something right.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Engagement with the National Cyber Security Centre (23 May 2023)

Cathal Berry: I want to finish with one small point. I agree with the Chair, and my big takeaway is a broader point that public sector entities can be transformed in a four-year period if the political will is there and if the resources are provided. That is the formula. The living proof is sitting right in front of us.

Consultative Forum on International Security Policy: Statements (18 May 2023)

Cathal Berry: I am grateful to contribute to this important debate on Ireland’s defence and security posture. I welcome the fact that a conversation is finally, belatedly, taking place. For too long Ireland’s defence and security have been treated like kryptonite. We could not even discuss it or look at it in case, as Deputy O’Callaghan pointed out, even to discuss it would mean we...