Results 1-20 of 57 for garda speaker:Cathal Berry

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: General Scheme of the Defence (Amendment) Bill 2023: Discussion (30 Jan 2024)

Cathal Berry: ...of personnel. There is mention of increasing the retirement ages and from this committee's point of view, it is important to hammer that message home. It does not make a whole lot of sense, if An Garda Síochána is allowing people to join at the age of 50, for the Defence Forces to make people retire at that age. I know they are two very different organisations but I would urge...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 Nov 2023)

Cathal Berry: I want to raise a matter of national significance and importance. It has a pensions component as well a national security component. I refer to the impending retirement of the deputy Garda commissioner for policing and security, who will most likely retire in March or April next year. Unfortunately, not a single serving member of An Garda Síochána has applied for promotion to...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 Nov 2023)

Cathal Berry: ..., there will probably be a gap in that appointment while the deputy commissioner retires. I want to flag this and it is important that this post is filled. There is a reason not a single member of An Garda Síochána has applied for the role. That reason, as the Tánaiste pointed out, is financial, and, hopefully, that can be addressed in the short term.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Foreign Affairs Council and Departmental Matters: Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and for Defence (17 Oct 2023)

Cathal Berry: ...is required. There is some positivity. There was also a comment in the briefing note about a proposal to increase the maximum entry age to 35. I think that would be a good idea in light of what An Garda Síochána did last week. It is certainly worth considering. I will focus my questions on funding. Page 2 of the opening statement outlines that there is a move from...

An Garda Síochána: Motion [Private Members] (4 Oct 2023)

Cathal Berry: ...is tábhachtaí faoi láthair, nó in Éirinn ar aon nós. I will begin by endorsing the views already expressed by my good colleagues. I associate myself with their remarks. I acknowledge the very proud history of the Garda. For the past 100 years, its members have watched over the country through times of war and peace, boom and bust and thick and thin. By...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Current Issues Facing Members of the Defence Forces: Representative Association of Commissioned Officers (3 Oct 2023)

Cathal Berry: ...? Should we be looking at it? I take on board the witnesses' views on strength. We hear this and that has been done, but the bottom line is the outcome. The numbers continue to fall. An Garda Síochána has dropped below 14,000 members. It should have 15,000. The country is up in arms. How could this possibly happen? An Garda Síochána is down 1,000 people....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Current Issues Facing Members of the Defence Forces: Representative Association of Commissioned Officers (3 Oct 2023)

Cathal Berry: But that language is not being used for the Garda. It is trying to get back up to 15,000. The language is not being used in the National Cyber Security Centre, which is also seeking to increase its headcount. Therefore, how is it acceptable to speak about stabilisation in the Defence Forces when it is not acceptable in any other sector? How come the Department of the Environment, Climate...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Implementation of the Recommendations of the Report of the Commission on the Defence Forces: Discussion (26 Sep 2023)

Cathal Berry: ...just a little more than €1 per hour. A live, evolving operation is taking place at the moment. It is a kinetic operation, and we can see from media reports that shots have been fired. There are gardaí on the exact same naval ship - fair play to them - who are getting multiples of the offshore allowance that our military sailors are getting. If we set the patrol duty...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Engagement with the Reserve Defence Force Representative Association (11 Jul 2023)

Cathal Berry: ...Reserve Defence Force in the past. What has happened in the meantime? Why have we invented all these layers such as fitness testing and medicals? I can see why security clearance is required, but the Garda Reserve is in a similar situation. Its strength is generally about 1,500. It is down to about 300. I believe a major recruitment drive is taking place in the Garda Reserve for...

European Union Directive: Motion (6 Jul 2023)

Cathal Berry: ...from a bribery point of view, from a misappropriation point of view and with regard to abusive trading practices. The final aspect is the enforcement perspective and the resourcing of An Garda Síochána. I know the Minister of State is involved in this. It is important that we have the tools to enforce these policies. We can have all the laws we want but unless they can be...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (29 Jun 2023)

Cathal Berry: 346. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if she will provide the breakdown of firearm types (details supplied) seized by An Garda Síochána from 2013 to 2022, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31833/23]

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: ...have the agency or authority to wind down these unnecessary tasks. One of them relates to a bank, the second to an explosives factory and the third to a prison. They do not need to be done. The Garda Commissioner is not deploying 70 gardaí every day to do unnecessary tasks. Why does the Chief of Staff not have the authority to wind things down? If he requests or recommends...

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: ...is a timeline associated. The current strength is about 14,030 and that number fluctuates on a weekly basis. Does the Government have an indicative figure for the overall strength it would like An Garda Síochána to reach at the end of this year? Does it have a ballpark figure and, if not, is it something it might consider publishing?

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...

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

Cathal Berry: ...of the NCSC? What kind of an impact did that have? Echoing what Deputy Carthy said, it is my understanding that the NCSC is a multidisciplinary outfit and that there are military and Garda seats at the table there. Are those seats manned? Do the Garda and the Defence Forces have the capacity to contribute to the multidisciplinary nature of the organisation? In summary, while all...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (18 May 2023)

Cathal Berry: The events of the last 24 hours have again hammered home the need to have uniformed gardaí on the street, both as a deterrent and from a reassurance point of view. For that reason, I raise the Garda Reserve force this morning. It is an outfit that has been around for about 20 years. There is currently about 300 reserve gardaí but they have never really got the recognition or the...

Report of the Independent Review Group on Dignity and Equality Issues in the Defence Forces: Statements (30 Mar 2023)

Cathal Berry: ...minority misbehave or worse, engage in criminal activity. Those people must be dismissed and their behaviour stamped out. I welcome the commitment to a statutory inquiry. I have one suggestion. I know the Garda Commissioner has the means and legal authority to suspend somebody on full pay provided there is enough evidence and without prejudice to any investigation. The Chief of...

Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2022: Second Stage (Resumed) (23 Feb 2023)

Cathal Berry: .... I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this important debate on policing, security and community safety for a number of reasons. The Bill replaces an important Act, namely the Garda Act 2005, and legislates for the recommendations of the Commission on the Future of Policing from about four years ago. This Bill is not before time. Security and safety are important, and...