Results 181-200 of 714 for speaker:Cathal Berry

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...

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...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Disinformation and Hybrid Threats in a Geopolitical Context: Discussion (16 May 2023)

Cathal Berry: I thank the witnesses for their excellent opening presentations and statements. I will start with Dr. Culloty. I take her views on debunking. It is very important. I remember when Ben Wallace, the defence secretary in the UK, published that article in UK newspapers a couple of days before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia. He introduced words that most people in Ireland had...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 May 2023)

Cathal Berry: In light of recent media reports, I want to return to the matter of airspace management in this jurisdiction. In an effort to be constructive, we should probably reframe the debate. It is not really one of national defence but flight safety. The country is at peace, thankfully, so we should have an air policing service here with a constabulary role. That is where the focus should be....

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 May 2023)

Cathal Berry: My major concern is the primary radar system. We have not heard anything about it in the past 15 months and, if the Taoiseach will pardon the pun, I think the primary radar is about to fall off the radar. I have no doubt that the direct interest of both the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste will be needed to pursue this project. It would be a huge disappointment if we do not act on the...

Europe Day: Statements (9 May 2023)

Cathal Berry: I am delighted to take the opportunity to make some comments on Europe Day on behalf of the Regional Group, particularly on the 50th anniversary of Ireland joining the EU. I am conscious that I am one of Ireland’s lucky generation. The country joined in 1973, and I was born in 1977. I am part of the first generation to benefit enormously from being in the European Union. I am very...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Wind Energy Generation (27 Apr 2023)

Cathal Berry: 73. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of offshore wind turbines he expects to be off the Irish coast by the end of 2024, 2025 and 2026, respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20209/23]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Wind Energy Generation (27 Apr 2023)

Cathal Berry: Approximately how many offshore wind turbines do we expect to have in situfor the end of next year and the end of 2025 and 2026?

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Wind Energy Generation (27 Apr 2023)

Cathal Berry: I very much acknowledge and appreciate all the work that is going on in the background, such as the establishment of MARA, the legislation and the planning bits and pieces that are taking place. However, what people really need and want to know is when construction will happen. I take the Minister's point. He said the back end of this decade. The key question for me is as to whether there...