Results 441-460 of 1,135,375 for in 'Dáil debates' OR (speaker:Paul Gavan OR speaker:Hildegarde Naughton OR speaker:Kieran O'Donnell OR speaker:Seán Canney OR speaker:Seán Fleming OR speaker:Seán Sherlock OR speaker:Francis Noel Duffy OR speaker:Richard Bruton OR speaker:Richard Bruton6 OR speaker:Leo Varadkar OR speaker:Brendan Griffin OR speaker:Marian Harkin OR speaker:Stephen Donnelly OR speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív OR speaker:Paul Donnelly OR speaker:Matt Shanahan OR speaker:Richard Boyd Barrett OR speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív88 OR speaker:Gary Gannon OR speaker:Niall Collins OR speaker:Pat Buckley OR speaker:Colm Brophy OR speaker:James O'Connor OR speaker:Brendan Howlin OR speaker:Carol Nolan OR speaker:Anne Rabbitte OR speaker:Darren O'Rourke OR speaker:Joe O'Brien) in 'Committee meetings'

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Naval Service (17 Oct 2024)

Pádraig O'Sullivan: 6. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if he will provide an update on plans to enhance the Naval Service headquarters in Haulbowline, County Cork; to provide an update on the infrastructure development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41488/24]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Naval Service (17 Oct 2024)

Pádraig O'Sullivan: Will the Tánaiste provide an update on plans to enhance the Naval Service headquarters at Haulbowline?

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Naval Service (17 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: I thank the Deputy for the opportunity to outline the unprecedented levels of capital investment we are making at Haulbowline naval base in County Cork. Since the introduction of the infrastructure development plan, we have completed in excess of €12 million worth of projects at the naval base, including a refurbishment of the operations training building, an upgrade of accommodation...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Naval Service (17 Oct 2024)

Pádraig O'Sullivan: I thank the Tánaiste. Anybody who has visited Haulbowline in the past 12 months will have seen the massive works that have been undertaken there recently. I recall the base when I was a councillor in the Cobh municipal district, and much of it began with the People's Park, with which Deputy Stanton will be familiar. That was the beginning of many of the works that have happened over...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Naval Service (17 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: The new gym at the old tank building is progressing well and we are basically down to procurement timelines. Investment will not be an issue and the gym will happen. There are also, as I said, significant accommodation projects. The refurbishment of the block 9 office facility, for example, commenced in August of this year. Once refurbishment works have been completed on this proposed...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Naval Service (17 Oct 2024)

Pádraig O'Sullivan: As I said, all the developments are welcome, and I know they are appreciated by the personnel based in Haulbowline. On the residential side, I understand that the refurbishment of the current block the Tánaiste mentioned will include accommodation for 75 personnel and that there will be further development in another block to allow people to stay on site. There was a sad situation a...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces (17 Oct 2024)

Gary Gannon: I appreciate that the Tánaiste cannot comment in detail on specific incidents but, looking at some incidents over the last four or five years, we seem to have a very cavalier approach to counter-intelligence and threats to the State. The Tánaiste obviously cannot comment on the recent example of Cobalt, although he did comment in the media. He said he was not briefed although a...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces (17 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: There is a national security committee which co-ordinates all of the work. I think there are issues in terms of an accountability chain to the Oireachtas and the Government of the day. That is why there is an examination under way. There needs to be work done on ensuring a proper accountability chain and a framework governing both military intelligence and intelligence activities more...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces (17 Oct 2024)

Gary Gannon: The Tánaiste might give us some timelines in respect of the evaluation that he spoke of. It is important that this is not used as a political football and that we approach it in a mature way. There are some examples that take us by surprise. Last month, my constituency colleague seemed to come under some sort of misinformation attack from outside the State. A report came in that the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces (17 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: We have good quality intelligence networks in the country. An Garda Síochána does a very good job, as does military intelligence. The Commission on the Defence Forces outlined significant reforms in respect of military intelligence and the majority of its recommendations were accepted by Government. These include strengthening military intelligence capabilities; the establishment...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces (17 Oct 2024)

Gary Gannon: I have not accepted it. I am wondering why the State is not pursuing it.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces (17 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: I am not saying the Deputy has but, generally, people did in the beginning. People actually did. I was questioned in the Dáil as if it was a fact.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces (17 Oct 2024)

Gary Gannon: As you should be.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces (17 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: It was not a fact.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces (17 Oct 2024)

Gary Gannon: It is about your pursuance of it.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces (17 Oct 2024)

Defence Forces

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces (17 Oct 2024)

Matt Carthy: 5. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the recruitment target for the Defence Forces; and the number who were inducted and the number who left the Defence Forces in each year from 2020 to 2024. [42033/24]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces (17 Oct 2024)

Matt Carthy: This question is to adjudicate the performance of the Government in respect of the Defence Forces. Sometimes the Tánaiste says there is unfair criticism. It would be important to set out for the Dáil, in each year of this Government from 2020, the target recruitment for the Defence Forces and, in each year, how many were actually inducted and how many left, in other words, the net...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces (17 Oct 2024)

Micheál Martin: The military authorities have advised me that as of 31 August 2024, the latest date for which such information is available, the strength of the Permanent Defence Force stood at 7,426. A table containing the requested induction and discharges figures for each year from 2020 to 2024 will be provided to the Deputy. I have acknowledged in the past the recruitment and retention challenges in...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Defence Forces (17 Oct 2024)

Matt Carthy: It is hard to ask a supplementary question when I do not have the substantive response to the question I asked. I take the Tánaiste's commitment to provide the precise figures. Here is what we do know from the Tánaiste's response. There are currently fewer than 7,500 members of our Defence Forces, 2,000 below the establishment figure and a whopping 4,000 below the two-figure...