Kehoe, Paul

EU Directives

Asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport: if there are current EU directives that have to be enacted here that deal with an issue (details suppled).

Defence Forces Representative Organisations

I propose to take Question Nos. 632 and 633 together.

The Conciliation and Arbitration scheme for members of the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) provides a formal mechanism for their Representative Associations, RACO and PDFORRA, to engage with the Of...

Since their establishment in 1993, there have been significant developments and improvements in the pay and conditions of military personnel. The Representative Associations have been to the for...

A number of mechanisms have also been put in place through the Defence Forces Conciliation and Arbitration Scheme which provides the Representative Associations with structures and processes, whi...

I have received representations from PDFORRA seeking to have access to the Workplace Relations Commission and the Labour Court made available to them, in the event of any future legislative chang...

Military Medals

The person in question made an application for a Certificate of Military Service under the Military Service Pensions Act 1924, in relation to his service from 1 April 1916 to 30 June 1922. His app...

Defence Forces Recruitment

The Government is committed to maintaining the stabilised strength of the Permanent Defence Force at 9,500, comprising of 7,520 Army, 886 Air Corps and 1,094 Naval Service personnel, as stated in t...

The manpower requirement of the Defence Forces is monitored on an ongoing basis in accordance with the operational requirements of each of the three services. As there is significant turnover of...

A new General Service Recruitment campaign was launched on 23 February 2017, as part of the Government’s commitment to maintain the strength of the Defence Forces at 9,500 personnel. To publicis...

The intake of Cadets into the Permanent Defence Force is normally carried out on an annual basis, taking into consideration the operational requirements of the Defence Forces and the resource env...

Direct Entry Competitions are also held as required from which specialist appointments are filled. A recruitment campaign for the appointment of Direct Entry Naval Service Officers, in the Opera...

In relation to promotional vacancies, promotions are ongoing within the Officer ranks in order to fill rank vacancies. A new NCO promotion competition, to fill vacancies to the ranks of Sergeant...

It is my intention that targeted recruitment along with promotions , will continue to be carried out within the resource envelope allocated to Defence.

Defence Forces Reserve Training

The primary function of training and education in both the Permanent Defence Force and Reserve Defence Force is to develop and maintain capabilities necessary to enable personnel to fulfil the role...

For the current year, Subhead A.5 provides for a budget of €2.15 million of which €2.068 million is allocated for a total of 26,000 Paid Training Mandays for members of the Reserve. Of this figu...

While the minimum provision of paid training days is 7, members of the Reserve may avail of additional paid training days, up to a total of 28 days, in the context of career courses, specialist a...

In order to facilitate the voluntary nature of Reserve Service, training continues to be organised both in and out of normal working hours and at weekends. Reserve training is also organised dur...

I am satisfied that the extensive and professional training provided to the Reserve Defence Forces is a key motivating factor which will encourage more people to join it as well as retaining exis...

Defence Forces Personnel Data

The number of females serving in the Permanent Defence Force at present is 570 personnel (whole time equivalent) across all ranks, representing 6.28% of total strength.

  There h...

The following table shows the establishment figure for Commissioned Officers in the Army versus actual whole time equivalent strength numbers on 31 January 2017 and demonstrates that actual serving...

  Question No. 643 answered with Question No. 641.

White Paper on Defence

The White Paper on Defence sets the defence policy agenda for the next ten years. The table sets out the 88 actions or projects which have been specifically identified as a subset of the totality ...

Protected Disclosures Data

My Department has a written policy and procedures in place in relation to protected disclosures which came into effect in December 2015. Where a disclosure is made the policy provides for the foll...

Defence Forces Remuneration

On 27 September 2010 the Adjudicator under the Conciliation and Arbitration Scheme for members of the Permanent Defence Force awarded an increase in the Army Ranger Wing allowance. This award is b...

This adjudication is part of the outstanding adjudication findings covered under paragraph 1.16 of the Public Service Agreement 2010-2014.  Paragraph 5.3 of the Public Service Stability Agreement...

As the Army Ranger Wing is the Special Operations Force of the Defence Forces the exact number of personnel in it or their location is not released into the public domain, for reasons of operatio...

Defence Forces Strength

I propose to take Questions Nos. 641 and 643 together.

The 2015 White Paper on Defence sets the defence policy agenda for the next ten years. It also highlights a number of medium and long term strategies in the area of manpower planning. The White...

In addition, the purpose of the recent Defence Forces Climate Survey is to inform consideration of the ongoing human resource and strategic needs of the Defence Forces. The responses to the issu...

The Government in the White Paper on Defence 2015, committed to a Permanent Defence Force establishment of at least 9,500 serving personnel. To this end, the Defence Forces have recruited 690 pe...

The retention of personnel, particularly experienced Pilot Officers in the Air Corps, has been a significant challenge for the Defence Organisation in recent years. Actions are underway to retur...

At present there are 3 Cadet Classes, totalling 27 personnel at various stages of Pilot Officer training. Of the 27, seven (7) are due to qualify as pilots at the end of 2017. In addition, an A...

There are a number of wider initiatives in place to address recruitment and retention across the Defence Forces. One of the key policies supporting personnel retention is the opportunity for ext...

In relation to the Reserve Defence Force, it is anticipated that the next recruitment campaign will commence in the second half of 2017. Under the current phase of implementation of White Paper ...

Defence Forces Funding

The Permanent Defence Force (PDF) pay provision in Vote 36 Defence provides for, and is fully funded to meet, the payroll costs of the target strength of 9,500 personnel.

Despite the required reduction in public sector funding and reduced resource envelope available in recent years, ongoing recruitment to the PDF has continued. The White Paper on Defence has conf...

Notwithstanding these significant recruitment endeavours, there have been savings on pay and allowances in the Defence Vote due to the high number of retirements. These savings have been utilise...

Insurance Costs

Apart from Civil Defence, all other elements of the Defence Organisation are covered under State indemnity through the State Claims Agency.

  Civil Defence is unique in that it o...

Naval Service Vessels

My priority as Minister with Responsibility for Defence is to ensure that the Defence Forces, including the Naval Service, have a modern and effective range of equipment which is line with best int...

LE Aisling was decommissioned in June 2016 following 36 years of outstanding service to the State.

  There are a number of recognised methods for disposing of a ship...

Defence Forces Properties

As the Deputy is aware the sale of the former Barracks to County Cavan Vocational Education Committee was completed in February 2013. As such there is no ongoing discussion/consultation with eithe...

Defence Forces Training

The Programme for a Partnership Government and the White Paper on Defence committed the Government to putting in place a new employment support scheme with the direct involvement of the Defence For...

The objective of this scheme is to help develop a path to economic independence for participants, aged between 18 and 24 years, who are at a serious disadvantage owing to their current socio-econ...

The scheme is a training programme of ten (10) weeks duration, consisting of five (5) weeks of training delivered by the Defence Forces interspersed with five (5) weeks of educational orientated ...

The scheme and the programme content have been developed through detailed discussions involving the Department of Defence, the Defence Forces, the Department of Social Protection and the Dublin a...

The first iteration of the programme will commence in Limerick on 22 May 2017. The Department of Social Protection invited 1,006 persons selected from the Live Register in counties Clare and Lim...