Results 7,821-7,840 of 12,701 for speaker:Willie O'Dea

Written Answers — Defence Forces Property: Defence Forces Property (20 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: The six Air Corps Alouette Helicopters, special tools and spare parts were sold in 2009 following an open tender competition to a French company, Mat Aviation, for €1.431 million. The sale of the helicopters followed on from a tender competition which was advertised on the Department of Finance's e-tender website. The tender documents were also available from the Department of Defence...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Recruitment: Defence Forces Recruitment (20 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos 83, 105 and 255 together. In the context of the Government Decision on the implementation of savings measures on public service numbers and the reduced budgetary provision available for 2010, recruitment to the Permanent Defence Force has been suspended. As I have already stated in the House I have made a submission to my colleague the Minister for Finance...

Written Answers — Medical Corps: Medical Corps (20 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: Military medical services and facilities exist to maintain the health of the Defence Forces and to support them in operational and overseas activities. The focus of the military medical service is on primary care, occupational medicine, acute trauma management, preventative medical programmes and field medical training. As I have stated previously in the House the challenges in the medical...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Reserve: Defence Forces Reserve (20 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: In line with the Government's 2009 – 2011 programme of Value for Money and Policy reviews, The Department of Defence is committed to undertaking a Value for Money Review of the Reserve Defence Force in 2010. A Steering Committee comprising representatives from the Department of Defence, the Defence Forces and the Department of Finance has been established and will have its inaugural meeting...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Property: Defence Forces Property (20 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: Twenty self-contained en-suite sleeping units were purchased in December 2007 to provide accommodation for military officers in Cathal Brugha Barracks during term time when they were attending third level education courses. While these units are repeatedly referred to as "containers" – they are in fact purpose built living quarters which, for the purposes of military standardisation and...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Property: Defence Forces Property (20 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: I am advised that, due to maintenance and certification issues, the Beechcraft Super King Air 200 aircraft is permanently grounded. The question of funding a replacement aircraft has to be considered in tandem with the equipment requirements of the Defence Forces generally and the overall funding available. In the current economic environment and given the pressures on the Defence Budget, a...

Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (20 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 90, 92, 97, 102, 112, 118 and 259 together. A total of 419 Defence Forces personnel is currently deployed to the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT), the mandate of which expires on 14 March 2010. As outlined in the budget in December 2009, it has been decided that the Defence Forces commitments to overseas peace support...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (20 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: The bodies under the aegis of my Department are the Civil Defence Board, the Army Pensions Board and the Board of Coiste an Asgard. The terms of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Act 2009 applies to each of these bodies. The estimated reduction in the annual pay costs and the average reduction in pay are set out in the following table: Civil Defence Coiste...

Written Answers — Medical Corps: Medical Corps (20 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: I am advised by the Military Authorities that the number of Medical staff within the Defence Forces is two hundred and sixty (260), comprising twenty (20) Medical Officers, one (1) Psychiatrist, one (1) Psychologist, five (5) Dentists, three (3) Pharmacists, two hundred and twelve (212) Medics and eighteen (18) members of the Army Nursing Service. Of the 260 medical staff a total of sixteen...

Written Answers — Ministerial Appointments: Ministerial Appointments (20 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: Mr. David Andrews, former Minister for Foreign Affairs, was appointed to be Chairman of the Irish Red Cross Society for a three-year period commencing in May 2009. Mr. Andrews retired from this position with effect from the 31 December 2009 as a gesture of recognition of the reform process now under discussion. I commend him for his time and commitment to the Society at home and abroad. The...

Written Answers — Naval Service Vessels: Naval Service Vessels (20 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: A vessel replacement strategy for the Naval Service is currently in progress and a tender competition for a ship replacement programme commenced in 2007. The competition sought tenders for the purchase of two Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) and one Extended Patrol Vessel (EPV), with an option for up to two additional vessels. The process comprised two stages – Stage 1, a Request for...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Equipment: Defence Forces Equipment (20 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: In the context of settling the Estimates for my Department for 2010, the Government decided that the national sail training scheme operated by Coiste an Asgard would be discontinued as recommended in the Report of the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure. As a result of that decision, the sum of €3.8m representing the insured value of Asgard 11 has been transferred to...

Written Answers — Search and Rescue Service: Search and Rescue Service (20 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: The Naval Service achieved the following patrol days in each year from 2005 to 2009: Year Patrol Days 2005 1681 2006 1658 2007 1661 2008 1658 2009 1588 As part of the Estimates process for 2010, the Department sought to implement measures which would bring about the savings or the equivalent thereof as identified in the Report of the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Strength: Defence Forces Strength (20 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: The pay and allowances of the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) are provided for in subheads B and C of the Defence Vote. The outturn on those subheads was €539.4m in 2008 and €536.9 in 2009. The 2009 figure includes the carry-over costs of two general pay increases granted under the Towards 2016 agreement during 2008, as well as the full year costs of overseas allowances for the UN mission...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (20 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: The Deputy is referring to paragraphs 9 to 11 of Department of Finance Circular 28/2009. Those provisions apply to the civil service grades of Deputy Secretary and Assistant Secretary and other analogous grades/ranks to which a scheme of performance-related awards previously applied but has been terminated. The pay of two Assistant Secretaries in my Department and of ten military officers...

Written Answers — Departmental Investigations: Departmental Investigations (20 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: I am advised by the Military Authorities that a comprehensive investigation into this allegation has been completed. A Report on the matter has recently been forwarded to the Director of Military Prosecutions who will determine what action, if any, is required under the Defence Act. The Military Authorities have further advised that the individual in question, as is standard practice in...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Operations: Defence Forces Operations (20 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: As the Deputy will be aware, emergency planning in this country is based on the 'lead department' principle. This means that each department is responsible for assessing the risks, making appropriate plans and leading the response to those emergencies that impact on its areas of responsibility. In December 2008, in my capacity of Chairman of the Government Task Force on Emergency Planning, I...

Written Answers — Bomb Disposal Unit: Bomb Disposal Unit (20 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: The primary responsibility for the maintenance of law and order rests with an Garda Síochána. The Defence Forces, Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Team, pursuant to their role of rendering aid to the civil power (ATCP), respond when a request is made by an Garda Síochána, to the relevant Brigade, for assistance in dealing with a suspect device or for the removal of old ordnance. I have...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (20 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: Family Income Supplement (FIS) is a weekly tax-free payment available to married or unmarried employees with at least one child. It gives extra financial support to people on low pay. The circumstances surrounding an application for FIS and the payment of the supplement is a private matter between the applicant and the Department of Social and Family Affairs. My Department would not be...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (20 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: The level of expenditure on Defence in any particular country is influenced by a variety of factors, including that country's political and security environment, its history, demography and economy. Gross expenditure under the Defence and Army Pensions Votes in 2009 was €1,019m. This represents 0.6% of estimated GDP for 2009 (as outlined in the Stability Programme Update of December 2009).