Results 7,921-7,940 of 12,701 for speaker:Willie O'Dea

Physical Fitness Promotion. (20 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: The paper refers to the Defence Forces having a plethora of qualified personnel and a vast resource of equipment. We do not have a plethora of qualified personnel. I assure the Deputy that my advice and experience is that all of those providing physical fitness training in the army are fully taken up with the work they are supposed to do. It is misleading to state that there is "X" amount...

Physical Fitness Promotion. (20 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: Deputy Deenihan should not be so sensitive.

Physical Fitness Promotion. (20 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: I am told that all of those involved in this activity in the Army are working flat out and that all their time is taken up. With regard to making facilities such as gyms and PE halls available, this is done on a local basis. It is up to the local barracks that has the facilities. People make their own arrangements at local level and sometimes they tell us about them and sometimes they do...

Physical Fitness Promotion. (20 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: They are two former Army officers and therefore they know the structure of the Army.

Physical Fitness Promotion. (20 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: As Minister for Defence I hope I also know the structure. At a minimum I will ask my officials to meet them and hear what they have to say. If Deputy O'Shea requests me to do this I am prepared to do it.

Defence Forces Deployment. (20 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: Emergency planning is developed on the "lead Department" principle. This means that each Department is responsible for planning for emergencies that fall within its area of responsibility. The framework for major emergency management sets out the structure enabling the principal response agencies, namely, the Garda Síochána, the Health Service Executive and local authorities, to prepare...

Defence Forces Deployment. (20 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: When they are asked.

Defence Forces Deployment. (20 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: In 2008, I brought a document to the Government which outlined what happens in the event of various emergencies, including a weather situation like that which we have just experienced. That document identified the lead Department in all cases. For example, if there was an oil spillage off the coast, the Department of the Marine would lead. If there was a terrorist attack, the Garda...

Defence Forces Deployment. (20 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: The national framework is there. There is a framework for a local response. At any time, the local committee can get together and request the assistance of the Army or anybody else. Many such committees did not do so for reasons I do not know. It is ludicrous to talk about the Army being ready because they were involved in the flood crisis. The Army is an aid or back up when somebody...

Defence Forces Deployment. (20 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: This is ludicrous. The Army has to be asked. It acts in response to a request. During the crisis, the HSE was not slow in asking the Army for help. It asked the Army for help from the first day of the frost to carry out air ambulance missions over and above what it had ordinarily been doing. The HSE approached the Army to transport palliative care nurses in south Galway. The HSE...

Defence Forces Deployment. (20 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: As this weather spell went on longer than anybody would have anticipated, contrary to the forecasts, the local crisis involved more than just accessibility of roads and other issues came into play which made it appropriate for the national emergency response committee to convene a meeting. The committee met when it became appropriate to do so, and the Army was involved very heavily at that...

Defence Forces Deployment. (20 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: They had been directed.

Defence Forces Deployment. (20 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: The Deputy can get it now. It is on the website.

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (19 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. The decision to discontinue the scheme was a difficult one. I am conscious of the fact that it will come as a great...

Written Answers — Reserve Defence Force: Reserve Defence Force (19 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: I am advised by the Military authorities that the number signed up with the Reserve Defence Force (RDF) as at 30 November 2009, the latest date for which figures are currently available, was 6,732. The number signed up with the RDF (effective plus non-effective) at the end of 2005 was 10,833, i.e. 10,425 in the Army Reserve and 408 in the Naval Service Reserve. The table shows the strengths...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Recruitment: Defence Forces Recruitment (19 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: Arising from the Government Decision on Public Service numbers, which took effect from 27 March 2009, recruitment to the Permanent Defence Force has been suspended with effect from that date. I am in contact with the Minister for Finance about the implications of the Government Decision on the Permanent Defence Force. In my statement on the Defence Budget, I confirmed my commitment to...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Recruitment: Defence Forces Recruitment (19 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: Arising from the Government Decision on Public Service numbers, which took effect from 27 March 2009, recruitment to the Permanent Defence Force has been suspended with effect from that date. I am in contact with the Minister for Finance about the implications of the Government Decision on the Permanent Defence Force. In my statement on the Defence Budget, I confirmed my commitment to...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (19 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: The number of civil service staff in my Department at 31/12/2009 was 401. The whole-time equivalent number was 376.73. My Department does not maintain records of the economic qualifications held by members of staff in a readily accessible format. My Department has a strong commitment to the training and development of staff. It has consistently met the Government target of devoting 4% of...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (19 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 826 and 827 together. The number, grade and salary scales of civil servants engaged in constituency work in my Department are set out in the following table: Number Grade Salary Scale as at 01/01/2010 1 Staff Officer Staff Officer Scale PPC €34,771 - €46,171 1 Clerical Officer Clerical Officer Higher Scale €23,042- €36,267 2 Clerical Officer...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (19 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: The information requested is as follows: Report of the Special Group on Public Numbers and Expenditure Programmes:Measures reflected in Budget 2010 2010Estimated Savings€m Reduction of Permanent Defence Force numbers.Reductions in PDF numbers already achieved are in line with Report recommendations. Civilian employee numbers are also reducing. 9.0 Rationalise Ireland's overseas...