Results 8,281-8,300 of 12,596 for speaker:Willie O'Dea

Written Answers — Defence Forces Strength: Defence Forces Strength (23 Jun 2009)

Willie O'Dea: The strength of the Army and Navy Reserve over the past five years is set out in the tabular statement under: Army Reserve Naval Service Reserve Army Reserve Naval Service Reserve Army Reserve Naval Service Reserve TotalArmy Reserve Total Naval Service Officers Officers NCOs NCOs Privates Seamen Reserve 2004 693 26 2,908 77 8,769 294 12,370 397 2005 662 26 2,665 75 7,098 307 10,425...

Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (23 Jun 2009)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 374 and 385 together. Ireland participated in the Nordic Battlegroup (NBG), which was on standby from 1 January 2008 to 30 June 2008. The other members of the Nordic Battlegroup were Sweden, acting as Framework Nation, Finland, Norway and Estonia. The Defence Forces contribution to the NBG was an Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Improvised Explosive Device...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Personnel: Defence Forces Personnel (23 Jun 2009)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 375 and 387 together. A breakdown of the number of female personnel promoted in the Defence Forces in the past twelve months by rank is set out in the tabular statement under: Commandant to Lieutenant Colonel 1 Captain to Commandant 3 Lieutenant to Captain 6 2nd Lieutenant or Ensign to Lieutenant or Sub Lieutenant 11 Corporal to Sergeant 8 Private to...

Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (23 Jun 2009)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos 376, 377 and 383 together. Ireland has offered, through the UN Standby Arrangements System (UNSAS), to provide up to 850 military personnel for overseas service at any one time. This figure equates to some 10% of Ireland's standing Army (excluding Reserves) and demonstrates Ireland's commitment to the cause of international peace. This is the maximum...

Written Answers — Army Barracks: Army Barracks (23 Jun 2009)

Willie O'Dea: I would refer the Deputy to his previous question of 10th March 2009 which stated that "a Government decision, on 15 July 1998, approved a programme of closure and disposal of six barracks considered surplus to military requirements. The barracks in question were located at Ballincollig, Fermoy, Naas, Castleblayney, Kildare, and Islandbridge, Dublin. Five of these properties have been...

Written Answers — National Emergency Plan: National Emergency Plan (23 Jun 2009)

Willie O'Dea: Emergency planning in this country 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. National emergency plans are in place for a number of specific emergency scenarios such as a nuclear incident or an influenza pandemic. The Framework for Major Emergency Management is the...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Equipment: Defence Forces Equipment (23 Jun 2009)

Willie O'Dea: The most important defence against any terrorist attack is detection and prevention by the security forces. While an Garda Siochána have the primary responsibility for law and order, one of the roles assigned to the Defence Forces is the provision of aid to the civil power, meaning in practice to assist, when requested, an Garda Síochána. The various components of the Defence Forces are...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Equipment: Defence Forces Equipment (23 Jun 2009)

Willie O'Dea: The Defence Forces have available to them equipment for monitoring and protecting their members in dealing with Nuclear, Biological or Chemical (NBC) threats should such arise. They hold an extensive range of modern NBC equipment that meets their current requirements. This range includes NBC suits and a sufficient stock of Respirators for each individual soldier. They also have the most...

Written Answers — Air Corps Strength: Air Corps Strength (23 Jun 2009)

Willie O'Dea: There are no plans to increase the strength of the Air Corps. The saving measures on public service numbers, introduced on 27 March 2009 are being implemented in the Permanent Defence Forces. I am in contact with my colleague, the Minister for Finance about the implications of the measures for the Permanent Defence Force. My focus is on the ongoing operational capability of the Defence...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Equipment: Defence Forces Equipment (23 Jun 2009)

Willie O'Dea: As the Deputy is aware, a very significant level of investment in new equipment for the Air Corps has taken place in recent years. The comprehensive investment programme included the delivery of eight Pilatus training aircraft at a total cost of €60m, the acquisition of two light utility EC 135 helicopters from Eurocopter S.A.S. at a cost of €12.8m, the acquisition of six utility AW 139...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Accommodation: Defence Forces Accommodation (23 Jun 2009)

Willie O'Dea: There are currently no minimum international or national standards for military accommodation. However, all accommodation provided is measured against standards established by the Defence Forces in 1992. My Department is currently finalising a report to establish a 'desirable standard' to be applied across the Defence Forces.

Defence Forces Recruitment. (23 Jun 2009)

Willie O'Dea: We have improved the conditions of the Reserve. There is better training and it is now better organised, has better clothing and equipment. As the Deputy knows, there is a proposal in the White Paper to have an integrated element in the Reserve and for it to be integrated with the Reserve Defence Forces. So far, recruitment to that has proved disappointing and only 300 people have been...

Defence Forces Recruitment. (23 Jun 2009)

Willie O'Dea: Yes, that is under consideration.

Defence Forces Recruitment. (23 Jun 2009)

Willie O'Dea: I agree. I have made submissions to my colleague, the Minister for Finance, and I hope to meet him shortly in that regard. Like previous years, I am advised of a high level of interest this year in the cadet school. We are still not too late. If a decision is made in the next couple of weeks, we will be able to have a cadet class this year.

Defence Forces Reserve. (23 Jun 2009)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 33 and 51 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 2009, all recruitment to the Reserve Defence Force, RDF, was suspended. Following a subsequent review and examination of RDF personnel numbers and budgets for 2009, I was satisfied...

Defence Forces Reserve. (23 Jun 2009)

Willie O'Dea: I agree with Deputy Deenihan regarding the promotional structure, which is under consideration. Any perception that the reserve is being undervalued is mistaken. An entire section of the White Paper addressed the reserve and made various recommendations. For example, the recommended re-organisation has been undertaken. The White Paper recommended better uniforms, training, systems of...

Defence Forces Reserve. (23 Jun 2009)

Willie O'Dea: I agree with the latter point. Criteria have been drawn up by the director of the reserve and the questions of where people came in on the chain, whether they have had medicals done and when they applied will be important. I understand it will be done in chronological order. I do not want to get specific about numbers. How many we will take on depends on how many drop out or join the...

Defence Forces Reserve. (23 Jun 2009)

Willie O'Dea: I will have to speak to the chief of staff about that. I understand that the Army command is considering ways in which it can make some use of the integrated reserve. I do not know why that has not happened to date. I will revert to the Deputy when I have spoken to the chief of staff about it. I think that perhaps the Army command was a little underwhelmed by the number of people it...

Defence Forces Reserve. (23 Jun 2009)

Willie O'Dea: I am not an expert on how the Garda Reserve works but we have to be in a position whereby the money we are allocated each year for paid training days is sufficient to accommodate the number of people we have on the books. That is our duty. It would be irresponsible of me to say that we can recruit 1,000 or 2,000 people more than those for whom we can provide a reasonable number of paid...

Defence Forces Reserve. (23 Jun 2009)

Willie O'Dea: I assure the House that the Army has every intention of making the fullest possible use of the people who have been trained as members of the integrated reserve. I will speak to the chief of staff about when that will happen and over what timescale and I will revert to the Deputy.