Results 9,421-9,440 of 12,604 for speaker:Willie O'Dea

Written Answers — Departmental Records: Departmental Records (22 May 2008)

Willie O'Dea: An Taoiseach Mr. Bertie Ahern, T.D., announced in the context of the 90th Anniversary celebrations of 1916 that the Government had decided to make the Military Pension Archive, covering the 1916 Rising and the War of Independence, available to historians and to the public. It is the intention of the Government that the records will be made available in good time for the 100th anniversary of...

Written Answers — Ministerial Travel: Ministerial Travel (22 May 2008)

Willie O'Dea: In response to the Deputy's questions I wish to state that ministerial cars are driven by members of An Garda Siochána. Such vehicles are exempt from tolls under Section 62 of the Roads Act 1993. Accordingly, no cost arises to the Exchequer.

Written Answers — Defence Forces Training: Defence Forces Training (22 May 2008)

Willie O'Dea: A claim for the payment of Instructors allowance to qualified MT Instructors with the Transport Company, Collins Barracks, Cork was received from the Permanent Defence Force Other Ranks Representative Association (PDFORRA) under the Conciliation and Arbitration Scheme (C&A Scheme) for members of the Permanent Defence Force. The claim is the subject of correspondence between the Department...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Training: Defence Forces Training (22 May 2008)

Willie O'Dea: On the issue of training, I am very satisfied that military training techniques are up to date in all respects. Defence Forces training plans are structured to provide the capabilities needed to execute the roles assigned to them by Government under the White Paper on Defence of February 2000. The challenges of preparing military units for participation in international peace support...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Security Escorts: Defence Forces Security Escorts (22 May 2008)

Willie O'Dea: Following a detailed formal agreement with the Irish Bankers Federation, which was signed on 11 May 2005, the banks pay the total actual costs incurred by the Defence Forces in the provision of cash escorts. Costs in respect of each 12 month period to end-December, are paid the following year on or before the 1st June. This is to allow for the compilation of returns from the brigades and...

Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (22 May 2008)

Willie O'Dea: As of 20 May 2008, a total of 792 members of the Permanent Defence Force are serving overseas. Of the 792 currently serving overseas, 13 are Air Corps personnel and 4 are members of the Naval Service. When full deployment to Chad is completed on 1 June 2008 a further 10 members of the Air Corps and 16 members of the Naval Service will have been deployed overseas. No Air Corps or Naval...

Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (22 May 2008)

Willie O'Dea: With regard to Ireland's participation in future Battlegroups, we are committed in principle to participation in the Nordic Battlegroup (NBG) which will stand up again in 2011. Other contributors to the Nordic Battlegroup are Sweden, acting as Framework Nation, Finland, Norway and Estonia. Informal discussions have also taken place between staff in the Department of Defence and...

Written Answers — Coastal Surveillance: Coastal Surveillance (22 May 2008)

Willie O'Dea: The Naval Service provides the maritime element of the Defence Forces and has a general responsibility to meet contingent and actual maritime defence requirements. The Naval Service operates eight general purpose patrol ships. All eight ships are involved in coastal and offshore patrolling and surveillance for the State in that part of the seas where State jurisdiction applies. The Naval...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Equipment: Defence Forces Equipment (22 May 2008)

Willie O'Dea: As the Deputy will be aware, significant investment has been made in Defence Forces equipment in recent years to provide them with the most modern equipment to undertake tasks assigned to them by Government. The equipment issued to the Defence Forces is in keeping with the most modern requirements from the health and safety perspective. Ongoing investment in the Defence Forces will ensure...

Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (22 May 2008)

Willie O'Dea: Ireland is currently contributing 763 Defence Forces personnel to 15 different missions throughout the world. Full details of all personnel currently serving overseas on UN mandated operations, observer missions or undertaking representative or staff postings are listed in the tabular statement. The main overseas missions, in which Defence Forces personnel are deployed, are the UN Mandated EU...

Overseas Missions. (22 May 2008)

Willie O'Dea: If a medical emergency arises, the most important aspect is that the troops in question have immediate access to appropriate medical care to treat any injuries and, if necessary, stabilise the patient. In the case of the Defence Forces contingent in Chad, three doctors, along with a team of fully trained emergency medical technicians, will be deployed with the force in Goz Beida at all times...

Overseas Missions. (22 May 2008)

Willie O'Dea: I understand Deputy Deenihan's question but he appears to have a misconception of what is meant by the golden hour. The golden hour is the availability of immediate medical treatment and, as I said in my initial reply, any Irish patrol going out on operation will be accompanied by one or more medical officers and a number of other people who are medically qualified, some of whom will be...

Overseas Missions. (22 May 2008)

Willie O'Dea: ——the situation in Liberia where the helicopters were based in Monrovia, which was about twice as far away from where the Irish troops were patrolling. We had fewer medical facilities, fewer air assets and further distances to travel in Liberia. This is one of the best supported missions from the point of view of safety in which we have ever engaged.

Overseas Missions. (22 May 2008)

Willie O'Dea: The White Paper on Defence outlines the blue print for a new Reserve Defence Force. This blueprint outlined a new reserve with a clearly defined role, an enhanced relationship with the Permanent Defence Force, better equipment and training and opportunities for reservists to serve on overseas peace support missions. An implementation plan has been developed that will ensure the realisation...

Overseas Missions. (22 May 2008)

Willie O'Dea: As regards Deputy Wall's first question, the number, I am informed, is 8,265 of which 7,914 are Army and 317 are Naval Service. I do not have the age profile, although it has reduced considerably in recent years. I shall get that detail for Deputy Wall. On how to create an interest, I suppose the best way is to encourage people to join the reserve and discourage them from leaving it once...

Consultancy Contracts. (22 May 2008)

Willie O'Dea: Military medical services and their 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. The challenges in the medical arena have been recognised for some...

Consultancy Contracts. (22 May 2008)

Willie O'Dea: I must correct Deputy Deenihan slightly — 47 is the established figure, as he rightly says, and we have 22 currently. Six are non-nationals, but of course they are properly qualified medical practitioners. Basically, in recent times we have considerably improved pay and conditions, in agreement with the Department of Finance, for people working in the medical corps of the Army. In...

Defence Forces Review. (22 May 2008)

Willie O'Dea: The commitment to which the Deputy refers is one of 17 contained in the action plan under the pay agreement and modernisation agenda for the Defence Forces. The action plan is itself derived from the modernisation agenda of March 2007 agreed with the Defence Forces representative associations and both are in turn, modelled on the Towards 2016 agreement between the social partners. This...

Defence Forces Review. (22 May 2008)

Willie O'Dea: We have made significant progress on the modernisation of the Army generally. There are no less than 17 commitments in the action plan. We are far advanced in respect of some and not as advanced as we would like to be in respect of others. Needless to say, considerable progress has been made. Outside the context of the action plan, modernisation continues, virtually on a weekly basis....

Defence Forces Medical Services. (22 May 2008)

Willie O'Dea: The challenges in the medical arena have been recognised for some time and a review of the provision of medical services, in association with the representative associations, is ongoing as part of the modernisation agenda for the Defence Forces. The scope of the review includes the level of service to be provided to members of the Defence Forces and the resources required for the delivery of...