Results 9,561-9,580 of 12,604 for speaker:Willie O'Dea

Written Answers — Army Strength: Army Strength (19 Feb 2008)

Willie O'Dea: The White Paper on Defence of February 2000 set out a figure of 10,500 personnel for the Permanent Defence Force as the strength sufficient to meet all foreseeable military requirements for the period comprehended by the White Paper (i.e. up to 2010). This remains the position. It is my intention to maintain the established Government policy of ongoing recruitment to the Defence Forces. This...

Written Answers — Public Information Campaign: Public Information Campaign (19 Feb 2008)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 116, 119 and 138 together. As Chairman of the Government Task Force on Emergency Planning, I am conscious of the need to raise public awareness of the excellent work that is being undertaken in this area by government departments and public authorities. In 2006, the Office of Emergency Planning carried out market research into this issue and the results showed...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Patients Charter: Defence Forces Patients Charter (19 Feb 2008)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 117 and 151 together. I can assure the House that Defence Forces personnel requiring medical treatment are getting the care they need. The challenges in the medical arena have been recognized for some time and a review of the provision of medical services is ongoing as part of the Modernisation Agenda for the Defence Forces. The Representative Associations are...

Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (19 Feb 2008)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 120 and 122 together. On 8th January 2008, two members of the Permanent Defence Forces, serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) were injured when the UNIFIL vehicle in which they were travelling was targeted by a roadside bomb on the main coastal road north of Sidon. The soldiers had superficial injuries and were taken to the local...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Equipment: Defence Forces Equipment (19 Feb 2008)

Willie O'Dea: Following Government approval to go to tender, notice of a competition for the purchase of replacement vessels for the Naval Service was sent to the Official Journal of the European Union on 24 August 2007. The competition sought tenders for the purchase of two Offshore Patrol Vessels and one Extended Patrol Vessel, with an option for up to two additional vessels. The process comprises two...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Medical Services: Defence Forces Medical Services (19 Feb 2008)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 123 and 159 together. All members of the Permanent Defence Forces are required to undergo an annual medical examination. In 2007 a total of 8,111 annual medicals were conducted. The shortage of Medical Officers in the Medical Corps was the principal reason why every member of the Defence Forces did not undergo a medical examination in 2007. Personnel due to...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (19 Feb 2008)

Willie O'Dea: The reply is in the form of a tabular statement. Number of civil servants by grade serving in the Department of Defence Grade 1 Jan 1996 1 Jan 2000 1 Jan 2008 Secretary General 1 1 1 Assistant Secretary 2 2 2 Head of Corporate Services 1 1 1 Principal 9 11 12.9 Chief Technical Officer (Civil Defence) 1 1 — Accountant Grade I 1 1 1 Assistant Principal 24 24 34 Technical Officer...

Written Answers — Medical Appointments: Medical Appointments (19 Feb 2008)

Willie O'Dea: There is no central data-base of referrals of members of the Defence Forces to medical consultants either at Defence Forces Headquarters, Brigade or Unit level. The record of a referral is maintained on the individual's file. Consequently, the information requested is not readily available and compiling it would require a disproportionate amount of resources.

Written Answers — Child Care Facilities: Child Care Facilities (19 Feb 2008)

Willie O'Dea: A request to provide crèche facilities for members of the Defence Forces has been made by the Defence Forces Representative Associations. The Defence Forces Partnership Steering Group, which was established following on from Partnership 2000, has tasked a Partnership Sub-Committee with examining the issue of the provision of childcare facilities under a number of headings, including demand...

Written Answers — Court Cases: Court Cases (19 Feb 2008)

Willie O'Dea: As this matter is still within the Judicial process the Deputy will appreciate that it would be wholly inappropriate for me to comment on the matter.

Written Answers — Bullying in the Workplace: Bullying in the Workplace (19 Feb 2008)

Willie O'Dea: The Defence Forces and the Department have taken a wide variety of initiatives and have devoted extensive resources to this issue, since Dr Eileen Doyle and the External Advisory Committee presented their original report "The Challenge of a Workplace" in March 2002. This report addressed the entire range of interpersonal issues within the Defence Forces. Its contents and recommendations were...

Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (19 Feb 2008)

Willie O'Dea: KFOR was established on 10 June, 1999 in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1244, for an initial period of twelve months, to continue thereafter unless the UN Security Council decides otherwise. KFOR's mandate is to establish a secure environment in Kosovo conducive to the implementation of refugee return and reconstruction. KFOR has a current strength of approximately...

Written Answers — Veterans Groups: Veterans Groups (19 Feb 2008)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 134 and 165 together. The Organisation of National Ex-Servicemen and Women, or Óglaigh Náisiúnta na hÉireann Teoranta (ONET) has enjoyed the long-standing official recognition of my Department and the Defence Forces. ONET is dedicated to looking after the welfare of all ex-service personnel of the Irish Defence Forces. A main objective of ONET is to...

Written Answers — Commemorative Events: Commemorative Events (19 Feb 2008)

Willie O'Dea: A commemoration will be held this Easter Sunday at the GPO to mark the 92nd anniversary of the Easter Rising 1916. The format of this year's commemoration will be a military ceremony centred on the GPO with appropriate military honours rendered. Personnel from the Army, Air Corps, Naval Service and Reserve will participate and there will be an Air Corps fly past subject to prevailing weather...

Written Answers — Compensation Payments: Compensation Payments (19 Feb 2008)

Willie O'Dea: The information sought by the Deputy is in the form of a Tabular Statement. The figures in the Tabular Statement represent the amounts paid in settlement of actions against the Minister for Defence. They include payments to serving and non-serving members of the Permanent and Reserve Defence Forces in respect of personal injuries and material damage. They also include amounts paid to Civilian...

Written Answers — Army Barracks: Army Barracks (19 Feb 2008)

Willie O'Dea: Defence Forces Regulations require members of the Defence Forces to live in Barracks unless they are given permission to live out. Over the years the practice has been for significant numbers of personnel to live out of barracks. Currently, the Defence Forces have the capacity to provide long-term living-in accommodation for up to 2,800 personnel, which represents about 25% of all personnel....

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (19 Feb 2008)

Willie O'Dea: The Government Decision on decentralisation, announced by the Minister for Finance in his Budget Statement on 3 December 2003, provides for the transfer of all of my Department's Dublin based civil service staff to Newbridge, Co. Kildare and the transfer of Defence Forces Headquarters to the Curragh. In addition to the 200 civil servants who will be based in Newbridge, over 40 military...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Recruitment: Defence Forces Recruitment (19 Feb 2008)

Willie O'Dea: I have carefully considered the recent report of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child including the suggesting of raising the minimum age for recruitment to the Defence Forces. Attracting, training and retaining good calibre personnel are key factors in maintaining the successful operation of the Defence Forces at home and abroad. The Defence Forces compete to attract these personnel...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Medical Officers: Defence Forces Medical Officers (19 Feb 2008)

Willie O'Dea: The military authorities have advised that, based on a review of the current Medical Register, Defence Forces Medical Officers hold the following registration Specialist Register Number of Defence Forces Medical Officers Occupational Medicine Six Sports Medicine One Psychiatry One Pathology One General Practice One The one person entered on the sports medicine section of the Register...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Expenditure: Defence Forces Expenditure (19 Feb 2008)

Willie O'Dea: The numbers of civilian doctors, dentists, pharmacists and physiotherapists who provided services to the Defence Forces, in the year ending 31 December, 2007 are listed as follows: Amount paid â'¬ Doctors 334 2,425,436 Physios 121 439,034 Dentists 167 1,113,385 Pharmacies1 35 512,450 Pharmacists2 2 46,080 1The amount shown under Pharmacies is in respect of...