Results 10,221-10,240 of 12,604 for speaker:Willie O'Dea

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (20 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: This question does not apply to my Department at this time.

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (20 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: The Government Decision on decentralisation provides for the relocation of the Dublin-based offices of my Department to Newbridge, Co. Kildare. A total of 200 staff will move to the new location. While the site upon which the new office accommodation will be built will be sold by Kildare County Council to the Office of Public Works and the preferred tenderer to construct the building has...

Written Answers — Services for People with Disabilities: Services for People with Disabilities (20 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: There are no specific phone facilities available to persons with hearing disabilities who wish to phone my Department. Contact can be made with my Department via E-mail or by visiting our website at www.defence.ie.

Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (8 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: I have made no public appointments in the past two months.

Written Answers — Common Foreign and Security Policy: Common Foreign and Security Policy (7 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 89 and 137 together. Each Presidency hosts an informal Defence Ministers' meeting during the course of its Presidency. The informal meeting is not a decision-making forum, but rather an opportunity to discuss current issues and review ongoing progress on ESDP developments. The German Presidency hosted an informal meeting of EU Defence Ministers on 1-2 March...

Written Answers — EU Battle Groups: EU Battle Groups (7 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 90, 98, 101, 103, 113, 138, 300, 306 and 307 together. Following detailed discussions on Ireland's participation in the Nordic Battlegroup, Sweden, on behalf of the Nordic Battlegroup, advised that it will welcome a contribution from Ireland, subject to Ireland's agreement to sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the Nordic Battlegroup. The MoU is an...

Written Answers — National Emergency Plan: National Emergency Plan (7 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 91, 119, 141 and 151 together. The Government Task Force on Emergency Planning and the Inter-Departmental Working Group on Emergency Planning meet on a regular basis. The last Government Task Force meeting was held on Wednesday, 14th February. While a date has not been decided for the next Task Force meeting these are normally held every four to six weeks....

Written Answers — Drug Testing Programme: Drug Testing Programme (7 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 92, 93 and 156 together. A Compulsory Substance Testing Programme was introduced on 1 February 2002 as part of a Defence Forces Substance Abuse Programme. This followed a long consultative process involving the Office of the Attorney General, the Deputy Judge Advocate General and the Defence Forces Representative Associations. Prior to the launch of the...

Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (7 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 95, 97, 99, 104, 106, 108, 117, 134, 143, 146, 155 and 298 together. During the period 28 February, 2007, to 1 March, 2007, I took the opportunity to visit Lebanon where I met with the Irish personnel of the 34th Infantry Group serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). The primary purpose of my visit was to see at first hand the work...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Equipment: Defence Forces Equipment (7 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: The Air Corps retain a number of fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft for historical purposes in an Air Corps Museum at Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel. Details of the aircraft in the Museum are set out in the tabular statement below, which I propose to circulate in the Official Report. In addition, the Air Corps has two aircraft on loan to the National Museum of Ireland in Collins Barracks,...

Written Answers — Departmental Estimates: Departmental Estimates (7 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: The gross 2007 Estimate (capital and current) for the Defence Vote represents an increase of 4.9% on the 2006 Estimate and an increase of 6.4% on actual expenditure in 2006. The corresponding percentage increases for the Army Pensions Vote are 5.3% and 4.4%, respectively. The Department of Finance forecast for Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation for 2007 is an annual average increase of...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Communications: Defence Forces Communications (7 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 105 and 133 together. The question of public comment on official matters by any member of the Defence Forces is governed by Paragraph 27 of Defence Force Regulation A.7, which prohibits the airing of individual opinions on service matters, public business or politics. This prohibition is supplemented by a direction that "comment, if any, . . . touching on...

Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (7 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: The Niemba ambush occurred almost forty-six years ago. It was the first such action involving the horrific deaths of Defence Forces personnel on a scale which still remains unique. It has never been very far from public consciousness and I would like again to publicly acknowledge the sacrifice made by all the members of the patrol at that time and extend my deepest sympathies to the families...

Written Answers — National Emergency Plan: National Emergency Plan (7 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 109, 127 and 152 together. As the Deputy will be aware, specific responsibility for emergency planning functions remains with the relevant lead government department and it is a matter for each department to implement its own structured exercise programme. It is also the responsibility for the lead department organising the exercise to decide who should...

Written Answers — Military Arbitration Schemes: Military Arbitration Schemes (7 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 110 and 153 together. Defence Force Regulations S.7 and its enabling legislation, the Defence Amendment Act, 1990, provide for representative structures for members of the Defence Forces including the Army and Naval Reserves. The question of a Conciliation and Arbitration Scheme for the ranks represented by the Reserve Defence Representative Association...

Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (7 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 111, 120, 293 and 310 together. Ireland is currently contributing 808 Defence Forces personnel to 19 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 attached. The main overseas...

Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (7 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: A contingent of the Permanent Defence Force has been serving with United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) since December 2003, when a motorised infantry battalion of some 430 personnel was first deployed. The Irish contingent operates as the Force Commander's Rapid Reaction Reserve. The role of the Irish personnel is the provision of an immediate response capability, deployable in...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Reserve: Defence Forces Reserve (7 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: The White Paper on Defence outlines the blueprint for a new Reserve Defence Force. An Implementation Plan has been developed that will ensure the realisation of the White Paper vision and this will be rolled out over the period to end 2009. The new Reserve has a clearly defined role, an enhanced relationship with the PDF and better equipment and training. The Reserve has already seen...

Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (7 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: The main overseas missions, in which Defence Forces personnel are deployed, are the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) with 325 personnel, the NATO-led International Security presence (KFOR) in Kosovo with 215 personnel and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) with 165 personnel. In addition, 41 personnel are serving in EUFOR, the EU-led operation in Bosnia and...

Written Answers — Courts Martial: Courts Martial (7 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: The number of Courts Martial, per year, in each of the last 10 years is as follows: Courts-Martial per Year Since 1996 Year Number of Courts-Martial 1997 10 1998 10 1999 13 1 × Joint Trial* 2000 12 2001 8 2002 10 2003 9 2004 13 2005 11 1 × Joint Trial* 2006 Nil Total 96 *Joint Trial: Courts-martial in which two persons were tried. In recent years, there have...