Results 10,281-10,300 of 12,604 for speaker:Willie O'Dea

Fiscal Policy. (7 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: The practice I have adopted is that the general officers visit the troops serving in the various missions during St. Patrick's week. So as not to coincide, I try to visit one of the missions as near as possible to that week. Last year we travelled to Liberia and this year to Lebanon. The troops seem to appreciate us doing it this way. As far as the St. Patrick's Day celebrations are...

Fiscal Policy. (7 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: I will visit troops at Sarsfield Barracks in Limerick and may be able to arrange visits beyond this, if time allows.

Overseas Missions. (7 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: I visited Lebanon during the period 27 February to 1 March. During the visit I met the Lebanese Minister for Defence, Elias Murr. Among the issues we discussed was the killing of Privates Thomas Barrett and Derek Smallhorne while serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, in 1980 and the efforts to bring the alleged perpetrator of this crime to justice. The measures...

Overseas Missions. (7 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: Regarding the attitude of the Lebanese authorities, I raised the matter with the relevant Minister in Lebanon, namely, the Minister for Defence who is also the Deputy Prime Minister. I put it to him that there was a possibility that the individual concerned may be denaturalised by the US authorities which must go to court to do so. If he were denaturalised, he would no longer retain his US...

Overseas Missions. (7 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: I recognise that 27 years is a very long time but we should bear some issues in mind. This gentleman has not been openly identified for the past 27 years, as the identification was more recent. We have researched every aspect of our law and held the most extensive discussions to see if we could do anything as a country to seek his extradition and put him on trial here. We have been advised...

Defence Forces Equipment. (7 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: As Minister for Defence, I have no responsibility for the transport of military material by plane, other than that transported by or on behalf of the Defence Forces. Weapons and ammunition for the Defence Forces, which may be intended for transportation by plane, are stored in dedicated armouries at Casement Aerodrome. These are separate to stores used for other materials and are secured by...

Defence Forces Equipment. (7 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: The answer to the Deputy's first question is "no". Our only responsibility relates to Army material transported by the Army or on behalf of the Army by civil aircraft. That is where our responsibility ends. The responsibility for the matters referred to by the Deputy lies with the Department of Transport. However, we have a responsibility in the event of an emergency. As Minister for...

Defence Forces Equipment. (7 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: The emergency planning task force, of which I am chairman, is never completely happy with contingency arrangements. It is for this reason that exercises are conducted and the task force meets regularly. In light of experience and new methods of terrorism, we are improving plans consistently. A number of simulated exercises at Dublin Airport and Shannon Airport were audited by the relevant...

Permanent Defence Force. (7 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: The article to which the Deputy refers is the report of an interview with the Defence Forces' Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Jim Sreenan, that appeared in The Irish Times on Wednesday, 27 December 2006. The interview was wide-ranging and the Chief of Staff gave his views on a number of current matters of interest to the Defence Forces, including their preparation for Ireland's...

Permanent Defence Force. (7 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: I had no difficulty with the interview per se. The Deputy probably knows better than I that the Chief of Staff has a distinguished record and I would be sorry if any shadow was cast over it by the actions of someone who leaked a letter sent by me to the Chief of Staff. There is a steady stream of correspondence between a Minister for Defence and a Chief of Staff. As in any democracy, Army...

Permanent Defence Force. (7 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: I have no idea about how this occurred. Once one writes a letter to the Chief of Staff and asks him to circulate it, it becomes difficult to follow the trail. I do not vet the statements of Army officers in advance and I have no desire to do so. Occasionally, I take the opportunity to remind officers of their obligations, namely, that the Army is neutral. It has maintained a tradition of...

Permanent Defence Force. (7 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: There is a steady stream of correspondence between a Minister for Defence and the Chief of Staff. While I address many matters therein, I have had occasion to remind people of their responsibilities, which has been the practice of every holder of this portfolio since the foundation of the State.

Overseas Missions. (7 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: The Niemba ambush occurred almost 46 years ago. It was the first such action involving the horrific deaths of Defence Forces personnel on a scale that remains unique. It has never been far from the public consciousness and I would like to publicly acknowledge the sacrifice made by all of the patrol's members and to extend my deepest sympathies to the families of those who died. I will not...

Overseas Missions. (7 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: I thank Deputy Gregory for his kind remarks. I came to this issue with an open mind. Several of my predecessors in office had been asked about it and took the advice of the Army that the matter was closed. I reopened it. We had a full inquiry, as a result of which certain conclusions have been reached, which were not arrived at previously. I take the Deputy's point about Private Kenny...

National Emergency Plan. (7 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that significant progress has been made in the establishment of a national emergency co-ordination centre. The centre is located in Agriculture House, Kildare Street. The building work is now complete and the centre will be furnished and ready to open within the next two to three weeks. The technical and communications needs of the centre are being...

National Emergency Plan. (7 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: The Deputy is right in saying it is not a bunker. There are no physical protection measures in place such as one might see in an underground bunker. The decision was made by the Government following a recommendation made in the environmental resources management consultancy report. To the best of my knowledge, the group concerned reported to the Government in 2003. In 2005 the Government...

National Emergency Plan. (7 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: The centre will be run by the Office of Emergency Planning located within the Department of Defence. My understanding is that a few people will be located there on a permanent basis. In the event of an emergency we will immediately contact all those involved in the emergency task force and get them into position as quickly as possible in order that they may respond. That is how it will...

National Emergency Plan. (7 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: My apologies to the Deputy. We discussed the matter at the emergency task force meeting. I hope to have another meeting of the task force shortly at which we shall receive a specific report on the incident.

National Emergency Plan. (7 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: I agree with my colleague, Deputy Mulcahy, that there is a need to increase public awareness of the existence of the co-ordination centre and the emergency planning task force. This country is as ready as it can be to deal with any emergency that may occur, including a nuclear accident or terrorist attack. The Department intends to launch a public information campaign involving television...

National Emergency Plan. (7 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: An essential aspect of the campaign will involve informing the public about the location, existence and function of the national co-ordination centre. I am interested in Deputy Mulcahy's suggestion that Members of the Oireachtas should be invited to the centre to see it for themselves. I will talk to the appropriate people about that suggestion, which is a good one.