Results 10,401-10,420 of 12,604 for speaker:Willie O'Dea

Written Answers — Prison Security: Prison Security (1 Feb 2007)

Willie O'Dea: An Garda Síochána have the primary responsibility for law and order, including the protection of the internal security of the State. Among the roles assigned to the Defence Forces is the provision of the aid to the civil power (meaning in practice to assist, when requested, an Garda Síochána). Duties include the protection and guarding of vital installations, and the provision of...

Written Answers — Commemorative Events: Commemorative Events (1 Feb 2007)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 40 and 50 together. A commemoration will again be held this Easter Sunday at the GPO to mark the anniversary of the Easter Rising 1916. Following discussions at the All Party Oireachtas Committee it has been decided that the format of this years commemoration will be a military ceremony centred on the GPO with appropriate military honours rendered. There...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (1 Feb 2007)

Willie O'Dea: I previously advised the Deputy that in 2005 expenditure for fuel in relation to the provision of heating and electricity in the various offices of my Department was €315,350.00. In addition a further €16,324,500.00 was spent on energy and fuel by the Defence Forces across 100 sites including 27 permanently occupied Military Barracks. This included expenditure of €8,900,000.00 on fuel...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Recruitment: Defence Forces Recruitment (1 Feb 2007)

Willie O'Dea: The question of the recruitment of foreign nationals to the Defence Forces is not a new one and Defence Force Regulations have always allowed for the recruitment of foreign-nationals to the Defence Forces. Entry to the Permanent Defence Force is either through the Cadetship Competition, Apprenticeship Competition, General Service Enlistment or Direct Entry Competitions which are held to fill...

Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (1 Feb 2007)

Willie O'Dea: On 20 December, 2001, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 1386 authorising the establishment of an International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) for six months to assist the Interim Afghanistan Authority in the maintenance of security in Kabul and the surrounding areas. The authorisation of ISAF has been extended by the UN Security Council since then. NATO assumed the...

Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (1 Feb 2007)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 45, 273 and 280 together. Currently, a total of 830 Defence Forces personnel is serving overseas, full details of which are listed in the attached statement. Ireland has offered, through the UN Standby Arrangements System (UNSAS), to provide up to 850 military personnel, configured as a light infantry mounted battalion, for overseas service at any one time....

Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (1 Feb 2007)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 46 and 47 together. UNIFIL was originally established on 19 March 1978 under United Nations Security Council resolutions 425 and 426, following the invasion of Lebanon by Israel, with a mandate "to confirm the withdrawal of Israeli Forces, to restore international peace and security and to assist the Government of Lebanon in ensuring the return of its...

Written Answers — Ministerial Travel: Ministerial Travel (1 Feb 2007)

Willie O'Dea: During the past year I visited Irish personnel serving with the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) and with the NATO-led International Security presence (KFOR) in Kosovo. During the period 28 February, 2006, to 2 March, 2006, I took the opportunity to visit Liberia where I met with the Irish personnel of 94th Infantry Battalion serving with UNMIL. The primary purpose of my visit was...

Written Answers — Commemorative Events: Commemorative Events (1 Feb 2007)

Willie O'Dea: The Government has approved the preparation of a commemorative programme for the 400th Anniversary of the Flight of the Earls, combined with the 400th Anniversary of the Irish College at Louvain and the 350th Anniversary of the Franciscan scholar Luke Wadding. A commemorative planning group, comprised of officials from several Government Departments, has been established to bring forward a...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Support Services: Defence Forces Support Services (1 Feb 2007)

Willie O'Dea: The Defence Forces run regular pre-retirement courses in advance of retirement for personnel who are due to retire on normal age grounds. The courses are provided within five years of the due retirement date. Permanent Defence Force personnel are briefed about the important life changes that result from reaching retirement age. They receive information about how others have dealt successfully...

Written Answers — Infectious Diseases: Infectious Diseases (1 Feb 2007)

Willie O'Dea: The Inter-Departmental Working Group on Emergency Planning last met on the 18 January 2007. This was the 46th meeting of the Working Group. At that meeting the Department of Agriculture and Food briefed the Working Group of its assessment on the current risk of an avian flu outbreak. The Department's assessment is that the current risk of an avian flu outbreak in Ireland is low. The...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Recruitment: Defence Forces Recruitment (1 Feb 2007)

Willie O'Dea: The numbers of applications received for General Service Enlistment to the Permanent Defence Force in 2004, 2005 and 2006 were 1,943, 1,125 and 2,495 respectively. A total of 579 general service recruits enlisted in the Permanent Defence Force in 2004, 384 enlisted in 2005 and 559 enlisted in 2006. The numbers of applications received for Cadetships in 2004, 2005 and 2006 were 916, 1,004 and...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Ombudsman: Defence Forces Ombudsman (1 Feb 2007)

Willie O'Dea: The Office of the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces was established under the Ombudsman (Defence Forces) Act 2004. On the 19th September 2005, Ms Paulyn Marrinan-Quinn, SC, was appointed by the President, upon the recommendation of the Government, as the first Ombudsman for the Defence Forces. The function of the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces is to act as the ultimate point of appeal for,...

Written Answers — Commemorative Events: Commemorative Events (1 Feb 2007)

Willie O'Dea: It is intended, with the co-operation of Dublin City Council, to erect a "National Memorial to Members of the Defence Forces who died in Service" in Merrion Square in Dublin later this year. A tender competition was undertaken to select an artist to design, construct and install the Memorial. The closing date for receipt of tenders was 30 November 2006 and five short-listed proposals were...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Allowances: Defence Forces Allowances (1 Feb 2007)

Willie O'Dea: The Irish United Nations Veterans Association (IUNVA) was formed in 1990. Membership is available to those who have successfully completed a tour of duty with a UN Force or Organisation. I understand this membership would largely comprise both serving and former members of the Permanent Defence Force, but also includes serving and former members of the Garda Siochána and those who have...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (1 Feb 2007)

Willie O'Dea: 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. The primary objective of Compulsory Random Drugs Testing is deterrence. In order to...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Training: Defence Forces Training (1 Feb 2007)

Willie O'Dea: The military authorities have advised that there are currently 228 commissioned and non-commissioned personnel attending education courses at third level, ranging from Certificate to Masters Degree level. The fees incurred in relation to such courses amounted to €663,188 in 2004 and to €578,130 in 2005. The number of applications received from military personnel for refunds of course...

Written Answers — Commemorative Events: Commemorative Events (1 Feb 2007)

Willie O'Dea: Ireland has participated continuously in United Nations peacekeeping operations since 1958, a service which has comprised more than 55,000 individual tours of duty. The first members of the Defence Forces to deploy with a United Nations peacekeeping mission did so on 28 June, 1958 with the United Nations Observer Group in Lebanon (UNOGIL). A total of fifty (50) officers served with this...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Strength: Defence Forces Strength (1 Feb 2007)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 63, 275 and 277 together. The White Paper on Defence of 2000 provides for a Permanent Defence Force strength of 10,500 comprising 930 for the Air Corps, 1,144 for the Naval Service and 8,426 for the Army. The strength of the Permanent Defence Force as at 31 December, 2006 was 10,479 comprising 865 for the Air Corps, 1,082 for the Naval Service and 8,532 for...

Written Answers — Naval Service Vessels: Naval Service Vessels (1 Feb 2007)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 260, 261, 264, 267 and 268 together. 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...