Results 10,601-10,620 of 12,604 for speaker:Willie O'Dea

Overseas Missions. (16 Nov 2006)

Willie O'Dea: I note Deputy Costello's comments about the initial investigation and I do not wish to comment one way or another on it. According to information received by me, there have been six large scale searches and a number of more localised searches. The information received by us indicates that there has been no deficiency in the follow-up searches and that the local authorities are doing...

Overseas Missions. (16 Nov 2006)

Willie O'Dea: We are continually in touch with the local authorities and if they want my help, they can ask for it.

Overseas Missions. (16 Nov 2006)

Willie O'Dea: The Minister for Foreign Affairs has offered to meet the family if it so wishes.

Retirement of Army Officer. (16 Nov 2006)

Willie O'Dea: The individual concerned was retired by the President, on the advice of the Government, with effect from a date in June 1969. The retirement was effected pursuant to section 47(2) of the Defence Act 1954 and paragraph 18(1)(f) of Defence Force Regulations A.15, which provide that an officer may be retired "in the interests of the service". The House will appreciate that a decision to retire...

Retirement of Army Officer. (16 Nov 2006)

Willie O'Dea: I do not accept that the High Court decision of 2005 opens the door to another inquiry or in any way indicates that an injustice has been done to Mr. de Róiste. We must remember that two decisions were made, one by the High Court and the other by the Supreme Court, which all witnesses were entitled to attend and where Mr. de Róiste was entitled to present his full case. On the substantive...

Defence Forces Strength. (16 Nov 2006)

Willie O'Dea: The White Paper on Defence was published in February 2000. It provided for a strength of 10,500 for the Permanent Defence Force, PDF, comprised of 930 for the Air Corps, 1,144 for the Naval Service and 8,426 for the Army. At the time of publication the strength of the Permanent Defence Force stood at approximately 11,500. This was reduced to 10,500 by the end of 2001. The White Paper also...

Defence Forces Strength. (16 Nov 2006)

Willie O'Dea: In regard to today's Estimates, I am delighted that for the first time in the history of the State the defence budget has exceeded €1 million. It has always been a small budget compared to the budgets for the Departments of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Education and Science, Health and Children etc. On the matter of the exact terms of that 2001 commitment, my understanding is that the...

Defence Forces Strength. (16 Nov 2006)

Willie O'Dea: The civilian section of the Department of Defence is small in terms of numbers compared to the Army. In 2001 we reduced the strength from 11,500 to 10,500 but as a quid pro quo we invested a great deal of money in equipment, training, facilities etc. We now have a professionally organised and successful Army which is admired all over the world.

Defence Forces Strength. (16 Nov 2006)

Willie O'Dea: I will request the figures for the Deputy.

Overseas Missions. (16 Nov 2006)

Willie O'Dea: As the Deputy is aware, I undertook during Priority Questions on Thursday, 23 February 2006 to ask the military authorities to revisit this matter in light of the questions raised on that date. The Chief of Staff appointed Colonel Tom Behan to examine all aspects of the Niemba ambush. Due to the breadth of this investigation, this process has taken some time. I have now had a chance to...

Overseas Missions. (16 Nov 2006)

Willie O'Dea: I will now concentrate on the conclusions of the report. On 8 November 1960, an 11-man patrol, commanded by Lieutenant Kevin Gleeson was attacked by a large number of Baluba tribesmen while on patrol from their base at Niemba and were quickly overwhelmed. There are two principal areas of controversy in regard to the record of this ambush, both of which concern Trooper Browne and Private...

Overseas Missions. (16 Nov 2006)

Willie O'Dea: The second area of controversy in regard to the record of the Niemba ambush is what did Trooper Browne do to contribute to the survival of Private Kenny. The report clearly concludes that prior to his escape from the ambush site, Trooper Browne fired his weapon at the Balubas who were intent on beating Private Kenny to death, thereby distracting them and saving his life. The Medal Board...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Staff: Defence Forces Staff (14 Nov 2006)

Willie O'Dea: The military authorities have advised that no retired Medical Officer of the Permanent Defence Force has any claim as of right to be engaged to provide medical services to the Defence Forces. When and where a need arises to engage a civilian medical practitioner to provide services to the Defence Forces, the services of a suitable practitioner(s) living in the area of the post in question...

Written Answers — State Property: State Property (14 Nov 2006)

Willie O'Dea: The Sale Contract for transfer of lands, which are the subject of this question, to the relevant Local Authority is being finalised at present. The Office of the Chief State Solicitor, acting on behalf of my Department, is awaiting a response from the Solicitor to the Authority concerned in relation to an outstanding aspect of the Contract conditions. On finalisation of the outstanding...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Operations: Defence Forces Operations (14 Nov 2006)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 516 and 517 together. 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 aid to the civil power (meaning in practice to assist, when requested, an Garda Síochána), which duties include the protection and...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Recruitment: Defence Forces Recruitment (14 Nov 2006)

Willie O'Dea: 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 vacancies in specialist appointments. All applicants for each of these entry streams are required to meet qualifying criteria. The question of the recruitment of foreign-nationals to the Defence Forces is...

Written Answers — State Property: State Property (14 Nov 2006)

Willie O'Dea: Haulbowline Island comprises approximately 84 acres in total and is, in its entirety, vested in the Minister for Finance. The area of the Island formerly under Lease to Irish Ispat, and now under the administration of the Department of the Environment Heritage and Local Government arising from the liquidation of that Company, covers c. 44 acres. My Department administers the balance of the...

Written Answers — State Property: State Property (14 Nov 2006)

Willie O'Dea: The sale of 97 acres approximately at Murphy Barracks, Ballincollig was completed in 2003 for a total of €42 million. The bulk of the lands were purchased by O'Flynn Construction. The sale of a site comprising c. 2.7 acres to the Southern Health Board for €1.73 million was completed in December 2004. 19.218 acres at the former Fitzgerald Camp, Fermoy, were sold to Cork County Council...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Operations: Defence Forces Operations (14 Nov 2006)

Willie O'Dea: The term "Regimental Duties" is no longer used within the Defence Forces and has been replaced by reference to "Security Duties". However, the information requested by the Deputy is not disclosed for operational and security reasons.

Written Answers — Defences Forces Training: Defences Forces Training (14 Nov 2006)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 522 and 524 together. The Army Apprentice School at the former Devoy Barracks Naas was closed in September 1998. There were only 28 apprentices remaining in the School at the time. The annual costs of running the Army Apprentice School were estimated to be about IR£2.85 million in 1998. Therefore, the average cost of training each apprentice had reached a...