Results 10,681-10,700 of 12,604 for speaker:Willie O'Dea

Written Answers — Defence Forces Strength: Defence Forces Strength (12 Oct 2006)

Willie O'Dea: A total of 31 enlisted personnel have been commissioned from the ranks in the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service since 1997. The revised cadetship competition is now seen as the primary means of commissioning from the ranks. The cadetship competition has been revised to increase the maximum entry age to 28 and to award bonus marks to candidates with previous experience in the Permanent Defence...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Veterans: Defence Forces Veterans (12 Oct 2006)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 32 and 48 together. I can advise the Deputies that in recognition of the valuable work of the Irish United Nations Veterans Association (IUNVA) and to mark almost 50 years of Defence Forces involvement in international peacekeeping with the United Nations, I was yesterday pleased to mark this important contribution by supporting the work of IUNVA in the form...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Investigations: Defence Forces Investigations (12 Oct 2006)

Willie O'Dea: The case to which the Deputy refers relates to the killing of Private Thomas Barrett and Private Derek Smallhorne while serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in 1980. The question of the measures open to the Irish Authorities to bring the alleged perpetrator of this crime to justice has been examined in detail in the Department of Defence in conjunction with the...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Strength: Defence Forces Strength (12 Oct 2006)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 34, 36, 53, 54, 60, 174, 176 and 180 together. The strength of the Permanent Defence Force on 31 August 2006, the latest date for which detailed figures are available, as advised by the military authorities is 10,382. A detailed breakdown of the numbers in the Army, Naval Service and Air Corps by rank and gender are in the form of a Tabular Statement which I...

Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (12 Oct 2006)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 35, 37 and 179 together. The United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) was established on 19 September, 2003, under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1509. The resolution authorized the deployment, under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, for a period of twelve months, of up to 15,000 military personnel, to include up to 250 military observers, 875...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Operations: Defence Forces Operations (12 Oct 2006)

Willie O'Dea: The 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 guarding of vital installations, the provision of certain...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Property: Defence Forces Property (12 Oct 2006)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 40 and 42 together. The Government decided on 1 July 2003 that lands at Gormanston, Co. Meath would be among the State lands released for inclusion in the Sustaining Progress Affordable Housing Initiative. How land at this location might play a role in the delivery of affordable housing units is a matter in the first instance for the Department of the...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (12 Oct 2006)

Willie O'Dea: Gross expenditure incurred by my Department for the first half of 2006 (i.e. to end-June) amounted to €337.180m under the Defence Vote and €85.988m under the Army Pensions Vote. Appropriations in aid under these Votes amounted to €12.562m and €2.564m, respectively. The expenditure figures represent 43% and 49%, respectively, of the relevant Estimates provisions.

Written Answers — Drug Abuse: Drug Abuse (12 Oct 2006)

Willie O'Dea: The military authorities advise that the number of personnel who tested "positive" under the Compulsory Random Drug Test programme in the Defence Forces in the years 2004 and 2005 was four and seven respectively. The four members who tested "positive" in 2004 were discharged and six of the seven who tested positive in 2005 have been discharged. The proposed discharge of one of the members who...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (12 Oct 2006)

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. The number of staff to be relocated to Newbridge is 200. A total of 338 personnel, of which 60 are from within the Department, have opted to move to...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Property: Defence Forces Property (12 Oct 2006)

Willie O'Dea: My Department and the Defence Forces are involved in an ongoing investment programme of refurbishment and new builds to meet Defence Force infrastructure requirements. Since January 2000 the following projects have been undertaken in the Naval Base: Refurbishment of Central Supply Unit Building New Naval Technical Stores Renovation of Old Married Quarters Upgrade of Accommodation Blocks...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Equipment: Defence Forces Equipment (12 Oct 2006)

Willie O'Dea: There are a total of 30 aircraft in service with the Air Corps at present, comprising 11 helicopters and 19 fixed wing aircraft. The type and age of the aircraft is set out in the attached tabular statement, which will be circulated with the Official Report. In addition to the aircraft listed on the schedule, four utility AW 139 helicopters are being acquired from Agusta S.p.A. at a cost of...

Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (12 Oct 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 a senior officer to examine all aspects of the Niemba ambush in the Congo in November 1960. Due to the breadth of this investigation, this process has taken some time. I...

Written Answers — Overseas Development Aid: Overseas Development Aid (12 Oct 2006)

Willie O'Dea: The Government's recently published White Paper on Irish Aid provides for the establishment of a Volunteer Corps Unit within the Department of Foreign Affairs to harness the strong volunteer spirit, which exists across the country in support of overseas development activities. I am informed by my colleague, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Dermot Ahern that his Department is to open...

Written Answers — Military Archives: Military Archives (12 Oct 2006)

Willie O'Dea: The military authorities advise that at present the staff strength of the Military Archives is three (3), comprising two (2) commissioned officers and one (1) Private. The military authorities advise me that a strength of five (5), including suitably qualified replacements for two (2) officers who have retired and who previously also worked in the Archives, is sufficient to meet the current...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Reserve: Defence Forces Reserve (12 Oct 2006)

Willie O'Dea: The White Paper on Defence outlines the blue print 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 will have a clearly defined role, an enhanced relationship with the PDF, better equipment and training and opportunities to serve on...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Remuneration: Defence Forces Remuneration (12 Oct 2006)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 169 and 170 together. At the outset, I should explain that the Office of the Paymaster General, Department of Finance, is responsible, upon the receipt from my Department of the pension rate in each particular case, for the payment of pensions to retired employees, including retired civilian employees. Every effort is made to ensure that pension rates for...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Personnel: Defence Forces Personnel (12 Oct 2006)

Willie O'Dea: The military authorities advise that the number of military personnel promoted to date in 2006 and the number of promotions anticipated or pending for the remainder of 2006 are as shown in the table. Service Rank Number promoted to date 2006 Promotions pending/anticipated remainder of 2006 ARMY Col to Brig Gen 1 1 Lt Col to Col 5 1 Comdt to Lt Col 13 2 Capt to Acting Comdt 14 8 Lt...

Written Answers — Military Escorts: Military Escorts (12 Oct 2006)

Willie O'Dea: I had a number of discussions with the Irish Bankers Federation (IBF) in relation to this matter last year, with a view to increasing the level of contribution by the Banks in respect of the costs incurred by the Department in the provision of Cash Escorts. Following detailed and intensive discussions between officials of the IBF, the member Banks and the Department, a detailed formal...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Equipment: Defence Forces Equipment (12 Oct 2006)

Willie O'Dea: The acquisition of new equipment for the Defence Forces continues to be a key focus for me as Minister for Defence. I am aware that significant investment has taken place in recent years and I will continue the good work in that regard. The unprecedented level of expenditure on equipment for the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service was made possible by the Government's decision that pay savings...