Results 10,841-10,860 of 12,604 for speaker:Willie O'Dea

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: Yes.

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: The effect of this amendment would be to delete the requirement for the Minister to have the annual report on participation by the Defence Forces in UN missions endorsed by Dáil Éireann.

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: This provision was introduced in the 1993 Act by the coalition Government of the time. It is good that the Dáil reviews in some detail and on an annual basis the missions undertaken by the Defence Forces, which for the most part have been approved by the Dáil in accordance with the requirements of the Defence Act. Section 13 states, "Dáil Éireann may by resolution". That is a permissive...

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: It enables the Dáil to debate reports.

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: Senator Ryan's suggestion that we change the terms to ensure a debate takes place is a good one. Perhaps he could ask his colleagues to table an amendment for the Dáil debate.

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: I do not agree with Senator Ryan that the position of the Labour Party is vindicated by the measures I am introducing. We have deployed our troops abroad since 1958 when no legislation governed this issue. Several Governments have done so since, some of which included members of the Labour Party. If it was necessary to do so then, the Labour Party could have changed the law. This Government...

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: I am responding to provocation. Debates in the Seanad tend to be more mature and reflective than in what Senator Brian Hayes refers to as the bearpit, namely, the Dáil. This might encourage Senator Hayes to remain in the Seanad.

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: I thank Senators for their contributions and will consider the suggestions made.

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: I did not realise that and I thank the Senator for bringing it to my attention. Since Ireland began to participate in overseas missions in the 1950s, the general authority to send troops was always assumed. For example, a number of observers were dispatched to the Middle East in 1958. No legislation was in place and they were dispatched on the basis that everybody assumed it was legal to do...

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: The UN receives a request, which is then transmitted to us. If the UN decides to embark on a peacekeeping operation, Ireland is usually contacted and the Government then makes a decision. Before the Government makes a decision, an assessment, as the Senator correctly stated, is carried out. A number of factors determine whether Ireland participates in a mission. For example, the Defence...

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: I thank the Senator for his remarks. The Liberian mission has been very successful. The mission was due to discontinue this month but the Government decided, at the request of the UN Secretary General, to extend it for 12 months. The mission will be gradually scaled down during that time. Since 1993 overseas missions have become riskier because chapter 7 or peace enforcement missions were...

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: There may be some confusion in this regard. If I am correct, Senator Ryan's amendment reads, "in page 4 to delete lines 34 to 46, and in page 5, lines 1 to 4, to delete subsections (2) and (3)". Is this the amendment to which the Senator is speaking?

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: Section 4(2), which the Senator proposes to delete, provides for a saver in respect of personnel who enlisted before the enactment of the Defence (Amendment) Act 1993. The effect of the amendment would be to delete this saver. As stated, the 1993 Act extended the involvement of the Defence Forces in UN-mandated peace support operations to include peace enforcement missions. I refer to chapter...

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: Yes.

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: They can make a request to so do.

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: Yes, they have that right.

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: As personnel deployed abroad are deemed to be on active service, the ombudsman's remit does not cover that scenario.

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: I will communicate on the rationale with the Senator.

Written Answers — Fuel Prices: Fuel Prices (27 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: The effect of increases in fuel costs in the Department of Defence arise in relation to the provision of heating and electricity in the various offices of the Department. Expenditure in 2005 amounted to €315,350 while costs in 2006 are likely to be of the order of €500,000. In addition to the offices of the Department increased fuel costs have also had an impact on the Defence Forces. The...

Written Answers — Equal Opportunities Employment: Equal Opportunities Employment (27 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: The targeted percentage of employment of people with a disability in the Civil Service is 3 per cent. This target can be surpassed and the percentage of people with a disability currently employed in my Department is 3.56 per cent.