Results 10,861-10,880 of 12,604 for speaker:Willie O'Dea

Written Answers — Ministerial Responsibilities: Ministerial Responsibilities (27 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: The Minister for State at the Department of Defence Mr. Tom Kitt, T.D., who is also the Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach does not have a specific delegated function. No Regulations in relation to Defence matters have been enacted by him since his appointment.

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (27 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: I thank all the Senators who spoke for their constructive contributions to the debate and the interest they have taken in the Bill. I look forward to a similarly constructive debate in the other House. I thank Senators also for their kind remarks regarding the work our Defence Forces undertake overseas. Wherever they are, our troops serve with professionalism, dedication, courage and...

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (27 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: Yes.

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (27 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: No, I am not.

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (27 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: Senator Leyden suggested that we have some mechanism for informing this House.

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (27 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: Senator Quinn asked why foreign troops cannot train here. The advice of the Attorney General is that this is precluded by Article 15 of the Constitution, which prohibits the raising of foreign armies and any other type of activities on Irish soil. That constitutional article was drafted for an entirely different reason, but it has this unintended consequence, now. Ultimately, it will not...

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (27 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: I thank the Members for agreeing to debate this Bill at short notice. It is a short Bill, designed to amend and update the defence Acts regarding the despatch of members of the Permanent Defence Force on overseas duties. The despatch of members of the Defence Forces overseas is a concrete expression of Ireland's foreign policy objectives and, in particular, our support for the UN and for...

Written Answers — National Emergency Plan: National Emergency Plan (22 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: My colleague, Mr. Dick Roche, T.D., Minister for Environment, Heritage and Local Government has responsibility for the National Emergency Plan for Nuclear Accidents and he has informed me that the Irish Government has in place the National Emergency Plan for Nuclear Accidents. The Plan was first drawn up and published in 1992 and the most recent revision took place in December 2005. This Plan...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Property: Defence Forces Property (22 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 13 and 205 together. The Government agreed on 16 December 2003 to the release of circa 2.5 acres at St. Bricin's Military Hospital, Dublin for inclusion in the Sustaining Progress Affordable Housing Initiative. The primary purpose of the Initiative is to maximize the early delivery of affordable housing units. The site is being transferred to Dublin City...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Property: Defence Forces Property (22 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: Bere Island, Co. Cork, was among the Coastal Defence Properties handed over to Irish administration in 1938. At that time, approximately 800 acres was taken over by my Department. However, since the 1960's, the State has sold a considerable area of land and my Department currently administers approximately 176 acres on the island. The property is vested in the Minister for Finance.

Written Answers — Military Medals: Military Medals (22 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: As I indicated in the course of my reply to the Adjournment debate in the Seanad on the 17th May 2006, my Department receives requests from time to time for the replacement of lost, stolen or destroyed medals awarded to Veterans of the 1916 Rising and the War of Independence. It has been settled Departmental policy for many years that replacement medals were issued on a once only basis on...

Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (22 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 16, 22, 40 and 47 together. Ireland is currently contributing 678 Defence Forces personnel to 19 different missions throughout the world. Full details of all personnel currently serving overseas are listed in the tabular statement. The main commitments are to the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), with 333 personnel, to the NATO-led International...

Written Answers — National Emergency Plan: National Emergency Plan (22 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: The Inter-Departmental Working Group on Emergency Planning plays a key role in supporting the work of the Government Task Force on Emergency Planning. This Working Group comprises officials representing Government Departments and Public Authorities with lead or principal support roles in Government Emergency Plans. The Inter-Departmental Working Group is chaired by the Office of Emergency...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Recruitment: Defence Forces Recruitment (22 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 18 and 69 together. I am pleased to say that I have recently received the military authorities report on the minimum height standards for Defence Force personnel prepared in the context of encouraging more women to apply to join the Defence Forces. The report deals comprehensively with the complex issues relating to this matter and as such requires careful...

Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (22 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 19 and 24 together. A computer and security card, which were the subject of a recent article in the print media, were stolen from a member of the Permanent Defence Force, who was serving with the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) monitoring mission in Georgia in April 2004. The computer was taken from the officer's apartment together...

Written Answers — National Emergency Plan: National Emergency Plan (22 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: The Government Task Force on Emergency Planning meets on a regular basis. The last such meeting was held on Wednesday 31st May 2006. This was the 47th meeting since the Task Force was established in 2001. I chair these meetings. The membership of the Task Force includes Ministers, Senior Officials of Government Departments, Senior Officers of the Defence Forces and An Garda Síochána, and...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Property: Defence Forces Property (22 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: Representatives from the Department of Health and Children and the Health Service Executive made a number of visits to St. Bricin's Military Hospital in 2005 to review the facilities and to consider the feasibility of the hospital being utilised for public health purposes. Following detailed consideration, the view was that St. Bricin's was not suitable for use as an acute or sub-acute...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Equipment: Defence Forces Equipment (22 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: Defence Forces personnel serving on all overseas missions are equipped with the most modern and effective equipment. This equipment enables troops to carry out the mission assigned, as well as providing the required protection specific to the mission. Currently there is a total of 184 vehicles in use by Defence Forces on overseas missions, details of which are listed on the tabular statement....

Written Answers — Air Corps Equipment: Air Corps Equipment (22 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: The Air Corps is the air component of the Defence Forces and as such its military roles and functions are those of an Army Air Corps rather than a conventional military air service. The Air Corps has traditionally discharged a mix of functions based on the need to supply a range of different services. Over the years a generally favourable security climate resulted in the need for a very...

Written Answers — Reserve Defence Force: Reserve Defence Force (22 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: The Reserve Defence Force's most important contribution, as outlined in the White Paper on Defence, is to support the Permanent Defence Force in its contingency defence roles in an emergency situation. In peacetime, the main function of the RDF centres on training and preparing for these contingency roles. The Reserve Defence Force Review Implementation Plan, which was formally launched in...