Results 10,921-10,940 of 12,604 for speaker:Willie O'Dea

Hearing Impairment Claims. (22 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: To answer the Deputy's first question, our Department provided for medical expenses, including audiologists' reports etc. but——

Hearing Impairment Claims. (22 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: Yes but, generally speaking, in a case like that it would only provide for one medical witness or one audiologist's report. In some cases more than one had to be procured to establish the case. That is the difference between party and party costs and solicitor and client costs. Regarding the 1994 Act, I have checked the Act and, unfortunately, whether by oversight or whatever, it does contain...

Overseas Missions. (22 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: The United Nations Security Council Resolution 1671 of 25 April 2006 authorised the EU to deploy a European Union Force, codenamed EUFOR RD Congo, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC, in support of MONUC during the electoral period in the Democratic Republic of Congo for a period ending four months after the date of the first round of the presidential and parliamentary elections there....

Overseas Missions. (22 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: As I indicated to Deputy Costello in reply to an earlier question, the Attorney General's advice was given at a time before I came into the Department, because this matter had happened before that. Nevertheless, I have to accept the advice of the Attorney General. The Government acts on the advice of the Attorney General whenever troops are being deployed abroad. When we are deploying troops...

Overseas Missions. (22 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: Not really, because the legislation covers other matters as well.

Overseas Missions. (22 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: The legislation has to cover other matters as well. I should be glad to debate the legislation with Deputy Gormley at any time.

Overseas Missions. (22 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: I am acting on the Attorney General's advice, which is that we are within the terms of the legislation. If Deputy Costello has a different opinion, he is entitled to it, but the person who advises me, as the Minister for Defence, is the Attorney General.

Defence Forces Awards. (22 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: I take this opportunity to once again acknowledge the supreme sacrifice of the Air Corps personnel who so tragically lost their lives in the Tramore helicopter crash and to extend my renewed sympathy to their families, friends and also their colleagues in the Air Corps. We all recognise and appreciate the nature of the tragic loss occasioned by their deaths. I also fully understand that the...

Defence Forces Awards. (22 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: Deputy Ó Snodaigh makes a very valid point as regards the time. The four-year period should not include the time during which an inquiry is taking place. I shall certainly examine that. It is even more relevant as regards the other type of medal, for gallantry, because there is only a two-year timespan there. As the Deputy has rightly said, these inquiries can take a long time. That is a...

Defence Forces Awards. (22 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: As regards Deputy Timmins's first question, I understand that all the civil matters have not been settled, awards of damages etc. As regards the search and rescue service, we have discussed this matter in the House previously. The reason the search and rescue service was replaced in the only place where it remained, the north west, was because it could not guarantee a 24-hour service. My...

Defence Forces Awards. (22 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: In any legislation with a time limit, the reason given for it will be to bring finality to a situation. In cases where people have died, the Deputy may well have a point. I will give some thought to it.

Overseas Missions. (22 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 8, 10, 11, 21, 25, 33, 35, 41, 49, 54, 59, 60, 66 and 70 together. Discussions with like-minded states have begun regarding battle groups. A delegation consisting of representatives from the Department of Defence, the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Defence Forces met our Swedish counterparts in Stockholm on 9 and 10 March to discuss possible...

Overseas Missions. (22 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: No.

Overseas Missions. (22 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: I am caught between several stools. I will do my best to resolve these fundamental differences——

Overseas Missions. (22 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: ——between different components of a potential future government.

Overseas Missions. (22 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: There is no need to be offensive. The Deputy should keep it at a reasonable level.

Overseas Missions. (22 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: I do not agree with Deputy Timmins's final point. We will have to agree to disagree. With regard to his technical questions on training, the troops will not be trained here. If we join the Nordic battle group, we will not be training in the UK. The training usually takes place in the framework state, which for the Nordic battle group is Sweden. It is 99.9% probable that the training will take...

Overseas Missions. (22 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: All this is germane to a Bill we will debate next week and the week after. With regard to what Deputy Gormley said, I do not have any say over the time allocated for the taking of this Bill. I am simply told the Bill will be debated in the Seanad and in the Dáil at a certain time. If Deputy Gormley is on this side of the House after the next election, he will find that is the position. The...

Overseas Missions. (22 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: I did.

Overseas Missions. (22 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: I asked that it be dealt with before to the recess but I did not allocate the specific time for taking it.