Results 10,981-11,000 of 12,604 for speaker:Willie O'Dea
- Written Answers — Defence Forces Recruitment: Defence Forces Recruitment (21 Jun 2006)
Willie O'Dea: I am pleased to say that I have recently received from the military authorities their report on the minimum height standards for Defence Forces personnel. This report was 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 consideration. I will be...
- Written Answers — Defence Forces Recruitment: Defence Forces Recruitment (21 Jun 2006)
Willie O'Dea: The question of the recruitment of ethnic minorities is not a new one, Defence Force Regulations have always allowed for the recruitment of ethnic minorities to the Defence Forces. 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...
- Written Answers — Departmental Properties: Departmental Properties (20 Jun 2006)
Willie O'Dea: I have previously indicated my willingness to make the facilities at St. Bricin's Military Hospital available to the public health service, in the event that the public health service would wish to secure access to these facilities. Representatives from the Health Service Executive (HSE) and the Department of Health and Children visited St. Bricin's Hospital in 2005 to inspect the facilities....
- Written Answers — Departmental Properties: Departmental Properties (20 Jun 2006)
Willie O'Dea: Castlebar Military Barracks is primarily a Reserve Defence Force Facility and provides training facilities, office accommodation and storage facilities for Permanent Defence Force Cadre and Unit personnel of Units stationed in the Barracks. I have no plans to change this position. The accommodation currently available in Castlebar Military Barracks is not of the standard required for the...
- Written Answers — Ombudsman Services: Ombudsman Services (14 Jun 2006)
Willie O'Dea: The office of Ombudsman for the Defence Forces was established as an independent statutory office under the Ombudsman (Defence Forces) Act 2004. The appointment of a person to the office is made by the President, acting upon the recommendation of the Government. The specific parts of the Act relevant to the establishment of the Office of Ombudsman for the Defence Forces were brought into...
- Written Answers — Defence Forces Reserve: Defence Forces Reserve (14 Jun 2006)
Willie O'Dea: With effect from the 1st October 2005, in the context of the reorganisation of the Reserve Defence Force under the RDF Review Implementation Plan, revised arrangements for the payment of motor travel allowances to Reserve officers for the use of their own motor cars in the course of official duties were introduced. It was subsequently discovered that a substantial number of the claims...
- Written Answers — Army Compensation Claims: Army Compensation Claims (13 Jun 2006)
Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 411 and 412 together. The information requested is being compiled and will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.
- Written Answers — Ministerial Responsibilities: Ministerial Responsibilities (13 Jun 2006)
Willie O'Dea: Since the last general election, no specific function has been delegated to the Minister of State at my Department, Mr. Tom Kitt, T.D., who is also Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach. I do, however, request his assistance in the execution of certain duties, on an ongoing basis. Minister Kitt has deputised for me at official events on a number of occasions when I have been...
- Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (2 Jun 2006)
Willie O'Dea: Buffoon.
- Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (2 Jun 2006)
Willie O'Dea: Is that Fine Gael policy?
- Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (2 Jun 2006)
Willie O'Dea: It is a separate offence.
- Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (2 Jun 2006)
Willie O'Dea: I want to dispel the myth that has arisen since the Supreme Court decision was handed down that the Government knew something and, if it did not know, it should have known, and if it knew what it should have known, it could have done something about it. That is a sham and Deputies on all sides of the House are cognisant of that. What could the Government have known? What should it have...
- Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (2 Jun 2006)
Willie O'Dea: We would need ten Ministers for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, ten Attorneys General and approximately ten times the staff. That staff would need to be doing nothing else from dawn to dusk. It is extraordinary nonsense.
- Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (2 Jun 2006)
Willie O'Dea: Every week, one or two of the items coming before the Cabinet is a memorandum of a case being put before the European court by an interest which might have an impact on the Irish economy, jobs or human rights. The Cabinet must decide whether to join the case. Many times we decide to join the case but we do not get the Civil Service to assume the case will go against us.
- Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (2 Jun 2006)
Willie O'Dea: It is the same. The way every Government in the history of the State has dealt with a constitutional challenge is to fight it up to and including the Supreme Court. When the Supreme Court makes its decision, that is dealt with.
- Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (2 Jun 2006)
Willie O'Dea: My Government has dealt with it that way and the Deputy's Government would have done the same. It was dealt with under the 1922 and 1937 Constitutions. There has been a suggestion that the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform should resign as a result of this. The greatest example of hypocrisy I have seen in 25 years in this House occurred on the Opposition side on Wednesday. Deputy...
- Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (2 Jun 2006)
Willie O'Dea: As a result, these people walked free. We are being asked to accept by Deputy Rabbitteââ
- Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (2 Jun 2006)
Willie O'Dea: They are no more or less morally culpableââ
- Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (2 Jun 2006)
Willie O'Dea: Deputy Rabbitte expects us to accept the proposition that it was okay for the then Minister for Justice to continue in office when she had received correspondence to the effect that the criminal court designed to try terrorists in this country was improperly constituted for several weeks. He asks us to accept that this was all right and that she was not expected to know that little matter. He...
- Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (2 Jun 2006)
Willie O'Dea: There is a campaign in this country which is now becoming more blatant. The Opposition is arguing that the people deserve better standards of honesty and integrity. If the people of this country are waiting for standards of honesty and integrityââ