Results 11,161-11,180 of 12,604 for speaker:Willie O'Dea

Written Answers — EU Ministerial Meetings: EU Ministerial Meetings (28 Mar 2006)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 78 and 101 together. An Informal meeting of EU Defence Ministers was held in Innsbruck, Austria, on 6 March 2006. At the meeting, Ministers discussed civil-military co-ordination, CMCO, which was an initiative begun under the UK Presidency to improve the management of operations involving EU civil and military elements in a manner which would support greater...

Written Answers — Hearing Impairment: Hearing Impairment (28 Mar 2006)

Willie O'Dea: No recruits of the Army, the Air Corps or the Naval Service have been discharged from the Defence Forces on the grounds of hearing difficulties from 2000 to the present date.

Written Answers — Military Archives: Military Archives (28 Mar 2006)

Willie O'Dea: The military authorities advise that at present the staff strength of the military archives is three, comprising a commissioned officer, a non-commissioned officer and a private. Approval has been granted to source two additional officers. One such graduate officer has been identified and it is planned to have this individual undergo postgraduate archival studies in UCD in September 2006. The...

Written Answers — Website Use: Website Use (28 Mar 2006)

Willie O'Dea: The presence on this website of a range of items for sale bearing the title "Óglaigh na hÉireann" came to the attention of my Department and the Defence Forces late last year. Section 16 of the Defence Acts 1954 to 1998 provides that: "It shall be lawful for the Government to raise train, equip, arm and maintain Defence Forces to be called and known as Óglaigh na hÉireann or (in English)...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Equipment: Defence Forces Equipment (28 Mar 2006)

Willie O'Dea: The Defence Forces have available to them equipment for monitoring and protecting their members in dealing with nuclear, biological or chemical, NBC, threats identified from time to time. They hold an extensive range of modern NBC equipment that meets their current requirements. This range includes approximately 9,500 NBC suits, of which 800 were delivered in January 2006. The suits are...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Travel: Defence Forces Travel (28 Mar 2006)

Willie O'Dea: It is customary for all contingents on United Nations service to host functions to mark their national day. Defence Forces personnel, when serving overseas have traditionally celebrated St. Patrick's Day as Ireland's national day. This year a small number of officers and pipers visited Defence Force missions in Liberia, Damascus, Brussels and Sarajevo and participated in St. Patrick's Day...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Property: Defence Forces Property (28 Mar 2006)

Willie O'Dea: Copies of an explanatory leaflet, which contains a map of the Glen of Imaal and includes details of "dos and don'ts" are available at the range warden service advice centre at Seskin school and are distributed locally. Notices of intent to fire are posted in advance on notice boards at the Army information and advice centre in Seskin, the post office at Knockanarrigan and at local youth...

Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (28 Mar 2006)

Willie O'Dea: There are currently 16 fitter mechanics serving with the 94th infantry battalion in the United Nations Mission in Liberia, UNMIL, of whom ten are apprentice mechanics. Fitter mechanics undergo a four-year apprenticeship involving seven phases. On-the-job experience is gained in the third, fifth and seventh phases of the course. Apprentices can volunteer to avail of on-the-job experience on...

Written Answers — Security Escorts: Security Escorts (28 Mar 2006)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 99 and 515 together. An annual contribution of €2.86 million has been paid by the banks to my Department in respect of the provision of cash escorts since 1995. This figure was set by the Department of Finance in the 1995 budget and had not been altered since. The contribution from the banks was designed to part-cover the total costs to the State of...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Investigations: Defence Forces Investigations (28 Mar 2006)

Willie O'Dea: The position is that legal advice has been sought by my Department as to the performance of the specialist medical recruitment agency engaged to provide suitably qualified doctors for service with the Irish contingent of the United Nations Mission in Liberia. This advice is still awaited. As the first priority was the welfare of the troops who were attended to by Dr. Lieberthal, the director...

Written Answers — National Emergency Plan: National Emergency Plan (28 Mar 2006)

Willie O'Dea: The response to the recent riots in Dublin were discussed in detail in the House on 28 February 2006 during the debate on public order offences, which included detailed statements by my colleague, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. The Government task force on emergency planning last met on 9 March 2006. This was a specifically convened meeting of the task force for the sole...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Investigations: Defence Forces Investigations (28 Mar 2006)

Willie O'Dea: The military authorities advise that the military police investigation is still ongoing into the alleged larceny of diesel oil from military vehicles in Donegal. It would be inappropriate to comment on the details of the investigation but it can be confirmed that a member of the Defence Forces has been interviewed in the course of the investigation. As the investigation is continuing and...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Deployment: Defence Forces Deployment (28 Mar 2006)

Willie O'Dea: The Garda Síochána has 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, the Garda Síochána, which duties include the protection and guarding of vital installations, the provision of certain...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (28 Mar 2006)

Willie O'Dea: The Government's legislative programme for the current Dáil session, which commenced on 25 January 2006, as announced by my colleague, Deputy Kitt, Chief Whip and Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach, lists in section A my intention to publish a Bill amending Part V, discipline, of the Defence Act 1954, as amended, and certain other provisions of the Act. Since its enactment...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Property: Defence Forces Property (28 Mar 2006)

Willie O'Dea: My Department currently holds the house and lands at the location in question, comprising an area of 4.83 acres in all, under lease. Over the years the Department has received approaches regarding the disposal of its interest in the property. It is not the practice to divulge the identity of such interested parties. The Department's property portfolio is kept under continual review and any...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Strength: Defence Forces Strength (28 Mar 2006)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 112 and 123 together. The White Paper on Defence of February 2000 sets out a figure of 10,500 personnel for the Permanent Defence Force, comprising 930 for the Air Corps, 1,144 for the Naval Service and 8,426 for the Army. It is my intention to maintain the established Government policy of ongoing recruitment to the Defence Forces. Recruitment into the...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (28 Mar 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 my Department's Dublin based Civil Service staff to Newbridge, County Kildare. The number of staff to be relocated to Newbridge is 200. While the Office of Public Works has identified a suitable site in Newbridge for the Department's new...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Equipment: Defence Forces Equipment (28 Mar 2006)

Willie O'Dea: A tender competition was initiated in 2005 to replace the existing FN 9mm Browning automatic pistol within the Defence Forces. The requirement is for up to 1,400 new pistols. The tender competition is still in train but it is likely that a contract for the acquisition of the pistols will be placed in the near future. It is expected that the new pistols will be delivered by the end of this...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Investigations: Defence Forces Investigations (28 Mar 2006)

Willie O'Dea: On Question Time on 23 February 2006, I undertook to ask the military authorities to revisit this matter in light of the questions raised on that date. The Chief of Staff has appointed a senior officer to examine all aspects of the Niemba ambush in the Congo in November 1960. The senior officer will also examine all records in military archives, interview former Army Privates Kenny and...

Written Answers — Army Barracks: Army Barracks (28 Mar 2006)

Willie O'Dea: There are no plans for the sale of Cathal Brugha Barracks, Dublin. The Deputy will be aware that the Government, on 15 July 1998, approved a programme of evacuation and sale of six barracks considered surplus to military requirements. The barracks in question were located at Ballincollig, Fermoy, Castleblayney, Naas, Kildare and Islandbridge, Dublin. The sale of approximately 97 acres at...