Results 11,461-11,480 of 12,604 for speaker:Willie O'Dea

Written Answers — Defence Forces Reserve: Defence Forces Reserve (9 Nov 2005)

Willie O'Dea: On Saturday, 1 October, I formally launched the reorganised reserve at a ceremony in Sarsfields Barracks, Limerick. This reorganisation involves the disestablishment and amalgamation of reserve units throughout the country. The following necessary regulatory changes were signed by myself with an effective date of 1 October 2005: Amendment No. 2 to Defence Force Regulations A.1 — Statutory...

Written Answers — State Property: State Property (9 Nov 2005)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 370 and 371 together. My Department holds two small plots of land on a laneway which was part of the former military barracks in the locality in question. In recent years, there has been unauthorised encroachment upon those plots by another party and my Department is addressing the matter of that encroachment in consultation with the Office of the Chief State...

Written Answers — Service Medals: Service Medals (9 Nov 2005)

Willie O'Dea: The following tables list the medals issued by my Department. Medals Issued for Service before 1924 1916 Medal Service Medal (War of Independence) Commemoration Medals (1966) Anniversary of Easter Rising Commemoration Medals (1967) Anniversary of the War of Independence / Truce Medals Issue for Service after 31 July1924 Emergency Service Medal Good Conduct Medal Service Medal Military Medal...

Written Answers — Public Service Contracts: Public Service Contracts (9 Nov 2005)

Willie O'Dea: My Department has not experienced contracts that over-ran financially as a result of jobs being incorrectly specified.

Leaders' Questions. (9 Nov 2005)

Willie O'Dea: Hands on.

Leaders' Questions. (9 Nov 2005)

Willie O'Dea: You are losing ground.

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (8 Nov 2005)

Willie O'Dea: Both Aer Lingus and the Defence Forces are members of the public sector transfer scheme which provides for the reckoning by each participating organisation of earlier pensionable service with any other member of the transfer scheme. Participation in the scheme is voluntary and Aer Lingus decided to become a member of the scheme with effect from 1 June 1973. As a result, the company is obliged...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (8 Nov 2005)

Willie O'Dea: The information requested by the Deputy is outlined in the following table: 2002 2003 2004 â'¬ â'¬ â'¬ Translation 4,833 6,197 15,945 Training 6,100 4,086 7,868 Advertising 430 2,695 Bilingual Signage — — 1,248 Other — — 11,830 TOTAL 10,933 10,713 39,586

Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (8 Nov 2005)

Willie O'Dea: I undertook during Priority Questions last Thursday, 3 November 2005, that I will have the relevant records in military archives examined to establish the factual position in this regard.

Written Answers — Military Medals: Military Medals (8 Nov 2005)

Willie O'Dea: An Emergency Service Medal was forwarded to the individual's home address on 1 November 2005. A statement of his service in the Defence Forces will be forwarded to the individual later this week.

Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (8 Nov 2005)

Willie O'Dea: There are no current appointees to bodies under the aegis of my Department with a disability.

Written Answers — Official Engagements: Official Engagements (3 Nov 2005)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 12 and 49 together. On 5 October 2005, as Minister for Defence, I addressed the annual delegate conference of the Permanent Defence Force Other Ranks Representative Association, PDFORRA. I sought to make my address relevant, informative and positive and discussed topics of interest to military delegates, their colleagues and to the wider community. Those...

Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (3 Nov 2005)

Willie O'Dea: I have already dealt with the recent changes made in the terms of enlistment of those personnel joining the Permanent Defence Force post-1994 in an earlier question and I would refer the Deputy to that reply. In 2004 PDFORRA submitted a claim under the conciliation and arbitration scheme for a further review of the terms of service applying to personnel enlisting in the Permanent Defence...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Recruitment: Defence Forces Recruitment (3 Nov 2005)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 14, 22 and 31 together. The minimum height requirement for entry to the Permanent Defence Force and the Reserve Defence Force is 162.5 cm, 5 ft. 4 ins, for both men and women. This limit was set in April 2002 based on the professional advice of the Medical Corps and the actual experience of training units. The advice at that time was that, having regard to the...

Written Answers — European Council Meetings: European Council Meetings (3 Nov 2005)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 15, 45 and 61 together. The Deputies will be aware that there is no Defence Ministers Council formation and that meetings of EU Defence Ministers have informal status. Two meetings are normally held during each Presidency, one of which takes place as part of the General Affairs and External Relations Council, GAERC. I attended the Defence Ministers informal...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Retirement Scheme: Defence Forces Retirement Scheme (3 Nov 2005)

Willie O'Dea: The current retirement ages are 54 for captain, 56 for commandant and 58 for lieutenant colonel. Higher ranks have retiring ages ranging from 60 to 63 years of age. As there are no immediate plans to alter these I have not undertaken a detailed study on the cost implication of any change. The 2000 White Paper on Defence and the earlier Defence Force review implementation plan, both in the...

Written Answers — Website Use: Website Use (3 Nov 2005)

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

Written Answers — Defence Forces Medical Services: Defence Forces Medical Services (3 Nov 2005)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 18 and 26 together. The military medical services and their facilities exist primarily to maintain the health of the Defence Forces and to support them in operational and overseas activities. The reorganisation of the Medical Corps, which was effected as part of the Defence Forces review implementation plan in November 1998, redirected the focus of military...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Training: Defence Forces Training (3 Nov 2005)

Willie O'Dea: The Army Apprentice School at the former Devoy Barracks, Naas was closed in September 1998. There were only 28 apprentices in the school at the time. The annual costs of running the Army Apprentice School were estimated at about £2.85 million in 1998. Therefore, the average cost of training each apprentice had reached a level of £100,000 per annum per apprentice. These levels of expenditure...

Written Answers — Military Awards: Military Awards (3 Nov 2005)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 20 and 46 together. Since Ireland took part in its first United Nations Mission in 1958, Defence Forces personnel have performed approximately 54,000 tours of duty on 58 peace support operations worldwide. Because UN peacekeepers operate in strife-torn regions, practically every officer, NCO and private who has served overseas has been exposed to hostile...