Results 11,881-11,900 of 12,604 for speaker:Willie O'Dea

Leaders' Questions. (26 Apr 2005)

Willie O'Dea: The mudguard has got it wrong again.

Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (21 Apr 2005)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 12 and 21 to 23, inclusive, together. I have dealt with the question of the possible deployment of Irish personnel to the United Nations mission in the Sudan, UNMIS, in reply to Priority Questions on this matter earlier today. The United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations, UNDPKO, has invited Ireland to contribute a small number of Defence Forces...

Written Answers — Military Archives: Military Archives (21 Apr 2005)

Willie O'Dea: The military authorities advise that at present the strength of the staff in the military archives is five. The military archives are located in Cathal Brugha Barracks, Rathmines, Dublin 6, and are the place of deposit for the records of the Department of Defence, the Defence Forces and the Army Pensions Board under the terms of section 14 of the National Archives Act 1986. The function of...

Written Answers — Bullying in the Workplace: Bullying in the Workplace (21 Apr 2005)

Willie O'Dea: Dr. Eileen Doyle and the external advisory committee presented their report The Challenge of a Workplace in March 2002. This independent report addressed the range of interpersonal issues within the Defence Forces. Its contents and recommendations were accepted in full. Implementation of the recommendations of the report has been one of the highest priorities for the Defence Forces and my...

Written Answers — Air Corps Equipment: Air Corps Equipment (21 Apr 2005)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 15 and 37 together. There are a total of 33 aircraft in service with the Air Corps at present, comprising 14 helicopters and 19 fixed wing aircraft. The type and age of the aircraft is set out in the following tabular statement, which will be circulated in the Official Report. In January 2005, two contracts were signed for the provision of new helicopters for...

Written Answers — Public Transport: Public Transport (21 Apr 2005)

Willie O'Dea: As a measure to incentivise the use of public transport, the travel pass scheme was introduced in the Civil Service on 1 January 2002. To date a number of civil servants in my Department have availed of this scheme. It is the general policy in my Department that, when travelling on official duties, officials should, as far as possible, use public transport when available.

Written Answers — Defence Forces Equipment: Defence Forces Equipment (21 Apr 2005)

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 7,000 NBC suits, 1,500 of which were delivered in 2004. It is planned to purchase...

Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (21 Apr 2005)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 18 and 31 together. The specific provision, within the corpus of Defence legislation, under which members of the Permanent Defence Force can be deployed overseas is contained in section 2 of the Defence Amendment (No. 2) Act 1960. Section 2 of the above Act provides that a contingent of the Permanent Defence Force may be despatched for service outside the...

Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (21 Apr 2005)

Willie O'Dea: The Defence Forces contingent, which was deployed for service with the United Nations mission in Liberia, UNMIL, in December 2003, currently comprises a motorised infantry battalion, of some 410 personnel. A small number of additional personnel have been also deployed at force headquarters and as military observers. Irish personnel are rotated on a six monthly basis. The 92nd infantry...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (21 Apr 2005)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 20, 26 and 32 together. The Government's legislative programme for the current Dáil session which commenced on 12 April 2005, as announced by my colleague, the Government Chief Whip and Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach, Deputy Kitt, lists in section C my intention to seek Government approval to amend Part V (Discipline) of the Defence Act...

Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (21 Apr 2005)

Willie O'Dea: When the Defence Forces are deploying a contingent on an overseas mission and where contingent personnel are drawn from different brigades, they are trained together for a period, in order to improve cohesiveness and understanding among the personnel comprising the contingent. Similarly, from an objective standpoint, it will be important, in order to reach the requisite level of...

Written Answers — Common Foreign and Security Policy: Common Foreign and Security Policy (21 Apr 2005)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 25, 30, 34, 43, 244 to 247, inclusive, 256 and 257 together. The background to the rapid response elements concept, commonly referred to as battle groups, is that at the European Council in Helsinki in 1999 member states set themselves a headline goal that "by the year 2003, cooperating together and voluntarily, they will be able to deploy rapidly and then...

Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (21 Apr 2005)

Willie O'Dea: The Defence Forces participate in two main types of overseas missions, namely, traditional UN-led "Blue Hat" missions and UN authorised missions, where the mission is established under the authority of the UN Security Council or the General Assembly of the UN. UNIFIL in Lebanon and UNMIL in Liberia are examples of such missions. The second type are missions authorised to be established by the...

Written Answers — Humanitarian Relief: Humanitarian Relief (21 Apr 2005)

Willie O'Dea: As soon as the scale of the recent disaster in South East Asia became clear, the Department of Foreign Affairs deployed a high-level technical assessment team, which included a member of the Defence Forces, to examine the situation on the ground and identify what assistance Ireland should offer to the affected region. Arising from its initial assessment, the team advised the Department of...

Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (21 Apr 2005)

Willie O'Dea: The total number of Defence Forces personnel currently serving overseas is 750, of whom 716 are serving on UN-led or UN authorised missions. Full details are as listed in the following statement.

Written Answers — European Council Meetings: European Council Meetings (21 Apr 2005)

Willie O'Dea: Unfortunately, due to illness, I was unable to attend the informal meeting of EU Defence Ministers convened by the Luxembourg Presidency and the Secretary General of my Department attended in my place. As previously reported to the House, these meetings provide a useful forum for Ministers to exchange views on the continued development of the European security and defence policy, ESDP, in...

Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (21 Apr 2005)

Willie O'Dea: Section 85 applies only to members of the Permanent Defence Force employed on a State ship or service aircraft which is travelling outside the territorial seas of the State. State ships or aircraft have not been deployed on service with the United Nations or other international organisations. The specific provision, within the corpus of defence legislation, under which members of the...

Written Answers — International Terrorism: International Terrorism (21 Apr 2005)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 38 and 40 together. The most important defence against any terrorist attacks is detection and prevention by the security forces. While the Garda Síochána has the primary responsibility for law and order, one of 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...

Written Answers — Overseas Missions. : Overseas Missions. (21 Apr 2005)

Willie O'Dea: The central issue here, raised on 1 March 2005 is currently being examined by my officials in order to address the particular difficulty outlined by the Deputy. I understand that in practice cases such as this only arise infrequently. Nevertheless, I feel that we must provide compassionately for these cases administratively on an individual basis in order to avoid the imposition of...

Written Answers — Military Police Investigations. : Military Police Investigations. (21 Apr 2005)

Willie O'Dea: The second Military Police investigation into alleged incidents onboard a Naval Service vessel was concluded on 28 February 2005. The military authorities advise that there was insufficient evidence to provide a basis for further action.