Results 2,321-2,340 of 12,630 for speaker:Willie O'Dea

Defence Forces Strength. (7 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: I accept the Deputy's point but it is not just a question of cost. Similar arguments are often made with regard to experienced members of the detective branch of the Garda Síochána. When an officer reaches a certain age, he or she knows where to look when a crime is committed. Nevertheless, such officers must retire at that age and their expertise is lost. There are certain upper...

Defence Forces Strength. (7 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: I will look into whether it can be done and will talk to the relevant people.

Defence Forces Strength. (7 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: The current number is based on the White Paper. We decided to reduce the numbers in the Army by approximately 1,000 and to put the savings made into better training and equipment, which we have done. It was envisaged that the situation would continue for the duration of the White Paper until the end of 2009 and there are no plans to change the maximum strength of the Army until that point.

Defence Forces Strength. (7 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: People from different backgrounds can join the Army — one does not have to be an Irish citizen.

Defence Forces Strength. (7 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: At the moment that is the case. However, some changes have recently been made to the cadet competition which will open the door to refugees, nationals of EEA states and nationals of any other state who have been lawfully present in Ireland for five years, among others. If somebody who is not an Irish citizen applies to become a cadet it requires special clearance from the Minister but,...

Written Answers — Common Foreign and Security Policy: Common Foreign and Security Policy (7 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 89 and 137 together. Each Presidency hosts an informal Defence Ministers' meeting during the course of its Presidency. The informal meeting is not a decision-making forum, but rather an opportunity to discuss current issues and review ongoing progress on ESDP developments. The German Presidency hosted an informal meeting of EU Defence Ministers on 1-2 March...

Written Answers — EU Battle Groups: EU Battle Groups (7 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 90, 98, 101, 103, 113, 138, 300, 306 and 307 together. Following detailed discussions on Ireland's participation in the Nordic Battlegroup, Sweden, on behalf of the Nordic Battlegroup, advised that it will welcome a contribution from Ireland, subject to Ireland's agreement to sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the Nordic Battlegroup. The MoU is an...

Written Answers — National Emergency Plan: National Emergency Plan (7 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 91, 119, 141 and 151 together. The Government Task Force on Emergency Planning and the Inter-Departmental Working Group on Emergency Planning meet on a regular basis. The last Government Task Force meeting was held on Wednesday, 14th February. While a date has not been decided for the next Task Force meeting these are normally held every four to six weeks....

Written Answers — Drug Testing Programme: Drug Testing Programme (7 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 92, 93 and 156 together. A Compulsory Substance Testing Programme was introduced on 1 February 2002 as part of a Defence Forces Substance Abuse Programme. This followed a long consultative process involving the Office of the Attorney General, the Deputy Judge Advocate General and the Defence Forces Representative Associations. Prior to the launch of the...

Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (7 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 95, 97, 99, 104, 106, 108, 117, 134, 143, 146, 155 and 298 together. During the period 28 February, 2007, to 1 March, 2007, I took the opportunity to visit Lebanon where I met with the Irish personnel of the 34th Infantry Group serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). The primary purpose of my visit was to see at first hand the work...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Equipment: Defence Forces Equipment (7 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: The Air Corps retain a number of fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft for historical purposes in an Air Corps Museum at Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel. Details of the aircraft in the Museum are set out in the tabular statement below, which I propose to circulate in the Official Report. In addition, the Air Corps has two aircraft on loan to the National Museum of Ireland in Collins Barracks,...

Written Answers — Departmental Estimates: Departmental Estimates (7 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: The gross 2007 Estimate (capital and current) for the Defence Vote represents an increase of 4.9% on the 2006 Estimate and an increase of 6.4% on actual expenditure in 2006. The corresponding percentage increases for the Army Pensions Vote are 5.3% and 4.4%, respectively. The Department of Finance forecast for Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation for 2007 is an annual average increase of...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Communications: Defence Forces Communications (7 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 105 and 133 together. The question of public comment on official matters by any member of the Defence Forces is governed by Paragraph 27 of Defence Force Regulation A.7, which prohibits the airing of individual opinions on service matters, public business or politics. This prohibition is supplemented by a direction that "comment, if any, . . . touching on...

Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (7 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: The Niemba ambush occurred almost forty-six years ago. It was the first such action involving the horrific deaths of Defence Forces personnel on a scale which still remains unique. It has never been very far from public consciousness and I would like again to publicly acknowledge the sacrifice made by all the members of the patrol at that time and extend my deepest sympathies to the families...

Written Answers — National Emergency Plan: National Emergency Plan (7 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 109, 127 and 152 together. As the Deputy will be aware, specific responsibility for emergency planning functions remains with the relevant lead government department and it is a matter for each department to implement its own structured exercise programme. It is also the responsibility for the lead department organising the exercise to decide who should...

Written Answers — Military Arbitration Schemes: Military Arbitration Schemes (7 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 110 and 153 together. Defence Force Regulations S.7 and its enabling legislation, the Defence Amendment Act, 1990, provide for representative structures for members of the Defence Forces including the Army and Naval Reserves. The question of a Conciliation and Arbitration Scheme for the ranks represented by the Reserve Defence Representative Association...

Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (7 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 111, 120, 293 and 310 together. Ireland is currently contributing 808 Defence Forces personnel to 19 different missions throughout the world. Full details of all personnel currently serving overseas on UN mandated operations, observer missions or undertaking representative or staff postings are listed in the tabular statement attached. The main overseas...

Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (7 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: A contingent of the Permanent Defence Force has been serving with United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) since December 2003, when a motorised infantry battalion of some 430 personnel was first deployed. The Irish contingent operates as the Force Commander's Rapid Reaction Reserve. The role of the Irish personnel is the provision of an immediate response capability, deployable in...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Reserve: Defence Forces Reserve (7 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: The White Paper on Defence outlines the blueprint for a new Reserve Defence Force. An Implementation Plan has been developed that will ensure the realisation of the White Paper vision and this will be rolled out over the period to end 2009. The new Reserve has a clearly defined role, an enhanced relationship with the PDF and better equipment and training. The Reserve has already seen...

Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (7 Mar 2007)

Willie O'Dea: The main overseas missions, in which Defence Forces personnel are deployed, are the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) with 325 personnel, the NATO-led International Security presence (KFOR) in Kosovo with 215 personnel and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) with 165 personnel. In addition, 41 personnel are serving in EUFOR, the EU-led operation in Bosnia and...