Results 2,461-2,480 of 12,630 for speaker:Willie O'Dea

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (3 Jul 2007)

Willie O'Dea: Following the Government decision on decentralisation announced by the Minister for Finance in his Budget statement in December 2003, a Defence Forces Decentralisation Implementation Plan was produced on 28 May 2004. This plan makes provision for the movement of approximately 413 military personnel currently employed within posts in Dublin to move to the Curragh with approximately 335 of...

Written Answers — Estate Management: Estate Management (5 Jul 2007)

Willie O'Dea: To date ninety two (92) of the houses at Orchard Park have been sold and work regarding the sales of the remaining eight (8) houses at the estate is ongoing. Kildare County Council has advised that all services, roads, footpaths, etc. at the estate will have to be brought up to the required standard before they can be taken in charge. The matter will be progressed as soon as possible in...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (5 Jul 2007)

Willie O'Dea: The Civil Defence Board, which is a State Authority under the aegis of the Department of Defence, has decentralised to Roscrea, Co. Tipperary. An advance party relocated from Dublin to Roscrea in 2004 and the full compliment of staff relocated to new premises in 2006. The number of staff in Roscrea is 25 which is the same as it was prior to the decentralisation of the Board from its...

Confidence in Taoiseach: Motion (26 Sep 2007)

Willie O'Dea: To correct the record of the House, the person who said that Fianna Fáil does not do resignations is Deputy Kenny and I thank him for his support. Speaking on radio today Deputy Kenny advanced three reasons for proposing this motion. First, he stated baldly as an established fact that the Taoiseach did not co-operate with the tribunal, which is wrong.

Confidence in Taoiseach: Motion (26 Sep 2007)

Willie O'Dea: Second, he claimed that the Taoiseach had received large sums of money — the new Fine Gael mantra, which is wrong.

Confidence in Taoiseach: Motion (26 Sep 2007)

Willie O'Dea: Third, he stated that in his judgment the Taoiseach was not telling the truth. Really? There is no question of non-co-operation with the tribunal — there is no finding of non-co-operation. The tribunal has not accused the Taoiseach of not co-operating or even of delaying the tribunal. In fact the reverse is the case. That claim by Deputy Kenny is simply wrong and untruthful, and should...

Confidence in Taoiseach: Motion (26 Sep 2007)

Willie O'Dea: As for Deputy Kenny's second point, the Taoiseach did not receive large sums from individuals. He received a number of relatively small sums from a number of individuals.

Confidence in Taoiseach: Motion (26 Sep 2007)

Willie O'Dea: He did not solicit that money and insisted on it being treated as a loan, which he repaid with interest. Third, it appears that because, in Deputy Kenny's judgment, the Taoiseach did not tell the truth, the proceedings of the tribunal in so far as they concern the Taoiseach should cease, the lawyers should be sent home and the evidence abandoned because the matter has been decided, QED.

Confidence in Taoiseach: Motion (26 Sep 2007)

Willie O'Dea: Inspector Clueless from Castlebar has come to the conclusion that the Taoiseach did not tell the truth. What of the man who is making these claims? Deputy Kenny is well tutored on how to perform. At least former Deputy John Bruton was his own man. So pervasive is the influence of spin doctors since the Deputy's ascent to the leadership that he is never left out on his own.

Confidence in Taoiseach: Motion (26 Sep 2007)

Willie O'Dea: He would not even be trusted to tie the shoelaces on that famous pair of shoes in which he was going to walk to the Áras. Thanks to the wisdom of the people, however, he was not elected Taoiseach.

Confidence in Taoiseach: Motion (26 Sep 2007)

Willie O'Dea: If he had been, the puppet masters would have been no more and we would have been left with the puppet. We are supposed to tremble at the moral outrage and mock indignation expressed by Deputy Kenny. This is part of the Fine Gael effort to present him as something he is not — a lion in sheep's clothing.

Confidence in Taoiseach: Motion (26 Sep 2007)

Willie O'Dea: Despite the party's best efforts, he comes across exactly for what he is — a sheep in sheep's clothing. At one of my first post-Mass rallies in Limerick in the 1960s I heard a famous Fine Gael councillor describe the then leader of his party as a stuffed shirt. If only the current leader could aspire to such praise. He is not a stuffed shirt; he is only a hole in the air.

Confidence in Taoiseach: Motion (26 Sep 2007)

Willie O'Dea: The Labour Party also supports the motion. I do not have much confidence in the party because it spent the past five years propping up Fine Gael, losing support as a result. Now, it is trying to prop up Sinn Féin after fighting an election campaign on the principle that Sinn Féin had to be kept out.

Confidence in Taoiseach: Motion (26 Sep 2007)

Willie O'Dea: Its members often raised the spectre that if one voted for Fianna Fáil, the party would bring Sinn Féin into government. Now, Labour is doing the opposite, propping up an ailing Sinn Féin.

Confidence in Taoiseach: Motion (26 Sep 2007)

Willie O'Dea: While the Labour Party's hypocrisy on the issue is breathtaking, it is not surprising. This is par for the course from a party dominated by ex-Stickies.

Confidence in Taoiseach: Motion (26 Sep 2007)

Willie O'Dea: I wish the new Labour Party leader well. Speaking on radio yesterday morning, Deputy Gilmore pointed out that his reason for supporting the motion was the Dáil had such important business before it that it could not be diverted by a long political debate and the Taoiseach should resign immediately because the Deputy wanted him to.

Confidence in Taoiseach: Motion (26 Sep 2007)

Willie O'Dea: If there is going to be a long political row, the Deputy will be the cause of it. We do not want a long political row. If the Deputy wants to waste the Dáil's time on this useless, innocuous, ineffective motion. that is fine by us but that is not what we were sent here to do.

Confidence in Taoiseach: Motion (26 Sep 2007)

Willie O'Dea: I have had differences with Deputy Rabbitte but I never thought I would see the day that I would find myself yearning for his return because he spoke with incisiveness, wit and intellectual rigour.

Confidence in Taoiseach: Motion (26 Sep 2007)

Willie O'Dea: However, this will be replaced by a series of petulant, red faced rants.

Confidence in Taoiseach: Motion (26 Sep 2007)

Willie O'Dea: Deputy Gilmore should set out on a new path as leader of the Labour Party.