Results 3,621-3,640 of 12,631 for speaker:Willie O'Dea

Written Answers — Ministerial Staff: Ministerial Staff (13 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: The information sought by the Deputy is set out in the tables below. In addition, I wish to state that none of the people named below are elected to city, county, town or borough councils or are members of State Boards. Minister for Defence, Mr Willie O'Dea, T.D. Staff appointed by me who are located in my Department Name Rank/Responsibility Salary Scale as at 01/09/2008 Derek Mooney...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Recruitment: Defence Forces Recruitment (13 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: Interviews to fill these vacancies were held from the 15 – 17 January 2008. The military authorities have informed me that the report of the Selection Board has been the subject of correspondence since then, within the Defence Forces, relating to the procedures applied. I also understand that the candidates were to be kept informed of developments. The Chief of Staff has accepted that...

Written Answers — National Security: National Security (13 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: The issue of threats to and vulnerabilities of ICT systems is a matter for each individual Department/Office and its Minister as appropriate. Insofar as my Department and the Defence Forces are concerned, there is a programme of continuous review of ICT security, overseen by designated specialist groupings, in order to keep up to date with current threat levels. Policies and guidelines are...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Equipment: Defence Forces Equipment (13 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: I welcome the opportunity to clarify for the Deputy the situation on the sale of the Dauphin helicopters following the Sunday Tribune article on 9 November 2008. In 2005, the General Officer Commanding Air Corps recommended the sale of four Dauphin helicopters. The Dauphins being over twenty years old needed significant maintenance and the investment required in the aircraft was considered...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (13 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: The Deputy will be aware that the Government decision on decentralisation provides for the transfer of my Department's Dublin-based civil service staff, together with a number of military personnel, to Newbridge, Co. Kildare and for the decentralisation of the Defence Forces Headquarters (DFHQ) to the Curragh. The number of posts to be relocated to Newbridge is approximately 200 civil...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Personnel: Defence Forces Personnel (18 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: The military authorities have advised that the person in question served for nine years as a member of the Permanent Defence Force in the Air Corps from 1958 to 1967 and a further three year period with the First Line Reserve. The question of care provision for former members of the Defence Forces is dealt with by the HSE as part of the provision of services to the public generally. In...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Personnel: Defence Forces Personnel (18 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: The individual concerned was retired, by the President, on the advice of the Government with effect from a date in June, 1969. The retirement was effected pursuant to Section 47(2) of the Defence Act, 1954 and Paragraph 18(1)(f) of Defence Force Regulations A.15, which provide that an officer may be retired "in the interests of the service". The Deputy will appreciate that a decision to...

Written Answers — Benchmarking Awards: Benchmarking Awards (18 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: The Civil Service Performance Verification Group has monitored the performance of my Department with respect to the achievement of modernisation objectives under successive public sector pay agreements. In this context, my Department has consistently received a positive assessment. There was no requirement to undertake a similar process under Benchmarking, however, in light of the...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Equipment: Defence Forces Equipment (18 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: The procurement of the Dauphin helicopters in the 1980's followed from competitive tendering competitions at that time based on specifications drawn up by the Air Corps. The Dauphin helicopters were fitted with a suite of digital instrumentation, having some analogue components, which was the most advanced cockpit fit available for any type of aircraft at the time. The Dauphin helicopters...

Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (18 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: The information sought by the Deputy in relation to consultants is set out in the following table. Year Name of Consultancy firm Work Carried Out Cost € 1999 – 04 Brady, Shipman, Martin Drawing up of an integrated Area Action Plan for Murphy Barracks, Ballincollig, Cork 128,902 1999 – 05 Sir Frederick Snow & Partners Ltd. Review of policy in relation to Casement Aerodrome,...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (20 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: My Department engaged consultants to carry an Environmental Health and Safety Assessment in the Naval Base, Haulbowline earlier this year. RPS were commissioned to do the assessment. The cost of the review was €50,000 (excluding VAT). This cost includes some additional costs for sampling and testing which was commissioned as a result of the preliminary findings of the report.

Leaders' Questions (25 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: The person was no relation to me.

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (25 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: No organisations or agencies under the auspices of my Department have been amalgamated or eliminated due to budgetary measures.

Written Answers — Army Barracks: Army Barracks (25 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: The decision to close a number of barracks was made in the context of the budget and was announced in the budget statement by my colleague the Minister for Finance, Mr Brian Lenihan T.D. While the decision was made in the context of realising savings in the Defence budget, the decision was not purely a financial one. The closure of barracks and the consolidation of the Defence Forces...

Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (25 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: The information sought by the Deputy in relation to consultants is outlined in the following table. Name of Consultancy firm Work Carried Out Cost € 2007 Petrus Consulting Carried out Quality Assurance of Value for Money Review of Clothing Procurement 2,904 2007 Murray Consultants Public Information and Awareness Campaign initiated 253,300 There is an ongoing capital building...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (25 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: I have outlined in the following table the total number of claimants and the total amount spent in respect of mileage allowances for civil servants and civilian employees of my Department in 2007. However, it is not possible to provide a breakdown of mileage allowance into the other categories requested, except to say that no payments were made in respect of the cycling allowance. A...

Written Answers — Army Barracks: Army Barracks (25 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: It is anticipated that Monaghan Army Barracks will be disposed of, taking account of market conditions, so as to maximise the return to the Defence Forces and generate funding for reinvestment in Defence Forces equipment and infrastructure in accordance with Government policy. I am assured by the military authorities that there is a range of available accommodation and facilities in place...

Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (25 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: I last visited Liberia during the period from 28 February 2006 to 2 March 2006 where I met with Irish personnel of 94th Infantry Battalion serving with UNMIL. A party of 10 people accompanied me on this trip which included five members of the media. The Gulfstream aircraft was tasked with this mission and all 10 members of the party travelled with me on this aircraft. My Department follows...

Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (25 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: As the Deputy will be aware, the Irish Battalion withdrew from the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) in May 2007 and no members of the Defence Forces are currently serving with UNMIL. While the Defence Forces were serving in UNMIL, there was no postal system operating to or within Liberia. The Defence Forces, therefore, contracted a commercial courier to deliver post to and from...

Written Answers — Army Barracks: Army Barracks (25 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: I am assured by the military authorities that there is a range of available accommodation and facilities in place in Dundalk Barracks and that any additional arrangements required will be in place by the time personnel from Monaghan Barracks will have to transfer to their new location.