Results 3,641-3,660 of 12,631 for speaker:Willie O'Dea

Written Answers — Ministerial Staff: Ministerial Staff (25 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: The information requested by the Deputy is set out below. My Private Office Grade/Position No. Salary Scale as at 01/09/2008 Special Adviser(Non-established) 1 Principal Officer standard scale €86,168 – €106,582 Press Adviser(Non-established) 1 Principal Officer standard scale €86,168 – €106,582 Higher Executive Officer 1 Higher Executive Officer standard scale €46,558...

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

Willie O'Dea: The net effect in real terms of the provision under subhead A1 of the 2009 Defence Estimate is just over a 4% reduction in the payroll costs for the civil service staff of my Department in 2009. In the case of subhead B (Permanent Defence Forces pay), the precise reduction compared with 2008 is 1.6%, which was rounded up to 2% in the published Estimates. The approved allocation for that...

Army Barracks. (26 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: Yes, PDFORRA sought a meeting with me to discuss the issue of barrack closures. While no date has been set for such a meeting, I have assured PDFORRA that I will meet it to discuss how we can achieve the implementation of the decision to close barracks, including the closure date of 31 January 2009. I have had no request for a meeting from RACO.

Army Barracks. (26 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: My secretary wrote to PDFORRA on my behalf on 13 November, making it clear to PDFORRA that I would be prepared to meet to discuss the implementation of the Government decision, not the substance of the decision. I am awaiting a response from PDFORRA to that letter. If PDFORRA wants to meet me to discuss the implementation of the decision, I assure the House there will be no difficulty....

Army Barracks. (26 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: I can give the House this guarantee, that no one will be moved until the facilities in the receiving barracks are adequate. As a representative of a party in favour of cutting public expenditure to a greater extent than the Government is——

Army Barracks. (26 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: ——Deputy Deenihan will support that. I recall Deputy Deenihan's immediate reaction to barrack closures. He did not question the merit of the barrack closure at all, in sharp contradiction to the Deputy James Bannon who stood on a platform in County Longford, trying to score political points off my colleague, Deputy Peter Kelly.

Army Barracks. (26 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: He said that Fine Gael would oppose the closure of the barracks no matter what. It did not matter what it cost.

Army Barracks. (26 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: This is playing politics and talking out of two sides of one's mouth.

Army Barracks. (26 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: Perhaps Deputy Deenihan will enlighten the House——

Army Barracks. (26 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: ——as to where Fine Gael stands on this matter. Is Fine Gael for or against the closure of the barracks?

Army Barracks. (26 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: I would like to get some clarification. The people are entitled to know where Fine Gael stands on this important matter.

Information and Communications Technology. (26 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: Cyber security, cyber crime and Internet security represent challenges that are constantly evolving and require vigilance and appropriate responses. Cyber security is multifaceted. The nature of the threat and the potential impact also varies considerably depending on the approach and objective of those with malicious intent. Each State agency, business and individual should take every...

Information and Communications Technology. (26 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: The Department of Defence is not the lead Department. We operate the same system as under the emergency planning provisions. Each Department is primarily responsible for its own security. The central, co-ordinating Department is the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. That has been agreed by the committee on emergency planning. I am aware of the situation in...

Information and Communications Technology. (26 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: I agree with Deputy O'Shea about the possible devastating impact of such an attack. Considerable discussion has taken place on who should be the lead Department in this regard and after due consideration it was decided that the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources should be the lead Department. I do not have time to go into all the factors that led to that conclusion...

Defence Forces Policy. (26 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: The White Paper on Defence 2000 sets out defence policy and a framework for modernisation and change over the period to end 2010. This framework has provided the overarching modernisation goals for the Defence Forces. Action plans under successive pay agreements have underpinned this ongoing modernisation process. The commitment to which the Deputy refers is contained in the action plan...

Defence Forces Policy. (26 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: I do not believe it is a breach of the pay agreement. My understanding of the pay agreement is that if we were proposing to close barracks in normal circumstances we would consult. As Deputy Deenihan knows, this was a budgetary decision taken by Government in regard to cutting public expenditure generally. This relates to the Department of Defence specifically. It was not a unilateral...

Defence Forces Policy. (26 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: First, it is not all about cost. It is also about collective training. I have been under pressure from the military from the time I took over this Department to consolidate the number of barracks to allow people going into dangerous foreign territory to train together. It is felt to be in the interest of the safety of the troops that they should train together in advance of going into...

Defence Forces Policy. (26 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: I can confirm to Deputy Deenihan that I have a good deal of correspondence to back that up. Second, in regard to cost, the Deputy will be aware there is a later question on cost which we will reach. However, a cost-benefit analysis done by the Department shows that the total cost of this measure over the next three years will be approximately €5.9 million. As against that, recurrent...

Defence Forces Property. (26 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: The closure of barracks and the consolidation of the Defence Forces formations into a smaller number of locations is a key objective of the White Paper on Defence. The consolidation process is designed to facilitate collective training and improved training standards, while also freeing up under-utilised resources and personnel for operational duties. The dispersal of personnel over an...

Defence Forces Property. (26 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: One of the first things I received when I came into the Ministry of Defence was a request from the military to close further barracks on the basis that peace had arrived in Northern Ireland and there was no justification for seven Border posts. The British were already in the process of beginning to close their Border posts. The point was very forcefully made to me about the necessity for...