Results 381-400 of 1,415 for speaker:Tom Kitt

Decentralisation Programme. (7 Dec 2005)

Tom Kitt: Some 385 personnel, of whom 60 are currently serving in the Department, have volunteered to relocate to Newbridge. The acquisition of a site is the constraint most likely to delay the relocation of the Department. The Office of Public Works is making every effort on behalf of the Minister to achieve a successful outcome. Discussions are ongoing between the Office of Public Works and Kildare...

Decentralisation Programme. (7 Dec 2005)

Tom Kitt: I will be happy to raise the Deputy's views with the Minister. However, the Office of Public Works has shown considerable expertise in trying to identify sites for headquarters. There is a logical explanation for proceeding with this site. However, I will ask the Minister to keep the Deputy informed in this regard.

Decentralisation Programme. (7 Dec 2005)

Tom Kitt: I will be happy to pursue the point the Deputy just made. I agree this must be done in a co-ordinated way. Some 20 members of staff from the Department's Dublin offices wish to decentralise to other locations. These staff will be facilitated as soon as possible when requested for transfers by other Departments. Over the next six months, vacancies arising in this way will be filled. The...

Decentralisation Programme. (7 Dec 2005)

Tom Kitt: I agree with the Deputy that corporate memory and experience and personnel family matters are vital issues in the context of the relocation of people. The approach of this process of decentralisation is that it is done on a voluntary basis. I agree with the Deputy in regard to the train line. We have seen the plans under Transport 21 and it is a very attractive incentive for people to move to...

Ministerial Meetings. (7 Dec 2005)

Tom Kitt: I propose to take Questions Nos. 57, 84 and 113 together. The Minister for Defence attended the General Affairs and External Relations Council, GAERC, meeting in Defence Ministers formation on 21 November 2005. Ministers discussed progress in developing military capabilities, current issues relating to civil-military co-operation, and the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Under military...

Ministerial Meetings. (7 Dec 2005)

Tom Kitt: I dealt earlier with the issue of battle groups. I stated we are committed in principle to becoming involved, subject to finding the right way of doing so. The Minister is currently reviewing the report produced last week by the interdepartmental group. Some work remains to be done on that area. We will obviously revert back to the Deputies who have referred to this issue.

Ministerial Meetings. (7 Dec 2005)

Tom Kitt: Currently, Malta is not involved either and Denmark has opted out. All the other EU states are involved. We are committed in principle to joining, but we must get it right. That is a matter for discussion between my colleague, the Minister for Defence, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs. The issue will be discussed at Cabinet. There are many ways in which one can become involved. The...

Ministerial Meetings. (7 Dec 2005)

Tom Kitt: As I stated, Malta is not currently involved and Denmark has opted out. It would be wrong of me to make any particular commitments as to how we would become involved. I ask the Deputy to bear with us on that. We are now near to making a decision and as soon as a decision is made we will go to Cabinet. There will have to be some co-ordination between my Department and the Department of Foreign...

Ministerial Meetings. (7 Dec 2005)

Tom Kitt: With regard to the requirements catalogue, it would not be appropriate for me to go into this in detail, as it is a restricted document. However, the catalogue includes a wide range of equipment to support all types of operations, from humanitarian relief, up to and including peacemaking, which of its nature may involve combat with opposing forces. Deputies will recall the situation in the...

Defence Forces Property. (7 Dec 2005)

Tom Kitt: The Government, on 15 July 1998, approved a programme of evacuation and sale of six barracks considered surplus to military requirements. The barracks in question were located at Ballincollig, Fermoy, Castleblayney, Naas, Kildare and Islandbridge, Dublin. The value of sales-disposals completed to date in respect of the six barracks, the subject of the July 1998 Government decision, together...

Defence Forces Property. (7 Dec 2005)

Tom Kitt: My understanding is that all the money has been used but I will revert to the Deputy if any further information needs to be shared with him on the issue. On the second question, there are no plans to sell any other barracks.

Military Police Investigations. (7 Dec 2005)

Tom Kitt: The case to which the Deputy refers concerns the killing of Privates Thomas Barrett and Derek Smallhorne while serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, in 1980. The question of the measures open to Irish authorities to bring the alleged perpetrator of this crime to justice has been examined in detail in the Department of Defence in conjunction with the Department of...

Military Police Investigations. (7 Dec 2005)

Tom Kitt: As I indicated in my reply, the Attorney General has fully explored the case and there are no provisions in Irish law which would provide a basis for Ireland to pursue a prosecution against the alleged perpetrator. He also indicated, as I said, that, while it is untested and potentially difficult, it might be possible for Ireland to pursue a prosecution under provisions of the Geneva...

Military Police Investigations. (7 Dec 2005)

Tom Kitt: The case can be made that this issue should be raised with the US authorities. I am uncertain whether my colleague, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, raised it with Condoleezza Rice but I did say that both my Department and the Department of Foreign Affairs are in contact with authorities in the US, where the alleged perpetrator resides as a naturalised US citizen, and have kept them apprised...

Military Police Investigations. (7 Dec 2005)

Tom Kitt: It is not appropriate to make that type of comparison in this situation. Issues have arisen which must be pursued. I appreciate the strong feelings expressed by a number of Deputies on this issue. We must follow due process and await the DPP's legal opinion and there are complex issues with regard to jurisdictions which are not entirely within our control. We will do everything possible and I...

Military Police Investigations. (7 Dec 2005)

Tom Kitt: I will do that.

Emergency Planning. (7 Dec 2005)

Tom Kitt: The Government task force on emergency planning continues to meet on a regular basis, most recently on Wednesday, 9 November 2005. A special meeting of the task force was convened on Wednesday, 13 July 2005 at short notice in the aftermath of the London bombings of 7 July. The next meeting of the task force is scheduled for tomorrow morning. In addition, the interdepartmental working group on...

Emergency Planning. (7 Dec 2005)

Tom Kitt: The potential threats to the State arising from international terrorism are continually monitored, principally by the Garda and the Defence Forces. The advice available to me is that while the Garda authorities recognise that the terrorist threat to Europe may currently be high, with regard to Ireland it is low. The awareness of the situation could change rapidly and that warning ensures that...

Emergency Planning. (7 Dec 2005)

Tom Kitt: There is not necessarily a need for legislation with regard to the management of crises. In this area, the situation can change rapidly overnight. The key point is that we have co-operation between Departments and that a committee is in place. We have that. Resources are available within Departments and in a crisis they are made available. I am therefore satisfied there is no need for...

Emergency Planning. (7 Dec 2005)

Tom Kitt: The most important defence against any terrorist attack is detection and prevention by the security forces. The advice available to me suggests there is no reason to believe at this time that Ireland or Irish air space is a direct target. It is important that we are clear on our capabilities with regard to defending ourselves from terrorist atrocities and that people are not misled. As we...