Results 401-420 of 12,630 for speaker:Willie O'Dea

Seanad: Ombudsman (Defence Forces) Bill 2002: Report and Final Stages. (3 Nov 2004)

Willie O'Dea: I thank Senators for their further contributions on this matter on which we had an extensive discussion on Committee Stage. If someone had a general complaint of the sort envisaged in the context of these amendments, he or she would have recourse to the ordinary Ombudsman for the public services. From what I recall of the debate on Committee Stage, Senators Minihan and Maurice Hayes stated...

Seanad: Ombudsman (Defence Forces) Bill 2002: Report and Final Stages. (3 Nov 2004)

Willie O'Dea: I shall make just a few points as we have exhausted the discussion of this matter. While I do not have a copy of the Committee Stage debate I recall Senator Maurice Hayes saying that he did not think it would be a good idea to have an inspectorate type role for the office of ombudsman. Senator O'Meara referred to the autonomy of the Oireachtas as the ultimate——

Seanad: Ombudsman (Defence Forces) Bill 2002: Report and Final Stages. (3 Nov 2004)

Willie O'Dea: Yes.

Seanad: Ombudsman (Defence Forces) Bill 2002: Report and Final Stages. (3 Nov 2004)

Willie O'Dea: I thank Senator Brian Hayes for that clarification. I understand Senator Maurice Hayes went on to say that if there could be a limited inspectorate role for the ombudsman he would welcome it. However, he concluded at the end of the debate that this would not be possible, that either one had an inspectorate or one did not. Senator O'Meara said that as Members of the Oireachtas we should not...

Seanad: Ombudsman (Defence Forces) Bill 2002: Report and Final Stages. (3 Nov 2004)

Willie O'Dea: Senator Brian Hayes is correct that we discussed the issue at some length on Committee Stage. The Bill provides that the Defence Forces ombudsman will be appointed to the office by the President, acting on the recommendation of the Government. This mirrors the mode of appointment of the Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces. The amendment requires that the person appointed to the office of...

Seanad: Ombudsman (Defence Forces) Bill 2002: Report and Final Stages. (3 Nov 2004)

Willie O'Dea: On the recommendation of the Civil Service Commission.

Seanad: Ombudsman (Defence Forces) Bill 2002: Report and Final Stages. (3 Nov 2004)

Willie O'Dea: As I stated previously, the legislation provides for a period not exceeding seven years, with provision for a possible second and subsequent term of appointment. The proposed amendments would provide for a fixed-term appointment of seven years, with a possibility of one second term period of appointment only. The second term would presumably also be a fixed term of seven years, or 14 years in...

Seanad: Ombudsman (Defence Forces) Bill 2002: Report and Final Stages. (3 Nov 2004)

Willie O'Dea: I thank Senators from all sides of the House for their extraordinarily kind remarks. I am quite overwhelmed and I thank them very much.

Seanad: Ombudsman (Defence Forces) Bill 2002: Report and Final Stages. (3 Nov 2004)

Willie O'Dea: I also thank Senators, particularly Government and Opposition spokespersons, for their extremely constructive contributions. I was impressed by the contrast between the reality of an operational military situation and the ordinary civilian employment setting. These are two entirely different situations and the Bill had to be finely honed to achieve that balance correctly. I believe we have...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Property: Defence Forces Property (16 Nov 2004)

Willie O'Dea: My Department has been approached by a developer who wishes to access his property through a portion of the premises concerned. Officials of my Department, both civil and military, have had discussions with the developer, arising from which plans have been submitted and these are currently under consideration in my Department.

Written Answers — Defence Forces Review: Defence Forces Review (16 Nov 2004)

Willie O'Dea: It is presumed that the Deputy is referring to the recent report of the independent monitoring group which was presented to my predecessor on 24 September 2004 entitled Response to the Challenge of a Workplace, rather than the original report entitled The Challenge of a Workplace, which was published in March 2002, commonly referred to as the Doyle report. The following action has been taken...

Written Answers — Communications Masts: Communications Masts (16 Nov 2004)

Willie O'Dea: No survey of the type described by the Deputy has been carried out at the location in question. The mast was erected in 1988 and, apart from normal maintenance and upgrades, the existing equipment has been in situ for several years.

Written Answers — Defence Forces Property: Defence Forces Property (23 Nov 2004)

Willie O'Dea: An area comprising more than 27 acres of the property in question is being handed over to Cork County Council for community use, including the provision of playing pitches. I understand that at meetings held in the County Hall, Cork, in January 2002, between my predecessor and representatives of local GAA and soccer clubs, it was agreed that the soccer club be allocated one pitch on the...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Reserve: Defence Forces Reserve (23 Nov 2004)

Willie O'Dea: On 26 July 2004, my predecessor Deputy Michael Smith officially launched the Reserve Defence Force review implementation plan which is the start of a process that will radically change the structure and configuration of the reserve, while preserving its traditional strengths. These include such things as the spirit of voluntary commitment, the maintaining of strong links with local...

Written Answers — Communications Masts: Communications Masts (23 Nov 2004)

Willie O'Dea: I am advised that while there is no statutory requirement for owners or users of communications masts to have electromagnetic field strength tests carried out, the Commission for Communications Regulation, ComReg, which is the licensing authority for the use of the radio frequency spectrum in Ireland, has recently completed a large survey of communications facilities on behalf of the Minister...

Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (23 Nov 2004)

Willie O'Dea: The development of EU rapid response elements to carry out crisis management operations was a key aspect of the Helsinki headline goal agreed by the Heads of State and Government in 1999. Following on from the realisation of the Helsinki headline goal, albeit with some shortfalls, earlier this year member states adopted a new headline goal with a horizon of 2010. Under the new headline goal,...

Ceisteanna — Questions. (26 Jan 2005)

Willie O'Dea: Before I take the first question, I wish to clarify that on the last day Defence questions were taken in the Dáil, I referred to a certain incident involving damage to property in Limerick and stated that the chief suspect was a member of the Green Party. I have checked that matter and find there is no connection between that person and the Green Party. I apologise for any embarrassment caused.

Overseas Missions. (26 Jan 2005)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 89, 91 and 93 together. I refer Deputies to my reply to the House on this subject on 17 November 2004. The position remains as I outlined at that time. The background to the rapid response elements concept, commonly referred to as battle groups, is that at the European Council in Helsinki in 1999, member states set themselves a headline goal that "by the year...

Overseas Missions. (26 Jan 2005)

Willie O'Dea: As I informed the House previously and as I repeated today, the Cabinet decided on 16 November that at the meeting in Brussels, I should advise my EU counterparts of Ireland's preparedness to enter into consultations with our EU partners with a view to potential participation in rapid response elements. That was the decision taken. There was no decision taken to join the rapid response...

Overseas Missions. (26 Jan 2005)

Willie O'Dea: I agree with the Deputy's sentiments regarding the United Nations. With regard to the legal basis of the triple lock, my advice from the Attorney General is that this is contained in the corpus of defence legislation, namely, the relevant Defence Acts. I do not have the detailed legal advice to hand but I undertake to the Deputy to obtain it and forward it to him. As the campaign on the draft...