Results 441-460 of 12,629 for speaker:Willie O'Dea
- Search and Rescue Service. (26 Jan 2005)
Willie O'Dea: Cost is certainly a factor, but the primary factor is guaranteeing safety and a 24-hour service. For the information of the House my predecessor, the former Minister, Deputy Michael Smith, outlined to the House on a number of occasions that his decision to change the position in regard to the north west was taken following a considered assessment of the capacity of the Air Corps to return to...
- Search and Rescue Service. (26 Jan 2005)
Willie O'Dea: This happened before I came to the Department but I understand it was due to bad industrial relations. There was disagreement between management and staff, as I understand it, and this is the way that staff choose to express their disagreement.
- Search and Rescue Service. (26 Jan 2005)
Willie O'Dea: It arose from a dispute between management and staff. There was an unusually high incidence of sick leave. Perhaps it was coincidental that those people all happened to be sick at the same time.
- Search and Rescue Service. (26 Jan 2005)
Willie O'Dea: It may have been a coincidence.
- Overseas Missions. (26 Jan 2005)
Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 97 and 129 together. As I previously explained to the House, the Chief of Staff received a submission from a retired Army officer, who served at Jadotville, seeking a review of the events of September 1961. The Chief of Staff arranged for the submission to be examined by a board of officers and a report was subsequently prepared and forwarded to me late last...
- Overseas Missions. (26 Jan 2005)
Willie O'Dea: I went through the report in some detail but did not get any sense from it that there was a concerted effort at the time not to commemorate or recognise the events at Jadotville. I could not find any criticism of the behaviour of the men in question. However, there are no formal records to indicate that this was the case or, in other words, that they should have been free of criticism and...
- Bullying in the Workplace. (26 Jan 2005)
Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 98, 102, 103, 1294 and 1296 together. In March 2002, Dr. Eileen Doyle and the external advisory committee presented their report, The Challenge of a Workplace, commonly referred to as the Doyle report, to my predecessor. The contents and recommendations of the Doyle report were accepted in full. Action to implement the recommendations of the report has been...
- Bullying in the Workplace. (26 Jan 2005)
Willie O'Dea: I agree with Deputy Gormley that we are dealing with a particular environment and context. All relationships within the military environment are predicated on the fundamental principle that all lawful orders must be obeyed. We have tried to ensure that superiors in their treatment of subordinates will adopt such methods as will ensure respect for authority while at the same time engendering...
- Bullying in the Workplace. (26 Jan 2005)
Willie O'Dea: Off the top of my head, I do not know how many but I will obtain that information and will communicate it to Deputy Gormley. As regards Deputy Sherlock's point about information concerning some complaint that has been made by a member of the military, all I can say is that the matter is being investigated by the military. I do not interfere in internal military investigations of complaints....
- Leaders' Questions. (26 Jan 2005)
Willie O'Dea: Where is the Deputy's party getting the money to buy those votes? It is robbed money.
- Leaders' Questions. (26 Jan 2005)
Willie O'Dea: Robbed money.
- Leaders' Questions. (26 Jan 2005)
Willie O'Dea: Robbed money.
- Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (26 Jan 2005)
Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 99, 115, 118, 137, 1272, 1273, 1275 and 1282 together. I refer Deputies to my reply to this House on this very subject on 17 November last. The position remains as I outlined at that time. The background to the rapid response elements concept, commonly referred to as the "battlegroups", is that at the European Council in Helsinki in 1999, member states set...
- Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (26 Jan 2005)
Willie O'Dea: There are two types of UN missions on which members of the Permanent Defence Forces have been deployed. The first is the traditional "UN Blue-Hat" mission, established by the Security Council of the United Nations or the UN General Assembly. UNIFIL in Lebanon and UNMIL in Liberia are examples of such missions. The second type are missions authorised to be established by the Security Council...
- Written Answers — Hearing Impairment Claims: Hearing Impairment Claims (26 Jan 2005)
Willie O'Dea: By 31 December 2004 a total of 16,731 claims had been received in my Department from current and former members of the Defence Forces in respect of loss of hearing allegedly caused during their military service. A total of 332 claims have been determined in court and 15,099 have been disposed of out of court, mainly through settlement, leaving a total of 1,300 claims outstanding at that date....
- Written Answers — Defence Forces Reserve: Defence Forces Reserve (26 Jan 2005)
Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 104 and 131 together. 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...
- Written Answers — Departmental Estimates: Departmental Estimates (26 Jan 2005)
Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 105 and 130 together. National sovereignty and voluntarism are the fundamental underlying principles of participation in the European Security and Defence Policy, ESDP. For example, participation in any specific EU operation by member states is decided on a case-by-case basis and in accordance with respective national decision making procedures. Defence...
- Written Answers — Defence Forces Investigation: Defence Forces Investigation (26 Jan 2005)
Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 106 and 135 together. The case to which the Deputies refer relates to the killing of Private Thomas Barrett and Private Derek Smallhorne while serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, in 1980. The question of the measures open to the Irish authorities to bring the alleged perpetrator of this crime to justice is currently being examined...
- Written Answers — Defence Forces Equipment: Defence Forces Equipment (26 Jan 2005)
Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 107 and 120 together. Following a tender competition, two contracts have been signed for the provision of new helicopters for the Air Corps, at a total cost of over â¬61 million. Four utility AB139 helicopters are being acquired from the Bell Agusta Aerospace Company at a cost of â¬48.4 million, inclusive of VAT. The four helicopters will be built at the...
- Written Answers — Military Police Investigation: Military Police Investigation (26 Jan 2005)
Willie O'Dea: The military authorities advise that as a result of a number of alleged incidents on board a Naval Service vessel in November-December 2004, two Military Police investigations were initiated. One of these investigations concluded on 20 December 2004 and a report was submitted to the Flag Officer Commanding Naval Service on 22 December 2004 for consideration. The appropriate disciplinary...