Results 5,201-5,220 of 19,162 for speaker:Alan Shatter

Army Barracks (26 Oct 2011)

Alan Shatter: Sadly, the reality is that in order to pay currently the wages of the Defence Forces, of teachers, doctors and nurses, and of many others in the public service, we are dependent on two factors: first, complying with the EU-IMF agreement and reducing our borrowing requirements, and second, the continued receipt of money to make up the difference between what the State receives and spends. I...

Defence Forces Recruitment (26 Oct 2011)

Alan Shatter: A competition for the appointment of doctors to the Medical Corps was advertised. Unfortunately, there was a limited response and only two applications are currently being processed in this regard. The competition remains open and a further advertisement will be published shortly. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis but it will obviously take some time before the current...

Defence Forces Recruitment (26 Oct 2011)

Alan Shatter: We have been contracting doctors; that has been the alternative. The ideal in the PA Consulting report shows that there would be 32 permanent members of the Medical Corps. The difficulty in reality is that posts have been advertised, funding is available to fill those posts but too few applications from appropriately qualified doctors have been received. This is an issue that has been a...

Defence Forces Recruitment (26 Oct 2011)

Alan Shatter: Essentially, part of the issue may be that there are pay issues in the context of the constraints on the pay available for the recruitment of doctors. There are also career issues with regard to doctors who have become part of the medical service within what is, by international standards, a small defence force. Some medical practitioners do not see that there is a substantial career...

Defence Forces Recruitment (26 Oct 2011)

Alan Shatter: To address the question Deputy Calleary has raised, if one looks at what I describe as the role of the medical officer in the Defence Forces first, basically, it is a specialist officer who practises medicine, not only at home but abroad. One of the attractions of joining the Defence Forces as a medic is the opportunity to accompany forces abroad in circumstances that would be quite...

Defence Forces Reserve (26 Oct 2011)

Alan Shatter: I am advised by the military authorities that the strength of the Reserve Defence Force, RDF, as at 30 September 2011, was: First Line Reserve, 287; Army Reserve, 5,138; Naval Service Reserve, 224. The number of personnel that can be recruited to the Army Reserve and Naval Service Reserve is dependent on the funding available for paid training. The 2011 budget provided for approximately...

Defence Forces Reserve (26 Oct 2011)

Alan Shatter: The reasons for the fall in the numbers are twofold. One reason is the limited amount of funding available from the December 2010 budget which applied to the Estimates for 2011. Funding was made available for no more than 200 recruits. Work is ongoing on the total numbers in the RDF and also the number of those actively in the reserve. There was always a significant difference between the...

Overseas Missions (26 Oct 2011)

Alan Shatter: Ireland has offered, through the United Nations Standby Arrangements System, UNSAS, to provide up to 850 military personnel for overseas service at any one time. This figure equates to some 10% of Ireland's standing Army, excluding reserves, and demonstrates Ireland's commitment to the cause of international peace. This is the maximum sustainable commitment that Ireland can make to overseas...

Overseas Missions (26 Oct 2011)

Alan Shatter: Deputy Boyd Barrett has obviously lost interest in peacekeeping missions. At least he is interested in the welfare of members of the Defence Forces

Civil Defence (26 Oct 2011)

Alan Shatter: At the Cabinet meeting on 12 July the Government approved a proposal to begin drafting legislation to transfer the functions of the Civil Defence Board back into the Department of Defence. The Heads of the Civil Defence (Repeal) Bill were subsequently agreed by Government on 30 August last. The Bill is currently being drafted and it is anticipated it will be published in early 2012. If...

Civil Defence (26 Oct 2011)

Alan Shatter: That is central to my thinking and there is no question of that occurring. We are simply abolishing a quango that has not proved to have a necessary function. The connection between the Civil Defence and local authorities will continue and will not be affected in any shape or form. I join the Deputy in paying tribute to the Civil Defence. On behalf of the Government I thank all members of...

Civil Defence (26 Oct 2011)

Alan Shatter: I wish to reassure the Deputy that it is crucial that members of the Civil Defence continue to be employed for their knowledge of local community, their involvement with local communities and for the interconnectivity between them and local authorities. I intend that is how matters will continue and there will be nothing in the legislation that will give cause for concern in that context.

Emergency Response Agencies (26 Oct 2011)

Alan Shatter: While the Defence Forces are not a principal response agency, as defined in the framework for major emergency management, they provide assistance in an Aid to the Civil Authority, ATCA, role under the multi-agency framework. Representation on the Government task force, by both my Department and the Defence Forces, ensures the fullest co-ordination and co-operation with the appropriate lead...

Emergency Response Agencies (26 Oct 2011)

Alan Shatter: As the Deputy will know, the Defence Forces hold a wide range of engineering and transport plant and equipment for military purposes and all such plant and equipment suitable for use in emergencies and severe weather situations is made available as the need arises. The type of plant and equipment suitable for use includes: a 40 tonne crane; a heavy duty fork-lift; tracked and wheeled...

Emergency Response Agencies (26 Oct 2011)

Alan Shatter: The Air Corps has certain capabilities in that context. Recently, I visited Baldonnel and I had the opportunity to look at the helicopters that are available and talk to some of those in the Air Corps who have medical expertise and who engage in air and sea rescues and who also have the capacity to engage in the activity Deputy Naughten outlined. In an emergency, they would be available to...

Daylight Saving Time (26 Oct 2011)

Alan Shatter: I thank the Deputy for the opportunity to make a statement on this matter. I understand that it is an issue in which he has a keen personal interest. Our present time arrangements allow for summer time to begin at 1 a.m. GMT on the last Sunday in March and to end at 1 a.m. on the last Sunday in October every year. These arrangements are set out in the Winter Time Order 2001. This order...

Daylight Saving Time (26 Oct 2011)

Alan Shatter: I would welcome the committee engaging with this issue. It would be helpful if it advanced the initial discussions in which an official of my Department engaged with the sponsor of the Bill in the House of Commons. The issue is complex. First, it is in our interest that our time zone remain the same as that of Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom. It would give rise to considerable...

Written Answers — Irish Red Cross: Irish Red Cross (26 Oct 2011)

Alan Shatter: The Irish Red Cross Society is an independent charitable body corporate which, in accordance with relevant legislation, is responsible for handling its own internal affairs. Whilst I am conscious of the importance attaching to its independence, I have been in contact in recent times with the Chairman of the Society in relation to corporate governance matters and I am satisfied that very good...

Written Answers — Reserve Defence Force: Reserve Defence Force (26 Oct 2011)

Alan Shatter: The deployment of Reservists on overseas peace support missions was envisaged in the Reserve Defence Force Review Implementation Plan. As part of the plan it was intended to send a small number of reservists, with specific skills, overseas. These were to be drawn from those who had undertaken integrated training, which was to be further supplemented by extensive pre-deployment training....

Written Answers — Defence Forces Strength: Defence Forces Strength (26 Oct 2011)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 15 and 16 together. My priority as Minister is to ensure that the capacity of the Defence Forces will be maintained to the greatest extent possible given the very serious economic situation. In Ireland, Defence policy encompasses national security roles other than the traditional narrow role of territorial defence. These include supporting An Garda Síochána...