Results 841-860 of 12,629 for speaker:Willie O'Dea

Written Answers — Defence Forces Equipment: Defence Forces Equipment (26 May 2005)

Willie O'Dea: The Defence Forces have available to them equipment for monitoring and protecting their members in dealing with nuclear, biological or chemical, NBC, threats identified from time to time. They hold an extensive range of modern NBC equipment that meets their current requirements. That range includes approximately 7,000 NBC suits, 1,500 of which were delivered in 2004. It is planned to purchase...

Written Answers — Common Foreign and Security Policy: Common Foreign and Security Policy (26 May 2005)

Willie O'Dea: Space assets have multiple applications, both civil and military. In the civil role, space assets or satellites are used, for example, in monitoring implementation of the Common Agriculture Policy and for environmental analysis, research, navigation and so on. In the context of European security and defence policy, the availability of satellites for monitoring, reconnaissance and surveillance...

Written Answers — Air Ambulance Service: Air Ambulance Service (26 May 2005)

Willie O'Dea: The provision of an air ambulance service is primarily a matter for the Department of Health and Children. Inter-hospital air ambulance services are currently provided by the Air Corps and the Irish Coast Guard, subject to the nature of the mission, available aircraft and other operational commitments. The Alouette and Dauphin helicopters are currently used by the Air Corps in the provision...

Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (26 May 2005)

Willie O'Dea: On 20 December 2001, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 1386 under Chapter VII of the UN charter authorising the deployment of an international security assistance force, ISAF, in Afghanistan for six months. The role of the force is to assist in the maintenance of security in Kabul and the surrounding areas. The mandate of the force has been extended by subsequent Security...

Written Answers — Air Corps Helicopter Fleet: Air Corps Helicopter Fleet (26 May 2005)

Willie O'Dea: 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 €61million. Four utility AB 139 helicopters are being acquired from the Bell Agusta Aerospace Company at a cost of €48.4 million, inclusive of VAT. The four helicopters will be built at the Agusta facility near Milan, Italy. Two AB 139s will be...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Property: Defence Forces Property (26 May 2005)

Willie O'Dea: Personnel on being discharged from the Permanent Defence Force are obliged to vacate married quarters within a short period of the dates of their discharge. The provision of housing is primarily a matter for the local authorities and married personnel have an equal claim on such housing as other members of the community in the same income category. Some 54 of those overholding married...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Property: Defence Forces Property (26 May 2005)

Willie O'Dea: The refurbishment of residential accommodation is an integral part of my Department's ongoing building programme. Major contracts to improve the standard of accommodation have been placed over the past number of years as part of an ongoing investment programme within the Defence Forces. In the period 2003 to date, major accommodation upgrades have taken place in McKee and Cathal Brugha...

Written Answers — Departmental Publications: Departmental Publications (1 Jun 2005)

Willie O'Dea: My Department currently has no commissioned reports awaiting publication.

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (2 Jun 2005)

Willie O'Dea: In so far as my Department is concerned, no commissions, inquiries or tribunals have been initiated since 1995.

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (2 Jun 2005)

Willie O'Dea: The Government decision on decentralisation announced by the Minister for Finance in his Budget Statement on 3 December 2003 provides for the transfer of my Department's Dublin based Civil Service staff to Newbridge, County Kildare. The number of staff to be relocated to Newbridge is 200. The Government decision also provides for the transfer of 300 Defence Forces headquarters staff to the...

Written Answers — Tax Collection: Tax Collection (14 Jun 2005)

Willie O'Dea: I understand an application for a refund of income tax from the person concerned in respect of absences on sick leave for which he received social welfare benefit is being processed by the Revenue Commissioners. The person concerned has been notified of the position.

Written Answers — Military Inquiries: Military Inquiries (14 Jun 2005)

Willie O'Dea: I again convey my deepest sympathy to the family on the loss of their son. As the Deputy may be aware, a Naval Service officer held meetings with the parents at the office of their legal representative to facilitate their access to the report of the military court of inquiry into their son's tragic death. The meetings were intended to assist the family by explaining the court of inquiry...

Written Answers — Ministerial Travel: Ministerial Travel (14 Jun 2005)

Willie O'Dea: I did not travel abroad for the St. Patrick's Day celebrations.

Written Answers — Airspace Infringements: Airspace Infringements (14 Jun 2005)

Willie O'Dea: Unauthorised infringements by air traffic from Weston Airport represent a hazard to all airspace users, whether military or civil aircraft, that legally transit through restricted military airspace. All infringements are noted by the Air Corps and the more serious infringements are reported to the appropriate body, the Irish Aviation Authority, for its attention and for any action which it...

Written Answers — Official Engagements: Official Engagements (14 Jun 2005)

Willie O'Dea: During the period 30 May to 1 June, I visited Irish troops serving with KFOR in Kosovo, and EUFOR in Bosnia Herzegovina. During my visit to EUFOR, I met with Lord Ashdown, the high representative for Bosnia Herzegovina. We had a wide-ranging discussion which included the current situation in the area and the prospects for further developments and also the question of the opening of...

Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (15 Jun 2005)

Willie O'Dea: I am satisfied that none of the members of State boards under the auspices of my Department is disqualified from holding a directorship of a private company. I am in the process of appointing a new Civil Defence Board as the three year term of office of 12 of the members of the first Civil Defence Board expired with effect from 5 June 2005.

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (15 Jun 2005)

Willie O'Dea: Expenditure incurred by my Department, including the Defence Forces where available, in respect of courier or packaging services in each of the past five years is as set out in the following table. Year An Post SDS Iarnród Éireann FASTRACK DHL Total Expenditure â'¬ â'¬ â'¬ â'¬ 2000 44,870.07 # — — # 44,870.07 # 2001 52,368.09 — 2,578.09...

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (16 Jun 2005)

Willie O'Dea: Details of the amount of the gross departmental budget, that is, the combined Defence and Army Pensions Estimates, and of the combined amount surrendered to the Exchequer in each of the years from 1997 to 2004 are given in the following table. This was a period of unprecedented investment in Defence Forces infrastructure and equipment. A broad indication of the composition of the amount...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (16 Jun 2005)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 178 and 179 together. The Defence Forces (Pensions) Acts 1932 to 2004 comprise a total of six short Acts, one of which was repealed in full by the 1975 Act, together with certain provisions of the Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2004, which enable the Minister for Defence, with the consent of the Minister for Finance, to make and...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Legislation: Defence Forces Legislation (16 Jun 2005)

Willie O'Dea: In the conduct of all departmental business, officials of my Department always endeavour to comply with the requirements of all relevant Acts of the Oireachtas and statutory instruments made thereunder. This is also the case in the pensions field and specifically in respect of the Defence Forces pensions schemes made by the Minister for Defence pursuant to the Defence Forces (Pensions) Acts....