Results 1,281-1,300 of 12,630 for speaker:Willie O'Dea

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (21 Feb 2006)

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 all 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...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Discharge: Defence Forces Discharge (21 Feb 2006)

Willie O'Dea: Personnel enlisted in the Permanent Defence Force, after 1 January 1994 are not eligible for consideration for extension of service on completion of their initial five year term of enlistment unless they have a minimum medical classification. In the case in question the individual's medical classification was assessed as being below the required standard for extension of service. The medical...

Leaders' Questions. (22 Feb 2006)

Willie O'Dea: It was Giant Haystacks.

Written Answers — Defence Forces Strength: Defence Forces Strength (22 Feb 2006)

Willie O'Dea: The statistical information in regard to the number of personnel, male and female, who have joined the Permanent Defence Force in each of the past five years, is set out in the following table. Year M F Total 2001 853 101 954 2002 587 51 638 2003 487 59 546 2004 604 58 662 2005 427 47 474 It is my intention to maintain the established Government policy of...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Strength: Defence Forces Strength (22 Feb 2006)

Willie O'Dea: The military authorities advise that the number of personnel who left the Defence Forces between 2001 and 2005 is as follows: Year Female Male Total 2001 59 924 983 2002 34 715 749 2003 44 555 599 2004 23 533 556 2005 35 502 537 Total 195 3,229 3,424 These figures include deceased personnel but do not include personnel who were discharged administratively...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Recruitment: Defence Forces Recruitment (22 Feb 2006)

Willie O'Dea: Entry to the Permanent Defence Force is either through the cadetship competition, apprenticeship competition, general service enlistment or direct entry competitions, which are held to fill vacancies in specialist appointments. My Department is not specifically targeting the recruitment of ethnic minorities for the Defence Forces at this time. My emphasis at present is on ensuring that there...

Order of Business. (23 Feb 2006)

Willie O'Dea: The Opposition will not have that problem for a long time.

Overseas Missions. (23 Feb 2006)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 and 2 together. The ambition of the European Union to be able to respond rapidly to emerging crises has been, and continues to be, a key objective of the development of the European Security and Defence Policy, ESDP. The tasks to be carried out under ESDP, the so-called Petersberg Tasks, are defined in the Amsterdam treaty as "humanitarian and rescue tasks,...

Overseas Missions. (23 Feb 2006)

Willie O'Dea: Deputy Timmins has certainly raised a number of important questions. First, the funding question has arisen before. In the short term at least, I do not anticipate any increase in funding. We will stay within our limit of 850 troops and will operate from that. In other words, our total overseas commitment will not exceed our present limit of 850 troops. Second, we will also insist on the...

Overseas Missions. (23 Feb 2006)

Willie O'Dea: My answer was a bit long. I was trying to reply to all the different issues raised by Deputy Timmins. We hope to have the new legislation published and passed through the Houses of the Oireachtas before the summer recess. That is our plan. The new legislation will enable the Irish Government, without having a UN sanction, to send people abroad for training. It is also intended to enable the...

Overseas Missions. (23 Feb 2006)

Willie O'Dea: Following a number of questions in the Dáil on this matter, including some from Deputy Finian McGrath, I undertook to have the military archive examined in relation to the Niemba ambush and to revert with the findings. The question arising was whether Trooper Browne was killed at the Niemba ambush or survived for a few days and was killed near a village where he was foraging for food. A...

Overseas Missions. (23 Feb 2006)

Willie O'Dea: The book to which Deputy Finian McGrath refers draws considerably on the unit history, which contains a number of differing accounts and makes no attempt to reconcile them. When this matter was raised in the House by the Deputy and others, I asked the Army, which is the first port of call in such a situation, to examine its archives and investigate the matter generally. The Army has done so...

Overseas Missions. (23 Feb 2006)

Willie O'Dea: Yes.

Defence Forces Recruitment. (23 Feb 2006)

Willie O'Dea: The levels of female membership of units of the Permanent Defence Force, as advised by the military authorities are provided in the form of the following tabular statement. There are currently 528 female personnel serving in the Permanent Defence Force. The Government is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for men and women in the Defence Forces, namely, the Army, Air Corps, Naval...

Defence Forces Recruitment. (23 Feb 2006)

Willie O'Dea: I plan to discuss the contents of the reports with my officials, the Army and the representative organisations RACO and PDFORRA. I have no problem with publishing their contents at that stage. I expect the discussions to take place shortly. The internal debate on the medical barrier to further reducing the height requirements for female applicants continues. As Deputy Timmins states, medical...

Defence Forces Inquiry. (23 Feb 2006)

Willie O'Dea: Private Kevin Barrett died on 18 February 1999 while serving with the 84th infantry battalion in Lebanon. His death was the subject of a UN board of inquiry and an Irish contingent board of inquiry as well as a military police investigation. The coroner for north-west Donegal also held an inquest into the death of Private Barrett from 5 to 8 September 2005. The jury in the inquest returned an...

Defence Forces Inquiry. (23 Feb 2006)

Willie O'Dea: Concerning Deputy Sherlock's first question, it is my intention to implement the recommendations in the Hurley report. The majority of the report concerns the interaction between the family, the Department and the Army. Some improvements had been made since 2001 but Mr. Hurley recommends further changes and these will be implemented. I discussed these with the Chief of Staff as recently as...

Defence Forces Inquiry. (23 Feb 2006)

Willie O'Dea: Yes.

Commemorative Events. (23 Feb 2006)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 6, 52 and 166 together. The Easter Rising of 1916 will be commemorated by a military parade in Dublin on Sunday, 16 April 2006. Preparations for the parade, as announced by the Taoiseach last October, are being made by the Defence Forces. Approximately 2,500 personnel representing all branches of the forces together with representatives of ex-service personnel...

Commemorative Events. (23 Feb 2006)

Willie O'Dea: That is not an appropriate question in this regard.