Results 1,501-1,520 of 12,630 for speaker:Willie O'Dea

Overseas Missions. (9 May 2006)

Willie O'Dea: The current quick reaction force comprises Irish and Swedish troops. The Liberian authorities and the UN have asked us to continue our involvement for a further six months to enable the UN to develop an alternative quick reaction force. The Swedish Government has declined but we are disposed to accept the request, although I have not yet recommended such a course to the Government. I...

Overseas Missions. (9 May 2006)

Willie O'Dea: Deputy Timmins will be interested to know that today the Cabinet accepted my recommendation to commit ten personnel to Congo to assist MONAC to oversee the election in July. While we have no requests to deploy troops in May 2007, unfortunately with the state of the world there will be no shortage of such requests and we will consider them as sympathetically as possible, taking account of the...

Overseas Missions. (9 May 2006)

Willie O'Dea: If the Sudanese Government requests UN assistance, the Security Council passes a resolution that troops should be deployed to Sudan and a request comes to the Irish Government, we will examine it in the same way as we would examine any other request.

Commemorative Events. (9 May 2006)

Willie O'Dea: I take this opportunity to congratulate the Defence Forces on their magnificent display at the Easter parade. There was great public approval and support for the commemorations of the Easter Rising. I have received a lot of positive feedback, written and oral, from members of the public who were delighted to see the modern Defence Forces given an opportunity to parade through our capital...

Commemorative Events. (9 May 2006)

Willie O'Dea: I assure Deputy Gormley and the House that there was no hidden agenda. As Fianna Fáil, not Sinn Féin, is the republican party, we had no need to reclaim nationalism from Sinn Féin and there was no such intention. While many commentators related the commemoration to recent opinion poll gains, I do not take much account of opinion polls. The poll that matters to me is the result on the day....

Defence Forces Property. (9 May 2006)

Willie O'Dea: The military authorities advise that the staff strength of the military archive is three, comprising a commissioned officer, a non-commissioned officer and a private. As I told Deputy Timmins earlier, two further commissioned officers serving at the military archive retired recently and approval has been granted for their replacement. The requirement for a more suitable home for the military...

Defence Forces Property. (9 May 2006)

Willie O'Dea: I referred to the museum at Collins Barracks.

Defence Forces Property. (9 May 2006)

Willie O'Dea: Yes.

Defence Forces Property. (9 May 2006)

Willie O'Dea: I said when the interdepartmental committee was set up in 2003 that the primary focus was on the National Museum of Ireland facility at the former military barracks, Collins Barracks, Dublin. It was asked to determine whether the military archives could be taken out of Cathal Brugha Barracks and relocated at Collins Barracks — this was the extent of its brief. Difficulties have arisen....

Fisheries Protection. (9 May 2006)

Willie O'Dea: The Naval Service, supported by the Air Corps maritime patrol aircraft, provides Ireland with a very effective fisheries protection service in accordance with our EU obligations and the requirements of the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, which has primary policy responsibility in this area. EU Regulation No. 1489/1997 introduced satellite-based vessel monitoring...

Fisheries Protection. (9 May 2006)

Willie O'Dea: We had to introduce the system in response to two EU regulations. We have the satellite equipment on-shore to locate all EU vessels entering the Irish 200 nautical mile fishery zone and also to locate Irish vessels anywhere in the world. Those vessels carry an instrument which I believe is called a transponder.

Fisheries Protection. (9 May 2006)

Willie O'Dea: Yes. That system has been put in place. I understand from talking to the relevant officials in the Department that there were some teething difficulties. However, we have gone way beyond the pilot stage and the system is in full operation and working well.

Fisheries Protection. (9 May 2006)

Willie O'Dea: Yes.

Fisheries Protection. (9 May 2006)

Willie O'Dea: I do not know the position. I believe the system applies only to vessels over 15 m because these are the vessels covered by the regulations. I will talk to my officials about Deputy Timmins's last point.

Fisheries Protection. (9 May 2006)

Willie O'Dea: The system applies to vessels over 15 m. Two EU regulations, dating from 1997 and 2003, apply. The latter increased the range of fishing vessels that must comply with VMS regulations to all vessels over 15 m from 1 January 2005. I will check the position on smaller vessels and write to Deputy Costello in response.

Army Compensation Claims. (9 May 2006)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 67, 121 and 126 together. The Army Pensions Acts provide for the grant of pensions and gratuities to former members of the Permanent Defence Force in respect of permanent disablement due to a wound or injury attributable to military service, whether at home or abroad, or due to disease attributable to or aggravated by overseas service with the United Nations....

Army Compensation Claims. (9 May 2006)

Willie O'Dea: We will supply those.

Army Compensation Claims. (9 May 2006)

Willie O'Dea: I undertake to supply Deputy Costello with the yearly figures. Some 297 applications were made and 191 were deemed eligible for a pension or gratuity. Of those found eligible, 59 were wound pension and gratuity cases relating to compensation for a specific wound or injury. These are being reviewed. An actuarial report is prepared on the value of the compensation and the person in receipt of...

Army Compensation Claims. (9 May 2006)

Willie O'Dea: It is complex. If someone suffers a bullet wound or a leg fracture while on army service, it is regarded as a wound or injury and he or she can apply for a pension in respect of this. If the person sues the Department of Defence and receives compensation, this will be taken into account. If someone suffers a wound or injury which does not merit compensation and subsequently develops a medical...

Overseas Missions. (9 May 2006)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 68, 71, 78, 86, 88, 94, 103, 107, 109, 110, 116, 470, 471 and 476 together. The ambition of the EU 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...