Results 3,621-3,640 of 6,645 for speaker:Jimmy Deenihan

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (9 Jun 2010)

Jimmy Deenihan: Question 27: To ask the Minister for Finance his plans to introduce legislation that will both tax offshore betting and underpin greyhound racing and horse racing finances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24131/10]

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (3 Jun 2010)

Jimmy Deenihan: Question 144: To ask the Minister for Defence if a contractor has been appointed for the engine room measurement, alarm and control system with the Naval Service; the name of the successful contractor; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24002/10]

Defence Forces Recruitment (2 Jun 2010)

Jimmy Deenihan: Is the Minister aware that a commitment was given that the employment control framework would be agreed and presented to the Department of Finance by the end of April? A commitment was given that the employment control framework would be agreed and presented to the Department of Finance by the end of April. It is now a month since that date and this has not happened. My understanding is...

Defence Forces Recruitment (2 Jun 2010)

Jimmy Deenihan: I wish to stress the urgency of agreeing the framework on which, at this moment, 200 jobs are hanging. If 200 jobs were created in this country tomorrow morning, there would be major announcements about it. There are 200 people waiting to take up employment when this is agreed and surely that is enough of a reason to expedite the measure. Will the Minister also confirm that the mentioned...

Defence Forces Personnel (2 Jun 2010)

Jimmy Deenihan: Would the Minister not agree that a reduction of 400 in Army personnel, from 8,433 to 8,036 from March 2009 to the end of April 2010, is worrying? Can he provide a reason for this major reduction? Is he aware that foreign military authorities, especially those in the Middle East, are now advertising in this country for aircraft expert technicians and army personnel? I understand this could...

Defence Forces Personnel (2 Jun 2010)

Jimmy Deenihan: In my question I mentioned gender. Will the Minister give an indication of the number of women leaving the service and the overall percentage of women in the Defence Forces? The Minister indicated that recruitment will be targeted, so does it follow that preferential treatment will be given in the recruitment of women?

Defence Forces Personnel (2 Jun 2010)

Jimmy Deenihan: The Minister should ensure the employment control framework can be agreed as soon as possible. That is the Minister's task for the next week in his hands-on approach. The other issue regards gender, which I continually pursued with the Minister's predecessor. Consideration should be given to the Curragh, where there is the highest concentration of women officers involved in the forces at...

Defence Forces Personnel (2 Jun 2010)

Jimmy Deenihan: The Minister did not address the crèche issue.

Defence Forces Personnel (2 Jun 2010)

Jimmy Deenihan: The Minister will make it a priority.

Defence Forces Reserve (2 Jun 2010)

Jimmy Deenihan: The Minister might provide the House with some of his thoughts on the integrated Reserve Defence Force and the First Line Reserve. Does he still plan on going ahead with both? Will the reserves form part of future UN missions in which we are involved? At the conference, it was strongly conveyed that, to provide motivation, the integrated reserve would be the way forward, but that plan...

Defence Forces Reserve (2 Jun 2010)

Jimmy Deenihan: An issue arose at the conference, namely, delays in gaining medical and security clearances were holding up recruitment. Can the Minister do anything to accelerate the process? For example, one could enter the reserve defence force of our neighbouring jurisdiction more quickly than one could enter ours. Gaining medical and security clearances for the reserve in the UK is also faster.

Defence Forces Recruitment (2 Jun 2010)

Jimmy Deenihan: I gather from the Minister's comments that there is no requirement for 10,000 people. Instead, it is a question of how efficient the numbers are. Will the Minister be specific and tell us whether the 10,000 figure is the accepted strength, the maximum or the minimum? Confirming which is important. I welcome the recruitment to the navy, but will the Minister make use of the Naval Service...

Defence Forces Reserve (2 Jun 2010)

Jimmy Deenihan: The number of the Reserve Defence Force has been reduced from 24,000 a few years ago to just over 6,000. However, the international trend has been to increase the size of reserve defence forces. For example, many British army personnel in Afghanistan are from its reserve defence forces. We seem to be going the opposite way in Ireland and there seems to be a deliberate policy to reduce the...

Defence Forces Reserve (2 Jun 2010)

Jimmy Deenihan: In any future recruitment to the Reserve Defence Force will the Minister put emphasis on the recruitment of women? Will he give us an indication on what proportion of the current Reserve Defence Force is made up of women? I am sure it would be a way of encouraging women to get more involved with the Permanent Defence Force.

Overseas Missions (2 Jun 2010)

Jimmy Deenihan: Question 18: To ask the Minister for Defence if any contact has been received from the United Nations or other bodies regarding proposed Irish participation in peace support missions; if he had indicated to the UN and other bodies that Ireland is interested in participation in peace support missions in the immediate future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23667/10]

Overseas Missions (2 Jun 2010)

Jimmy Deenihan: In January we had 758 military personnel serving overseas, but the Minister tells us that number is now reduced to 167. Our international credibility with the United Nations and with our fellow European Union member states is at stake. Our involvement in UN and EUFOR missions gives us a special footprint and a certain amount of authority as an international player. This international...

Overseas Missions (2 Jun 2010)

Jimmy Deenihan: How can the Defence Forces keep training personnel at a certain intensity with no mission? That is surely not sustainable. The Minister made a commitment in the House that he would increase the number of those serving in Kosovo, for example. Can he confirm whether he intends to increase those numbers further?

Overseas Missions (2 Jun 2010)

Jimmy Deenihan: Does the Minister agree that missions abroad, including that in Bosnia and Herzegovina, are important in terms of our foreign policy and, by making us players at the United Nations, afford us greater influence abroad? Will the Minister confirm that he has made direct contact with the UN regarding the possibility of future missions? Has he confirmed to the UN that we have a contingent...

Naval Service Vessels (2 Jun 2010)

Jimmy Deenihan: Question 20: To ask the Minister for Defence the proposals he had made to ensure the deterrent impact in having ships on the ocean waves is maximised, in view of the reduction in the Naval Service patrol days; if he believes, that in view of the threat posed by drugs importation, and the costs it imposes on the health and justice budgets, that additional expenditure in preventing the...

Naval Service Vessels (2 Jun 2010)

Jimmy Deenihan: While I agree with the Minister that intelligence-led operations are very much the norm now, surely he will agree, as mentioned in his reply and previously on Question Time, that one must have a constant presence of naval vessels in our territorial waters to act as a real deterrent to people intent on smuggling drugs into the country. The reduction in patrol days in 2010 sends out the wrong...