Results 7,721-7,740 of 12,593 for speaker:Willie O'Dea

Written Answers — Medical Corps: Medical Corps (20 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: I am advised by the Military Authorities that the number of Medical staff within the Defence Forces is two hundred and sixty (260), comprising twenty (20) Medical Officers, one (1) Psychiatrist, one (1) Psychologist, five (5) Dentists, three (3) Pharmacists, two hundred and twelve (212) Medics and eighteen (18) members of the Army Nursing Service. Of the 260 medical staff a total of sixteen...

Written Answers — Ministerial Appointments: Ministerial Appointments (20 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: Mr. David Andrews, former Minister for Foreign Affairs, was appointed to be Chairman of the Irish Red Cross Society for a three-year period commencing in May 2009. Mr. Andrews retired from this position with effect from the 31 December 2009 as a gesture of recognition of the reform process now under discussion. I commend him for his time and commitment to the Society at home and abroad. The...

Written Answers — Naval Service Vessels: Naval Service Vessels (20 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: A vessel replacement strategy for the Naval Service is currently in progress and a tender competition for a ship replacement programme commenced in 2007. The competition sought tenders for the purchase of two Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) and one Extended Patrol Vessel (EPV), with an option for up to two additional vessels. The process comprised two stages – Stage 1, a Request for...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Equipment: Defence Forces Equipment (20 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: In the context of settling the Estimates for my Department for 2010, the Government decided that the national sail training scheme operated by Coiste an Asgard would be discontinued as recommended in the Report of the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure. As a result of that decision, the sum of €3.8m representing the insured value of Asgard 11 has been transferred to...

Written Answers — Search and Rescue Service: Search and Rescue Service (20 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: The Naval Service achieved the following patrol days in each year from 2005 to 2009: Year Patrol Days 2005 1681 2006 1658 2007 1661 2008 1658 2009 1588 As part of the Estimates process for 2010, the Department sought to implement measures which would bring about the savings or the equivalent thereof as identified in the Report of the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Strength: Defence Forces Strength (20 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: The pay and allowances of the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) are provided for in subheads B and C of the Defence Vote. The outturn on those subheads was €539.4m in 2008 and €536.9 in 2009. The 2009 figure includes the carry-over costs of two general pay increases granted under the Towards 2016 agreement during 2008, as well as the full year costs of overseas allowances for the UN mission...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (20 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: The Deputy is referring to paragraphs 9 to 11 of Department of Finance Circular 28/2009. Those provisions apply to the civil service grades of Deputy Secretary and Assistant Secretary and other analogous grades/ranks to which a scheme of performance-related awards previously applied but has been terminated. The pay of two Assistant Secretaries in my Department and of ten military officers...

Written Answers — Departmental Investigations: Departmental Investigations (20 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: I am advised by the Military Authorities that a comprehensive investigation into this allegation has been completed. A Report on the matter has recently been forwarded to the Director of Military Prosecutions who will determine what action, if any, is required under the Defence Act. The Military Authorities have further advised that the individual in question, as is standard practice in...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Operations: Defence Forces Operations (20 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: As the Deputy will be aware, emergency planning in this country is based on the 'lead department' principle. This means that each department is responsible for assessing the risks, making appropriate plans and leading the response to those emergencies that impact on its areas of responsibility. In December 2008, in my capacity of Chairman of the Government Task Force on Emergency Planning, I...

Written Answers — Bomb Disposal Unit: Bomb Disposal Unit (20 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: The primary responsibility for the maintenance of law and order rests with an Garda Síochána. The Defence Forces, Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Team, pursuant to their role of rendering aid to the civil power (ATCP), respond when a request is made by an Garda Síochána, to the relevant Brigade, for assistance in dealing with a suspect device or for the removal of old ordnance. I have...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (20 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: Family Income Supplement (FIS) is a weekly tax-free payment available to married or unmarried employees with at least one child. It gives extra financial support to people on low pay. The circumstances surrounding an application for FIS and the payment of the supplement is a private matter between the applicant and the Department of Social and Family Affairs. My Department would not be...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (20 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: The level of expenditure on Defence in any particular country is influenced by a variety of factors, including that country's political and security environment, its history, demography and economy. Gross expenditure under the Defence and Army Pensions Votes in 2009 was €1,019m. This represents 0.6% of estimated GDP for 2009 (as outlined in the Stability Programme Update of December 2009).

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (20 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: The Defence Organisation is widely recognised as a model of public sector reform. The report of the Special Group on Public Sector Numbers and Expenditure Programmes clearly highlights the fact that the Defence Organisation was unique in the public sector, having downsized over the period from 2001. The downsizing arising from the White Paper on Defence (2000) and previous modernisation...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Strength: Defence Forces Strength (20 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 113, 117, 122 and 267 together. The White Paper on Defence of February 2000 sets out a figure of 10,500 personnel for the Permanent Defence Force comprising 930 for the Air Corps, 1,144 for the Naval Service and 8,426 for the Army. The recent Report of the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes recommended that the number of...

Written Answers — Naval Service Vessels: Naval Service Vessels (20 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: The Naval Service flotilla comprises of eight vessels - the three oldest of which are the L.E. Emer (commissioned in 1978), the L.E. Aoife (commissioned in 1979) and the L.E. Aisling (commissioned in 1980). There is a programme of continuous planned and preventative maintenance to ensure that all Naval Service vessels are kept in a seaworthy condition, and the Naval Service will only send...

Written Answers — Court of Inquiry Report: Court of Inquiry Report (20 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: The General Officer Commanding 1 Southern Brigade received the report of the Court of Inquiry, in the latter part of 2009. On consideration of the Report, he sought clarification on some matters from the Court of Inquiry. He has now received the clarification sought and is currently reconsidering the Report. On completion of his reconsiderations, the report will be forwarded to the Deputy...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Recruitment: Defence Forces Recruitment (20 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: Resulting from the Government Decision regarding the reduction of public service numbers and the reduced budgetary provision available for 2009, recruitment, promotions and acting up appointments in the Permanent Defence Forces were suspended. In June 2009, I made a submission to my colleague the Minister for Finance regarding the implications of the measures for the Permanent Defence...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Training: Defence Forces Training (20 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: The military authorities have informed me that 2447 Reservists attended training camps in 2009. The number of personnel in each rank who attended training camps is presented in the following table. Lt Col Comdt Capt Lt Total Officers SM BQ CS CQ Sgt Cpl Total NCOs Pte Total 2 95 147 165 409 13 17 78 81 408 415 1,012 1,026 2,447 The figures refer to non-integrated personnel. The...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Strength: Defence Forces Strength (20 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: I am advised by the military authorities that a total of 804 personnel have left the Permanent Defence Force in the eighteen month period 1 July 2008 to 31 December 2009. This figure is comprised of 99 Officers, 312 Non-Commissioned Officers and 393 Other Ranks personnel. A breakdown according to rank and per month is provided in the tabular statement. I am keenly aware of the impact that...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (20 Jan 2010)

Willie O'Dea: The Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Act 2009 provides for the reduction of public service salaries of up to €125,000 by: 5% on the first €30,000 of salary; 7.5% on the next €40,000 of salary; and 10% on the next €55,000 of salary. In addition, the Act provides for a 5% reduction in fixed rate allowances payable to such public servants While the REV (Revised...