Results 8,421-8,440 of 12,593 for speaker:Willie O'Dea
- Written Answers — Defence Forces Reserve: Defence Forces Reserve (6 May 2009)
Willie O'Dea: The Reserve Defence Force Review implementation Plan provides for the phased enhancement of the Reserve over the period from 2004 to end 2009. Significant progress has been made to date in implementing the plan. The Reserve has been re-organised along similar lines to the Permanent Defence Force, there has been increased investment in the Reserve with new equipment and clothing and...
- Written Answers — Defence Forces Reserve: Defence Forces Reserve (6 May 2009)
Willie O'Dea: The detailed information requested by the Deputy is not readily available. The information will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.
- Written Answers — Defence Forces Reserve: Defence Forces Reserve (6 May 2009)
Willie O'Dea: The recent government Decision on savings measures on public service numbers is being implemented in the Defence Forces. In this context all promotion within the Reserve has been suspended for the present. The implications of the Government Decision are currently under consideration by my officials in consultation with the military authorities and the Department of Finance. While the...
- Written Answers — Defence Forces Training: Defence Forces Training (6 May 2009)
Willie O'Dea: Members of the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) are required to pass an annual Test of Elementary Training and fire their annual range practice in their assigned weapon. These typically include the Styre, Pistol and General Purpose Machine Gun. Members are also required to pass an annual Fitness Test, with the level of fitness required determined by age. In addition to these Tests, PDF members...
- Written Answers — Defence Forces Strength: Defence Forces Strength (6 May 2009)
Willie O'Dea: The number of members of the Permanent Defence Force by rank who have retired or resigned to date in 2009 and the number of personnel by rank who are currently on predischarge leave or have sought to retire early are outlined in the following tables: DISCHARGES 2009 TO DATE OFFICERS REASON BRIG GEN COL LT COL COMDT CAPT 2/LT TOTAL VOLUNTARY RETIREMENT 2 3 1 4 1 11 RETIREMENT ON AGE...
- Written Answers — Defence Forces Reserve: Defence Forces Reserve (6 May 2009)
Willie O'Dea: The Government's Value for Money and Policy Review Initiative is overseen by the Value for Money and Policy Review Central Steering Committee. Government Department's are required to submit review topics for inclusion in a rolling programme of Value for Money Reviews. The Department of Defence reviews approved by Government for inclusion in the 2009 â 2011 round of Value for Money and...
- Written Answers — Defence Forces Reserve: Defence Forces Reserve (6 May 2009)
Willie O'Dea: As a result of the re-organisation of the Reserve Defence Force (RDF) in 2005 the establishment of the Cadre staff was reduced to figures of 298 in the Army Reserve and 22 in the Naval Service Reserve. The strength of the RDF comprises three elements: Personnel who retained their pre-2005 appointments following the re-organisation. Personnel who held appointments pre-2005, but whose...
- Written Answers — Defence Forces Reserve: Defence Forces Reserve (6 May 2009)
Willie O'Dea: The eligibility criteria for the payment of a gratuity annually to members of the Reserve Defence Forces have not changed for 2009. The Defence Organisation, as with the public service generally, is required to operate with reduced funding and in this context the current provision for training of members of the Reserve has been reduced by â¬1.64m for 2009. As there are finite resources...
- Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (6 May 2009)
Willie O'Dea: The main requirement for legal services in my Department is in the context of administrative law litigation, usually in the form of judicial review and personal injury proceedings. The Chief State Solicitor's Office is responsible for the costs of the State's legal teams in cases that it manages on behalf of my Department. External legal costs incurred by the State Claims Agency arising...
- Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (6 May 2009)
Willie O'Dea: The information requested by the Deputy is outlined in the following table: Grade Flexi time% Work sharing% Secretary General N/A 0% Assistant Secretary N/A 0% Principal N/A 31% Assistant Principal 57% 8% Higher Executive Officer/Administrative Officer 100% 18% Executive Officers 100% 24% Staff Officer 100% 28% Clerical Officer 100% 20%
- Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (6 May 2009)
Willie O'Dea: The Government decision on decentralisation provides for the transfer of Defence Forces Headquarters (DFHQ) to the Curragh. The procurement of a new building for DFHQ in the Curragh is being handled by the Office of Public Works (OPW). A state owned site in the Curragh has been chosen for the building and planning approval has been obtained. The OPW have requested "Expressions of Interest"...
- Written Answers — Ombudsman for the Defence Forces: Ombudsman for the Defence Forces (6 May 2009)
Willie O'Dea: The Office of the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces was established under the Ombudsman (Defence Forces) Act 2004. On the 19th September 2005, Ms. Paulyn Marrinan-Quinn SC was appointed by the President, upon the recommendation of the Government, as the first Ombudsman for the Defence Forces. Her term of office was extended for a further three years from 19th September 2008. The Office of...
- Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (6 May 2009)
Willie O'Dea: A large number of claims are received from the Representative Associations on an ongoing basis under the Conciliation and Arbitration Scheme. These claims are dealt with at Conciliation Council or subcommittee of Council and/or in the normal course of the day to day administration of the C & A Scheme. Since January 2008 approximately forty claims have been submitted through the Conciliation...
- Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (6 May 2009)
Willie O'Dea: The information sought by the Deputy is not readily available and I am satisfied that to extract this information would take an excessive amount of work and time. I can assure the Deputy however that the Conciliation and Arbitration Scheme provides the mechanism for addressing issues, which come within the associations' remit. This scheme provides a range of fora to the associations, from...
- Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (6 May 2009)
Willie O'Dea: I have set out in the tables below the information requested for the years 2000, 2005 and 2009. Similar figures for earlier years are not readily available due to changes in the organisation and branch structure of the Department. The Deputy might like to be aware that overall staff numbers in my Department have fallen from 420 in 1991 to 380 in 2009. Conciliation and Arbitration Branch ...
- Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (6 May 2009)
Willie O'Dea: I have set out in the table below details of relevant formal training and education courses undertaken by staff of my Department. My Department has a strong commitment to the training and development of staff. It has consistently met the Government target of devoting 4% of payroll to training. The Department holds the Excellence through People accreditation from FÃS and the Training &...
- Written Answers — Defence Forces Reserve: Defence Forces Reserve (6 May 2009)
Willie O'Dea: The Government introduced a moratorium on recruitment to the Public Service with effect from 27th March 2009 and, as with the public service generally, the Defence Organisation, is required to operate with reduced funding for 2009. In this context all recruitment to the Reserve Defence Force has been suspended for the present. I am aware that this will be disappointing to many individuals...
- Written Answers — Naval Service Vessels: Naval Service Vessels (6 May 2009)
Willie O'Dea: There were two underwater video surveys commissioned on Asgard II following her sinking on 11 September 2008. The initial survey, which was carried out between 26 and 29 September, revealed that the vessel was lying upright in some 80m of water and appeared to be largely intact. Other than some visible damage to one of the hull planks, the video survey did not reveal anything about the extent...
- Written Answers — Military Archives: Military Archives (6 May 2009)
Willie O'Dea: The Military Archives, located in Cathal Brugha Barracks, Rathmines, Dublin 6, is the place of deposit for the records of the Department of Defence, the Defence Forces and the Army Pensions Board under the terms of Section 14 of the National Archives Act 1986. Military archives are held there and, because of storage space constraints, in other locations. A Military Pensions Archive project,...
- Written Answers — Defence Forces Reserve: Defence Forces Reserve (6 May 2009)
Willie O'Dea: The plan to deploy members of the Reserve Defence Force on overseas peace support operations has been postponed for the foreseeable future. The Government has introduced a moratorium on recruitment to the Public Service with effect from 27th March 2009. This moratorium prevents the planned recruitment of members of the Reserve to the Permanent Defence Force for the purpose of overseas...