Results 8,701-8,720 of 12,596 for speaker:Willie O'Dea

Written Answers — Defence Forces Schemes: Defence Forces Schemes (4 Feb 2009)

Willie O'Dea: Defence Force Regulations S.7 and its enabling legislation, the Defence Amendment Act, 1990, provide for representative structures for members of the Defence Forces including the Army and Naval Reserves. The question of a Conciliation and Arbitration Scheme for the ranks represented by the Reserve Defence Force Representative Association (RDFRA) has been raised by representatives of the...

Written Answers — Naval Service Vessels: Naval Service Vessels (4 Feb 2009)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 116 and 121 together. The Naval Service provides the maritime element of the Defence Forces and has a general responsibility to meet contingent and actual maritime defence requirements. In the 2000 White Paper on Defence, the Government decided that the Naval Service would be based on an eight-ship flotilla and committed to a modernisation and replacement...

Written Answers — Reserve Defence Forces: Reserve Defence Forces (4 Feb 2009)

Willie O'Dea: The Reserve Defence Force Review Implementation plan provides for a phased approach to enhancing the capabilities of the Reserve over the period to the end of 2009. The introduction of new RDF organisational structures, the development of new training syllabi, improved equipment and clothing have successfully been delivered as part of Phase 1 of the Implementation Plan. Phase 2 of the Plan...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Strength: Defence Forces Strength (4 Feb 2009)

Willie O'Dea: 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. On 31 December 2008, the most recent date for which figures are available, the actual total strength of the Permanent Defence Force was 10,408 comprising 832 Air Corps, 1,070 Naval Service and...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Property: Defence Forces Property (4 Feb 2009)

Willie O'Dea: Defence Forces Married Quarters are provided to serving members until their retirement or resignation. Defence Forces Regulations state that the Quarters must be vacated within 15 days of leaving the service. Following previous attempts to resolve the situation regarding the unauthorised occupation of the quarters in question, a letter was sent to the occupiers on the 11 September 2008 as a...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Property: Defence Forces Property (4 Feb 2009)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 120, 136, 137, 139, 147 and 154 together. The military authorities had conducted a detailed review of the immediate requirements to enable the closure of Monaghan, Lifford, Rockhill and Longford Barracks. In addition to some immediate requirements, medium term capital works to provide more permanent arrangements for the transferring personnel, have also been...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Report: Defence Forces Report (4 Feb 2009)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 122 and 155 together. I am committed to providing a sustainable medical service to meet the needs of the Defence Forces both at home and abroad. The challenges in the medical arena have been recognised for some time and a review of the provision of medical services, in association with the Representative Associations, is ongoing as part of the Modernisation...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Archives: Defence Forces Archives (4 Feb 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 archive files are held there and, because of storage space constraints, in other locations. A Military Pensions Archive...

Written Answers — Civilianisation Programme: Civilianisation Programme (4 Feb 2009)

Willie O'Dea: The White Paper on Defence (2000) covers the potential benefits of civilianisation and contracting out of certain military posts. It recognises that civilianisation could "..release personnel for operational duties for which they are specifically trained". It could release them "from essentially administrative and other tasks which can more appropriately be undertaken by civilians." The...

Written Answers — Asgard II Replacement Vessel: Asgard II Replacement Vessel (4 Feb 2009)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 125, 128 and 132 together. A meeting of the board of Coiste an Asgard is taking place this afternoon at which the possible salvage of Asgard II will be further considered. Arising from that meeting I expect to get a recommendation from the board within the next day or two as to whether or not to proceed with a salvage operation. I will then make a decision...

Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (4 Feb 2009)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 126 and 144 together. In line with the provisions of the Reserve Defence Force Review Implementation Plan, it is hoped that a small number of Reservists will be able to undertake overseas service in late 2009. The military authorities have identified overseas posts requiring specific skills that may be filled by members of the Reserve. The military...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Equipment: Defence Forces Equipment (4 Feb 2009)

Willie O'Dea: A contract for the supply of twenty- seven (27) Light Tactical Armoured Vehicles to the Defence Forces was awarded to BAE Systems based in South Africa in December 2008. The contract followed from a detailed tender competition, which was initiated in May 2008, and which concluded in November 2008. The intention is that the LTAV will complement the Mowag Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) in...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Estimates: Defence Forces Estimates (4 Feb 2009)

Willie O'Dea: In addition to any changes that apply to the public sector generally, the non-pay element of the Defence Estimate for 2009, as published in the context of the Budget, will be reduced by €15 million as part of the overall savings announced by the Government yesterday. Details of the reductions in individual subheads will be contained in the Revised Estimates for Public Services to be...

Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (4 Feb 2009)

Willie O'Dea: In line with the provisions of the Reserve Defence Force Review Implementation Plan, it is hoped that a small number of Reservists will be able to undertake overseas service in late 2009. The military authorities have identified overseas posts requiring specific skills that may be filled by members of the Reserve. The military authorities have sought expressions of interest from suitably...

Written Answers — Commemorative Events: Commemorative Events (4 Feb 2009)

Willie O'Dea: The re-constituted Oireachtas All Party Consultation Group on commemorative issues met on 9 December 2008. The party members are Jimmy Deenihan, T.D., Joe Costello T.D., Aengus Ó Snodaigh T.D., and Michael Lowry T.D. as a representative of Independent members.

Written Answers — Defence Forces White Paper: Defence Forces White Paper (4 Feb 2009)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 138 and 151 together. The current White Paper on Defence, which was published in February 2000, was the first-ever White Paper on Defence and set out the policy framework and development strategy for the period 2000 — 2010. The overall Government objective was to achieve affordable and sustainable Defence Forces capable of fulfilling the roles laid down by...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Schemes: Defence Forces Schemes (4 Feb 2009)

Willie O'Dea: Significant progress has been made recently in implementing schemes to enable more commissioning from the ranks. The revised cadetship competition is now seen as the primary means of commissioning from the ranks. The cadetship competition has been revised to increase the maximum entry age to 28 and to award bonus marks to candidates with previous experience in the Permanent Defence Force...

Written Answers — Reserve Defence Forces: Reserve Defence Forces (4 Feb 2009)

Willie O'Dea: The White Paper on Defence 2000 outlines the blueprint for the Reserve Defence Force (RDF). The Reserve Defence Force Review Implementation Plan provides for the phased enhancement of Reserve capabilities over the period to the end of 2009. In accordance with the Plan, revised organisation structures came into effect in October 2005. The Reserve has been re-organised along similar lines to...

Written Answers — Explosive Devices: Explosive Devices (4 Feb 2009)

Willie O'Dea: The primary responsibility for the maintenance of law and order rests with an Garda Síochána. The Defence Forces, pursuant to their role of rendering aid to the civil power, assist the Gardaí as required. Requests for aid to the civil power are normally made by a member of an Garda Síochána not below the rank of Inspector. The Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Team respond when a request...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Equipment: Defence Forces Equipment (4 Feb 2009)

Willie O'Dea: The issue of the replacement of the Air Corps Cessna Fleet has been considered by my Department in consultation with the military authorities. The question of funding the replacement programme has to be considered in tandem with the overall equipment requirements of the Defence Forces generally and the funding available for this. The Cessna replacement programme is not a current priority and...