Results 9,001-9,020 of 12,646 for speaker:Willie O'Dea

Defence Forces Policy. (26 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: I can confirm to Deputy Deenihan that I have a good deal of correspondence to back that up. Second, in regard to cost, the Deputy will be aware there is a later question on cost which we will reach. However, a cost-benefit analysis done by the Department shows that the total cost of this measure over the next three years will be approximately €5.9 million. As against that, recurrent...

Defence Forces Property. (26 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: The closure of barracks and the consolidation of the Defence Forces formations into a smaller number of locations is a key objective of the White Paper on Defence. The consolidation process is designed to facilitate collective training and improved training standards, while also freeing up under-utilised resources and personnel for operational duties. The dispersal of personnel over an...

Defence Forces Property. (26 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: One of the first things I received when I came into the Ministry of Defence was a request from the military to close further barracks on the basis that peace had arrived in Northern Ireland and there was no justification for seven Border posts. The British were already in the process of beginning to close their Border posts. The point was very forcefully made to me about the necessity for...

Defence Forces Property. (26 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: I contest those figures. I am told that €500,000 is all that is necessary to immediately spend on the barracks to which the troops are going because there are extensive facilities available in those barracks already. I am taking into account the various allowances, the cost of transportation and that €500,000. We envisage spending another €2.5 million on infrastructure over the next...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (25 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: No organisations or agencies under the auspices of my Department have been amalgamated or eliminated due to budgetary measures.

Written Answers — Army Barracks: Army Barracks (25 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: The decision to close a number of barracks was made in the context of the budget and was announced in the budget statement by my colleague the Minister for Finance, Mr Brian Lenihan T.D. While the decision was made in the context of realising savings in the Defence budget, the decision was not purely a financial one. The closure of barracks and the consolidation of the Defence Forces...

Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (25 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: The information sought by the Deputy in relation to consultants is outlined in the following table. Name of Consultancy firm Work Carried Out Cost € 2007 Petrus Consulting Carried out Quality Assurance of Value for Money Review of Clothing Procurement 2,904 2007 Murray Consultants Public Information and Awareness Campaign initiated 253,300 There is an ongoing capital building...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (25 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: I have outlined in the following table the total number of claimants and the total amount spent in respect of mileage allowances for civil servants and civilian employees of my Department in 2007. However, it is not possible to provide a breakdown of mileage allowance into the other categories requested, except to say that no payments were made in respect of the cycling allowance. A...

Written Answers — Army Barracks: Army Barracks (25 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: It is anticipated that Monaghan Army Barracks will be disposed of, taking account of market conditions, so as to maximise the return to the Defence Forces and generate funding for reinvestment in Defence Forces equipment and infrastructure in accordance with Government policy. I am assured by the military authorities that there is a range of available accommodation and facilities in place...

Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (25 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: I last visited Liberia during the period from 28 February 2006 to 2 March 2006 where I met with Irish personnel of 94th Infantry Battalion serving with UNMIL. A party of 10 people accompanied me on this trip which included five members of the media. The Gulfstream aircraft was tasked with this mission and all 10 members of the party travelled with me on this aircraft. My Department follows...

Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (25 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: As the Deputy will be aware, the Irish Battalion withdrew from the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) in May 2007 and no members of the Defence Forces are currently serving with UNMIL. While the Defence Forces were serving in UNMIL, there was no postal system operating to or within Liberia. The Defence Forces, therefore, contracted a commercial courier to deliver post to and from...

Written Answers — Army Barracks: Army Barracks (25 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: I am assured by the military authorities that there is a range of available accommodation and facilities in place in Dundalk Barracks and that any additional arrangements required will be in place by the time personnel from Monaghan Barracks will have to transfer to their new location.

Written Answers — Ministerial Staff: Ministerial Staff (25 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: The information requested by the Deputy is set out below. My Private Office Grade/Position No. Salary Scale as at 01/09/2008 Special Adviser(Non-established) 1 Principal Officer standard scale €86,168 – €106,582 Press Adviser(Non-established) 1 Principal Officer standard scale €86,168 – €106,582 Higher Executive Officer 1 Higher Executive Officer standard scale €46,558...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (25 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: The net effect in real terms of the provision under subhead A1 of the 2009 Defence Estimate is just over a 4% reduction in the payroll costs for the civil service staff of my Department in 2009. In the case of subhead B (Permanent Defence Forces pay), the precise reduction compared with 2008 is 1.6%, which was rounded up to 2% in the published Estimates. The approved allocation for that...

Leaders' Questions (25 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: The person was no relation to me.

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (20 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: My Department engaged consultants to carry an Environmental Health and Safety Assessment in the Naval Base, Haulbowline earlier this year. RPS were commissioned to do the assessment. The cost of the review was €50,000 (excluding VAT). This cost includes some additional costs for sampling and testing which was commissioned as a result of the preliminary findings of the report.

Written Answers — Defence Forces Personnel: Defence Forces Personnel (18 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: The military authorities have advised that the person in question served for nine years as a member of the Permanent Defence Force in the Air Corps from 1958 to 1967 and a further three year period with the First Line Reserve. The question of care provision for former members of the Defence Forces is dealt with by the HSE as part of the provision of services to the public generally. In...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Personnel: Defence Forces Personnel (18 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: The individual concerned was retired, by the President, on the advice of the Government with effect from a date in June, 1969. The retirement was effected pursuant to Section 47(2) of the Defence Act, 1954 and Paragraph 18(1)(f) of Defence Force Regulations A.15, which provide that an officer may be retired "in the interests of the service". The Deputy will appreciate that a decision to...

Written Answers — Benchmarking Awards: Benchmarking Awards (18 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: The Civil Service Performance Verification Group has monitored the performance of my Department with respect to the achievement of modernisation objectives under successive public sector pay agreements. In this context, my Department has consistently received a positive assessment. There was no requirement to undertake a similar process under Benchmarking, however, in light of the...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Equipment: Defence Forces Equipment (18 Nov 2008)

Willie O'Dea: The procurement of the Dauphin helicopters in the 1980's followed from competitive tendering competitions at that time based on specifications drawn up by the Air Corps. The Dauphin helicopters were fitted with a suite of digital instrumentation, having some analogue components, which was the most advanced cockpit fit available for any type of aircraft at the time. The Dauphin helicopters...