Results 9,101-9,120 of 12,646 for speaker:Willie O'Dea

Written Answers — Defence Forces Equipment: Defence Forces Equipment (22 Oct 2008)

Willie O'Dea: The Naval Service provides the maritime element of the Defence Forces and has a general responsibility to meet contingent and actual maritime defence requirements. The Naval Service operates eight general purpose patrol ships. All eight ships are involved in coastal and offshore patrolling and surveillance for the State in that part of the seas where State jurisdiction applies. The Naval...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (22 Oct 2008)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 180 and 181 together. The gross total allocation for my Department in 2009 is €1,061m, comprising €852m in the Defence Estimate and €209m in the Army Pensions Estimate. When compared with the allocation for 2008, this represents a reduction of 4% in the Defence Estimate and an increase of 10% in the Army Pensions Estimate, giving an overall reduction of...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Equipment: Defence Forces Equipment (22 Oct 2008)

Willie O'Dea: The acquisition of new equipment and facilities for the Defence Forces continues to be a key focus for me as Minister for Defence. Significant investment has taken place in recent years in this regard and this investment will continue in the future taking into account the financial situation year on year. The unprecedented level of expenditure on equipment for the Army, Air Corps and Naval...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Strength: Defence Forces Strength (22 Oct 2008)

Willie O'Dea: The White Paper on Defence of February 2000 set out a figure of 10,500 personnel for the Permanent Defence Force as the strength sufficient to meet all foreseeable military requirements for the period comprehended by the White Paper (i.e. up to 2010). This remains the position. In common with other areas of the public service a payroll cut of 3% has been applied to the Defence Forces for...

Written Answers — Army Barracks: Army Barracks (22 Oct 2008)

Willie O'Dea: In keeping with the commitments in the White Paper on Defence it is intended that the Defence Forces will continue to be modernised over the coming years. Any revenue accruing from the disposal of surplus Defence property will be used to finance equipment acquisition and infrastructure projects within the Defence Forces.

Written Answers — Army Barracks: Army Barracks (22 Oct 2008)

Willie O'Dea: No decision has been made yet on the disposal of these Barracks. However, in keeping with Government policy the proceeds of any disposal will be reinvested in the Defence Forces.

Written Answers — Army Barracks: Army Barracks (22 Oct 2008)

Willie O'Dea: The consolidation of the Defence Forces formations into a smaller number of locations is a key objective of the White Paper on Defence. The proposals announced in the Budget have been developed in full consultation with the military authorities. The dispersal of personnel over an extended number of locations is a major impediment to essential collective training. It also imposes increased...

Toxic Waste. (22 Oct 2008)

Willie O'Dea: Deputy Deenihan mentioned my assurance to the House. I am simply communicating to the House the results of the report. To reiterate, a joint meeting will be convened in Haulbowline, hopefully next week when the report is ready, between representatives of the naval staff and civilians and the details of the report will be explained to them. I will then immediately publish the report and...

Toxic Waste. (22 Oct 2008)

Willie O'Dea: My interpretation, from what I have been told of the report, is that there is no risk at all. Unless there is some other impediment to using the pitches, personnel should not be prevented from using them on the premise the report has discovered it is in any way dangerous to use them. My information is the report appears to give an absolutely clean bill of health to the site. The report...

Child Care Facilities. (22 Oct 2008)

Willie O'Dea: A request to provide crèche facilities for members of the Defence Forces has been made by the Defence Forces representative associations. The Defence Forces partnership steering group, which was established following on from Partnership 2000, has tasked a partnership sub-committee with examining the issue of the provision of child care facilities under a number of headings, including demand...

Child Care Facilities. (22 Oct 2008)

Willie O'Dea: With regard to the initial question, I will study the report. I have not received it yet and do not know what is in it, but I will make inquiries as to when it will be available. With regard to the general issue of cost factors, the position is there is no funding available from the Department of Finance for the infrastructure. Therefore, if we decided to put a crèche in the Curragh, the...

Child Care Facilities. (22 Oct 2008)

Willie O'Dea: Deputy Deenihan referred to the altar of fiscal rectitude. Many things have been sacrificed by many Governments throughout the history of the State on the altar of fiscal rectitude. I will give this undertaking to the House. If a decision must be taken as to whether I provide money from my reduced capital budget to provide the infrastructure, the decision will only arise if the report...

Departmental Staff. (22 Oct 2008)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 13 and 31 together. My Department will achieve the 3% reduction in payroll costs by adopting a rigorous programme of efficiencies and through the prudent management of its resources. Specifically, a range of measures is being put in place to ensure that the required payroll reduction is achieved, including not filling vacancies arising from natural wastage...

Departmental Staff. (22 Oct 2008)

Willie O'Dea: For the moment.

Departmental Staff. (22 Oct 2008)

Willie O'Dea: Nine posts remain unfilled because we are trying to reach the 3% target. The Defence Forces are also subject to the 3% target. The total payroll allocation for the civil servants in my Department is €19.2 million. In 2009, the allocation will be €19 million. It will result in a slowdown in recruitment for the Army. The total payroll allocation for the Defence Forces for 2008 is...

Departmental Staff. (22 Oct 2008)

Willie O'Dea: That is a very interesting question and the answer is "No". Whatever happens, Army people who need medical assistance will get it. As the Deputy will be aware from the replies to previous questions, in so far as we cannot provide that medical assistance ourselves, we contract it in from outside. The cost of doing that for this year is estimated at approximately €4.5 million. I would...

Departmental Staff. (22 Oct 2008)

Willie O'Dea: The answer to the first question is "No". There will be no reduction in personnel. Some 635 troops and 46 civilian staff are being moved throughout the different barracks. The troops will be moved to the different barracks being organised for them. The civilian staff can accept redeployment if redeployment is available for them. At the moment I am discussing with the Department of...

Departmental Staff. (22 Oct 2008)

Willie O'Dea: It will reduce it slightly. It is currently at approximately maximum strength. We are at approximately 22 or 23 below the 10,500 to the best of my recollection. It will mean that the average figure of 10,500 will drop slightly. I am told it will not drop very considerably.

Overseas Missions. (22 Oct 2008)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 14, 38, 44, 177 and 178 together. Ireland is currently contributing 746 Defence Forces personnel to 13 different missions throughout the world. Full details, including ranks, of all personnel currently serving overseas are listed in the following tabular statement. While personnel from all services are liable for overseas service and serve overseas, as a...

Overseas Missions. (22 Oct 2008)

Willie O'Dea: It is implicit in the Deputy's question that a request will be made by the UN. However, we have been requested by the UN to contribute to the blue hat mission that will follow the EUFOR mission after 15 March. Before making a final decision, we must consider various issues such as the composition of the proposed mission, its mandate, which countries currently involved in Chad will remain...