Results 9,461-9,480 of 12,596 for speaker:Willie O'Dea

Written Answers — Official Engagements: Official Engagements (29 Apr 2008)

Willie O'Dea: I understand that eight countries in the EU are not currently members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). These are Bulgaria, Cyprus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Romania and Slovenia. Both Estonia and Slovenia have begun accession talks, which will ultimately lead to membership of the organisation. I am constantly in touch with all my EU colleagues...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (24 Apr 2008)

Willie O'Dea: There are no Veterans of the War of Independence in receipt of pensions from my Department, the last such recipients having died in 2006. Some 500 spouses of deceased Veterans are in receipt of monthly allowances from my Department. These allowances are not increased on the occasion of pay and pension increases granted to serving and retired military personnel. They are specially reviewed...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (24 Apr 2008)

Willie O'Dea: The Government decision on decentralisation provides for the transfer of all of my Department's Dublin based Civil Service staff to Newbridge, Co. Kildare. The number of staff to be relocated to Newbridge is about 200. A total of 338 personnel have applied to decentralise to Newbridge. The vast majority of these are Dublin based applicants. None of the 152 Newbridge bound staff currently...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (23 Apr 2008)

Willie O'Dea: As I indicated in my reply to Question No. 30 on the 10th April 2008, there are no proposals for cutbacks in the level of services provided by or through my Department in 2008. The gross total allocation for my Department in 2008 is €1,078m, comprising €888m in the Defence Vote and €190m in the Army Pensions Vote. This represents an increase of 7% on the 2007 allocation. The Defence...

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

Willie O'Dea: There was no expenditure in 1997 on leadership training for the civil service staff of my Department.

Written Answers — Reserve Defence Force: Reserve Defence Force (22 Apr 2008)

Willie O'Dea: There are no plans to alter the legal status of members of the Reserve Defence Force (RDF). There is a very comprehensive range of national and EU legislation dealing with employment rights and protection of employees. However, members of the Reserve Defence Force (RDF) are not 'employees' or 'workers' in the generally accepted meaning of those terms. The Defence Acts, 1954 to 2006...

Written Answers — Legislative Programme: Legislative Programme (22 Apr 2008)

Willie O'Dea: The material the Deputy seeks is available on the Oireachtas website. The website provides chronological information on the presentation and consideration by the Dáil and Seanad, of all Bills and Acts, including those introduced by my Department from 1997 to date. The link to the information is www.oireachtas.ie and then continue to the legislation link. The names of the Ministers for...

Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (22 Apr 2008)

Willie O'Dea: There are no plans to deploy members of the Reserve Defence Force (RDF) to Chad or to any other current overseas mission. However, policies to support the preparation and selection of suitably qualified personnel for overseas duties are being developed. It is hoped that a small number of Reservists may be available to serve overseas by the end of next year (2009). This is likely to be in...

Written Answers — Departmental Advertising: Departmental Advertising (22 Apr 2008)

Willie O'Dea: The only advertising campaign of the kind referred to in the Deputy's Question carried out by my Department during the past five years is the public information and awareness campaign on emergency planning which was launched by the Taoiseach on Monday, 14 April last. The campaign involves the distribution of an information handbook to every household in the country, together with an...

Written Answers — Departmental Transport: Departmental Transport (22 Apr 2008)

Willie O'Dea: The position regarding the number of car park spaces available staff in my Department is as follows: Department Headquarters, Infirmary Road, Dublin 7 — 110 car park spaces available; Coláiste Caoimhín, Glasnevin, Dublin 9 — 92 car park spaces available; Finance Branch, Renmore, Galway — 105 car park spaces available; Civil Defence Board, Roscrea, Co. Tipperary — 55 marked spaces...

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

Willie O'Dea: My Department did not provide funding or financial support to any agency, etc. in the United States during the period in question. Only payments in respect of goods and services provided to the Department or the Defence Forces were made to firms in the USA.

Ministerial Transport. (22 Apr 2008)

Willie O'Dea: We will see what we can do.

Written Answers — EU Treaties: EU Treaties (17 Apr 2008)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 494 and 496 together. The Lisbon Reform Treaty makes some amendments to existing provisions on European security and defence. However, it does not alter their essential features. Firstly, national security will continue to remain the sole responsibility of each member state. There is no provision in the Treaty which will commit Ireland to increase defence...

Written Answers — European Defence Agency: European Defence Agency (17 Apr 2008)

Willie O'Dea: The European Defence Agency (EDA) was established under a Joint Action of the Council of Ministers on 12 July, 2004, "to support the Member States and the Council in their effort to improve European defence capabilities in the field of crisis management and to sustain European Security and Defence Policy as it stands now and develops in the future." Among the Agency's aims is to support...

Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (17 Apr 2008)

Willie O'Dea: The information requested by the Deputy is outlined in the table below: Year Name Purpose Cost € 2007 McCann Fitzgerald, Solicitors, To provide legal drafting, research and advice services in relation to the drafting of new Rules of Procedure and Court Martial Rules following the enactment of the Defence (Amendment) Act, 2007. 44,500 2007 Carr Communications Conducted media Training...

Written Answers — National Biodiversity Plan: National Biodiversity Plan (9 Apr 2008)

Willie O'Dea: The Sectoral Biodiversity Action Plan for my Department is currently being drafted. It is anticipated that this Plan will be completed before the end of this year. However, my Department, on an ongoing basis, takes into account its responsibilities concerning biodiversity and the environmental heritage of the lands within its property portfolio. In November 2007 I launched a book, which was...

Written Answers — Commemorative Events: Commemorative Events (8 Apr 2008)

Willie O'Dea: In consultation with the Taoiseach's office and similar to last year, the members of Dáil Eireann invited to attend the 1916 Commemoration ceremony on Easter Sunday were: Ministers and Ministers of State, Opposition Party Leaders and members of the All Party Consultation Group on the commemoration of the Rising. There are no independent members of the Group, which comprises the nominated...

Written Answers — Waste Management: Waste Management (8 Apr 2008)

Willie O'Dea: My Department makes a conscious effort to reduce the amount of printed documents that it creates and/or circulates, consistent with good business practice. The number of printed copies of corporate documents (e.g. Annual Report, Strategy Statement, Customer Service Action Plan, Annual Output Statement) is kept to a minimum and all corporate documents are now available on my Department's...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Recruitment: Defence Forces Recruitment (8 Apr 2008)

Willie O'Dea: As the day-to-day administration of recruitment to the Defence Forces is the responsibility of the Chief of Staff, I have been informed by the Military Authorities, that the Personnel Management Section, Defence Force Training Centre, issued a letter to the individual concerned on 3 January 2008 enquiring if he wished to remain on their recruitment database and be considered for the proposed...

Written Answers — Waste Disposal: Waste Disposal (8 Apr 2008)

Willie O'Dea: The collection of domestic waste at Orchard Park is carried out on a weekly basis, on Thursday. I understand that there was a failure to collect refuse in Orchard Park on 27 March 2008, this was due to a breakdown of the waste collection vehicle, however an alternative collection was then made on 1 April 2008. The Defence Forces have a contract with Greyhound Recycling and Recovery Ltd. for...