Results 9,801-9,820 of 12,596 for speaker:Willie O'Dea
- Written Answers — Defence Forces Deployment: Defence Forces Deployment (12 Dec 2007)
Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 171 and 173 together. The Naval Service, which is based on Haulbowline Island, is the State's principal seagoing agency with a general responsibility to meet contingent and actual maritime defence requirements. It is tasked with a variety of defence and other roles. Defence roles include defending territorial seas, deterring intrusive or aggressive acts,...
- Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (12 Dec 2007)
Willie O'Dea: Force Protection is always a key consideration in relation to the deployment of Defence Forces personnel overseas. A threat assessment is conducted prior to each deployment, and the threat to Irish troops is evaluated on an on-going basis for the duration of the mission. Irish troops are armed and equipped as necessary to meet the force protection requirements. Mowag APCs are deployed...
- Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (12 Dec 2007)
Willie O'Dea: In June 2004 the European Council approved the European Union's decision-making and planning ambitions for its rapid response operations. Rapid response is defined as "the ability to take the decision to launch an operation within 5 days of the approval of the crisis-management concept (CMC)", especially as regards battlegroup operations. In the Headline Goal 2010, the EU set itself the...
- Defence Forces Training. (12 Dec 2007)
Willie O'Dea: There are not 300 qualified. The figures are 25 and 90; those are the levels. As regards setting the standards, if the Minister for Education and Science, who has responsibility in this area, wants to use the physical standards set by the Army as the standards by which physical education is to be taught in schools, I have no problem with that. They can have access to what we have got; there...
- Defence Forces Training. (12 Dec 2007)
Willie O'Dea: If the Department of Education and Science wishes to take any initiative in that regard, we will co-operate in every way.
- Defence Forces Recruitment. (12 Dec 2007)
Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 49 and 55 together. As part of the modernisation agenda agreed under Sustaining Progress, a review of the provision of medical services in the Defence Forces has been ongoing. This review, involving the representative associations, has included the level of service to be provided to members of the Defence Forces and the resources required for the delivery of...
- Defence Forces Recruitment. (12 Dec 2007)
Willie O'Dea: No member of the Defence Forces will go out without medical treatment. That we do not have a full complement in the medical corps means expertise from outside the Defence Forces must be hired, which is done. There are compelling reasons for the difficulties in recruitment to the medical corps. First, it is not the ideal career opportunity for a doctor as they may not get to widen their...
- Defence Forces Recruitment. (12 Dec 2007)
Willie O'Dea: It is a moveable feast.
- Defence Forces Recruitment. (12 Dec 2007)
Willie O'Dea: With all due respect, there will not be a flood of doctors into the Army if a crèche is provided in the Curragh.
- Defence Forces Recruitment. (12 Dec 2007)
Willie O'Dea: I do not want to be facetious but it is a deeper problem than that.
- Defence Forces Recruitment. (12 Dec 2007)
Willie O'Dea: I am not avoiding it but it is a deeper problem. It is a problem that has occurred under successive Governments, including that of the Deputy's party, if I can think back long enough to remember when it was last in power.
- Defence Forces Recruitment. (12 Dec 2007)
Willie O'Dea: The problem in attracting personnel to the medical corps is not unique to Ireland. We are working on the problem and we will do our utmost to attract more doctors into the Army. While there is nothing wrong with private medical practitioners, we do not want to rely on them.
- Defence Forces Recruitment. (12 Dec 2007)
Willie O'Dea: I can only stand over the number written. My officials advise me that the present complement is 22. Members of the Army can apply to go to university and enter into their own arrangements to do so. The Deputy's suggestion of attracting individuals who want to study medicine might be a good one and we will put it into the mix. In response to Deputy Deenihan, I think the figures are 14...
- Defence Forces Recruitment. (12 Dec 2007)
Willie O'Dea: I will find out what is happening about the crèche at the Curragh. The increase in the Defence Forces Vote this year was 7%, probably its highest increase in the past 25 years. We are getting a lot of money and spending it to best effect.
- Defence Forces Recruitment. (12 Dec 2007)
Willie O'Dea: GDP was very small in the Deputy's time.
- Departmental Expenditure. (12 Dec 2007)
Willie O'Dea: The gross total allocation for my Department in 2008 is â¬1,078 million, comprising â¬888 million in the defence Vote and â¬190 million in the Army pensions Vote. This represents an increase of 7% on the 2007 allocation. Almost 70% of the defence Estimate is expended on the pay and allowances for an average of 10,500 Permanent Defence Force personnel, some 880 civilian employees and...
- Departmental Expenditure. (12 Dec 2007)
Willie O'Dea: These are estimated figures. On compensation, it is a demand-led scheme. Experience of the past few years has shown us that a provision of â¬6.2 million will be sufficient but if we have to compensate individuals above that level, a Supplementary Estimate will be required. Last year â¬12.5 million was provided for the Reserve Defence Force but only â¬9.5 million was spent. This year we...
- Departmental Expenditure. (12 Dec 2007)
Willie O'Dea: Yes, â¬10.5 million represents an increase on â¬9.5 million; therefore, we will be spending 10% more. The increase in the contribution to the European Union's Common Security and Defence Policy arises because we are tied into a fixed percentage of the cost of running the agency concerned, which has increased slightly. The main element of appropriations-in-aid is rebates from the United...
- Departmental Expenditure. (12 Dec 2007)
Willie O'Dea: I do not have the precise figure but will get it for the Deputy. I refer not only to the Vote but also to the other measures in which the Department of Finance has allowed us to engage such as selling off property assets surplus to requirements, the proceeds of which we have reinvested in the defence Vote. We have a slimmed down, highly trained, well equipped Army in comfortable barracks,...
- Departmental Expenditure. (12 Dec 2007)
Willie O'Dea: The Opposition cannot have it both ways.