Results 10,001-10,020 of 12,596 for speaker:Willie O'Dea

Proposed EU Military Operation: Motion (9 Oct 2007)

Willie O'Dea: We will not hold that against him.

Order of Business (9 Oct 2007)

Willie O'Dea: The Deputy is a funny man. Failure has gone to his head.

Proposed EU Military Operation: Motion (9 Oct 2007)

Willie O'Dea: I move: That Dáil Éireann approves the dispatch of Major General Pat Nash to the position of Operations Commander for the proposed EU military operation in the Republic of Chad and the Central African Republic with up to four support staff pursuant to section 2 of the Defence (Amendment) (No. 2) Act, 1960, for service with the EU mission in support of MINURCAT, established on 25 September,...

Defence Forces Personnel. (4 Oct 2007)

Willie O'Dea: I congratulate Deputies Brian O'Shea and Jimmy Deenihan on their new positions. I wish them the very best for the future. There is an acknowledged shortage of medical officers in the medical corps. Indeed, developing the capacity of the medical corps forms part of the programme for Government. Whereas the establishment for doctors provided for in the new organisation of the Defence Forces,...

Defence Forces Personnel. (4 Oct 2007)

Willie O'Dea: I do not have all the information the Deputy requires. I can tell him, however, that in 2003 one doctor was appointed, another was appointed in 2004, and four were appointed in 2005.

Defence Forces Personnel. (4 Oct 2007)

Willie O'Dea: I do not have the breakdown between Irish nationals and non-nationals, but I will get it for the Deputy. We have very few female doctors. Of the 23 doctors, I think only three or four are female. However, I will obtain the precise figures for the Deputy. As regards the Deputy's second point, no particular medical problems concerning troops serving overseas have been brought to my...

Defence Forces Personnel. (4 Oct 2007)

Willie O'Dea: As regards relying on the goodwill of foreign armies, it works both ways. If one examines the delivery of medical services in Liberia, the Irish have medics there, too, who are delivering services to non-Irish personnel. As regards the Deputy's other point, I suppose it is a question of providing further incentives. I have discussed this matter with the Chief of Staff and those directly...

Ministerial Air Transport Service. (4 Oct 2007)

Willie O'Dea: The ministerial air transport service is primarily provided by the Gulfstream IV and Learjet 45 aircraft, which were specifically acquired for that purpose. The Beech Super Kingair 200 turboprop aircraft, which is now used primarily in a training role, is made available for ministerial air transport use from time to time, mainly for internal flights and a limited number of European...

Ministerial Air Transport Service. (4 Oct 2007)

Willie O'Dea: Yes.

Ministerial Air Transport Service. (4 Oct 2007)

Willie O'Dea: As I understand it, the Minister of State, Deputy Dick Roche, was elsewhere. He did not travel to Paris on that day on the Gulfstream jet. The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy Brian Lenihan, went the previous day on the Lear Jet 45. The only people on the Government jet, as it is known, on that day, were the Taoiseach, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and ten officials...

Ministerial Air Transport Service. (4 Oct 2007)

Willie O'Dea: It may have been a coincidence but I am sure that if the Deputy tabled questions to the Taoiseach and each of those Ministers they would be well able to handle them. I am sure they all had important business in Paris. We do not inquire about that. Once the criteria are met we make the jet available. That is the function of the Department of Defence. It is true that there was a rugby match...

Ministerial Air Transport Service. (4 Oct 2007)

Willie O'Dea: I hope not but to judge by what happened in the match against Argentina I assume not.

Defence Forces Equipment. (4 Oct 2007)

Willie O'Dea: On 25 September 2007, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 1778 establishing a multidimensional UN mission in Chad and the Central African Republic that will help strengthen security in the region. Resolution 1778 (2007) establishes the mission, to be known as MINURCAT, for a period of one year, with a mandate focusing on the security and protection of civilians,...

Defence Forces Equipment. (4 Oct 2007)

Willie O'Dea: Deputy Deenihan is right about the isolation of this mission. I understand the terrain is barren and that the deployment and sustainment of the troops must be done mainly by air. That will involve putting in airstrips and so on, which we are discussing with the French, pending the final decision on the mission. Without wishing to be flippant, I would procure anything if the Department of...

Defence Forces Equipment. (4 Oct 2007)

Willie O'Dea: The Army has participated in humanitarian missions and has arrived at the destinations quite effectively. I will consider the Deputy's comments. A new White Paper is to be prepared which will cover the period after 2010. The first White Paper runs up to 2009-10. This will cover better equipment, more modernisation and this aircraft may well be included.

Bullying in the Workplace. (4 Oct 2007)

Willie O'Dea: The independent monitoring group in its report Response to the Challenge of a Workplace stated that a professional review of progress within the Defence Forces should take place in 2007 and that it should be published. The report also suggested that a group representative of military management, PDFORRA, RACO, the Department of Defence and external expertise should conduct such a review. I...

Bullying in the Workplace. (4 Oct 2007)

Willie O'Dea: The Doyle report was presented in 2002 and a review carried out in 2004. The Deputy is correct to state the next review was scheduled for 2007. However, the Department has encountered a couple of internal staff difficulties that have delayed matters. It is untrue to state it is simply waiting for the appointment of an external person. It is engaged in drawing up the terms of reference. I...

Bullying in the Workplace. (4 Oct 2007)

Willie O'Dea: There will not be any let-up in implementing the specific recommendations, many of which are in place. As the Deputy correctly identified, the review's purpose is to ascertain how well they are working. My information is they are working very well. However, I look forward to the review which I am sure will bear that out.

Defence Forces Recruitment. (4 Oct 2007)

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. The White Paper also provided that the Chief of Staff could maintain an additional 250 in training at any one time. The latter provision was withdrawn in 2003. The agreed programme for...

Defence Forces Recruitment. (4 Oct 2007)

Willie O'Dea: I am certain and satisfied the system is in place to train personnel to maintain the Army at its present level. However, to avoid misunderstandings arising regarding the figure of 350, recruitment to the Army is ongoing. For example, the number who applied to be enlisted in 2004 was just short of 2,000. The corresponding figures for 2005, 2006 and 2007 were 1,125, nearly 2,500 and...