Results 10,701-10,720 of 12,596 for speaker:Willie O'Dea

Defence Forces Personnel. (12 Oct 2006)

Willie O'Dea: I suppose one could say I am formally reviewing matters. That committee is formally reviewing it. Its members are working together to come up with a better way of doing things. Nothing can be done in the interim. We are making an attempt to get a more humane system. However, I do not necessarily accept all the conclusions in the report, as I said. For example, if one takes the number of...

Overseas Missions. (12 Oct 2006)

Willie O'Dea: As the Deputy is aware, I undertook during Priority Questions on Thursday, 23 February 2006 to ask the military authorities to revisit this matter in light of the questions raised by him on that date. The Chief of Staff appointed a senior officer to examine all aspects of the Niemba ambush in the Congo in November 1960. Due to the diversity of this investigation, this process has taken some...

Overseas Missions. (12 Oct 2006)

Willie O'Dea: Deputy Finian McGrath is somewhat premature with some of those questions. He is asking whether I will correct the official version if the report finds that it is incorrect. I have not read the report yet, as it has not come to hand. I do not want to anticipate what is in it. If the report points out that the official version is wrong, of course we will deal with it. If I said anything...

Overseas Missions. (12 Oct 2006)

Willie O'Dea: It has been a very detailed and diverse professional inquiry. That is why it has taken up to eight months.

Defence Forces Ombudsman. (12 Oct 2006)

Willie O'Dea: The Office of the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces was established under the Ombudsman (Defence Forces) Act 2004. On 19 September 2005, Ms Paulyn Marrinan-Quinn SC was appointed by the President, upon the recommendation of the Government, as the first Ombudsman for the Defence Forces. The function of the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces is to act as the ultimate point of appeal for an...

Defence Forces Ombudsman. (12 Oct 2006)

Willie O'Dea: Again, I am not attempting to avoid answering Deputy Timmins's question, but the Office for the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces is modelled on the public services Ombudsman. The public services Ombudsman gives an annual report to the Dáil outlining the complaints she received and how they were dealt with by the relevant Departments. Under the legislation, the Ombudsman will hear the...

Defence Forces Property. (12 Oct 2006)

Willie O'Dea: There are no plans to construct a training hall in Thurles, County Tipperary for the Reserve Defence Force. The military authorities inform me that the current facility in Thurles meets the needs of the RDF. My Department was approached some time ago by a developer who wished to access his adjoining property through a portion of the RDF property in Thurles. However, no agreement has been...

Defence Forces Property. (12 Oct 2006)

Willie O'Dea: To answer the first of Deputy Costello's questions, no agreement has been entered into by, or on behalf of, the Department with any third party. The matter was subject of an application to the local authority for planning permission and that permission, subject to conditions, was granted some time ago. One of the conditions stipulated that the development must be carried out solely within...

Defence Forces Property. (12 Oct 2006)

Willie O'Dea: The military has informed me that the current accommodation is quite suitable. Refurbishment works have been carried out in the RDF facilities in Thurles this year. As a result of the modernisation, the facilities now include offices, a lecture room and a reception area. It is intended to provide modern office furniture, floor covering and IT facilities in 2007.

Defence Forces Property. (12 Oct 2006)

Willie O'Dea: It is going pretty well and we are on target. It is currently under review and we have not had too many complaints. However, when involved in a process such as this, one will inevitably get some complaints. We are doing our best to meet any complaints that arise.

Overseas Missions. (12 Oct 2006)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 7, 12, 41, 46, 57, 59, 177 and 178 together. I have on many occasions in the House set out the background to EU battle groups, the development of which is strongly endorsed by the United Nations, and Ireland's position on them. Following the Government decision agreeing to Ireland entering into discussions with like-minded nations on a possible contribution...

Overseas Missions. (12 Oct 2006)

Willie O'Dea: Deputy Ó Snodaigh referred to the speech by the general secretary of PDFORRA. I am very familiar with the speech; I listened to it as it was delivered and, along with everybody else in the hall, applauded enthusiastically when it ended. It was a very good speech. Regarding compulsory deployment, the general position has been that when the Army wants people to take part in an overseas...

Overseas Missions. (12 Oct 2006)

Willie O'Dea: People who volunteer will not be deployed in that case. If we were short a vital member of staff such as an explosives expert, engineer or medic we would not be able to deploy them. We would have to go without them if we did not get somebody to volunteer. I am sure the ordinary troops and those specialists will volunteer but it is a residual right of the Government. We are signed up to be...

Overseas Missions. (12 Oct 2006)

Willie O'Dea: That is not possible. The Attorney General has advised that no foreign troops bearing arms under foreign command are entitled to be on Irish soil.

Overseas Missions. (12 Oct 2006)

Willie O'Dea: Those troops are passing through. The situation postulated will not come to pass. The deployment of the assembly will be within the framework nation and everything will happen quickly after that.

Overseas Missions. (12 Oct 2006)

Willie O'Dea: No.

Defence Forces Recruitment. (12 Oct 2006)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 and 65 together. I am keen to increase the number of women applying to join our Defence Forces. To facilitate this, with effect from 1 September 2006, I reduced the minimum height requirement for entry into both the Permanent Defence Force and the Reserve Defence Force from 162.56 cm, 5'4", to 157.48 cm, 5'2". This change, which applies to both males and...

Defence Forces Recruitment. (12 Oct 2006)

Willie O'Dea: Ministers always say this when they do not want to answer a question but I am glad Deputy Timmins asked me that question.

Defence Forces Recruitment. (12 Oct 2006)

Willie O'Dea: No, I want to enlighten Deputy Timmins. The research will be available in eight weeks' time. Regarding the second question, the Department wrote to a list of organisations and I was disappointed with the response. The only group to respond with concrete proposals was, believe it or not, the ICA.

Defence Forces Recruitment. (12 Oct 2006)

Willie O'Dea: No.