Results 10,841-10,860 of 12,596 for speaker:Willie O'Dea

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: I did not realise that and I thank the Senator for bringing it to my attention. Since Ireland began to participate in overseas missions in the 1950s, the general authority to send troops was always assumed. For example, a number of observers were dispatched to the Middle East in 1958. No legislation was in place and they were dispatched on the basis that everybody assumed it was legal to do...

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: The UN receives a request, which is then transmitted to us. If the UN decides to embark on a peacekeeping operation, Ireland is usually contacted and the Government then makes a decision. Before the Government makes a decision, an assessment, as the Senator correctly stated, is carried out. A number of factors determine whether Ireland participates in a mission. For example, the Defence...

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: I thank the Senator for his remarks. The Liberian mission has been very successful. The mission was due to discontinue this month but the Government decided, at the request of the UN Secretary General, to extend it for 12 months. The mission will be gradually scaled down during that time. Since 1993 overseas missions have become riskier because chapter 7 or peace enforcement missions were...

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: There may be some confusion in this regard. If I am correct, Senator Ryan's amendment reads, "in page 4 to delete lines 34 to 46, and in page 5, lines 1 to 4, to delete subsections (2) and (3)". Is this the amendment to which the Senator is speaking?

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: Section 4(2), which the Senator proposes to delete, provides for a saver in respect of personnel who enlisted before the enactment of the Defence (Amendment) Act 1993. The effect of the amendment would be to delete this saver. As stated, the 1993 Act extended the involvement of the Defence Forces in UN-mandated peace support operations to include peace enforcement missions. I refer to chapter...

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: Yes.

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: They can make a request to so do.

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: Yes, they have that right.

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: As personnel deployed abroad are deemed to be on active service, the ombudsman's remit does not cover that scenario.

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages. (28 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: I will communicate on the rationale with the Senator.

Written Answers — Fuel Prices: Fuel Prices (27 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: The effect of increases in fuel costs in the Department of Defence arise in relation to the provision of heating and electricity in the various offices of the Department. Expenditure in 2005 amounted to €315,350 while costs in 2006 are likely to be of the order of €500,000. In addition to the offices of the Department increased fuel costs have also had an impact on the Defence Forces. The...

Written Answers — Equal Opportunities Employment: Equal Opportunities Employment (27 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: The targeted percentage of employment of people with a disability in the Civil Service is 3 per cent. This target can be surpassed and the percentage of people with a disability currently employed in my Department is 3.56 per cent.

Written Answers — Ministerial Responsibilities: Ministerial Responsibilities (27 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: The Minister for State at the Department of Defence Mr. Tom Kitt, T.D., who is also the Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach does not have a specific delegated function. No Regulations in relation to Defence matters have been enacted by him since his appointment.

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (27 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: I thank all the Senators who spoke for their constructive contributions to the debate and the interest they have taken in the Bill. I look forward to a similarly constructive debate in the other House. I thank Senators also for their kind remarks regarding the work our Defence Forces undertake overseas. Wherever they are, our troops serve with professionalism, dedication, courage and...

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (27 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: Yes.

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (27 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: No, I am not.

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (27 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: Senator Leyden suggested that we have some mechanism for informing this House.

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (27 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: Senator Quinn asked why foreign troops cannot train here. The advice of the Attorney General is that this is precluded by Article 15 of the Constitution, which prohibits the raising of foreign armies and any other type of activities on Irish soil. That constitutional article was drafted for an entirely different reason, but it has this unintended consequence, now. Ultimately, it will not...

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (27 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: I thank the Members for agreeing to debate this Bill at short notice. It is a short Bill, designed to amend and update the defence Acts regarding the despatch of members of the Permanent Defence Force on overseas duties. The despatch of members of the Defence Forces overseas is a concrete expression of Ireland's foreign policy objectives and, in particular, our support for the UN and for...

Written Answers — National Emergency Plan: National Emergency Plan (22 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: My colleague, Mr. Dick Roche, T.D., Minister for Environment, Heritage and Local Government has responsibility for the National Emergency Plan for Nuclear Accidents and he has informed me that the Irish Government has in place the National Emergency Plan for Nuclear Accidents. The Plan was first drawn up and published in 1992 and the most recent revision took place in December 2005. This Plan...