Results 10,861-10,880 of 12,596 for speaker:Willie O'Dea

Written Answers — Defence Forces Property: Defence Forces Property (22 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 13 and 205 together. The Government agreed on 16 December 2003 to the release of circa 2.5 acres at St. Bricin's Military Hospital, Dublin for inclusion in the Sustaining Progress Affordable Housing Initiative. The primary purpose of the Initiative is to maximize the early delivery of affordable housing units. The site is being transferred to Dublin City...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Property: Defence Forces Property (22 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: Bere Island, Co. Cork, was among the Coastal Defence Properties handed over to Irish administration in 1938. At that time, approximately 800 acres was taken over by my Department. However, since the 1960's, the State has sold a considerable area of land and my Department currently administers approximately 176 acres on the island. The property is vested in the Minister for Finance.

Written Answers — Military Medals: Military Medals (22 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: As I indicated in the course of my reply to the Adjournment debate in the Seanad on the 17th May 2006, my Department receives requests from time to time for the replacement of lost, stolen or destroyed medals awarded to Veterans of the 1916 Rising and the War of Independence. It has been settled Departmental policy for many years that replacement medals were issued on a once only basis on...

Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (22 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 16, 22, 40 and 47 together. Ireland is currently contributing 678 Defence Forces personnel to 19 different missions throughout the world. Full details of all personnel currently serving overseas are listed in the tabular statement. The main commitments are to the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), with 333 personnel, to the NATO-led International...

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

Willie O'Dea: The Inter-Departmental Working Group on Emergency Planning plays a key role in supporting the work of the Government Task Force on Emergency Planning. This Working Group comprises officials representing Government Departments and Public Authorities with lead or principal support roles in Government Emergency Plans. The Inter-Departmental Working Group is chaired by the Office of Emergency...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Recruitment: Defence Forces Recruitment (22 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 18 and 69 together. I am pleased to say that I have recently received the military authorities report on the minimum height standards for Defence Force personnel prepared in the context of encouraging more women to apply to join the Defence Forces. The report deals comprehensively with the complex issues relating to this matter and as such requires careful...

Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (22 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 19 and 24 together. A computer and security card, which were the subject of a recent article in the print media, were stolen from a member of the Permanent Defence Force, who was serving with the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) monitoring mission in Georgia in April 2004. The computer was taken from the officer's apartment together...

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

Willie O'Dea: The Government Task Force on Emergency Planning meets on a regular basis. The last such meeting was held on Wednesday 31st May 2006. This was the 47th meeting since the Task Force was established in 2001. I chair these meetings. The membership of the Task Force includes Ministers, Senior Officials of Government Departments, Senior Officers of the Defence Forces and An Garda Síochána, and...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Property: Defence Forces Property (22 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: Representatives from the Department of Health and Children and the Health Service Executive made a number of visits to St. Bricin's Military Hospital in 2005 to review the facilities and to consider the feasibility of the hospital being utilised for public health purposes. Following detailed consideration, the view was that St. Bricin's was not suitable for use as an acute or sub-acute...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Equipment: Defence Forces Equipment (22 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: Defence Forces personnel serving on all overseas missions are equipped with the most modern and effective equipment. This equipment enables troops to carry out the mission assigned, as well as providing the required protection specific to the mission. Currently there is a total of 184 vehicles in use by Defence Forces on overseas missions, details of which are listed on the tabular statement....

Written Answers — Air Corps Equipment: Air Corps Equipment (22 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: The Air Corps is the air component of the Defence Forces and as such its military roles and functions are those of an Army Air Corps rather than a conventional military air service. The Air Corps has traditionally discharged a mix of functions based on the need to supply a range of different services. Over the years a generally favourable security climate resulted in the need for a very...

Written Answers — Reserve Defence Force: Reserve Defence Force (22 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: The Reserve Defence Force's most important contribution, as outlined in the White Paper on Defence, is to support the Permanent Defence Force in its contingency defence roles in an emergency situation. In peacetime, the main function of the RDF centres on training and preparing for these contingency roles. The Reserve Defence Force Review Implementation Plan, which was formally launched in...

Written Answers — European Defence Agency: European Defence Agency (22 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: A decision to establish an intergovernmental agency in the field of defence capabilities development, research, acquisition and armaments, known as the European Defence Agency (EDA) was formally adopted at the General Affairs and External Relations Council meeting on 12 July, 2004. At the meeting of the European Defence Agency Steering Board on 21 November 2005, agreement was reached on an...

Written Answers — European Council Meetings: European Council Meetings (22 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: An informal meeting of EU Defence Ministers was held in Brussels on 15 May 2006. At the meeting, progress on the development of Strategic Airlift and the Implementation of the Battlegroup Concept were reviewed. Another important step was the completion of the Requirements Catalogue 2005 and the finalisation of the Headline Goal Questionnaire. It is envisaged that the Force Catalogue will be...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Strength: Defence Forces Strength (22 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: For security reasons it is not the policy to disclose the number of personnel in each barracks. However, the Tabular Statement which I propose to circulate with the Official Report, shows the information requested by the Deputy by Brigade and Formation rather than by individual barracks.

Written Answers — Hearing Impairment Claims: Hearing Impairment Claims (22 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: In general, the Office of the Chief State Solicitor pays the costs of the State's legal team. This includes Counsel Fees, Medical Fees, Fees for Expert Witnesses, State solicitors, Stenographers etc. These costs are charged to the Vote of the Chief State Solicitor's Office. The Office of the Chief State Solicitor has advised us that in the period 1998 to date, when the vast majority of Army...

Written Answers — Naval Service Vessels: Naval Service Vessels (22 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: The Naval Service provides the maritime element of the Defence Forces and has a general responsibility to meet contingent and actual maritime defence requirements. The Naval Service operates eight general-purpose patrol ships. All eight ships are involved in coastal and offshore patrolling and surveillance for the State in that part of the seas where State jurisdiction applies such as...

Written Answers — Commemorative Events: Commemorative Events (22 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: There are only two surviving veterans of the War of Independence who rendered active service and are in receipt of military service pensions from my Department. As regards the question of honouring surviving veterans, the special 90th anniversary commemoration of the events of Easter 1916 constituted a most significant public recognition by the State of the roles played by all who...

Written Answers — Departmental Investigations: Departmental Investigations (22 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 37, 58 and 79 together. On 2 February, 2006, I received a report from Mr. Sean Hurley, who I had appointed to carry out an independent review of the interaction between the Department of Defence/Defence Forces and parents and family of Private Kevin Barrett in the aftermath of his tragic death, on 18 February, 1999, while serving with the 84th Infantry...

Written Answers — Departmental Properties: Departmental Properties (22 Jun 2006)

Willie O'Dea: In 1975 the former military detention centre at Arbour Hill, together with the former Adjutant General's House and four married quarters adjoining the premises, were handed over to the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform for use as a civilian prison. My Department has agreed to the transfer of an adjoining site, comprising 1.07 acres approximately, to the Department of Justice,...