Results 11,461-11,480 of 12,596 for speaker:Willie O'Dea

Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (8 Nov 2005)

Willie O'Dea: I undertook during Priority Questions last Thursday, 3 November 2005, that I will have the relevant records in military archives examined to establish the factual position in this regard.

Written Answers — Military Medals: Military Medals (8 Nov 2005)

Willie O'Dea: An Emergency Service Medal was forwarded to the individual's home address on 1 November 2005. A statement of his service in the Defence Forces will be forwarded to the individual later this week.

Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (8 Nov 2005)

Willie O'Dea: There are no current appointees to bodies under the aegis of my Department with a disability.

Written Answers — Official Engagements: Official Engagements (3 Nov 2005)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 12 and 49 together. On 5 October 2005, as Minister for Defence, I addressed the annual delegate conference of the Permanent Defence Force Other Ranks Representative Association, PDFORRA. I sought to make my address relevant, informative and positive and discussed topics of interest to military delegates, their colleagues and to the wider community. Those...

Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (3 Nov 2005)

Willie O'Dea: I have already dealt with the recent changes made in the terms of enlistment of those personnel joining the Permanent Defence Force post-1994 in an earlier question and I would refer the Deputy to that reply. In 2004 PDFORRA submitted a claim under the conciliation and arbitration scheme for a further review of the terms of service applying to personnel enlisting in the Permanent Defence...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Recruitment: Defence Forces Recruitment (3 Nov 2005)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 14, 22 and 31 together. The minimum height requirement for entry to the Permanent Defence Force and the Reserve Defence Force is 162.5 cm, 5 ft. 4 ins, for both men and women. This limit was set in April 2002 based on the professional advice of the Medical Corps and the actual experience of training units. The advice at that time was that, having regard to the...

Written Answers — European Council Meetings: European Council Meetings (3 Nov 2005)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 15, 45 and 61 together. The Deputies will be aware that there is no Defence Ministers Council formation and that meetings of EU Defence Ministers have informal status. Two meetings are normally held during each Presidency, one of which takes place as part of the General Affairs and External Relations Council, GAERC. I attended the Defence Ministers informal...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Retirement Scheme: Defence Forces Retirement Scheme (3 Nov 2005)

Willie O'Dea: The current retirement ages are 54 for captain, 56 for commandant and 58 for lieutenant colonel. Higher ranks have retiring ages ranging from 60 to 63 years of age. As there are no immediate plans to alter these I have not undertaken a detailed study on the cost implication of any change. The 2000 White Paper on Defence and the earlier Defence Force review implementation plan, both in the...

Written Answers — Website Use: Website Use (3 Nov 2005)

Willie O'Dea: The presence on this website of a range of items for sale bearing the title "Óglaigh na hÉireann" has recently come to the attention of my Department and the Defence Forces. Section 16 of the Defence Acts 1954 to 1998 provides that "It shall be lawful for the Government to raise, train, equip, arm, pay and maintain defence forces to be called and known as Óglaigh na hÉireann or (in...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Medical Services: Defence Forces Medical Services (3 Nov 2005)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 18 and 26 together. The military medical services and their facilities exist primarily to maintain the health of the Defence Forces and to support them in operational and overseas activities. The reorganisation of the Medical Corps, which was effected as part of the Defence Forces review implementation plan in November 1998, redirected the focus of military...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Training: Defence Forces Training (3 Nov 2005)

Willie O'Dea: The Army Apprentice School at the former Devoy Barracks, Naas was closed in September 1998. There were only 28 apprentices in the school at the time. The annual costs of running the Army Apprentice School were estimated at about £2.85 million in 1998. Therefore, the average cost of training each apprentice had reached a level of £100,000 per annum per apprentice. These levels of expenditure...

Written Answers — Military Awards: Military Awards (3 Nov 2005)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 20 and 46 together. Since Ireland took part in its first United Nations Mission in 1958, Defence Forces personnel have performed approximately 54,000 tours of duty on 58 peace support operations worldwide. Because UN peacekeepers operate in strife-torn regions, practically every officer, NCO and private who has served overseas has been exposed to hostile...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Recruitment: Defence Forces Recruitment (3 Nov 2005)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 24, 32 and 38 together. Entry to the Permanent Defence Force is either through the cadetship competition, apprenticeship competition, general service enlistment or direct entry competitions which are held to fill vacancies in specialist appointments. All applicants for each of these entry streams are required to meet qualifying criteria. The question of the...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Equipment: Defence Forces Equipment (3 Nov 2005)

Willie O'Dea: I would take issue with the views expressed by PDFORRA on the subject of defence spending, with particular regard to expenditure on modern equipment. The position is that there has been an unprecedented level of expenditure on infrastructure and equipment for the Defence Forces in recent years. I have seen proof positive of this investment in my visits to military barracks around the country...

Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (3 Nov 2005)

Willie O'Dea: When multi-national forces are deployed on peace support and crisis management operations they should be able to immediately commence operations on the ground. If they are to be fully effective, they should operate like a well-oiled machine. The time to start learning about other forces operating procedures, standards, capabilities, rules of engagement etc. is not when one is in the middle of...

Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (3 Nov 2005)

Willie O'Dea: As the House will be aware, a contingent of the Permanent Defence Force has been serving with the United Nations Mission in Liberia, UNMIL, since December 2003. Initial deployment was for one year, an extension of which was approved by Government for another year in December 2004, subject to renewal of the UN mandate and a satisfactory review of the mission. In the near future, I will be...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Recruitment: Defence Forces Recruitment (3 Nov 2005)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 33 and 304 together. The Government is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for men and women in the Defence Forces, Army, Air Corps, Naval Service, including the Reserve Defence Force, and to the full participation by women in all aspects of Defence Forces activities. In effect, this means that women are eligible on the same basis as men for...

Written Answers — Departmental Investigations: Departmental Investigations (3 Nov 2005)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 34, 57 and 63 together. Private Kevin Barrett died on 18 February 1999 while serving with the 84th Infantry Battalion in Lebanon. His death was the subject of a UN board of inquiry and an Irish contingent board of inquiry as well as a military police investigation. The coroner for north-west Donegal held an inquest into the death of Private Barrett from 5 to 8...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Equipment: Defence Forces Equipment (3 Nov 2005)

Willie O'Dea: The Department of Health and Children is responsible for policy formation in respect of pre-hospital emergency care, and the Health Service Executive has statutory responsibility for the provision of ambulance services throughout the State. A detailed service level agreement for the provision of an air ambulance service by the Air Corps, prepared by my Department and the Department of Health...

Written Answers — National Emergency Plan: National Emergency Plan (3 Nov 2005)

Willie O'Dea: The Government Task Force on Emergency Planning has worked, since it was set up in 2001, to co-ordinate emergency planning and response arrangements across those Departments that lead and support the State's response in an emergency. The task force continues to meet on a regular basis. Potential threats to the State arising from international terrorism are continuously monitored and...