Results 11,901-11,920 of 12,596 for speaker:Willie O'Dea
- Written Answers — Defence Forces Equipment: Defence Forces Equipment (21 Apr 2005)
Willie O'Dea: The acquisition of new equipment for the Defence Forces continues to be a key focus for me as Minister for Defence. I am aware that significant investment has taken place in recent years, and I will continue the good work in that regard. The unprecedented level of expenditure on equipment for the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service was made possible by the Government's decision that pay savings...
- Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (21 Apr 2005)
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. It is my intention to maintain the established Government policy of ongoing recruitment to the Defence Forces. Recruitment into the Permanent Defence Force will continue to maintain the strength...
- Written Answers — Parental Leave Provisions: Parental Leave Provisions (21 Apr 2005)
Willie O'Dea: All civil servants in public bodies under the aegis of my Department are entitled to 18 weeks' paid maternity leave as provided for in Department of Finance Circulars 35/95 and 09/01. I understand that at present there are no plans to provide an additional eight weeks' paid leave in respect of maternity leave. The cost of additional paid maternity leave would depend on the number and grades...
- Written Answers — Public Capital Programme: Public Capital Programme (21 Apr 2005)
Willie O'Dea: The number of civilian and military staff mainly employed on a full
- Written Answers — Public Capital Programme: Public Capital Programme (21 Apr 2005)
Willie O'Dea: To date, it has not been necessary to consider the redeployment of staff from other areas to assist with infrastructure projects.
- Written Answers — Public Capital Programme: Public Capital Programme (21 Apr 2005)
Willie O'Dea: The capital programme within my Department for 2005 is â¬25 million, which is 3.3% of the 2005 Defence Estimate. Given the size of the allocation, I am satisfied that the numbers allocated to infrastructure projects are sufficient.
- Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (21 Apr 2005)
Willie O'Dea: As far as I am concerned, there have been no such meetings or contacts.
- Written Answers — Public Capital Programme: Public Capital Programme (21 Apr 2005)
Willie O'Dea: Capital expenditure in my Department has been incurred on infrastructure comprising new buildings, upgrading and refurbishment and communications and information technology. Details of all infrastructure projects costing in excess of â¬1 million over the past five years are listed in the following schedule. None of the projects was financed in any way by user charges. Consultants with...
- Hospital Accommodation. (21 Apr 2005)
Willie O'Dea: I do not know what Deputy Timmins is talking about. As regards gimmick of the year award, I understand I was granted heckler of the year award, which is a sufficiently dubious distinction in itself. This is not a gimmick. I have been inundated with requests and people talking to me about St. Bricin's in view of the accident and emergency departments crisis. We all agree there is a crisis. St....
- Hospital Accommodation. (21 Apr 2005)
Willie O'Dea: Approximately 100 beds could be used in St. Bricin's as there are only four patients there. Deputy Timmins may be concerned about the military holding what it has and the interests of the Defence Forces being served. However, PDFORRA, which represents enlisted troops, issued a statement welcoming the opening up of St. Bricin's for accident and emergency facilities.
- Hospital Accommodation. (21 Apr 2005)
Willie O'Dea: Yes, along the lines I suggested. All Ministers can hold on to the empires in their Departments. However, if one is lying on a hospital trolley, different considerations apply. If beds are available, they must be used. I encourage the Department of Health and Children to take up the use of St. Bricin's facilities. It will be more cost effective than the measures being taken to resolve the...
- Hospital Accommodation. (21 Apr 2005)
Willie O'Dea: The last costing I received was for â¬3 million.
- Hospital Accommodation. (21 Apr 2005)
Willie O'Dea: No, 25 beds and the operating theatre. That will be 25 more free beds in the Mater.
- Decentralisation Programme. (21 Apr 2005)
Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 and 36 together. The Government decision on decentralisation provides for the transfer of my Department's Dublin-based Civil Service staff to Newbridge, County Kildare. The number of staff to be relocated to Newbridge is 200. The Government decision also provides for the transfer of 300 Defence Forces headquarters staff to the Curragh, County Kildare. A...
- Decentralisation Programme. (21 Apr 2005)
Willie O'Dea: I am delighted I still have friends in Limerick. The Department of Defence owns the headquarters in Parkgate Street. When the relocation takes place, it will become part of the property portfolio of the Department. A committee within the Department identifies properties that can be sold off. Presumably, the Parkgate Street property will be one. There will be a tendering process in which the...
- Decentralisation Programme. (21 Apr 2005)
Willie O'Dea: The Department will have no difficulty in moving civil servants to Roscrea, as more than 100 have expressed an interest in taking up the 30 places there. So far only ten have transferred as there is only accommodation for that number. Those 30 civil servants will be transferred and working happily in Roscrea before the end of the year. The 78 who have expressed an interest in transferring to...
- Decentralisation Programme. (21 Apr 2005)
Willie O'Dea: I do not have this information but I will communicate it to the Deputy later. Staff are constantly moved within existing Departments. A civil servant working for years on third level fees in the Department of Education and Science can be suddenly transferred to information technology. It is not a question of putting a civil servant into a certain section in a Department forever. That is not...
- Decentralisation Programme. (21 Apr 2005)
Willie O'Dea: No, I am not aware of that happening in my Department.
- Decentralisation Programme. (21 Apr 2005)
Willie O'Dea: He proposed to transfer the Civil Defence section of the Department. There are 30 civil servants working in that section, ten of whom have been relocated to Roscrea. At present, a building is being leased. The ten civil servants are involved in completing the transition to a leased, fully fitted-out building which will accommodate the other 20. There are ten civil servants there at present...
- Common Foreign and Security Policy. (21 Apr 2005)
Willie O'Dea: The European Union Institute for Security Studies, EUISS, was created by a Council joint action on 20 July 2001. It has the status of an autonomous agency that comes under the EU's second "pillar", the common foreign and security policy, CFSP. Having an autonomous status and intellectual freedom, the EUISS does not represent or defend any particular national interest. Its aim is to support...