Results 11,961-11,980 of 12,596 for speaker:Willie O'Dea

Written Answers — Defence Forces Retirement Scheme: Defence Forces Retirement Scheme (19 Apr 2005)

Willie O'Dea: The unsatisfactory age and fitness profile of the Permanent Defence Force was commented upon by the Gleeson commission in its report in 1990. The matter had also been of serious concern to the military authorities for a number of years. The age profile was also the subject of severe criticism by Price Waterhouse consultants who had been engaged by the efficiency audit group, EAG, to conduct...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Deployment: Defence Forces Deployment (19 Apr 2005)

Willie O'Dea: The military authorities have advised that personnel of the Defence Forces may be detached from their parent unit and attached to another unit of the Defence Forces in accordance with Defence Force Regulation A10. The Defence Forces, including the Naval Service, have no particular definition of the term "long-term attachment". Its use is a matter of custom and practice. Detachments are...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Property: Defence Forces Property (19 Apr 2005)

Willie O'Dea: The target shed in Kilworth Camp, County Cork, has been reroofed. A new power supply has been brought to the building and will soon be connected, after which heating and lighting will be provided. It is my understanding that the civilian staff involved are being accommodated during the renovations. It is intended that the work will be completed shortly.

Written Answers — Defence Forces Property: Defence Forces Property (19 Apr 2005)

Willie O'Dea: Arising from concerns that continuing use of the pitch and putt facilities in question, which are held under licence from the Department of Defence, may present serious health and safety hazards for members and visitors, it was decided to suspend further use of the facilities with immediate effect, pending a complete safety assessment of the site and this decision was conveyed in writing to...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (12 Apr 2005)

Willie O'Dea: Military service allowance, MSA, was made pensionable in the case of Defence Forces personnel retiring on or after 1 August 1990 on foot of a recommendation of the Commission on Remuneration and Conditions of Service in the Defence Forces, the Gleeson commission. That approach is fully consistent with settled public service pensions policy, which provides that the benefit of an allowance...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (12 Apr 2005)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Question Nos. 1043 and 1045 together. The Army Pensions Acts provide that a disability pension may, following retirement, be granted to a former member of the Permanent Defence Force in respect of permanent disablement due to a wound or injury attributable to military service, whether at home or abroad, or to a disease attributable to or aggravated by overseas service with a...

Written Answers — Ministerial Travel: Ministerial Travel (12 Apr 2005)

Willie O'Dea: I did not travel abroad for the St. Patrick's Day celebrations.

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (12 Apr 2005)

Willie O'Dea: There are currently no plans to move sections of my Department which are based outside Dublin to other non-Dublin locations.

Written Answers — Fairtrade Products: Fairtrade Products (12 Apr 2005)

Willie O'Dea: I am aware of the Fairtrade campaign and its laudable objective of having Fairtrade products widely available and used. Procurement by my Department, including the Defence Forces, must be carried out in accordance with Government contracts procedures and the European Union directives, under which the award of contracts is primarily based on the quality of the product and cost. It is not open...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (12 Apr 2005)

Willie O'Dea: The information sought by the Deputy is as follows. Army Pensions Board: the chairperson and a civilian doctor receive annual fees of €7,619 and €5,077 respectively. Coiste an Asgard: there are no annual fees paid to the chairperson or directors of an coiste. Civil Defence Board: there are no annual fees paid to the chairperson or directors of this board.

Written Answers — National Lottery Funding: National Lottery Funding (12 Apr 2005)

Willie O'Dea: No lottery funds have been provided by my Department for projects outside the State.

Written Answers — FCA Training: FCA Training (23 Mar 2005)

Willie O'Dea: Under the Defence Forces pensions schemes, pensionable service consists mainly of full-time service in the Permanent Defence Force, PDF. Service in An Fórsa Cosanta Áitiúil, FCA, is not generally reckonable as pensionable service. Exceptionally, however, service on full-time security duties by members of the FCA may be reckoned and may be aggregated with pensionable service in the PDF in...

Written Answers — Departmental Transport: Departmental Transport (22 Mar 2005)

Willie O'Dea: The amounts paid by my Department in 2004 in respect of civil and military personnel were of the order of €2.495 million by way of car mileage allowances and €0.741 million for rail and bus ticket expenses.

Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (22 Mar 2005)

Willie O'Dea: At present there are two officially recognised ex-Defence Forces personnel organisations, namely, the Organisation of National Ex-Servicemen and -Women, or ONE, and Irish United Nations Veterans Association, or IUNVA. Various requests for assistance are received from those organisations regularly. Since those organisations have structures in place to deal with various insurance, legal and...

Written Answers — Departmental Advertising: Departmental Advertising (22 Mar 2005)

Willie O'Dea: As my Department has not yet been requested by the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs to provide a draft scheme, no costs have been incurred to date in this regard and it is not possible to estimate with any degree of accuracy what future costs may arise.

Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (22 Mar 2005)

Willie O'Dea: As I outlined to the House on 26 January 2005, I have received and examined the Jadotville report. The report fully exonerates the actions of A Company. At the time they surrendered, nothing would have been served by fighting on, except further and unnecessary bloodshed. It is clear from the report that the company and its commanding officer acted appropriately given all the circumstances....

Written Answers — Departmental Appointments: Departmental Appointments (22 Mar 2005)

Willie O'Dea: The information sought by the Deputy is as follows. Coiste an Asgard: there have been ten appointments to the board of Coiste an Asgard in the past three years. None of those appointments is salaried. Civil Defence Board: there have been 17 appointments to the Civil Defence Board in the past three years, three of which were replacement appointments. None of those appointments was salaried....

Written Answers — Medical Cards: Medical Cards (22 Mar 2005)

Willie O'Dea: I have no such proposals under consideration. Former members of the Defence Forces are eligible for hospital and medical services, including medical cards, under the Health Acts on the same basis as other members of the community. The provision of such services by the Medical Corps of the Defence Forces would not be feasible within the very limited resources of the Medical Corps.

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (22 Mar 2005)

Willie O'Dea: The role and functions carried out by my special adviser are in accordance with section 11(2) of the Public Service Management Act 1997. No circulars or instructions have issued in the Department with regard to my special adviser.

Written Answers — Defence Forces Reserve: Defence Forces Reserve (22 Mar 2005)

Willie O'Dea: On 26 July 2004, my predecessor, Deputy Michael Smith, officially launched the reserve Defence Force review implementation plan, which is the start of a process that will radically change the structure and configuration of the reserve, while preserving its traditional strengths. Those include such things as the spirit of voluntary commitment, the maintaining of strong links with local...