Results 12,021-12,040 of 12,596 for speaker:Willie O'Dea

Written Answers — Military Neutrality: Military Neutrality (1 Mar 2005)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 128 and 379 together. 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. The overall aim of the agency is to support member states...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Equipment: Defence Forces Equipment (1 Mar 2005)

Willie O'Dea: There are 40 aircraft in service with the Air Corps at present, comprising 14 helicopters and 26 fixed-wing aircraft. The type and age of the aircraft is set out in the following tabular statement which will be circulated in the Official Report. In January 2005 two contracts were signed for the provision of new helicopters for the Air Corps at a cost of over €61million. Four utility...

Written Answers — Courts Martial: Courts Martial (1 Mar 2005)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 380, 381 and 387 to 389, inclusive, together. As my predecessor outlined in a reply to a previous question on this matter on 8 July 2004, when an incident involves injury to a member of the Defence Forces, a formal court of inquiry is convened to take evidence and to make recommendations on the matter. In this case, the court of inquiry has not been convened...

Written Answers — Medical Discharge: Medical Discharge (1 Mar 2005)

Willie O'Dea: The military authorities advise that the person in question enlisted in the Permanent Defence Force on 13 April 1973 and was discharged on 23 January 1977. His reason for discharge is recorded as "below army physical standards". Due to medical confidentiality, I cannot give full details of the reason the military medical authorities determined that the person concerned was below the medical...

Written Answers — Official Engagements: Official Engagements (1 Mar 2005)

Willie O'Dea: From Monday to Thursday of St. Patrick's week, I will attend to my ministerial duties and to constituency matters in Limerick. On Friday and Saturday, I will be in attendance at an informal defence ministerial meeting in Luxembourg. It is not envisaged that briefing material will be required from my Department for Ministers who will be visiting other countries.

Written Answers — Defence Forces Reserve: Defence Forces Reserve (1 Mar 2005)

Willie O'Dea: The Defence Forces reserve, comprising An Fórsa Cosanta Áitiúil, FCA, and An Slua Muirí, recruits approximately 1,300 reservists annually. This level of recruitment reflects the success of the various campaigns and recruiting methods currently undertaken by the reserve. The Defence Forces have a proactive approach to recruiting which is particularly reflected in the reserve component of...

Written Answers — Army Barracks: Army Barracks (1 Mar 2005)

Willie O'Dea: An area comprising more than 27 acres of the property in question is being handed over to Cork County Council for community use, including the provision of playing pitches. At meetings held at County Hall, Cork, in January 2002 between my predecessor and representatives of the local GAA and soccer clubs, it was agreed that the soccer club should be allocated one pitch on the northern side of...

Written Answers — Army Barracks: Army Barracks (1 Mar 2005)

Willie O'Dea: There is one microwave transmitter utilised for Defence Forces purposes operating from the communications mast in Cathal Brugha Barracks, Rathmines. Defence Forces communications systems comprising VHF and HF radio systems are also in operation at the barracks. There are no non-military communications systems operating from the mast at Cathal Brugha Barracks.

Written Answers — National Emergency Plan: National Emergency Plan (1 Mar 2005)

Willie O'Dea: The Garda Siochána has primary responsibility for law and order, including the protection of the internal security of the State. The potential threats to the State arising from international terrorism are continuously monitored by them in co-operation with the Defence Forces. The advice available to me is that, while the Garda authorities recognise that while the terrorist threat to Europe...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Equipment: Defence Forces Equipment (1 Mar 2005)

Willie O'Dea: The acquisition of new equipment for the Defence Forces has been a key focus in recent years. Significant investment has taken place and I am satisfied that the Defence Forces are now well equipped with modern equipment for their day to day roles at home and overseas. However, while much has been done and a great deal has been achieved I am aware that more needs to be done. In this connection...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Strength: Defence Forces Strength (1 Mar 2005)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 395 to 397, inclusive, together. 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...

Written Answers — Search and Rescue Service: Search and Rescue Service (1 Mar 2005)

Willie O'Dea: The Irish Coast Guard has overall responsibility for the provision of maritime search and rescue services within the Irish search and rescue region. The Air Corps had been providing search and rescue services, SARs, in the north west but withdrew in October 2004, following a handover of this role to CHCI, a private operator, which also provides the service at the country's other SAR bases at...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Accommodation: Defence Forces Accommodation (1 Mar 2005)

Willie O'Dea: As I indicated in my reply to the Deputy's Parliamentary Question No. 67 on 12 October 2004, personnel on being discharged from the Permanent Defence Force are obliged to vacate married quarters within a short period of the dates of their discharge. The provision of housing is primarily a matter for the local authorities and married military personnel have an equal claim on such housing as...

Bullying in the Workplace. (1 Mar 2005)

Willie O'Dea: Without wanting to be flippant about the matter, it is analogous to crime in Limerick. When a crime of a particular nature takes place in Limerick, everyone is keen to talk about it. The same crime would not attract the same attention in Cork, Waterford, Galway, Blessington or elsewhere. It is basically a sexy story. If someone says "Oh my goodness, I was in the Irish Army, was bullied...

Departmental Properties. (1 Mar 2005)

Willie O'Dea: The Department of Defence holds property in Dublin city and county as follows: Location Area McKee Barracks, Dublin 7 45 acres Cathal Brugha Barracks, Dublin 6 46 acres St. Bricin's Hospital, Dublin 7 5.5 acres Esplanade (part), Collins Barracks, Dublin 7 2 acres Arbour Hill Stores, Workshops, etc. 1.5 acres Site at Islandbridge 1 acre Casement Aerodrome,...

Overseas Missions. (1 Mar 2005)

Willie O'Dea: The Defence Forces participate in two main types of overseas missions, namely, traditional UN-led "Blue Hat" missions and UN-authorised missions, where the mission is established under the authority of the UN Security Council or the General Assembly of the UN. These two types of missions are represented on the Defence Forces website as UN and non-UN missions respectively. In both instances,...

Overseas Missions. (1 Mar 2005)

Willie O'Dea: The Deputy is mistaken. There are two types of operations, which might involve Irish troops going abroad. There are traditional UN-led operations, where the UN organises the mission and approaches its members to supply troops. However, there are also UN-authorised operations, where other bodies such as the EU, NATO or the Organisation of African States put the team together, having been...

Overseas Missions. (1 Mar 2005)

Willie O'Dea: The missions conform perfectly with the Defence Acts. The interpretation of successive Attorneys General is that the word "established" in the Acts covers the scenario where the UN decides that a mission must be deployed abroad but regards it as more appropriate to ask the EU, NATO or the Organisation of African States to undertake it rather than put it together itself. The advice is the word...

Overseas Missions. (1 Mar 2005)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 82, 90, 92, 93 and 107 together. The background to the rapid response elements concept, commonly referred to as battlegroups, is that at the European Council in Helsinki in 1999, member states set themselves a headline goal that by the year 2003, co-operating together and voluntarily, they would be able to deploy rapidly and then sustain forces capable of the...

Overseas Missions. (1 Mar 2005)

Willie O'Dea: In reply to Deputy Sherlock, the answer to both questions is "Yes". It is our policy that the UN mandate will continue to be required. Second, activities are confined to the Petersberg Tasks, the definition of which has been expanded somewhat recently. Essentially, they are humanitarian, involving peacekeeping, rescue operations and crisis management, including peacemaking. Deputy Timmins...