Results 12,241-12,260 of 12,646 for speaker:Willie O'Dea

Seanad: Ombudsman (Defence Forces) Bill 2002: Report and Final Stages. (3 Nov 2004)

Willie O'Dea: As I stated previously, the legislation provides for a period not exceeding seven years, with provision for a possible second and subsequent term of appointment. The proposed amendments would provide for a fixed-term appointment of seven years, with a possibility of one second term period of appointment only. The second term would presumably also be a fixed term of seven years, or 14 years in...

Seanad: Ombudsman (Defence Forces) Bill 2002: Report and Final Stages. (3 Nov 2004)

Willie O'Dea: I thank Senators from all sides of the House for their extraordinarily kind remarks. I am quite overwhelmed and I thank them very much.

Seanad: Ombudsman (Defence Forces) Bill 2002: Report and Final Stages. (3 Nov 2004)

Willie O'Dea: I also thank Senators, particularly Government and Opposition spokespersons, for their extremely constructive contributions. I was impressed by the contrast between the reality of an operational military situation and the ordinary civilian employment setting. These are two entirely different situations and the Bill had to be finely honed to achieve that balance correctly. I believe we have...

Seanad: Ombudsman (Defence Forces) Bill 2002: Report and Final Stages. (3 Nov 2004)

Willie O'Dea: I thank Senators for their further contributions on this matter on which we had an extensive discussion on Committee Stage. If someone had a general complaint of the sort envisaged in the context of these amendments, he or she would have recourse to the ordinary Ombudsman for the public services. From what I recall of the debate on Committee Stage, Senators Minihan and Maurice Hayes stated...

Seanad: Ombudsman (Defence Forces) Bill 2002: Report and Final Stages. (3 Nov 2004)

Willie O'Dea: I shall make just a few points as we have exhausted the discussion of this matter. While I do not have a copy of the Committee Stage debate I recall Senator Maurice Hayes saying that he did not think it would be a good idea to have an inspectorate type role for the office of ombudsman. Senator O'Meara referred to the autonomy of the Oireachtas as the ultimate——

Seanad: Ombudsman (Defence Forces) Bill 2002: Report and Final Stages. (3 Nov 2004)

Willie O'Dea: Yes.

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (2 Nov 2004)

Willie O'Dea: My Department has a dedicated internal audit unit which carries out a range of audits each year in order to provide assurance on the adequacy of controls in operation in the various areas of activity of the Department. The internal audit unit works to an annual plan which is approved by the secretary general and which comprises a range of audits of military stores and systems audits of...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Property: Defence Forces Property (2 Nov 2004)

Willie O'Dea: I propose to take Questions Nos. 487 and 488 together. To date, a total of 14 schools have been granted permission to use the Curragh swimming pool. At present, the pool is open each weekday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is intended to further expand the use of the facility as soon as possible and arrangements will then be made to permit local swimming clubs and other groups to use the pool.

Written Answers — Defence Forces Property: Defence Forces Property (2 Nov 2004)

Willie O'Dea: In line with normal practice, Kildare County Council has been requested to take in charge the roads and services at Orchard Park. In the interim, the Department will continue to be responsible for the maintenance of the roads and footpaths and in that regard a contractor will shortly be engaged to carry out the necessary repairs.

Written Answers — Defence Forces Property: Defence Forces Property (2 Nov 2004)

Willie O'Dea: The refurbishment of living quarters is an integral part of my Department's building plans. Major contracts to improve the standard of accommodation in the Curragh were placed in recent years as part of the barracks reinvestment plan for the Defence Forces. These included contracts to the value of €5 million approximately in Connolly Barracks, students, and Clarke Barracks, other ranks. In...

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (2 Nov 2004)

Willie O'Dea: The total amount of pension withheld by my Department under the Defence Forces pensions schemes from persons in unauthorised occupation of married quarters is approximately €330,000, net of income tax, PRSI, overholding and electricity charges.

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (2 Nov 2004)

Willie O'Dea: 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 other members of the community in the same income category. The individuals overholding 54...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Training: Defence Forces Training (2 Nov 2004)

Willie O'Dea: The number of Defence Force personnel who underwent training with FÁS over the past three years is as follows: Year Army Naval Service Air Corps 2002 95 Figures not readily available Nil 2003 140 57 Nil 2004 139 39 Nil

Written Answers — Defence Forces Training: Defence Forces Training (2 Nov 2004)

Willie O'Dea: The number of enlisted personnel in receipt of additional pay in respect of filling a technical appointment within the Defence Forces as at 1 November 2004 is 4,629. In total, 73 Air Corps apprentices have been enlisted in the Permanent Defence Force over the last three years. At present, a competition is underway from which it is intended to enlist a further 15 Air Corps apprentices. Prior...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Strength: Defence Forces Strength (2 Nov 2004)

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. On 30 September 2004, the most recent date for which figures are available, the actual total strength of the Permanent Defence Force was 10,419. The number of general service recruits enlisted...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Representation: Defence Forces Representation (19 Oct 2004)

Willie O'Dea: Under the provision of the Defence (Amendment) Act 1990, representative associations have been set up for serving personnel of the Permanent Defence Forces, RACO and PDFORRA, and the Reserve Defence Forces, RDFRA. The Organisation of National Ex-Servicemen and Women, ONE, is the recognised organisation for former members of the Defence Forces. The Irish United Nations Veterans Association,...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Property: Defence Forces Property (19 Oct 2004)

Willie O'Dea: Contracts for environmental maintenance works on the Curragh are awarded by my Department on a periodic basis following a tender competition which is advertised in local County Kildare based newspapers, Leinster Leader, Kildare Nationalist and Kildare Times. A contract for weed-cutting on the Curragh is awarded every year following a restricted tender competition. My Department holds details...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Equipment: Defence Forces Equipment (19 Oct 2004)

Willie O'Dea: The introduction of less lethal weapons for use by the Defence Forces in the course of aid to the civil power duties is the subject of ongoing consideration in my Department. Such consideration follows the proposal of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, noted by Government in November 2002, to authorise the introduction of a limited range of less-lethal weapons for use by the...

Seanad: Ombudsman (Defence Forces) Bill 2002: Committee Stage. (13 Oct 2004)

Willie O'Dea: It has been an informative debate for a civilian such as myself——

Seanad: Ombudsman (Defence Forces) Bill 2002: Committee Stage. (13 Oct 2004)

Willie O'Dea: First, I would like to thank Senator Maurice Hayes for giving us the benefit of his vast experience from the position of ombudsman, and also Senator Minihan for giving us his insights on what exactly it is like working inside the military structure. Listening to Senator Minihan I am reminded of what the Duke of Wellington said when he was asked to compare being in charge of a government to...