Results 12,421-12,440 of 18,851 for speaker:Fergus O'Dowd

Other Questions: Overseas Missions (14 Mar 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: Libya with Colonel Gadaffi. The facts are that the IRA semtex explosives came from Colonel Gadaffi.

Other Questions: Overseas Missions (14 Mar 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: You and people belonging to you know all about that.

Other Questions: Overseas Missions (14 Mar 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: And that is it.

Other Questions: Overseas Missions (14 Mar 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: You are outrageous.

Other Questions: Army Equitation School (14 Mar 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: I propose to take Questions Nos 9, 14 and 33 together. I confirm that no member of the Army Equitation School is paid in excess of €80,000 per annum. The costs associated with running the school since 2006, including the cost of its participation at international events, are set out in the following tabular statement. The cost of running the school in 2012 was €2.2 million....

Other Questions: Army Equitation School (14 Mar 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: The issues raised in the parliamentary questions, including Question No. 33 by Deputy Gerry Adams, relate to matters of fact and I do not know why the information should not be provided. I have the statistic on the total prize money won. I have no doubt the House is entitled to the information it seeks on expenditure. While it is not included in the reply provided, it will have to be given...

Other Questions: Army Equitation School (14 Mar 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: I agree absolutely with Deputy Ó Fearghaíl. The school does a very good job and long may it continue to fly our flag in international competition. It is very good for the horse industry also.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Air Accident Investigations (14 Mar 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: I accept the points Deputy Higgins has made and I will ensure they are brought to the attention of the Minister, Deputy Shatter. All of the issues raised up to now, and I am not familiar with all of them, have been addressed in the context of being sent for legal advice but if there are any other submissions the Deputy or the families wish to make, I have no doubt that on receipt of them the...

Other Questions: Overseas Missions (14 Mar 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 to 8, inclusive, 18 and 21 together. On 26 February 2013, the Government approved the deployment of approximately eight members of the Permanent Defence Force to the EU training mission in Mali, which has been authorised by the United Nations under UN Security Council Resolution 2071 (2012), to provide military training to the Malian armed forces. The...

Other Questions: Overseas Missions (14 Mar 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: I reiterate that we are in the country on a United Nations mission. The personnel will not be involved in combat operations. The mission will consist of 250 instructors and approximately 200 additional military personnel to provide support and security. The role of personnel deployed to the mission will be to provide military training to the armed forces, as well as training and advice on...

Other Questions: Overseas Missions (14 Mar 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: The key issue is that this country is in serious strife. There has been a coup d'état and human rights abuses on both sides. We have a United Nations resolution that we should try to help resolve that matter. We have a commitment from the existing Government in Mali to have free and fair elections. It is worthwhile being involved in that, and I am proud of Ireland's involvement in...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Reorganisation (14 Mar 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: A three brigade structure was retained from the 1990s onward, when there were 11,500 full-time Defence Force personnel. This structure was also retained on foot of the White Paper on Defence published in 2000, which reduced the strength of the Permanent Defence Force to 10,500. It is no longer viable to retain the structure. Some 1,772 Army personnel - 24% of its total strength - have...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Reorganisation (14 Mar 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: The indicator for all of this is the situation in which we find ourselves nationally as a result of the mismanagement of the State's finances by the Government of which the Deputy's party was a part. The figures I supplied earlier relate to 2010, when Fianna Fáil was in power. At that time, the then Government reduced the proportion of GDP spent in this area. There are no figures...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Air Accident Investigations (14 Mar 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: I wish first to extend my sympathies to the families of the deceased. There have been three separate reports into this tragic accident. The air accident investigation unit of the Department of Transport conducted an inquiry and published its report on 24 January 2012. It found that the probable cause of the accident was spatial disorientation of the instructor-pilot in conditions of poor...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Air Accident Investigations (14 Mar 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: I again offer my deepest sympathies to the families of Cadet Jevens and Captain Furniss in respect of this awful tragedy. I reiterate that the Minister for Defence, Deputy Shatter, has arranged for all of the relevant issues that were raised to be forwarded to the Attorney General for advice. The Minister is available to meet the families of the deceased at any time. In the context of the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Human Rights Issues (14 Mar 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: I repeat what I said in my response: "United Nations Security Council Resolution 2071 (2012) calls on the European Union to provide assistance, expertise, training and capacity building support for the armed and security forces of Mali in order to restore the authority of the state of Mali over its entire national territory." Ireland is participating on the basis of a United Nations Security...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Human Rights Issues (14 Mar 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: The time allotted for the Deputy's Priority Question is ordered by the rules of the House. I do not have a problem with allocating more time if the House so decides. Any issue relating to Irish troops can be discussed, either by means of a Priority Question in the House, an Oireachtas committee or in the annual report of the Department of Defence. A resolution of the House is not required...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Reorganisation (14 Mar 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: Arising from the comprehensive review of expenditure in 2011, the Government decided to stabilise the strength of the Permanent Defence Force at 9,500 personnel. Following that decision, it was decided that it was not viable to retain a three brigade structure within a strength ceiling of 9,500 personnel. Accordingly, a major reorganisation, encompassing a reduction in the number of Army...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Spending (14 Mar 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: I am taking these questions on behalf of the Minister for Defence who is out of the country. Each country pursues a defence policy that reflects its particular requirements and there can be significant differences in the proportion of funding that differing states allocate to defence. My colleague, the Minister for Defence, is committed to ensuring that the Defence Forces can continue to...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Spending (14 Mar 2013)

Fergus O'Dowd: I thank the Deputy for his welcome. With respect, the question he asked concerned the way Ireland's defence expenditure as a share of GDP compares with those of other EU nations which are not members of NATO. The briefing I have refers to the question put down for answer as a priority question and does not mention the other issues raised by the Deputy. Notwithstanding the comments the...