Results 15,501-15,520 of 19,162 for speaker:Alan Shatter

Written Answers — Defence Forces Personnel: Defence Forces Personnel (28 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: Resulting from the Government Decision regarding the reduction of public service numbers and the reduced budgetary provision available for 2009, recruitment, promotions and acting up appointments in the Permanent Defence Force were suspended. However, in order to maintain the ongoing operational capability of the Defence Forces, a limited number of exceptions to the application of the...

Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (28 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: The following table provides the information requested, in relation to contracts issued outsourcing IT services for 2010 and 2011, for agencies under the aegis of the Department of Defence. Agency Year Contract Value (incl VAT) Ombudsman for the Defence Forces 2010 Annual IT Support Services €22,840 Ombudsman for the Defence Forces 2011 Annual IT Support Services €25,448 Civil...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (28 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: The Office of the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces is listed by the Deputy and is under the aegis of the Department of Defence. The Department of Defence provides grant in aid on an annual basis to the Office of the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces. A grant in aid of €520,000 has been allocated for 2011, €300,000 of which is for salary costs. The Office of the Ombudsman has a staff level...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Personnel: Defence Forces Personnel (28 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: In relation to the Defence sector, the details requested by the Deputy in relation to military personnel and civilian employees attached to military installations are contained in the tabular statements below. NON-COMMISSIONED PERSONNEL Point Revised Weekly Rates of Pay RANK 01/01/2010 Private (Apprentice) On enlistment 1 €244.86 After 1 years service 2 €294.68 After 2 years...

Naval Service Operations (28 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: Clearly, the paper logbook should be provided if the other information is not. It is not satisfactory that neither form of information is readily available. There is, clearly, a timeframe for implementing the EU arrangements for the electronic recording of information. In that regard, there are areas we ourselves must deal with. We have to be temperate in our language about these things....

Defence Forces Ombudsman (28 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 50 and 55 together. In accordance with the terms of the Ombudsman (Defence Forces) Act 2004, the fifth annual report of the Ombudsman was laid before each House of the Oireachtas on 21 June 2011. The report shows a welcome drop in the number of complaints currently lodged with the Ombudsman, down from 229 in 2008 to 116 in 2010. The Ombudsman's report notes...

Defence Forces Ombudsman (28 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: I regard it as important that the conclusions of the Ombudsman are taken seriously, that they are reflected upon in the manner in which the legislation envisages and that, ultimately, a decision is made by the Minister as to whether to fully implement recommendations made or whether circumstances arise, which create a difficulty in that regard. I paid particular regard to the outstanding...

State Visits (28 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: This relates again to security arrangements of the visits of Queen Elizabeth II and President Obama. They were primarily a matter for the Garda. Among the roles assigned to the Defence Forces in the White Paper on Defence is the provision of aid to the civil power, meaning in practice to assist, when requested, An Garda Síochána. With regard to these successful visits, the roles played by...

State Visits (28 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: I thank the Deputy for her question, although it is starting to feel like ground-hog day. Her colleague, Deputy Clare Daly, asked the same question earlier. Such visits involve different Departments and agencies. In the context of security issues, the Garda was the lead agency engaged to provide the security necessary and it is estimated the additional cost to the force will not be less...

State Visits (28 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: In fairness to both, the Garda involvement was a great deal more intensive and required a great deal more personnel, overtime and allowances for the many members of the force who were engaged to be collated. That is more complex when compared with the Defence Forces, where the financial backdrop is simpler and clearer. Both forces did us proud during the course of both visits. We should...

National Emergency Plan (28 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Question Nos. 52 and 53 together. Emergency planning in this country is structured around the "lead Department" principle, which means that whoever is responsible for an activity in normal conditions will maintain that responsibility during a major emergency. The advantage of this approach is that the professionals, who deal with a particular sector on a daily basis, can...

National Emergency Plan (28 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: Communications play a vital part of the response to emergencies that arise, especially communications between the different agencies in the State. This issue is kept under review by the task force, and I will ensure it is continually reviewed. One can always improve communications, but further developments in these areas are constrained by our economic circumstances. During the course of...

Defence Forces Property (28 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: Since the mid-1990s, the Department of Defence has been engaged in a programme of disposing of surplus properties and using the proceeds for reinvestment in equipment and infrastructure for the Defence Forces. The former Connolly Barracks is one such property. I have received no proposal in regard to Connolly Barracks. The Midland Regional Authority undertook a feasibility study into the...

Defence Forces Property (28 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: There is no difficulty in everybody going in one direction. Essentially, this is a property that is available, owned by the Department of Defence and has a commercial value. As I understand it, the feasibility study to which the Deputy referred is being considered by the local authorities and it is for them to take the initiative in the matter. I can say to the Deputy without any...

Defence Forces Property (28 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: For almost three months of the six months, Deputy Calleary's party was in government and there was a degree of confusion as to who actually was the Minister of Defence because Mr. Killeen resigned and Deputy Ó Cuív was appointed and then we had a general election. I want to reiterate if constructive proposals can be implemented which are in the public interest, which address the commercial...

Defence Forces Equipment (28 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: A wide range of goods and services is procured by the Department and the Defence Forces to ensure the Defence Forces can carry out their day-to-day roles at home and overseas. Procurement for the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces is provided for under various subheads of the Defence Vote. The subheads relate to, inter alia, defensive equipment, mechanical transport, aircraft,...

Defence Forces Equipment (28 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: I answered the second portion of the Deputy's question on the previous occasion. It is interesting to see he returns to the one subject obsessively in the House. With regard to the query he raised in respect of contracts signed in recent weeks or which may be signed, in so far as the information is available it will be included in the information forwarded to him in written form.

Defence Forces Contracts (28 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: This was a question the answer to which we chewed over. The current contract for the supply of meat products to the Defence Forces is held by Crossgar Food Services Limited, County Down. The award of the contract in 2010 followed an open tender competition, which was advertised on the Department of Finance's e-tender website and which was published in the Official Journal of the European...

Defence Forces Contracts (28 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: I ask the Deputy to thank his constituent for smoking out that response.

Defence Forces Personnel (28 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: In 1997 agreement was reached with the Permanent Defence Force Other Ranks Representative Association, PDFORRA, on a new manpower policy for the Defence Forces. This policy, applying to personnel enlisted after 1 January 1994, provided that service for private soldiers would initially be for five years with the option to be extended to a maximum of 12 years. In 2004, PDFORRA submitted a...