Results 61-80 of 2,815 for speaker:Tony Killeen
- Written Answers — Defence Forces Property: Defence Forces Property (15 Dec 2010)
Tony Killeen: Defence Forces Married Quarters are provided to serving members until their retirement or resignation. The term overholder is used to describe former members of the Defence Forces and their families who have refused to leave the quarters within 15 days of leaving the service. There are currently 50 overholders living in military accommodation. I refer the Deputy to Question No 150 of the...
- Written Answers — Defence Forces Property: Defence Forces Property (15 Dec 2010)
Tony Killeen: Ten military barracks have been closed since 1998. The receipts accruing from the sale of the first five barracks were as follows: Murphy Barracks, Ballincollig â¬44.5m, Fitzgerald Camp, Fermoy â¬973,889, Devoy Barracks, Naas â¬9.3m, Castleblayney Barracks â¬761,843, and Clancy Barracks, Islandbridge â¬25.4m.The Government decided on 1st July 2003 that Magee Barracks, Kildare would be...
- Defence Forces Personnel (15 Dec 2010)
Tony Killeen: The Deputy referred to ten cases, which he has previously referred to in parliamentary questions and which I have discussed with him, Deputies O'Shea and Stanton and others outside the House. In the case of the three people with serious symptomatology, it may have been caused or contributed to by Lariam. I am informed that there is nothing conclusive in this regard, which is not surprising....
- Decentralisation Programme (15 Dec 2010)
Tony Killeen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 26 and 38 together. The relocation to Newbridge under the decentralisation programme was successfully completed on 5 November 2010. The move to Newbridge now sees all civil branches of the Department located either in Newbridge or in Renmore, Galway. The chief of staff, deputy chiefs of staff, director of strategic planning and other relevant military staff...
- Decentralisation Programme (15 Dec 2010)
Tony Killeen: As the Deputy will be aware, the Office of Public Works is responsible for the provision of the buildings in Newbridge and so forth. I understand the overall cost will be in the region of â¬34 million. The Department of Defence will have spent approximately â¬430,000 on the decentralisation project, mainly on ICT and some adjustments which were required. On the communications centre, my...
- Decentralisation Programme (15 Dec 2010)
Tony Killeen: The Minister's office is in the new building in Newbridge. The possibility of remaining in Parkgate House would be open for consideration by the Defence Forces if the Department or Defence Forces owned the property, but it is an OPW property and I understand it has plans for the entire area surrounding the new courts buildings and other legal aspects to be accommodated on the greater campus,...
- Decentralisation Programme (15 Dec 2010)
Tony Killeen: The Deputy will be aware that the decision to move from Parkgate House was made a number of years ago and was long under way before my appointment to the office. It is not a matter which is decided at Cabinet. Quite clearly, the OPW has a considerable portfolio of buildings and has decided to centralise the Courts Service and all the ancillary services in that area. I understand the plan...
- Civil Defence (15 Dec 2010)
Tony Killeen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 27 and 39 together. The Civil Defence Board was established pursuant to the Civil Defence Act 2002 to co-ordinate the operation and future development of the Civil Defence at national level. While the board gives advice on policy issues, responsibility for policy and political accountability to the Oireachtas for the discharge of the board's functions remain...
- Civil Defence (15 Dec 2010)
Tony Killeen: I had a number of meetings with Civil Defence personnel when I visited various places around the country. I had a long interaction with members of the Civil Defence Board, including its chairman, when I went to Roscrea for the launch of the three-year plan. Considerable thought has been given to how the Civil Defence might be developed. In the past, there were concerns because the Civil...
- Civil Defence (15 Dec 2010)
Tony Killeen: The board has been very proactive in interacting with departmental officials on the issues that arise. The importance of the volunteer programme initiative, which is close to completion, has been demonstrated. The initiative, which is particularly vibrant, has been successful in drawing the attention of the public to the existence of the Civil Defence and the advantages to volunteers of...
- Civil Defence (15 Dec 2010)
Tony Killeen: The Deputy has made a fair point about the particular challenge we face in this regard. The organisations he mentioned, each of which has a huge voluntary element, have successfully maintained relatively high membership levels. Some of them have found the challenge more difficult than others. The need for co-ordination arises most dramatically in circumstances like those of the last two...
- Civil Defence (15 Dec 2010)
Tony Killeen: I do not have the information on age limits off the top of my head, and I shall have to come back to the Deputy on that. In some areas there is considerable interaction with schools. While travelling around the country I have asked civil defence officers and others I have met about something which was very common in my youth, namely, the provision of first aid classes to a very high...
- Departmental Expenditure (15 Dec 2010)
Tony Killeen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 28, 69 and 71 together. In common with all areas of the public service, the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces will operate with reduced funding for 2011. The gross Estimate for Department of Defence and Army pensions combined in 2011 is â¬933 million, an overall reduction of 4% on the 2010 Estimate. Defence spending at â¬725 million, including...
- Departmental Expenditure (15 Dec 2010)
Tony Killeen: As to the latter concern, I have no worries in that regard. I am absolutely certain that the Defence Forces will be fit for purpose, and that has been proven. Of all Departments, the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces have most successfully addressed downsizing, while improving quality of service simultaneously, to an extraordinary extent. This is testimony to the professionalism...
- Departmental Expenditure (15 Dec 2010)
Tony Killeen: It is mainly on the civilian employee side. I understand there are considerable opportunities available in that area, but the framework will have to be discussed with the stakeholders. It would be very unwise and unhelpful for a Minister or anybody else to lay out a narrow construct as regards what should be achieved over the period. Yesterday, I engaged with the two representative...
- Departmental Expenditure (15 Dec 2010)
Tony Killeen: It is stated in the reply that administrative efficiencies of â¬3 million in 2011 will be achieved through reduced employee numbers. The four year yield of â¬21 million on administrative efficiencies relates primarily to payroll savings across the Vote. They are accumulated and not defined and would be likely to arise more or less in proportion across the four year period. The figure...
- Irish Red Cross (15 Dec 2010)
Tony Killeen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 19 and 22 together. Proposals for reform of the governance of the Irish Red Cross Society arise from a resolution passed in November 2007 by the council of delegates of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, IFRC, which urged all national societies to examine and update their statutes and related legal texts by 2010. A working...
- Irish Red Cross (15 Dec 2010)
Tony Killeen: As regards whether an internal or external review might have been better, the judgment was made by the new chairman that an internal report would be quicker and cheaper. I have seen the report and I do not believe anybody could argue with its findings. It seems to be comprehensive from my point of view and proposes some changes. When I bring the draft governance issue to the committee,...
- Irish Red Cross (15 Dec 2010)
Tony Killeen: I understand that the most recent proposals arise, to some extent at least, from the findings of the internal report, which was referred to by Deputy Stanton.
- Irish Red Cross (15 Dec 2010)
Tony Killeen: The most recent one.