Results 241-260 of 610 for speaker:Tom Kitt in 'Written Answers'

Written Answers — White Paper on Defence: White Paper on Defence (7 Dec 2005)

Tom Kitt: The White Paper on Defence 2000 deals comprehensively with all aspects of defence provision and sets out the Government's policy on defence for the period to 2010, with a view to ensuring an appropriate level of defence capability having regard to the changing defence and security situation at home and abroad. The Department of Defence strategy statement 2005-2007 provides for a review of...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Property: Defence Forces Property (7 Dec 2005)

Tom Kitt: Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel is the principal base of the Air Corps. With the withdrawal of aircraft from Gormanston and the relocation of Air Corps headquarters to Baldonnel as outlined in the White Paper on defence, the Air Corps has the basis for better management of its resources. Baldonnel will continue to be the centre of military aviation in Ireland.

Written Answers — Army Barracks: Army Barracks (7 Dec 2005)

Tom Kitt: There are no plans to dispose of either Cathal Brugha Barracks or McKee Barracks. It is the practice for the Department to seek the advice of the Commissioner of Valuation on up-to-date open market valuations of individual properties where the disposal of such properties is under consideration. No such valuations have been obtained in respect of the properties in question.

Written Answers — Humanitarian Volunteer Corps: Humanitarian Volunteer Corps (7 Dec 2005)

Tom Kitt: In the course of a speech on 18 November 2005 at the Royal Irish Academy at an event to mark 50 years of UN participation, my colleague, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, outlined his plans to set up a volunteer corps unit within his Department to harness the strong volunteer spirit which exists across the country. The Department of Defence and the Defence Forces will provide advice, as...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Operations: Defence Forces Operations (7 Dec 2005)

Tom Kitt: To aid the civil power — meaning in practice to assist, when requested, the Garda Siochána who have the primary responsibility for law and order, including the protection of the internal security of the State — is among the roles assigned to the Defence Forces. In this regard, the Defence Forces assist the Garda as required in duties, which include cash escorts, prison escorts and...

Written Answers — Council of Defence: Council of Defence (7 Dec 2005)

Tom Kitt: The Council of Defence is provided for in section 11 of the Defence Act 1954. The council consists of the Minister of State, the Secretary General of the Department, the chief of staff and the two deputy chiefs of staff. The purpose of the council under the Act is to aid and counsel the Minister on all matters in relation to the Department of Defence on which the Minister may consult the...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Operations: Defence Forces Operations (7 Dec 2005)

Tom Kitt: In his address to the RACO biennial delegate conference on 29 November last, the Minister did not specifically mention domestic commitments. What he did speak about was our peacekeeping commitments in the context of the number of officers serving overseas and the need to ensure that we balance our obligations to Ireland's foreign policy with our obligations to the other roles of a well...

Written Answers — European Security and Defence Policy: European Security and Defence Policy (7 Dec 2005)

Tom Kitt: The European Union conducted its first military exercise — MILEX 05 — which was a command post exercise from 22 November to 1 December 2005 in the framework of the European Security and Defence Policy, ESDP. A command post exercise is an exercise involving EU institutions and EU member states, including military commanders and their staffs. As it is a desktop exercise and does not involve...

Written Answers — Official Engagements: Official Engagements (7 Dec 2005)

Tom Kitt: The Minister for Defence visited the Defence Forces Training Centre at the Curragh on 16 November 2005 to attend a display by the Army Ranger Wing, ARW, to mark their 25th anniversary and to open a new stores facility at the ARW headquarters. The display consisted of a number of training exercises and simulated rescues including two practical demonstrations of static room assaults and fast...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Recruitment: Defence Forces Recruitment (7 Dec 2005)

Tom Kitt: I propose to take Questions Nos. 97 and 111 together. The Government is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for men and women in the Defence Forces — Army, Air Corps, Naval Service — including the Reserve Defence Force, and to the full participation by women in all aspects of Defence Forces activities. In effect this means that women are eligible on the same basis as men for...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Equipment: Defence Forces Equipment (7 Dec 2005)

Tom Kitt: The Minister for Defence attended a meeting of the European Defence Agency Steering Board on 21 November 2005. The steering board is the principal decision-making body of the agency on which the 24 participating member states are represented — Denmark does not participate under its general opt-out on decisions with defence or military implications. The overall aim of the agency is to...

Written Answers — Military Investigations: Military Investigations (7 Dec 2005)

Tom Kitt: The Military Police investigation into this matter is still ongoing and is expected to be completed shortly. Pending completion of the investigation, I do not consider it appropriate to comment any further on the matter.

Written Answers — Departmental Estimates: Departmental Estimates (7 Dec 2005)

Tom Kitt: I propose to take Questions Nos. 100 and 115 together. The combined Defence Forces and Army pensions Estimates for 2006 provide for gross expenditure of €957.5 million, comprising €783 million for defence and €174.5 million for Army pensions. During 2006 the policy of continuous recruitment to the Defence Forces to maintain strengths at the approved levels will be continued, as will the...

Written Answers — Military Installations: Military Installations (7 Dec 2005)

Tom Kitt: There are three occupied military posts located in County Donegal at Rockhill House, Letterkenny, Lifford and Finner Camp, Bundoran. It is not the policy to disclose the number of military personnel at any particular military post or barracks. There are no plans to dispose of any of these military posts.

Written Answers — Bullying in the Workplace: Bullying in the Workplace (7 Dec 2005)

Tom Kitt: The Defence Forces and the Department have taken a wide variety of initiatives and have devoted an unprecedented level of resources to this issue, since Dr. Eileen Doyle and the external advisory committee presented their original report The Challenge of a Workplace in March 2002. This independent report addressed the range of interpersonal issues within the Defence Forces. Its contents and...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Strength: Defence Forces Strength (7 Dec 2005)

Tom Kitt: The role of the Defence Forces is set out in the White Paper on Defence as follows: to defend the State against armed aggression, this being a contingency, preparations for its implementation will depend on an ongoing Government assessment of the security and defence environment; to aid the civil power, meaning, in practice, to assist, when requested, the Garda Síochána, which has primary...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Reserve: Defence Forces Reserve (7 Dec 2005)

Tom Kitt: The Reserve Defence Force review implementation plan, which was officially launched in July 2004, started a process that will lead to significantly enhanced Reserve Defence Force capabilities while ensuring the traditional strengths of the reserve are maintained. The ambitious programme of reform and modernisation that is set out in the plan will be implemented over the period to end 2009. On...

Written Answers — Partnership for Peace: Partnership for Peace (7 Dec 2005)

Tom Kitt: Ireland's participation in Partnership for Peace to date is set out in our six individual partnership programmes, copies of which have been lodged in the Dáil library. Ireland's fifth IPP, covering the period 2005-2006, was completed last year in consultation with the Departments of Foreign Affairs, Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Justice Equality and Law Reform, Health and...

Written Answers — Airspace Regulation: Airspace Regulation (7 Dec 2005)

Tom Kitt: The Irish Aviation Authority, under the aegis of the Department of Transport, is responsible for the safety regulation of Irish airspace. An airspace change proposal was submitted by Weston Airport Ltd. to the Irish Aviation Authority in August 2005. The proposal was also copied to the Department of Defence and is currently under examination by the Air Corps. It is anticipated that following...

Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (7 Dec 2005)

Tom Kitt: Ireland is currently contributing 768 Defence Forces personnel to 19 different missions throughout the world. Of these personnel, 149 are officers. Full details of all personnel currently serving overseas are listed in the following statement. The main commitments are to the United Nations Mission in Liberia, with 425 personnel, to the NATO-led international security presence, or KFOR, in...