DOCSLIB.ORG

Written Answers

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Written Answers 11 July 2017 Written Answers. The following are questions tabled by Members for written response and the ministerial replies as received on the day from the Departments [unrevised]. Questions Nos. 1 to 6, inclusive, answered orally. Questions Nos. 7 to 27, inclusive, resubmitted. Questions Nos. 28 to 36, inclusive, answered orally. 11/07/2017WRA00650Defence Forces Personnel Data 11/07/2017WRA0070037. Deputy Brendan Ryan asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the number of legal advisers that are employed by the Defence Forces; the cost of training such legal advisers; if the said personnel are required to reimburse the State for the training; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32481/17] 11/07/2017WRA00800Minister of State at the Department of Defence (Deputy Paul Kehoe): The role of Le- gal Officers employed by the Defence Forces is to advise the Chief of Staff on legal matters pertaining to the Defence Forces. Separately, legal advice for the Minister is provided by the Office of the Attorney General. I am informed that there are currently a total of seven (7) Legal Officers employed in the Legal Service Branch of the Defence Forces. It is difficult to itemise training costs specifically attributable to training Legal Officers. This is due to many variables depending on the educational route chosen by the individual officer. By way of example, the cost attributable to a postgraduate who may have funded his/her own primary degree is differ- ent to the costs associated with an undergraduate Cadet who achieves his degree through the USAC (University Students Administrative Complement) Scheme. Part of training/educational costs can be covered also through a refund of fees scheme. The amount recoupable under this scheme varies from year to year according to the budgetary amounts allocated and the number of applicants. In addition, the Legal Services Branch has an annual budget for external courses as part of continuous professional development (CPD). This budget is set at €9,000 for 2017. Amounts recoupable also vary according to the number of applicants. Further education with third level institutions is conditional on a requirement to sign a ser- vice undertaking which involves the serving of a period of time which reflects the investment in attaining training and skills. When members of the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) retire, resign their commissions or discharge from the Defence Forces, they are required to reimburse the Department of Defence for any period of their service undertaking that they have not served in lieu of their signed undertaking. Officers who undertake professional training at the Honourable Society of Kings Inns or the Law Society do so under the various schemes open to all Defence Forces personnel in line with the Training and Education Policy and Strategy. The duration of the resultant undertaking is 127 Questions - Written Answers specific to each course taking into account a number of factors including overall cost. 11/07/2017WRA00850Naval Service Operations 11/07/2017WRA0090038. Deputy Fiona O’Loughlin asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence his plans for continued support for migrants in the Mediterranean area by the Naval Service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25500/17] 11/07/2017WRA01000Minister of State at the Department of Defence (Deputy Paul Kehoe): In April 2017, the Government approved the despatch of a Naval vessel to the Mediterranean to undertake humanitarian search and rescue tasks as part of a bilateral arrangement with the Italian authori- ties. Similar arrangements were put in place in 2015 and 2016. The role of the Irish Naval vessels is to provide a search and rescue capability and to undertake humanitarian search and rescue operations at sea in the Mediterranean. L.É. Eithne was deployed on 23 May 2017 and this year to date, has rescued 1,187 persons from unseaworthy crafts. Overall 16,808 migrants have been rescued since Irish Naval Service vessels were first deployed in the Mediterranean in May 2015. The despatch of Irish Naval vessels is facilitated as part of a bilateral arrangement with the Italian Government on the deployment and operation of the vessels and on the disembarkation and reception of any persons rescued or vessels in distress, in accordance with the applicable international conventions on the rescue of persons in distress at sea. L.É. Eithne is due to return home later this month and it is our intention, subject to agree- ment from the Italian authorities, to deploy a further vessel to the Mediterranean to replace L.É. Eithne. Ireland is fully supportive of the EU approach to the migration crisis. In this connection, EUNAVFOR MED (Operation Sophia) is another element of a comprehensive approach to ad- dressing the migration crisis in the South Central Mediterranean. Operation Sophia is the EU Naval Operation designed to disrupt the people smuggling operations in the Mediterranean and to enforce the arms embargo on Libya. Potential participation by Ireland in the mission is cur- rently being considered. EUNAVFOR MED is an armed international peace support operation mandated by the United Nations. Any decision to participate in Operation Sophia would also require Government and Dáil approval. 11/07/2017WRA01050Defence Forces Medicinal Products 11/07/2017WRA0110039. Deputy Brendan Ryan asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence his plans to im- plement the recommendations of the motion taken on 28 June 2017 and agreed by Dáil Éireann regarding the drug lariam. [32345/17] 11/07/2017WRA01200Minister of State at the Department of Defence (Deputy Paul Kehoe): As I stated in my reply to the Private Members’ Motion which was before the Dáil on 28 June, fundamentally the use of anti-malarial drugs is a medical matter that should be decided by qualified medical professionals. In the Defence Forces these are decisions for highly qualified Medical Officers having regard to the specific circumstances of the mission and the individual member of the Defence Forces. I have already indicated that a Working Group is currently examining issues arising in relation to the use of Lariam. In its earlier work in 2013, the Group obtained advice from leading medical experts who concurred with the practices followed by the Defence Forces in prescribing Lariam. 128 11 July 2017 The Group is continuing to engage with national and international experts and its most re- cent meeting was held on 28 June 2017. I understand that the Working Group is considering options to formalise the provision of ongoing external expert medical advice to the Defence Forces in relation to a range of medical matters, including malaria chemoprophylaxis. I anticipate receiving its Report shortly and I will carefully consider the Group’s recom- mendations. I would like to again remind the House that there is ongoing litigation in relation to this matter. The State Claims Agency manages claims on behalf of the Department of Defence and has confirmed that to date 55 claims have been made by members and former members of the Defence Forces who allege personal injury as a result of their consumption of mefloquine (Lariam). The first case was scheduled to be heard in the High Court on 4th July last and has now been adjourned to 3 November 2017. You will therefore appreciate that I am constrained in my discussions on the matter. I wish to assure the House that the health and welfare of the men and women of the Defence Forces is a high priority for me and the Defence Forces. 11/07/2017WRA01250Defence Forces Recruitment 11/07/2017WRA0130040. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the position regarding recruitment to the Permanent Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32093/17] 11/07/2017WRA0140064. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the position regarding the general service and cadet recruitment campaigns he launched earlier in 2017; the number of applications received; when the process is expected to be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32512/17] 11/07/2017WRA01500Minister of State at the Department of Defence (Deputy Paul Kehoe): I propose to take Questions Nos. 40 and 64 together. The Government is committed to maintaining a strength level of 9,500 personnel for the Permanent Defence Force. This comprises 7,520 Army, 886 Air Corps and 1,094 Naval Service personnel, as stated in the 2015 White Paper on Defence. The manpower requirement of the Defence Forces is monitored on an ongoing basis in accordance with operational requirements. As there is significant turnover of personnel in the Permanent Defence Force targeted recruitment has been and is currently taking place so as to maintain the agreed strength levels. I am advised by the Military Authorities that the Defence Forces are planning to increase the level of recruitment in 2017 and a number of competitions are currently underway in this regard. The 2017 Cadet Competition was launched on 22 March 2017. In total there were 3,466 ap- plicants for all 7 competitions which are; Army Cadet, Army Engineer Cadet, Army Equitation Cadet, Air Corps Pilot Cadet, Naval Service Operations Cadet, Naval Service Marine Engineer Cadet and Naval Service Electrical Engineer Cadet. The competition has progressed through the Application stage and Online Unsupervised Psychometric Assessments, to the Assessment Centre stage which involves Group Assessment, Fitness Tests and a Realistic Job Preview. A total of 100 Cadet inductions are planned to take place in September 2017. 129 Questions - Written Answers General Service Recruitment Campaigns for both the Army and Naval Service were launched on 23 February 2017. The competitions have now progressed and recruitment has commenced. In total there were 5 , 210 applicants for these competitions an increase of 13.5% compared with 2016.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Handbook of Second Level Educational Research: Breaking the S.E.A.L
    Provided by the author(s) and NUI Galway in accordance with publisher policies. Please cite the published version when available. Title Handbook of second level educational research: Breaking the S.E.A.L. Student engagement with archives for learning Author(s) Flynn, Paul; Houlihan, Barry Publication Date 2017-07 Publication Flynn, Paul, & Houlihan, Barry. (2017). Handbook of second Information level educational research: Breaking the S.E.A.L. Student engagement with archives for learning. Galway: NUI Galway. Publisher NUI Galway Item record http://hdl.handle.net/10379/6687 Downloaded 2021-09-24T14:02:50Z Some rights reserved. For more information, please see the item record link above. Handbook of Second Level Educational Research Breaking the S.E.A.L. Student Engagement with Archives for Learning, NUI Galway, 2017 Editors: Paul Flynn and Barry Houlihan ISBN: 978-1-908358-56-1 Table of Contents Foreword 7 Introduction 9 Moneenageisha Community College 10 Alanna O’Reilly Deborah Sampson Gannett and Her Role in the Continental Army During the American Revolutionary War. 11 Mitchelle Dupe The Death of Emmett Till and its Effect on American Civil Rights Movement. 11 Andreea Duma Joan Parlea: His Role in the Germany Army Between 1941-1943. 11 Paddy Hogan An Irishmans' Role in The Suez Crisis. 11 Presentation College Headford 12 Michael McLoughlin Trench Warfare in World War 1 13 Ezra Heraty The Gallant Heroics of Pigeons during the Great War 14 Sophie Smith The White Rose Movement 15 Maggie Larson The Hollywood Blacklist: Influences on Film Content 1933-50 16 Diarmaid Conway Michael Cusack – Gaelic Games Pioneer 18 Ciara Varley Emily Hobhouse in the Anglo-Boer War 19 Andrew Egan !3 The Hunger Striking in Irish Republicanism 21 Joey Maguire Michael Cusack 23 Coláiste Mhuire, Ballygar 24 Mártin Quinn The Iranian Hostage Crisis: How the Canadian Embassy Workers Helped to Rescue the Six Escaped Hostages.
    [Show full text]
  • Von Wildgänsen Und Pmcs
    Von Wildgänsen und PMCs. Der Wandel in der gesellschaftlichen Wahrnehmung von Söldnern in Film und Fernsehen. Dissertation zur Erlangung des Doktorgrades der Philosophie an der Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz Eingereicht von David Christopher Jaklin, Mag. phil. am Institut für Geschichte Erstbegutachter: Dieter-Anton Binder, Ao. Univ.-Prof. Dr.phil. tit. Univ.-Prof. Zweitbegutachter: Helmut Konrad, O.Univ.-Prof. Dr.phil. Dr.h.c. 2017 2 Inhaltsverzeichnis Vorwort 5 I. Einleitung 6 A. Vorgehensweise 8 B. Aufbau der Arbeit 9 C. Verwendete Quellen und Literatur 10 II. Die Problematik der Terminologie 13 D. Definitions- und Differenzierungsversuche 14 1. Völkerrecht und internationale Organisationen 14 2. Die Problembeurteilung des UN Special Rapporteur on the use of mercenaries 19 E. Wissenschaftlicher Diskurs – ein Abwägen der Grauzonen 19 1. Differenzierung von Söldnern und PMCs 19 2. Das Artikulieren der definitorischen Grauzonen 21 3. Tim Spicer – aus den Augen und dem Mund eines Beteiligten 22 4. Die Rückkehr zum alten Söldnerbegriff 23 5. Die moralische Bewertung der “Söldner” 24 F. Exkurs: Die historische Genese der Söldner 25 1. Die Condottieri 26 2. Die Reisläufer 28 3. Die Landsknechte 29 4. Der Krieg im Wandel – der 30-jährige Krieg als Zäsur 29 G. Zwischenfazit – Das Spannungsfeld der Definition 31 H. Die für diese Arbeit verwendete Definition 33 I. Vorgehensweise und Methode 33 J. Forschungsfragen 37 III. Narrative und Stereotypen 38 K. Die weißen Söldner 40 1. Dark of the Sun – The Mercenaries – Katanga 42 2. The Wild Geese und Daniel Carneys Blick auf die Weißen Söldner seiner Zeit 49 3. The Dogs of War und Frederick Forsyths Beitrag zum Genre 56 4.
    [Show full text]
  • 1476620137807.Pdf
    Since the middle of the twentieth century Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa in particular, has been dogged by war and its ever present partners; conquest, famine and death. Much debate can be, and is, had about who or what is to blame for this sorry state of affairs, and what is certain is that there are no shortage of political commentators who are all too happy to tell you their theories. In B’Maso I have attempted, but not always succeeded, to avoid any such postulating. Instead of politics, what the gamer will find inside is lots of information that will, I hope, allow him to refight a selection of African wars, stretching from the 1950s up to the 1990s across thousands of miles and hundreds of cultures. There are rule changes and additions that will help the gamer produce games that capture the feel of the various conflicts – some generic to Africa, others specific to one conflict. As will be seen, so much of the fighting in Africa was, in effect, the embodiment of the cold war fought by proxies. This can mean that all sorts of weird and wonderful equipment can turn up, from pre-WWII armoured trucks to the most modern technology. In many places it is impossible to provide detailed orders of battle, as formations operated on an entirely ad hoc basis, using anything that they could lay their hands on. What we have done throughout, however, is provide information on organisational structures and equipment that was used by the various nations, factions, tribes and groups.
    [Show full text]
  • Oral History: Utilising the Experience of Others
    Journal of Military History and Defence Studies Vol. 1. Issue 2 (November 2020) Maynooth Academic Publishing. ISSN 2712-0171. http://ojs.maynoothuniversity.ie/ojs/index.php/jmhds Oral history: Utilising the Experience of Others Padraic Kennedy The Irish Defence Forces Leadership Doctrine emphasises the need for lifelong study and experiential learning, and the Defence Forces have considerable experience in managing oral history projects, including the Bureau of Military History and the Military Archives Oral History Projects. However, Irish doctrine does not outline any formal method to capture these experiences as a leadership development tool or to enhance organisational memory. The aim of this paper is to examine the value of utilising oral history for leadership development and organisational memory. It demonstrates that there is a risk to organisational memory unless a formal methodology is in place to capture the experiences of Defence Forces members and connected personnel. The use of tacit knowledge, which has facilitated the handover of information to date, is not sufficient nor is the written record alone. This paper shows that a combination of multiple primary sources, including the written record and oral history, provides an opportunity to enhance leadership development. It also demonstrates that the use of oral history provides an opportunity to capture the social and human aspect of Defence Forces activities to not only enhance organisational memory but to understand the context within which decisions were made. The Irish Defence Forces Capstone Doctrine emphasises the need to build upon past achievements and to utilise Irish Defence Forces knowledge from sixty years of peacekeeping (DFCD, 2016, pp.
    [Show full text]
  • Heroes of Jadotville: the Soldiers Story Free
    FREE HEROES OF JADOTVILLE: THE SOLDIERS STORY PDF Rose Doyle | 400 pages | 28 Apr 2016 | NEW ISLAND BOOKS | 9781848404885 | English | Dublin, Ireland Book review: Heroes of Jadotville: The Soldiers’ Story The siege of Jadotville was an engagement during the Congo Crisis in September The lightly armed Irish soldiers, besieged in Jadotville modern Likasiresisted Katangese assaults for five days as a relief force of Irish, Indian and Swedish troops unsuccessfully attempted to reach the Irish force. The outnumbered Irish company was eventually forced to surrender after ammunition and supplies were exhausted, but not before Heroes of Jadotville: The Soldiers Story heavy casualties on the Katangese and their mercenaries. They were held as prisoners of war for approximately one month, with no loss of life. The Shinkolobwe mine by Jadotville was described by a Manhattan Project intelligence report as the most important deposit of uranium yet discovered in the world. The uranium from this mine was used to build the atomic bombs used in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in But the Katangese political leadership believed the UN had broken its mandate and its forces were siding with their opponent, the Congolese central government. Soon after the start of Morthor, the Katangese led a counterattack on an Heroes of Jadotville: The Soldiers Story UN Heroes of Jadotville: The Soldiers Story unit based at the mining town of Jadotville, approximately kilometers up-country from the main UN base in Elisabethville. The foreign minister of Belgium had called the UN secretary-general, reporting that Belgian settlers and the local population were unprotected, and feared for their safety.
    [Show full text]
  • The Canada Times Celebrating Little Known Or Forgotten Stories of Our History
    June 2018 Vol. 14, Issue 1 THE CANADA TIMES Celebrating little known or forgotten stories of our history Note from the Chair Military Chaplain What’s inside Siege of Jadotville Honouring a Chief New Board Member Newsletter from The Jeanie Johnston Educational Foundation Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem 155, du Buisson, Pierrefonds, P.Q. H8Y 2Z5 Tel.: 514-341-7777 Email: [email protected] Note from the Chair The Walk to the Stone on Sunday, 27th May, 2018 was marked by the excellent turn out and the program Fr.William (Willy) Doyle SJ, MC. created by Victor Boyle and members of the Ancient Order of Hibernians An Honour denied (A.O.H.) deserves first class credit. This is an event put together by the By Leo Delaney Leo Delaney A.O.H. alone. This organization has Father William kept the memories of this tragedy alive and in the hearts of Montrealers. For over Doyle was born in 100 years, the A.O.H. has been the Standard Bearer, Dalkey, Co Dublin reminding us of our responsibility to honor those on 3rd March, 1873, 6,000 souls buried in this Hallowed Ground, a burial ground which is respected across the world. the youngest of seven children. He Speakers representing the Montreal Monument Foundation noted the various steps that had occurred was ordained as a since the acquisition of the Graveyard by Hydro Jesuit in 1907. When Québec, through the offices of the previous Mayor war broke out in of Montreal, Denis Corderre, whose pledges and promises of cooperation and trust, proved again that 1914, he volunteered political trust is another name for distrust.
    [Show full text]
  • No. 6, July/August
    00-An Cos-july-aug-10 (p1-5 EDITORIAL) 12/07/2010 10:58 Page 3 VOLUME 70 Number 6 July-August 2010 11 18 20 23 28 34 FEATURES 11 Lt Gen Dermot Earley DSM An Eulogy 13 Congo Vets Remember By Wesley Bourke 20 Advance and Overcome By Wesley Bourke 23 The Minister for Defence Interviewed by Wesley Bourke REGULARS 6 On Parade 10 World Strategic Picture 18 Def Tech 25 Tac Aide 26 Overseas 28 Sport 31 Gadgets 32 Noticeboard 33 Reviews 13 34 What I do… AN COSANTÓIR July-August 2010 3 00-An Cos-july-aug-10 (p1-5 EDITORIAL) 12/07/2010 10:58 Page 4 00-An Cos-july-aug-10 (p1-5 EDITORIAL) 14/07/2010 13:16 Page 5 An Cosantóir VOLUME 70 editorial Number 6 July-August 2010 MANAGER: n this issue, our lead article is the printed version of the eulogy given by the Chief of Staff Lt Gen Sean Capt Rory Esler McCann at the Requiem Mass to the late Lt Gen Dermot Earley DSM, who died on June 23rd. It is a [email protected] fitting tribute to a distinguished officer, colleague and friend who epitomised the very essence of EDITOR: professionalism, both as a soldier and as a sportsman. Sgt David Nagle I [email protected] On a personal note, on behalf of everyone in An Cosantóír and Public Relations Section, I would like to JOURNALISTS: extend my deepest sympathies to the Earley family. Lt Gen Earley as Chief of Staff, but also in an earlier Wesley Bourke command as Director of Public Relations Section, was always there – to lead, offer advice and guide.
    [Show full text]
  • The Siege of Jadotville a Company of Irish Troops Face Overwhelming Odds in Africa
    Military Despatches September 2017 Stranger than fiction Facts, figures and trivia about the Vietnam War Disabled? Not according to them They may have lost limbs, but it didn’t slow them down Head-to-Head We look at small arms of the SA Bush War Forged in Battle Military Helicopters that changed the face of war The Siege of Jadotville A company of Irish troops face overwhelming odds in Africa For the military enthusiast Military Despatches September 2017 What’s in this month’s edition Feature Articles 6 Vietnam War - facts, figures & trivia Click on any video below to view A few facts, figures and trivia about the Vietnam War, the longest war fought by America. How much do you know about movie theme 12 Leave no man behind songs? Take our quiz After 39 years South African Paratroopers want to bring one of their fallen comrades back home. By and find out. Mike McWilliams. Page 6 14 Above and beyond the call of duty Hipe’s Wouter de The old South African It takes a certain mettle to go into battle. Especially Goede interviews former Defence Force used if you suffer from what some would call a disability. 28’s gang boss David a mixture of English, These five people, however, never saw themselves as Williams. Afrikaans, slang and disabled. techno-speak that few 18 TS Tiberon - 100 years on and still training outside the military The sea cadet training ship Tiberon in Durban cele- could hope to under- brates 100 years. By Lt Cdr Glenn von Zeil. stand.
    [Show full text]
  • Pension Restoration
    Cumann na nlar - Oifigeach Coimisiúnta newsletter Association of Retired Commissioned Officers Issue No: 31. Autumn / Winter 2016 ARCO Web Site: www.iarco.info Pension Restoration The Alliance of Retired Public Servants (of which The Alliance believes that the time has now come for revisiting ARCO is an active member) recently sent a letter to pension arrangements. The overwhelming view is that the low level and slow pace of pension restoration under the FEMPI Mr Paschal Donohoe T.D., Minister for Public 2015 Act is wholly inadequate and pensioners have to be Expenditure and Reform highlighting a number of involved, like the public service unions, in official discussions events that occurred in the past few weeks. which now appear imminent in regard to FEMPI and related matters. The issues mentioned were: What is absolutely clear, however, is that the concept of _ the granting of access to Garda organisations to the WRC 150,000 public service pensioners having no access to third party industrial relations machinery, on a permanent or ad hoc and Labour Court; basis, in the event of possible disagreement in due course with _ the Labour Court proposals in relation to GRA and AGSI government about pension restoration and pension increases is increasingly untenable. In effect, pensioners voices are being claims; ‘gagged’ and it is important that pensioners lobby their public _ the subsequent public calls of major public service unions representatives demanding that their voices be heard. Lobbying at a local level is an effective method of ensuring that for urgent revisiting of pay restoration under Landsdowne your concerns are noted and can be fed up to national level.
    [Show full text]
  • The Irish Army's Forgotten Battle
    SIEGE OF JADOTVILLE, SEPTEMBER 1961 THE IRISH ARMY’S FORGOTTEN BATTLE With outnumbered United Nations troops left in the lurch by higher HISTORICAL BACKGROUND command, Robert Giglio and Dennis O’Toole present a Modern Warfare “We will hold out until our last bullet is scenario for re-fighting a fascinating ‘incident’ in the Congo bush. spent. Could do with some whiskey.” Irish radio reply to U.N. headquarters “By sending troops to the Congo in 1960, the United Nations averted, Under U.N. command, Company A, or helped the major powers to avert, an occasion of international war.” 35th Irish Infantry Battalion of the Irish Republican Army, led by Colonel Patrick Conor Cruise O’Brien, Personal Representative of the U.N. Secretary-General to Katanga Joseph Quinlan, was assigned to Jadotville, Katanga, a former province of the Belgian Congo. The mandate given to Commandant This article is the result of a response to UN soldiers who end up in a desperate Quinlan of Company A and his force of friend and longtime HMGS Cold Wars gunfight thousands of miles from home, 155 soldiers and officers was to, “protect Convention Director, Frank Preziosa’s without any prospect of assistance. the European residents of the area,” since request for me to develop a game based the Katanga Province was breaking away Let’s begin with the history behind the on an historical action in a Netflix movie from the Congo Republic. The U.N. movie, before we move on to how to he had seen. The 2016 movie; The Siege perceived that the white population’s represent both on the tabletop.
    [Show full text]
  • Veterans Support Centre Opens in Baldonnell
    Issue 53 SPRING 2018 ONEConnect THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF ÓGLAIGH NÁISIÚNTA NA hÉIREANN VETERANS SUPPORT CENTRE OPENS IN BALDONNELL Brigadier General Seán Clancy formally opened the ONE Veterans Support Centre (VSC) in the Propeller Club, Baldonnell on Friday 27th April. The opening coincided with the Monthly Veterans Coffee Morning which was very well attended. General Clancy outlined the importance of the work carried out by ONE and stated that the centre was a place where all veterans can come for information, to meet their comrades or just for a cup of tea. Commandant Orla Jennings presented ONE CEO, Ollie O’Connor with a cheque for €600 raised by personnel of the Air Corps in a recent Fun Run for the Fuchsia Appeal. Ollie O’Connor (ONE CEO) thanked all who had been involved in ensuring that VSC was made ready for operation. Particular thanks went to the GOC and RSM John McCormick for their enthusiastic support and assistance. He also thanked the organisers and all The day was also who had participated in the Fun Run. tinged with sadness as stalwart Roger Casement Branch member and retired Commandant Tony Roe passed away during the night of the opening. Tony’s son Anthony attended the event in memory of his father. Both General Clancy and Ollie O’Connor mentioned Tony when they addressed the attendance. Pat Behan, Welfare Officer Roger Casement Branch Tony Roe with Michael Whelan 2 Editorial A BUSY SPRING Ollie O’Connor for O.N.E. The opening of the VSC in Baldonnell is the ONE Branches have first of 11 centres planned to be opened by been very busy over the end of 2018.
    [Show full text]
  • Movie Night at the Museum Muskegon Museum of Art Wednesday, November 6, 5:30 Pm
    Fall 2019 Movie Night at the Museum Muskegon Museum of Art Wednesday, November 6, 5:30 pm The Army of the Republic of Ireland is respected as a professional peace- keeping force, and has been sent by the United Nations into volatile areas of conflict in hot spots around the world. The movie “The Siege of Jadotville” tells the gripping true story of an Irish Army peace-keeping unit sent into the Congo Crisis in September of 1961. "A" Company, 35th Battalion (UN service) of the Irish Army ONUC contingent was attacked by Katangese Gendarmerie troops loyal to the Katangese Prime Minister Moïse Tshombe. The lightly armed Irish soldiers, besieged in Jadotville (modern Likasi), resisted Katangese assaults for five days as a relief force of Irish, Indian and Swedish troops attempted to rescue them. Heavily outnumbered, running out of ammunition, and exhausted after 5 days of battle, the Irish company faced a final battle against the Katangese rebels and their hired mercenaries. You will find out what happened when you see this outstanding Irish film! Join us as we take an exciting adventure with these brave men of the Irish Army! Enjoy delightful snacks, a cash bar, and the recognition of our Irish Person of the Year! It’s sure to be a grand time! WHAT: Private screening of the Irish filmThe Siege of Jadotville. Introduction by Bill Iddings WHERE: Muskegon Museum of Art WHEN: Wednesday, November 6, 5:30-6:30 pm Cash Bar & Snacks, 6:30 pm Welcome, 7:00 pm Movie COST: Free, donations are always gratefully accepted.
    [Show full text]