Results 20,621-20,640 of 21,489 for speaker:Alan Kelly

Topical Issue Debate: Social Welfare Code (20 Mar 2013)

Alan Kelly: I have raised the issue with the Minister for Social Production and as the Deputy is aware, a working group is engaged on the issue. The work in this regard is quite extensive and is being carried out in a structured fashion. Given the financial aid programme in which the State finds itself, consideration obviously must be given for that and therefore a defined structure must be gone...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Criminal Justice (Spent Convictions) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (20 Mar 2013)

Alan Kelly: Amendments Nos. 15 and 16 are designed to reduce the rehabilitation period for fines from two years to one year for a fine of €5,000 or less, or, for a fine of more than €5,000, from three years to two years. This is a matter of judgment, similar to many other parts of the Bill, and it may need to be reviewed in years to come. At this point we will not be accepting the...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Criminal Justice (Spent Convictions) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (20 Mar 2013)

Alan Kelly: I am aware that some of that work is quite good. It is important to bear in mind that a good deal of this comes down to judgment. We will have to review this in the future based on the empirical data that will arise a as result of the analysis carried out over several years. We will learn from that. There is political coming together on the issue and it is the common-sense thing to do....

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Criminal Justice (Spent Convictions) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (20 Mar 2013)

Alan Kelly: Section 2(4), which was inserted in the Seanad, provides for where a person gets more than one conviction in respect of one incident, then it can be treated as one order of conviction. In the case study the Deputy just outlined, Conor will be covered by the legislation.

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Criminal Justice (Spent Convictions) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (20 Mar 2013)

Alan Kelly: It means with a spent conviction, they can apply for employment they may not have previously considered. It also gives people a second chance. We all know of cases whereby people have done foolish and silly things when they were young. Within certain conditions, this will give them a clean slate and allow them to operate like everyone else. There are certain provisions which exempt such...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Criminal Justice (Spent Convictions) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (20 Mar 2013)

Alan Kelly: Yes.

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Criminal Justice (Spent Convictions) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (20 Mar 2013)

Alan Kelly: There are different arrangements with different jurisdictions. In the majority of cases, one has to divulge that information. By and large, it depends on what the jurisdiction considers.

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Criminal Justice (Spent Convictions) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (20 Mar 2013)

Alan Kelly: I know what the Deputy is referring to but it is a difficult area as one is dealing with how other states would manage this. Unless states have reciprocal arrangements for the recognition of spent convictions, they do not recognise each other's. This is for the good reason that penal systems vary greatly across the world. What may merit a lenient sentence in one country may merit a harsh...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Criminal Justice (Spent Convictions) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (20 Mar 2013)

Alan Kelly: Some form of arrangement will be worked on but it will be very much after the legislation is enacted. The Department will work with jurisdictions which have similar sentencing regimes. This will bring Ireland up to that level which we all appreciate.

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Criminal Justice (Spent Convictions) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (20 Mar 2013)

Alan Kelly: Again, I know what the Deputy is referring to but I believe his amendment is unnecessary. The Bill already contains several safeguards regarding requests for information. In the first instance under section 5, a person cannot be required to disclose a spent conviction or the circumstances ancillary thereto. Section 5(2) states when a person is asked about a previous conviction, he or she...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Criminal Justice (Spent Convictions) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (20 Mar 2013)

Alan Kelly: I thank the Deputies for their support for the Bill. There is a cross-party perspective regarding the Bill and that is welcome. We have given the amendments proposed by both Deputies a good deal of consideration. As the members will be aware, the law in England and Wales has been amended recently to provided that sentences up to four years are covered by their Rehabilitation of Offenders...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Criminal Justice (Spent Convictions) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (20 Mar 2013)

Alan Kelly: We have made it clear from the start that this legislation is aimed at the person who has made a mistake, perhaps in his or her youth, and now wants to get on with life. We all know of such stories. It is clear this is not a charter for criminality and a line must be drawn somewhere. The line drawn is as per the two-conviction limit and is based on the premise that people deserve a second...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Taxi Regulations (20 Mar 2013)

Alan Kelly: The regulation of the small public service vehicle (SPSV) industry, including issues related to taxi branding, is a matter for the National Transport Authority (NTA) under the Public Transport Regulation Act 2009.    I have referred your question to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within 10 working days. 

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Rural Transport (13 Mar 2013)

Alan Kelly: Longford Rural Transport Programme has been allocated €76,423.00 of the 2013 RTP budget from January to June 2013, with a further proposed, allocation of €76,423.00 from July to December. Additionally, €17,348.50 of Free Travel Pass funding has been allocated to Longford Rural Transport Programme from January to June, 2013, with a further proposed, allocation of...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Taxi Regulations (13 Mar 2013)

Alan Kelly: The regulation of the small public service vehicle (SPSV) industry, including vehicle standards, is a matter for the NTA under the Public Transport Regulation Act, 2009.  I have referred your question to the NTA for direct reply. Please advise my private office if you do not receive a response within 10 working days.

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Rural Transport (13 Mar 2013)

Alan Kelly: Kerry Community Transport Limited has been allocated €287,429.50 of the 2013 RTP budget from January to June 2013, with a further proposed allocation of €287,429.00 from July to December. Additionally, €88,726.50 of Free Travel Pass funding has been allocated to Kerry Community Transport Limited from January to June, 2013, with a further proposed, allocation of...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Taxi Regulations (12 Mar 2013)

Alan Kelly: Section 13 of the Taxi Regulation Bill provides for a prohibition on the transfer of an Small Public Service Vehicle (SPSV) licence.  I am cognisant of the fact that in the event of the death of an SPSV licence holder this prohibition could have an undue negative impact on the continuity of an SPSV business operated as a family concern. On review of this matter therefore I...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Taxi Regulations (12 Mar 2013)

Alan Kelly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 677 and 681 together. The regulation of the small public service vehicle (SPSV) industry, including vehicle standards, is a matter for the National Transport Authority under the Public Transport Regulation Act, 2009. In accordance with Action 10 of the Taxi Regulation Review Report 2011, the vehicle age limit at licence issue or licence renewal for taxi,...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Taxi Regulations (12 Mar 2013)

Alan Kelly: I am informed by the National Transport Authority (NTA) that as of the end of February this year, the total number of active SPSV vehicle licences is 22,810 and the total number of active SPSV driver licences is 33,717.  I understand that a reliable count of inactive licences is not available, as this figure would change nearly every day due to the late renewal of some licences.

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Taxi Regulations (12 Mar 2013)

Alan Kelly: The view of the Taxi Regulation Review Group, giving rise to Action 40 of the Review Report, is that it is necessary to have a system that links SPSV licenced drivers to specific small public service vehicles (SPSVs) so that the identification of the authorised driver of an SPSV is available in real time.  This is in the general interest of consumers who use...