Results 15,521-15,540 of 19,162 for speaker:Alan Shatter

Defence Forces Personnel (28 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: I have no doubt the Deputy will ask me a question to ensure the relevant information comes back to the House. There is a specific issue here, namely, to ensure we maintain Defence Forces which have the operational capability to meet all their obligations and have an age profile which makes this possible. Without saying any more that would in any way disrupt the discussions which will take...

Defence Forces Personnel (28 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: As I stated, discussions will take place and I do not want in any way to prejudice them or impact on their outcome, nor do I want to send out any message in one direction or another. This is an issue of some importance and I appreciate it has been raised by PDFORRA. It is important that I ensure we have an age and operational profile in the Defence Forces which ensures they are fit for...

State Visits (28 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: Security arrangements for the visits of Queen Elizabeth II and the President of the United States were primarily an operational matter for the Garda Síochána. 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, the Garda Síochána. With regard to the two highly successful...

State Visits (28 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: Oh dear. Some of the Members who sit in the top rows in this Chamber can never quite get away from obsessing about countries that are supposed to be the enemy - if it is not Israel, it is the United States. No searches were carried out at the request of the United States. Ireland is a sovereign State and the United States does not request or direct the Defence Forces or Garda Síochána to...

State Visits (28 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: The Deputy has just added something in the region of €800,000 on to the figure I gave, which was €1.18 million. I do not quite see how €1.18 million comes to €2 million.

State Visits (28 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: In the context of the provision made available to the Department of Defence and Defence Forces, there is contained within it provision to deal with eventualities that may arise. Such eventualities may result either from the need to address difficulties created by subversive organisations on this island or dealing with visits from persons abroad for which special security arrangements are...

Army Barracks (28 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: Ten military barracks have been closed since 1998. Of the barracks closed, only four remain in the possession of the Department. These are Magee Barracks, Kildare town, part of Connolly Barracks, Longford, Rockhill Military Post, Letterkenny, and Lifford Military Post. Agreement in principle has been reached on the disposal of Rockhill and Lifford military posts to the local authority....

Army Barracks (28 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: The site of the former Magee Barracks in Kildare town comprises, as the Deputy may know, some 64 acres. The then Government decided on 1 July 2003 that the former barracks in Kildare would be among the State lands released for inclusion in the Sustaining Progress affordable housing initiative. On foot of this announcement, Kildare County Council prepared a local area plan for the site which...

Overseas Missions (28 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: Ireland is currently contributing 563 Defence Forces personnel to 11 different missions throughout the world. Of this, 126 are commissioned officers, 220 are non-commissioned officers and 217 are drawn from other ranks. Full details of all personnel currently serving overseas are listed in the tabular statement which will be circulated to Deputies. The main overseas missions in which...

Overseas Missions (28 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: It is at present. Like the Deputy, I wish our troops well in southern Lebanon. We discussed this issue at some length a few days ago in the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality. The troops are performing a very important task in a fraught part of the world. As I said at the committee, I am committed to continuing the involvement of our troops in overseas missions....

Overseas Missions (28 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: Seven members of the Defence Forces are based in Afghanistan. They are largely engaged in administrative functions but they have also been engaged in training other personnel in the neutralisation of improvised explosive devices, an area in which our Defence Forces have particular expertise. Their involvement in that area has saved lives and has been greatly valued in terms of the skill...

Overseas Missions (28 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: On the matter raised by Deputy Ó Snodaigh, there is adequate opportunity at meetings of the defence committee to discuss the very small contingents of the Defence Forces who go abroad on various missions. There is no need for the time of the House to be taken up in circumstances where perhaps one or two members of the Defence Forces are participating in a UN organised mission abroad. The...

Naval Service Operations (28 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 49 and 56 together. The Naval Service assists the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority, SFPA, in promoting compliance with and deterring contraventions of the Common Fisheries Policy. The SFPA liaises regularly with the Naval Service and, inter alia, the Fisheries Monitoring Centre, FMC, and the Air Corps. To achieve strict compliance with quota and other...

Naval Service Operations (28 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: As the Deputy knows, EU Regulation 2807 of 1983 required all EU vessels to retain a paper logbook on board. This was required to be completed every 24 hours. A new control regulation, EU Regulation 1224 of 2009, which was introduced on 7 May 2011, legislates for the introduction of electronic reporting and recording systems. Article 15 of this regulation states that all masters of...

Naval Service Operations (28 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: I presume the Deputy is talking about an incident that occurred on 10 June last, when the Naval Service vessel, LE Niamh, boarded and detained two Spanish registered fishing vessels for alleged breaches of fishing regulations approximately 30 miles south of Castletownbere. Some Spanish vessels have been fitted with electronic logbooks. However, following this recent incident, the FMC has, on...

Naval Service Operations (28 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: The list will be attached to my reply to Deputy Stanton's question. The list of fishing vessels boarded covers a range of countries. A substantial number of Irish vessels have been checked over the years. Of the non-Irish fishing vessels boarded by the Naval Service in 2010, some 439 were Spanish. While the Naval Service cannot target a country, it can have regard to the records of...

Naval Service Operations (28 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: The Naval Service assists the SFPA in promoting compliance and the SFPA liaises regularly with the Naval Service and the FMC. There is continual interaction between the services, which can result in the Naval Service making a decision that it is appropriate to intervene with a particular vessel.

Naval Service Operations (28 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: I would hope that there would be co-operation between EU member states and that information sought would be provided without difficulty. The information on both these vessels was, ultimately, provided and no issue now arises. However, a substantial number of boardings of Spanish vessels has occurred. In 2010, there were 204 boardings of French vessels and 151 boardings of UK vessels. The...

Written Answers — Legal Aid Service: Legal Aid Service (23 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: I can inform the Deputy that the Legal Aid Board is the statutory body which provides legal aid and advice in civil law matters. It also provides legal services to asylum seekers through the Refugee Legal Service. In 2010, the Legal Aid Board received total Exchequer funding of €32.192 million. This comprised a grant in aid of €24.225 million in respect of its civil legal aid...

Written Answers — Immigration Services: Immigration Services (23 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: The Government's plans for the immigration system are outlined in the Programme for Government which commits to the introduction of comprehensive reforms to the immigration, residence and asylum systems including a statutory immigration appeals mechanism, which will articulate rights and obligations in a transparent manner. Deputies will be aware that the Immigration, Residence and...