Results 3,621-3,640 of 19,162 for speaker:Alan Shatter

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (23 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: Based on the information supplied by the Deputy, I am informed by officials in my Department that they can find no record of a current visa application for the person referred to. When completing an on-line visa application the applicant is assigned a unique visa transaction number. This detail must be provided where a query on the status of a visa application arises. The provision of this...

Written Answers — Garda Recruitment: Garda Recruitment (23 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: As the moratorium on Public Service Recruitment continues to apply to An Garda Síochána, no date has been fixed for future intakes into the Garda College or for the commencement of a recruitment competition. A decision on when recruitment will re-commence will take into account the rate of retirement in the Garda Síochána and Government targets for reductions in public service numbers.

Written Answers — Army Barracks: Army Barracks (23 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: Various commissions, reports and studies back to the 1990s identified barrack closure as a fundamental requirement towards improving military effectiveness and efficiency. The dispersal of Defence Forces personnel over an extended number of locations is a major impediment to essential collective training and the consolidation process is designed to facilitate higher training standards, while...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Recruitment: Defence Forces Recruitment (23 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: Recruitment to the Permanent Defence Force was suspended in late 2008 pending a review of the best means by which to achieve the reduction of 3% in payroll costs that had been applied, in common with other areas of the public service, to the Defence Forces. The present position is that, within the context of consolidating the public finances, the Government is focused firmly on maintaining...

Defence Forces Property (28 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: Since the mid-1990s, the Department of Defence has been engaged in a programme of disposing of surplus properties and using the proceeds for reinvestment in equipment and infrastructure for the Defence Forces. The former Connolly Barracks is one such property. I have received no proposal in regard to Connolly Barracks. The Midland Regional Authority undertook a feasibility study into the...

Defence Forces Property (28 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: There is no difficulty in everybody going in one direction. Essentially, this is a property that is available, owned by the Department of Defence and has a commercial value. As I understand it, the feasibility study to which the Deputy referred is being considered by the local authorities and it is for them to take the initiative in the matter. I can say to the Deputy without any...

Defence Forces Property (28 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: For almost three months of the six months, Deputy Calleary's party was in government and there was a degree of confusion as to who actually was the Minister of Defence because Mr. Killeen resigned and Deputy Ó Cuív was appointed and then we had a general election. I want to reiterate if constructive proposals can be implemented which are in the public interest, which address the commercial...

Defence Forces Equipment (28 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: A wide range of goods and services is procured by the Department and the Defence Forces to ensure the Defence Forces can carry out their day-to-day roles at home and overseas. Procurement for the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces is provided for under various subheads of the Defence Vote. The subheads relate to, inter alia, defensive equipment, mechanical transport, aircraft,...

Defence Forces Equipment (28 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: I answered the second portion of the Deputy's question on the previous occasion. It is interesting to see he returns to the one subject obsessively in the House. With regard to the query he raised in respect of contracts signed in recent weeks or which may be signed, in so far as the information is available it will be included in the information forwarded to him in written form.

Defence Forces Contracts (28 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: This was a question the answer to which we chewed over. The current contract for the supply of meat products to the Defence Forces is held by Crossgar Food Services Limited, County Down. The award of the contract in 2010 followed an open tender competition, which was advertised on the Department of Finance's e-tender website and which was published in the Official Journal of the European...

Defence Forces Contracts (28 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: I ask the Deputy to thank his constituent for smoking out that response.

Defence Forces Personnel (28 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: In 1997 agreement was reached with the Permanent Defence Force Other Ranks Representative Association, PDFORRA, on a new manpower policy for the Defence Forces. This policy, applying to personnel enlisted after 1 January 1994, provided that service for private soldiers would initially be for five years with the option to be extended to a maximum of 12 years. In 2004, PDFORRA submitted a...

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...