Results 3,861-3,880 of 19,162 for speaker:Alan Shatter

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (6 Jul 2011)

Alan Shatter: No representations I have seen had any hand or part in my dealing with this legislation.

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (6 Jul 2011)

Alan Shatter: This legislation derives from when I entered the Department of Defence and inquired about what was happening with regard to the military tribunal, why we had paralysis, why cases were not being processed, the extent of the problem and why it had not been addressed. The legislation derives from nothing else despite the view others may wish to take. I made inquiries into this matter and I was...

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (6 Jul 2011)

Alan Shatter: Senator Mullen told me it was the Chief of Staff and the Advocate General. The Defence Forces has its own legal structure. I had no hand or part in telling the Chief of Staff how he should deal with interviews on a committee of that nature, or who should be selected. I have no hand or part in telling that to the Advocate General. As Minister for Defence, I have no intention of interfering...

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (6 Jul 2011)

Alan Shatter: -----for which the Fianna Fáil Government was responsible. We are trying to clean up the mess left by the previous Government-----

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (6 Jul 2011)

Alan Shatter: -----because of vacancies and inadequacies in the 2007 Bill. Let us be absolutely clear about that - that is what we are doing. My view, which I believe is correct, is that we should extend the pool of qualified people from which a choice can be made by the independent group who will make that choice. I do not believe a choice between only five people, when we do not know whether all of...

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (6 Jul 2011)

Alan Shatter: ----- in a very straight and direct way.

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (6 Jul 2011)

Alan Shatter: We need to provide clearer criteria for eligibility and to widen the pool of individuals from which selection can be made. In the context of the contributions made, I reply, effectively, to that of Senator Mullen who dealt with the objective in question. Perhaps it is a symptom of what has happened in the past in the context of advertising but in the Defence Forces there are individuals...

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (6 Jul 2011)

Alan Shatter: Our addressing the difficulty that has arisen from the previous legislation and the difficulty the previous Government failed to address will be facilitated by extending the numbers to whom the eligibility criteria apply.

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (6 Jul 2011)

Alan Shatter: Perhaps the Senator will contain himself. I did not put him in the same boat as the two gentlemen on my right but credited him with having more decency.

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (6 Jul 2011)

Alan Shatter: In the context of the proposal that we reduce the period to seven or eight years, I note that Senator O'Donovan got this wrong on the Order of Business. He suggested that in dealing with practising barristers and solicitors I intended to change the criteria from ten years of practising to seven or eight years. Earlier today, he seemed to have gone off on a rant, criticising me for doing...

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (6 Jul 2011)

Alan Shatter: -----a very articulate critique of his own proposal.

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (6 Jul 2011)

Alan Shatter: Let me return to the substance of what we are dealing with and what is desirable in all of this. Senator O'Donovan described the Bill as a dangerous precedent. At least Senator Mullen had the decency to acknowledge two very important reforms contained in the Bill albeit he expressed reservations about an issue concerning which I hope we will have a friendly disagreement. I believe extending...

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (6 Jul 2011)

Alan Shatter: I am replying to something the Senator raised. Senator Byrne made a false allegation against me again this afternoon in this debate which mirrors an allegation he made yesterday. The allegation is that I made some misrepresentation in this House during the debate on the Smithwick tribunal. That is untrue, and he knows that. I told this House, as I did the other House, the exact position...

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (6 Jul 2011)

Alan Shatter: The Senator raised the issue.

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (6 Jul 2011)

Alan Shatter: Am I not allowed to reply to an allegation made? The Senator made an allegation. I am going to respond to it with brevity, but he made it.

Seanad: Defence (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (6 Jul 2011)

Alan Shatter: He made it in his contribution. It is of no relevance to this debate. I informed the House that I had received correspondence from Judge Smithwick. I informed this House that he had certain concerns and I addressed all of those concerns in my contribution. The suggestion is that I concealed the information from this House. I did not because the letter I received from Judge Smithwick on...

Written Answers — Garda Deployment: Garda Deployment (7 Jul 2011)

Alan Shatter: I am informed by the Garda authorities that as of 31 December 2006, the personnel strength of all Garda stations in County Kildare was 267. At that time County Kildare formed part of the Carlow/Kildare Garda Division and on 29th June 2009, the Garda Division of Kildare was established. The personnel strength of Kildare Garda Division on 31st May 2011 was 324. This represents an increase of...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (7 Jul 2011)

Alan Shatter: The Deputy will appreciate that while I cannot comment on any particular case that may come before the courts, I want to make it clear that no attack on any member of An Garda Síochána or indeed another emergency service will be tolerated and that the full rigours of the law will be brought to bear on the perpetrators of any such attacks. It is very important for everyone to understand that...

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (7 Jul 2011)

Alan Shatter: A valid application for a certificate of naturalisation from the person referred to in the Deputy's Question was received in the Citizenship Division of my Department in November 2007. The application is currently being processed with a view to establishing whether the applicant meets the statutory conditions for the granting of naturalisation and will be submitted to me for decision as...

Written Answers — Crime Levels: Crime Levels (7 Jul 2011)

Alan Shatter: Following the submission in 2004 of a report and recommendations by an expert group on crime statistics, it was decided that the compilation and publication of crime statistics should be taken over by the Central Statistics Office, as the national statistical agency, from An Garda Síochána. The Garda Síochána Act 2005 consequently makes provision for this and the CSO has established a...