Results 3,921-3,940 of 16,849 for speaker:Dermot Ahern

Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad]: Second Stage (8 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am pleased to have this opportunity to introduce the Defamation Bill 2006 to the House. This Bill comprehensively reforms the law on defamation and replaces the current legislation, which dates back to 1961. It provides a modern framework and gives statutory expression to developments in the jurisprudence of the Irish courts and...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (8 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The Government Legislative Programme published on 1 April 2008 provides for publication of the Property Services Regulatory Authority Bill during the current Dáil session. It will provide for the establishment on a statutory basis of the Property Services Regulatory Authority, The primary task of the Authority will be to maintain and improve standards in the property services sector by...

Written Answers — Registration of Title: Registration of Title (8 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I am informed by the Property Registration Authority that the parties concerned have been in regular contact with the Authority and that an investigation of this matter has been ongoing for several weeks. I understand that a definitive resolution of the matter, which involves records of considerable age, cannot be arrived at until all relevant documents have been inspected. I am further...

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (8 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: Tourist visas are only a subset of Short Stay visas which cover intended stays of 90 days or less in Ireland; there are many other types of Short Stay visa such as business travel, visit to family member, conferences, examinations, intra-company transfers, sports and cultural events, etc. It is also the case that visas are the first line of defence in the field of immigration control. In...

Written Answers — Liquor Licensing Laws: Liquor Licensing Laws (8 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The Government Legislation Programme provides for publication of a comprehensive Sale of Alcohol Bill later this year which will modernise and streamline all the laws relating to the sale and consumption of alcohol by repealing the Licensing Acts 1833 to 2004, as well as the Registration of Clubs Acts 1904 to 2004, and replacing them with updated and streamlined provisions. It is intended...

Written Answers — Garda Operations: Garda Operations (8 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I am informed by the Garda authorities that the cumulative cost of the policing operation at Rossport from September 2006 to 30th April, 2008, including salary costs, amounts to €8.9m.

Written Answers — Garda Vetting Services: Garda Vetting Services (8 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The Garda Central Vetting Unit (GCVU) makes criminal history vetting disclosures to registered organisations in respect of prospective employees, volunteers and students on placement who would have substantive, unsupervised access to children and vulnerable adults. I am informed by the Garda authorities that a vetting application form in respect of the person in question was received by the...

Written Answers — Firearms Licences: Firearms Licences (8 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I can inform the Deputy that a person who wishes to become a firearms dealer should first obtain an application form (form 7) which is available on my Department's website. The completed form should be lodged with the Sergeant of the Garda sub-district where the applicant resides and the Gardaí will then prepare a suitability report on the character of the applicant and a crime prevention...

Written Answers — Asylum Applications: Asylum Applications (8 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The person concerned arrived in the State on 2 December 2001 and applied for asylum. Her application was refused following consideration of her case by the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner and, on appeal, by the Refugee Appeals Tribunal. Subsequently, in accordance with Section 3 of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended), the person concerned was informed, by letter dated 8...

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (8 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: As the Deputy may be aware, certain aspects of student migration from outside the EEA have given rise to concern in recent years. It has been apparent for some time that a significant proportion of non-EEA students are in reality economic migrants who enroll in a course purely for the purpose of gaining entry to the State and accessing the labour market. There is evidence that some students...

Written Answers — Residency Permits: Residency Permits (8 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: Long-term residency is an administrative scheme that was introduced in May 2004 and is focused on persons who have been legally resident in the State for over five years on the basis of work permit / work authorisation / work visa conditions. Such persons may apply to the Immigration Division of my Department for a five year residency extension. In that context they may also apply to be...

Written Answers — Garda Stations: Garda Stations (8 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I am informed by the Garda authorities that the Garda station to which the Deputy refers is operational and has not been closed. I am further informed that refurbishment of the station is being advanced.

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (8 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 504 and 544 together. I am fully supportive of Government policy in relation to decentralisation and of the mechanisms promulgated by the Department of Finance (following consultation with representative bodies) which are in place to give effect to it. As my predecessor has indicated previously, the filling of sanctioned vacancies is handled at official level....

Written Answers — Jury Service: Jury Service (8 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I refer the Deputy to my reply to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 14 and 607 taken together on 17 April 2008.

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (8 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I have been informed by the Immigration Division of my Department that they have recently been in contact with the person referred to by the Deputy in relation to his immigration status. Further documentation has been requested from the person concerned in order to facilitate the Immigration Division in examining his case.

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (8 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: An application for a certificate of naturalisation from the person referred to in the Deputy's question was received in the Citizenship Section of my Department in January 2008. The application has not been examined in detail. Examination of the residency requirement will take place in the near future and the applicant will be contacted at that time informing her when her application will be...

Written Answers — Sexual Offences: Sexual Offences (8 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: Following the submission 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 the Garda Síochána. The Garda Síochána Act 2005 consequently makes provision for this, and the CSO has established a dedicated...

Written Answers — Public Order Offences: Public Order Offences (8 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994, including sections 4 and 5, came into operation one month after its passing on 3 March, 1994. I presume the Deputy is referring to section 184 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006, which amends the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994 to provide for a fixed penalty procedure in relation to the public order offences of intoxication in a public...

Written Answers — Residency Permits: Residency Permits (8 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: A non-EEA national who is the partner (including same sex partner) of an Irish citizen may seek permission to remain in the State based on such a relationship and each case will be considered by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service on the particular circumstances of the case. The circumstances that would support such a request would be where the partners have been in a...

Written Answers — Garda Deployment: Garda Deployment (8 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I am informed by the Garda Commissioner that the number of Probationer Gardaí that have graduated from the Garda College during the years 2006, 2007 and to-date in 2008 are as set out in the following table, broken down by Garda Division. On attestation, Probationer Gardaí are allocated to Garda Stations throughout the 25 operational Garda Divisions. Following graduation at the Garda...