Results 5,081-5,100 of 19,162 for speaker:Alan Shatter

Legal Costs (25 Oct 2011)

Alan Shatter: I cannot give the Deputy an answer to that. Every legal issue is different and every type of legal work that must be undertaken, be it by solicitors or solicitors and barristers and, hopefully also in the future, by barristers alone, can vary. It can depend on not only the issue that must be addressed but also the personality of the client with whom the lawyer is dealing. The Deputy knows...

Court Accommodation (25 Oct 2011)

Alan Shatter: As the Deputy should be aware, the provisions of the Courts Service Act 1998 conferred sole responsibility on the Courts Service for management of courts and, as Minister, I have no role in the matter. Section 4(3) of the 1998 Act provides that the service is independent in the performance of its functions, which includes the provision, maintenance and management of court buildings and...

Court Accommodation (25 Oct 2011)

Alan Shatter: The Courts Service has informed me that decisions to close a venue are generally taken due to its poor conditions, some of which present a health and safety risk which would cost a great deal to rectify. The absence of holding cells is a factor in a number of cases. However, achieving greater efficiencies, particularly in freeing up judicial staff and Garda time currently spent travelling...

Court Accommodation (25 Oct 2011)

Alan Shatter: If there is no rural representation on the building sub-committee of the Courts Service, it was calibrated during the term of my predecessor when the Fianna Fáil and Green Party Government was in office. I will certainly inquire into that issue. The Deputy was correct when he said earlier that the Courts Service is independent but that it must report to me. It falls within the envelope of...

Joint Policing Committees (25 Oct 2011)

Alan Shatter: The functions and powers of joint policing committees, JPCs, are set out in the Garda Síochána Act 2005, which provides for a committee in each local authority area. The Act provides that JPCs operate under guidelines issued by the Minister for Justice and Equality after consultation with the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government. The current guidelines were issued...

Joint Policing Committees (25 Oct 2011)

Alan Shatter: I agree with what the Deputy has said. That is my experience, having sat briefly on one of these committees, that it depends on the Garda and the councillors. The councillors may have choices in the context of how these committees work. They can constructively engage with the Garda and come forward with suggestions in regard to policing in local communities that are generally beneficial...

Joint Policing Committees (25 Oct 2011)

Alan Shatter: As the Deputy is aware, the functions and powers of joint policing committees are set out in the Garda Síochána Act 2005. In the context of the review it would be interesting to get an insight across the country as to the extent to which the provisions contained in that Act are being utilised and applied and whether some committees are more constrained than others. Should the review show...

Leaders' Questions (25 Oct 2011)

Alan Shatter: Deputy Martin has amnesia. His brain only started working after 9 March 2011.

Written Answers — Garda Vetting of Personnel: Garda Vetting of Personnel (25 Oct 2011)

Alan Shatter: I am informed by the Garda Authorities that at present, there are around 50,000 applications in the course of being processed and that the average processing time for vetting applications received at the Garda Central Vetting Unit (GCVU) is approximately 9 weeks. While there can be seasonal fluctuations, the average processing time of 9 weeks is a significant improvement on the average...

Written Answers — Prison Accommodation: Prison Accommodation (25 Oct 2011)

Alan Shatter: I am informed by the Irish Prison Service that there were 4,275 prisoners in custody on 20 October, 2011 against a bed capacity of 4,510. This represents an occupancy level of 95%. The information requested with the breakdown per prison is set out in the attached table. As the Deputy may be aware, there has been a consistent increase in the total prisoner population in Ireland over recent...

Written Answers — Restorative Justice: Restorative Justice (25 Oct 2011)

Alan Shatter: Following examination of the final report provided by the National Commission on Restorative Justice my Department, through the Probation Service, introduced a scheme to test a range of restorative interventions for adult offenders based on the recommendations contained in the report. The scheme involves the expansion of both the Nenagh and the Tallaght projects. The Nenagh Community...

Written Answers — Traveller Community: Traveller Community (25 Oct 2011)

Alan Shatter: During the course of the examination by a working group of the UN Human Rights Council of Ireland's report to that Council, prepared under the Universal Periodic Review procedures of the Council, I was asked, among many other matters, about the position of Travellers in Irish society. One delegation specifically recommended that Ireland should recognise Travellers as an ethnic minority while...

Written Answers — Judicial Appointments: Judicial Appointments (25 Oct 2011)

Alan Shatter: As indicated in the Government Legislation Programme announced by the Chief Whip on 14 September 2011, the Judicial Council Bill is in the course of being drafted with a view to being published in early 2012. As well as providing for the establishment of a Judicial Council which will promote excellence and high standards of conduct by judges, the proposed Bill is aimed at providing a means...

Written Answers — Garda Complaints Procedures: Garda Complaints Procedures (25 Oct 2011)

Alan Shatter: I am informed by the Garda authorities that, following a formal complaint made to An Garda Síochána, investigating gardaí searched the home of the person referred to by the Deputy under warrant in June 2010 and seized a number of items as part of their investigation. The person was subsequently arrested on suspicion of having committed an offence of harassment under section 10 of the...

Written Answers — Prison Inspections: Prison Inspections (25 Oct 2011)

Alan Shatter: I receive regular updates on the implementation of the Inspector's recommendations. The Inspector himself recognised that in certain areas prisons will not be able to comply with all the recommendations in the short term. As long as there is overcrowding and limitations on resources there will be difficulties in achieving full implementation. However, progress is being made. To give...

Written Answers — Crime Levels: Crime Levels (25 Oct 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...

Written Answers — Crime Levels: Crime Levels (25 Oct 2011)

Alan Shatter: The Garda Computer system, PULSE, has the capacity to generate automated letters to victims of crime. PULSE letters are sent when a crime is reported to An Garda Síochána. It contains the name of the investigating Garda, how to contact the Garda, details of the PULSE incident number and the number of the National Crime Victims Helpline or Irish Tourist Assistance Service as appropriate. A...

Written Answers — Garda Stations: Garda Stations (25 Oct 2011)

Alan Shatter: As with every other public sector organisation, the reality is that the Garda Síochána is going to have to manage with reduced resources. The Garda Commissioner is therefore quite properly reviewing all aspects of the Garda Síochána's policing model, so as to ensure that Garda resources are managed and deployed in the most appropriate manner to meet existing and emerging policing...

Written Answers — Crime Strategy: Crime Strategy (25 Oct 2011)

Alan Shatter: Work on the development of a White Paper on Crime is at an advanced stage, following an extensive consultation process. The intention is that this will incorporate a framework National Anti-Crime Strategy which will reflect and respond to the issues raised during the White Paper on Crime consultation process.

Written Answers — Drug Seizures: Drug Seizures (25 Oct 2011)

Alan Shatter: Methamphetamine is a controlled drug under the Misuse of Drugs Acts 1977 and 1984. Recorded seizures of methamphetamine by An Garda Síochána and the Revenue Customs Service, as recorded by the Forensic Science Laboratory, for the years 2007 – 2011 (up to 30 September, 2011) are set out below. I am further informed by the Garda authorities that a recent seizure of methamphetamine at...