Results 41-60 of 123 for gsoc speaker:Alan Shatter

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Security and Surveillance Issues: Minister for Justice and Equality (19 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: .... This issue arose at an extraordinarily early stage last week when people were demanding that there be some form of inquiry. I met with Mr. O'Brien and received a brief from him in writing and GSOC issued a statement. If one looks at it in the round, what occurred, based on the information I had, was that a security sweep was initiated by GSOC. What was termed "Anomalies", "potential...

Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission: Motion [Private Members] (18 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: ...It is not fair, however, in playing that game that aspersions are cast on the Garda Síochána in circumstances where there is no evidence for such aspersions to be cast based on the conclusions of GSOC. It is unfair to suggest I have any interest of any description in trying to undermine the work of GSOC. I want to ensure that if things went wrong in this context, including the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Security and Surveillance Issues: Minister for Justice and Equality (19 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: The conclusion of GSOC is that there is no evidence of Garda misconduct. The Deputy has accepted other GSOC reports where Garda failures have been identified. He has a difficulty accepting a GSOC report where GSOC itself says there is no evidence of Garda misconduct. All the jumping up and down in the world does not establish Garda misconduct. On the issue the Deputy has raised, in the...

Reports of Unlawful Surveillance of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission: Statements (11 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: He is being disingenuous. Ten days ago, before this controversy developed, I announced that we intended to amend the GSOC legislation and that I would bring proposals to Government in that regard. In its reports GSOC has indicated some issues it wishes addressed. That legislation will be brought to Government at some point during the course of this year and will come before the House. The...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Security and Surveillance Issues: Minister for Justice and Equality (19 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: I do not wish to confine anyone to the number of questions they ask but if I could just deal with them in some sort of order. The Deputy's first question was why did I fail to outline the fact that GSOC had undertaken a public interest investigation. I expressly said in my script that GSOC had commenced an investigation. I then proceeded to detail the outcome of the investigation. I...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 23 - Property Registration Authority (Revised)
Vote 24 - Department of Justice and Equality (Revised) (29 Jan 2014)

Alan Shatter: I assure the Deputy that there is no question, on my watch, of those in the GSOC requiring to do something of importance in the public interest and then their being deprived of the resources they require. There is no indication to me that they lack the resources they need to address issues that are before them at present or with regard to a matter referred to them within the past 24 hours. ...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Security and Surveillance Issues: Minister for Justice and Equality (19 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: ...Mr. O'Brien was trying to backtrack last week. Mr. O'Brien was quite clear last week on the matter that ended up in the public domain on Sunday last. He said there was a document that had leaked from GSOC's offices which contained some inaccurate factual matters that gave rise to the suggestion that the security sweep it had done in September was the result of a senior garda knowing...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Security and Surveillance Issues: Minister for Justice and Equality (19 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: There are no exceptions in regard to the DPP. I am not suggesting the Senator would do this, but it has suited some parties to muddy the waters by asking why, if it is an independent body, should GSOC have to say anything to the Minister. The answer is very simple. The Garda Síochána Act 2005, which was enacted by the Senator's party in government, imposed an express obligation...

Other Questions: Corrib Gas Field (30 Apr 2014)

Alan Shatter: ...as of a regular nature. I missed it over the couple of weeks of the Easter break. There is always an onslaught, drama and allegations about all sorts of things. However, his onslaught about GSOC is extraordinary considering Deputies Wallace and Clare Daly delivered to my Department last October a series of complaints against 24 individuals, mostly concerning the manner in which GSOC had...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission Staff (30 Apr 2014)

Alan Shatter: ...Ombudsman Commission that their current whole time equivalent staffing level is 75.6. This figure does not include the three members of the Commission or members of the Garda Síochána on secondment with GSOC. As with the Public Service generally, GSOC has been subject to staffing constraints, and has had to prioritise work and manage resources with maximum efficiency....

Other Questions: Corrib Gas Field (30 Apr 2014)

Alan Shatter: On the specific question the two Deputies raised, GSOC has investigated approximately 124 complaints against members of the force arising from the policing of the Shell to sea protest. Of these complaints, GSOC deemed 37 to be inadmissible. That left 87 admissible cases of which 85 are closed. The following is a breakdown of 57 complaints directly linked to the Shell to sea protest. There...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission Investigations (13 Nov 2013)

Alan Shatter: The Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission informs me that GSOC's Case Management System, which is under constant internal review, provides GSOC with comprehensive data and statistics (as can be seen in its various statutory reports that can be found on its website www.gardaombudsman.ie). However, responses to very specific queries can involve compilation of data over many years that...

Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission: Motion [Private Members] (18 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: ...the Garda Síochána and the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission are vital pillars in our democratic policing structures. The work of the Garda Síochána, in fighting crime, combating terrorism, and protecting the public, is of critical importance. Equally, the role of GSOC, in independently investigating complaints or concerns relating to the Garda...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Security and Surveillance Issues: Minister for Justice and Equality (19 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: ...know, they were up to something - we’re the people who did the examination, we’re the people with the evidence. We do not have any evidence to point in that direction.That is not me. That is Kieran FitzGerald, a member of GSOC. We are finishing exactly at the point from which we started, namely, the reason it is a good idea for a High Court judge to look at this. It seems...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission Reports (27 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: ...the Deputy contains a series of recommendations related to informant handling procedures within An Garda Síochána, oversight of those procedures and intelligence handling and information exchange between GSOC and An Garda Síochána. At the time, I sought the observations of the Garda Commissioner on the report and its recommendations. The Garda Commissioner in his...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission Reports (27 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: In the context of the GSOC issue, a committee was also established, chaired by a senior official of my Department, with senior representatives from GSOC and the Garda Síochána, to act as a forum where any future emerging issues concerning the protocols can be identified and appropriately addressed. The Government has appointed retired High Court judge, Mr. Justice John Cooke, to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Security and Surveillance Issues: Minister for Justice and Equality (19 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: ...at all funny. I am in a position where I get beaten up if I do and I get beaten up if I do not. Questions were put to me, to which members expected me to respond, about my engagement with GSOC, the meetings I have had, and whether I had reservations about any particular matters. I truthfully replied to those questions. If I had taken the position that I did not believe I should reply,...

Garda Inspectorate Report on the Fixed Charge Processing System: Statements (26 Mar 2014)

Alan Shatter: This was a report that was sought, as I understand it, in 2007 on the fixed charge processing system. GSOC conducted a substantial examination of the system and produced its report in 2009. I genuinely do not know why it was not published and I am not going to attribute any motive for its not being published. It is a very detailed report which seems to have been sent to the former...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Security and Surveillance Issues: Minister for Justice and Equality (19 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: ...there was a “device”, without referencing what it was, relating to UK 3G network telephones that could have resulted in their being accessed if it was utilised for that purpose. If someone had GSOC under surveillance, presumably it would be through the telephones members of GSOC were operating. When I raised that question, they said “No, they did not have...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Security and Surveillance Issues: Minister for Justice and Equality (19 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: ..., in fairness to the chairman of the commission, he made it very clearly that it took that matter seriously. I am very anxious that we get back to a space where there is full public confidence in GSOC. It does a very important job. I spent an amount of my time in this Parliament many years ago talking about the need to ensure we had accountability where there were allegations of Garda...