Results 6,021-6,040 of 19,162 for speaker:Alan Shatter

Written Answers — Asylum Applications: Asylum Applications (14 Dec 2011)

Alan Shatter: The Deputy should be aware that it is not the practice to comment on individual asylum applications where a final decision has not been made. As I understand it, the delay in having the case of the person concerned concluded has arisen from the legal challenges taken, in the High Court and in the Supreme Court, by the person concerned against determinations or decisions taken in her case....

Written Answers — Public Service Remuneration: Public Service Remuneration (14 Dec 2011)

Alan Shatter: The monetary value of increments paid to staff in my Department in 2010 and 2011 is in the region of €1,072,000 and €840,000 respectively. The estimated monetary value of increments due in 2012 is in the region of €817,000.

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (14 Dec 2011)

Alan Shatter: The total grant from my Department to the Irish Red Cross Society for 2012 will be €869,000. This consists of a grant of €739,000 towards the salary and administration costs of running the headquarters of the Irish Society and the Government's annual contribution of €130,000 to the International Committee of the Red Cross. The decision to reduce the grant from its current level of...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (14 Dec 2011)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 224 and 225 together. The information requested by the Deputy in relation to the amount spent by my Department on public relations companies and on advertising for each year since 2006 is set out in tabular format. This information excludes the Defence Forces. The data relating to the Defence Forces is currently being compiled and will be provided to the...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Reserve: Defence Forces Reserve (14 Dec 2011)

Alan Shatter: The number of personnel that can be recruited to the Army Reserve and the Naval Service Reserve depends on the level of funding available for training. The level of resourcing available for Defence has reduced significantly over recent years. The funds available for paid training days for members of the Reserve have been cut from €4.96 million in 2009 to €2.48 million in 2011. This...

Seanad: Jurisdiction of Courts and Enforcement of Judgments (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (14 Dec 2011)

Alan Shatter: Amendments Nos. 1 and 13 are being taken together. These are technical amendments to take account of the fact that the name of the Department of Foreign Affairs has been altered since the Bill was published in February of this year. The amendments have no dramatic impact other than that.

Seanad: Jurisdiction of Courts and Enforcement of Judgments (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (14 Dec 2011)

Alan Shatter: All of these amendments are technical in nature. They are consequential upon the fact that subsequent to the publication of this Bill, the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill was enacted. Section 63 of that Act amended section 8 of the Enforcement of Court Orders Act 1940 to provide a new framework for the recovery of foreign maintenance orders. The proposed series of amendments make...

Seanad: Jurisdiction of Courts and Enforcement of Judgments (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (14 Dec 2011)

Alan Shatter: These are purely technical amendments. Amendment agreed to.

Seanad: Jurisdiction of Courts and Enforcement of Judgments (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (14 Dec 2011)

Alan Shatter: Subsequent to the publication of this Bill, the 2007 Lugano Convention was ratified by Iceland. This means it is no longer necessary to keep Part III of the Jurisdiction of Courts and Enforcement of Judgments Act in being. That Part part dealt exclusively with the old Lugano convention and it is now effectively redundant.

Seanad: Garda Stations (14 Dec 2011)

Alan Shatter: I thank the Senator for raising the issue. I appreciate that as a public representative he is concerned about the matter. I sometimes wonder whether some of the Fianna Fáil Senators and Deputies are living in a parallel universe. The Senator will recall that the last Government entered the European Commission, ECB and IMF bailout agreement, having managed to totally destroy the economy...

Seanad: Garda Stations (14 Dec 2011)

Alan Shatter: There is another Garda station.

Seanad: Garda Stations (14 Dec 2011)

Alan Shatter: The world did not start on 9 March 2011. Many of the difficult decisions being made with regard to effecting efficiencies and use of resources are being made not only in the interests of taxpayers but by the State under pressure because of the appalling financial legacy inherited by the current Government from the Senator and his colleagues during their time in Government.

Seanad: Garda Stations (14 Dec 2011)

Alan Shatter: In so far as there is an issue of a shortage of resources or reducing resources, I do not think there is anything wrong with pointing out the origin of the difficulty. I want to congratulate the gardaí in Malahide, Rush and across north County Dublin for the tremendous work they are doing both in policing the area and in preventing crime.

Seanad: Garda Stations (14 Dec 2011)

Alan Shatter: Frequently the focus is on investigating crimes after they have occurred but there has been a substantial reduction in crimes committed across the broad range of areas in each of the last three quarters for which we have statistics. I want to congratulate the Garda Síochána on the work its members are doing and I wish the force across the country well as we are heading into Christmas. I...

Seanad: Garda Stations (14 Dec 2011)

Alan Shatter: I thank the Senator for raising this issue. She has stated she wrote to me on 12 December. I must inform her that at approximately 6.30 a.m on 13 December I flew to Brussels for a meeting of European Justice Ministers and only returned just before lunchtime today. I have not, therefore, had an opportunity to reply to her letter.

Seanad: Garda Stations (14 Dec 2011)

Alan Shatter: To put the matter in context, I recently laid before the House the policing plan for 2012. This plan, prepared by the Garda Commissioner under the Garda Síochána Act 2005, sets out the proposed arrangements for the policing of the State during the coming year. Under it, 31 Garda stations will be closed in 2012, while a further eight currently non-operational will be formally closed. The...

Seanad: Garda Stations (14 Dec 2011)

Alan Shatter: Operational matters are very much the responsibility of the Garda Commissioner and I have left it to him to decide how best to engage in whatever consultative process will be required. That process will not focus on whether stations should be closed or remain open. In the context of smaller stations, the consultative process will focus primarily on providing reassurances for local...

Seanad: Health Services (14 Dec 2011)

Alan Shatter: I thank Senator O'Keeffe for raising this important issue. It provides me with an opportunity to update the House on this matter on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, who is indisposed, and outline the background to the current situation and the action taken by the Health Service Executive. As the Senator is aware, Government policy on older people is to support people...

Seanad: Health Services (14 Dec 2011)

Alan Shatter: The Senator will appreciate that I am substituting for the Minister of State, Deputy Lynch, who would have liked to have been present. The information I have is that the overall assessment is taking place. I do not want to say anything about the matter that could be misleading. I will draw to the attention of the Minister of State the Senator's concern about the matter to determine if...

Seanad: Health Services (14 Dec 2011)

Alan Shatter: I thank the Senator for raising this matter. I am taking this Adjournment on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Lynch, because she is indisposed, and I want to outline the position on the matter raised by the Senator. I understand that the family concerned are in receipt of six and a half hours home support from the Jack and Jill foundation and three hours home support from the Health...