Results 7,801-7,820 of 19,162 for speaker:Alan Shatter

Written Answers — Immigration Status: Immigration Status (8 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: It is not possible to provide the information requested by the Deputy as records on applications and decisions in relation to a change to a person's immigration status in the State are not broken down in this manner. It would require that every such application (some thousands in the period concerned) be examined to determine if domestic violence was a ground or was disclosed as a ground for...

Written Answers — Sentencing Policy: Sentencing Policy (8 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: As I said earlier, the Irish Prison Service Strategic Plan contains a number of key objectives for the next three years one of which includes the expansion of a pilot community return project which commenced last October in line with the recommendations of the Thornton Hall Project Review Group. This Community Return programme is an incentivised scheme run in conjunction with the Probation...

Written Answers — Escape of Prisoners: Escape of Prisoners (8 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: I published the Report into the escape by the prisoner referred to on the 28th March 2012. As I stated then, the decision to send this prisoner to Loughan House was wrong. At the time, I instructed the Director General of the Irish Prison Service to take all necessary steps to ensure that a mistake of this nature does not reoccur. I have since been assured by the Director General that...

Written Answers — Legislative Programme: Legislative Programme (8 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: Work on the details of the Immigration, Residence and Protection Bill 2010, which has been restored by the Government to the Dáil Order Paper , has been ongoing at my Department. This has been necessary to take account of current Government policy which is committed, under the Programme for National Recovery, to "introduce comprehensive reforms of the immigration, residency and asylum...

Written Answers — Prison Accommodation: Prison Accommodation (8 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: The average number of prisoners in custody in Ireland has risen in the last 5 years, from 3,321 during 2007 to 4,389 during 2011, an increase of over 32%. Likewise the total number of committals to prison has also risen sharply during the same period, from 11,934 in 2007 to 17,318 in 2011 – an increase of over 45%. During the same period the number of prisoners on temporary release also...

Written Answers — International Agreements: International Agreements (8 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: Ratification of the Optional Protocol to the United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OP-CAT) requires legislation. OP-CAT provides for a system of inspections of places of detention at UN level, and at national level by what the optional protocol refers to as National Preventative Mechanisms. The Deputy will be aware that a...

Written Answers — Garda Transport: Garda Transport (8 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: The provision and allocation of Garda resources, including transport, are matters for the Garda Commissioner in the context of his identified operational requirements and the availability of financial resources. I am informed by the Garda authorities that the safe operation of the Garda vehicle fleet is a priority for the Force. Within that framework specific measures are in place to ensure...

Written Answers — Prisoner Allowances: Prisoner Allowances (8 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: I have been informed by the Irish Prison Service that a review of the prisoner gratuity payments and allowances system has been completed. The review covered all aspects of the current scheme including the daily allowance and approved work allowance. On foot of this review it is proposed that three different levels of daily gratuity be introduced, with the rates being paid dependent on...

Written Answers — Garda Authority: Garda Authority (8 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: Deputy Broughan asked a similar question in May 2011 about the establishment of a Garda Authority and my views have not changed on this matter. I have no plans to introduce a Garda Authority and there is no such commitment in the Programme for Government. The Garda Síochána Act 2005 makes clear that the Garda Commissioner is accountable to my Department and to me as Minister for the...

Written Answers — Garda Operations: Garda Operations (8 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: The searching of persons in Garda custody is governed by the Criminal Justice Act 1984 (Treatment of Persons in Custody in Garda Síochána Stations) Regulations, 1987 and 2006, Statutory Instrument 119/1987 which states as follows: Regulation 17 (1) A member conducting a search of a person in custody shall ensure, so far as practicable, that the person understands the reason for the search...

Written Answers — Garda Stations: Garda Stations (8 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: As the Deputy will be aware, on 30 April, 2012, the opening hours of 10 Garda Stations in the Dublin Metropolitan Region (D.M.R.) were reduced from being open on a 24 hour basis to being open to the public between the hours of 7.00am and 9.00pm only. It is important to remember that while the Garda stations in question will have reduced opening hours to the public, they will remain as...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (8 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: The Charities Act 2009 provides for an integrated system of mandatory registration and proportionate regulation and supervision of the charities sector in Ireland. The various sections of the Charities Act are subject to implementation through commencement orders. A number of sections have already been commenced. Those sections that require charities to provide financial information to a...

Written Answers — Asylum Support Services: Asylum Support Services (8 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: The Reception and Integration Agency (RIA) of my Department is responsible for the accommodation of asylum seekers in accordance with the Government policy of direct provision and dispersal. Section 11(1) (e) of the Ombudsman for Children's Act, 2002 provides that the Ombudsman shall not investigate any action taken by a public body where the action was taken in the administration of the law...

Written Answers — Garda Deployment: Garda Deployment (8 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: I should first of all say that the Commissioner is responsible for the detailed allocation of Garda resources, including personnel, throughout the organisation, and I have no function in the matter. I am advised by the Commissioner that, in regard to the deployment of Garda personnel, a distribution model is used which takes into account all relevant factors. These of course include...

Written Answers — Equality Issues: Equality Issues (8 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: Although drafted by the previous Government, the focus of the National Women's Strategy 2007-2016 is closely linked to the goals of this Government and to EU gender equality policy. It is intended that the first draft of the Internal Review of the Strategy will be presented to the Strategy's Monitoring Committee at a meeting in June 2012. The report may be edited following discussion in that...

Written Answers — International Agreements: International Agreements (8 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: As I have previously stated in my responses to PQ numbers 485 and 521 of Tuesday, 14th February, 2012, 543 of Tuesday 28th of February, 2012, and 74 of Tuesday, 13th of March, the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence is a detailed Convention with a very broad scope across a number of policy areas. Cosc, the National Office for...

Written Answers — Asylum Support Services: Asylum Support Services (8 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: The Reception & Integration Agency (RIA) of my Department is responsible for the accommodation of asylum seekers while their application for protection is being processed. The Eyre Powell asylum seeker accommodation centre in Newbridge, Co. Kildare, which has a capacity to accommodate 90 residents, is one of 38 centres throughout the State which are managed by private companies under...

Written Answers — Registration of Title: Registration of Title (8 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: As the Deputy will be aware, under the provisions of the Registration of Deeds and Title Act 2006, the Property Registration Authority replaces the Registrar of Deeds and Titles as the registering authority in relation to property registration in Ireland. Subject to the above Act, the Authority is independent in the performance of its functions. The matters raised by the Deputy in the...

Written Answers — Irish Prison Service: Irish Prison Service (8 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: The new three year strategic plan includes concrete and practical, if ambitious, targets. Its key objectives include delivering reform and implementing change in accordance with the Croke Park Public Service Agreement and the Integrated Reform Plan for the Justice Sector. The 2012 current operational budget for the Prison Service is €293.7m. Approximately 80% of this budget is required...

Written Answers — Prisoner Releases: Prisoner Releases (8 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: The Community Return Programme is an incentivised scheme introduced in line with the recommendations of the Thornton Hall Project Review Group which provides for earned temporary release under which offenders who pose no threat to the community are offered early temporary release in return for supervised community service. The scheme, which was introduced on a pilot basis last October, is...