Results 7,821-7,840 of 19,162 for speaker:Alan Shatter

Written Answers — Garda Representative Bodies: Garda Representative Bodies (8 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: Section 18 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 provides for the Minister for Justice and Equality to regulate the establishment of associations for the purposes of representing members of An Garda Síochána, in the ranks below that of Assistant Garda Commissioner, in all matters affecting their welfare and efficiency. An association established under this section must be independent of and not...

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

Alan Shatter: The position in relation to proposed amendments to the Legal Services Regulation Bill remains as indicated in my closing statement for Second Stage of the Bill on 23 February 2012. In that statement I responded to a series of key issues that had arisen in the discussion of the Bill. At the same time I outlined my intentions in relation to those issues and the potential for constructive...

Written Answers — Debt Resolution: Debt Resolution (8 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: I would refer the Deputy to my reply to Question No. 93 of 7 February, 2012, tabled by him, which indicated the following: The Deputy will be aware that, having obtained Government approval for urgent drafting by the Office of the Attorney General and Parliamentary Counsel, I published the text of the General Scheme of the Personal Insolvency Bill on 25 January last. There is a requirement...

Written Answers — Human Trafficking: Human Trafficking (8 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: I have received a draft report prepared by my Department on whether or not the Criminal Law (Human Trafficking) Act, 2008 is sufficient to criminalise forced labour as defined in the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29) as "all work or service which is exacted from any person under the menace of any penalty and for which the said person has not...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (8 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: As already announced in the Public Service Reform Plan published by the Government on 17 November 2011, the Government has decided to rationalise the industrial relations / employee rights institutions into a single agency. Under this plan the Equality Tribunal will form part of a new Workplace Relations body. Detailed consideration of the practical arrangements to give effect to this...

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

Alan Shatter: As the Deputy is aware there has been a consistent increase in the total prisoner population in Ireland over recent years. The problem of prison overcrowding therefore remains a challenging issue which unfortunately cannot be resolved overnight. Given the current number of prisoners in the system - 4,401 on 3rd May 2012 - the Irish Prison Service is not in a position to provide single cell...

Written Answers — Criminal Gangs: Criminal Gangs (8 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: The emergence in recent years of criminal gangs has had significant implications for the management of Irish prisons. Prison management must ensure that the various factions are kept apart and as far as possible, that gang members do not have influence over other inmates or criminal activities outside the prisons. Gang members are being managed on a daily basis through segregation and...

Written Answers — Legal Aid Service: Legal Aid Service (8 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: I wish to inform the Deputy that details of waiting times for non-prioritised matters at each of the Legal Aid Board's law centres as at 1 April 2012 are set out below. Figures for 1 May 2012 are not available yet. I acknowledge that waiting times have increased since the downturn in the economy and that there has been a very significant increase in demand for the Board's services. The...

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

Alan Shatter: I am conscious of the importance of maintaining a sufficient strength in the senior ranks to support the investigative, management and supervisory capacity of the Force. As I made clear in my recent address to the Annual Conference of the Association of Garda Superintendents, I am in ongoing discussion with my colleague the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform on this matter and I...

Written Answers — Criminal Gangs: Criminal Gangs (8 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: In the course of previous contributions in this House I have made it clear that combating the activities of criminal gangs is a major Garda priority. In that context the Deputy will recall that significant resources are being deployed against gangs by An Garda Síochána and this will continue to be the case. The Deputy will be aware that the Garda Commissioner has recently announced the...

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

Alan Shatter: The Government's plans for the immigration system are outlined in the Programme for Government which commits to the introduction of comprehensive reforms to the immigration, residence and asylum systems including a statutory immigration appeals mechanism, which will articulate rights and obligations in a transparent manner. The Immigration, Residence and Protection Bill 2010 was restored to...

Written Answers — Debt Resolution: Debt Resolution (8 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: The Personal Insolvency Bill, the Heads of which I published on 25 January, 2012, introduces a number of new non-judicial debt settlement systems. One of those systems - the Personal Insolvency Arrangement - provides for the agreed settlement of both secured and unsecured debt of €20,001 to €3 million with one or more creditors. The detail of the proposed personal insolvency reform...

Written Answers — Prison Rehabilitative Programmes: Prison Rehabilitative Programmes (8 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: I can advise the Deputy that there were 4,380 prisoners in custody on 2 May, 2012. As the Deputy will be aware from my replies to previous Parliamentary Questions, the Irish Prison Service provides a wide range of rehabilitative programmes that include education, vocational training, health care, psychiatric, psychological, counselling, welfare and spiritual services. These programmes are...

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

Alan Shatter: As the Deputy is aware, the Commissioner's Policing Plan for 2012, which I laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas on 5 December 2011, proposed the closure of 39 Garda Stations throughout the country, along with reduced public opening hours in 10 Garda Stations in the Dublin Metropolitan Region. Of the 39 stations, 8 were already non-operational, some for many years. Others, while...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (8 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: My Department has completed work on draft Heads of a Bill to transpose Council Directive 2010/18/EU and to consolidate all the various family leave legislation (maternity, paternal, adoptive and carer's leave) in one Bill. The draft Heads are currently under discussion with relevant Departments in relation to technical issues (e.g. updating references to other legislation) and I expect that...

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

Alan Shatter: As the Deputy is aware, the moratorium on Public Service recruitment continues to apply to An Garda Síochána. A s a result, no date has been fixed for future intakes into the Garda College or for the commencement of a recruitment competition. A decision on when recruitment will re-commence will take into account the rate of retirement in the Garda Síochána and Government targets for...

Written Answers — Drugs in Prisons: Drugs in Prisons (8 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: I do not have any plans for the construction of a custodial drug treatment centre. However, as outlined in the Irish Prison Service Three Year Strategic Plan 2012 - 2015, Drug Free Units will be introduced in all closed prisons. It is intended that each of those prisons will have a Drug Free Unit by the end of 2012. Drug Free Units will accommodate and cater for the needs of both drug...

Written Answers — Crime Prevention: Crime Prevention (8 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: I am, of course, concerned at the increase in number of burglaries in 2011, while noting that for most crime groups, including robbery, the most recent statistics indicate a decline in recorded crime. All crime trends are monitored closely by Garda management, with intelligence-led initiatives put in place to target burglary and other criminality. The Deputy will be aware that the Garda...

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

Alan Shatter: I am informed by the Irish Prison Service that the information requested by the Deputy is not readily available and requires a manual examination of records. The Information is being collated by the Irish Prison Service and I will forward a reply to the Deputy as soon possible.

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

Alan Shatter: It is not possible, in the time available, to collate the information requested by the Deputy. I will furnish the information to the Deputy as soon as possible.