Results 7,961-7,980 of 19,162 for speaker:Alan Shatter

State Airports (17 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: I thank the Deputy for raising the matter, which I am dealing with on behalf of the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Varadkar. I welcome the Deputy to the House as we were a little concerned that he had been delayed at the security gates.

State Airports (17 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: In fairness, the Acting Chairman could have provided at least an extra minute to cope with the obvious sprints he had to make down the corridor to get here in good time. This is a serious issue and I thank the Deputy for raising it. In light of recent comment about the outcome of the European Commission's inspection of Dublin Airport, I state at the outset that Dublin Airport is safe for...

State Airports (17 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: I am not aware of implications arising from these events for either Cork Airport or Shannon Airport; the inspection was of Dublin Airport. The action taken by the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport and the Department was to call a meeting to address issues raised, one of which has already been addressed. I will certainly ask my colleague to furnish the Deputy with any information I...

Reserve Defence Force (17 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: The White Paper on Defence set out the blueprint for a new Reserve Defence Force, while the Reserve Defence Force review implementation plan, launched in July 2004, provided for the phased development of Reserve Defence Force capabilities in the period to the end of 2009. There were significant improvements to the quantity and quality of Reserve Defence Force training over the period of the...

Reserve Defence Force (17 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: As the Deputy knows, the future position of the Reserve Defence Force and the manner in which it is organised are caught up in the reorganisation process being undertaken to reduce it from a three brigade to a two brigade structure. That reorganisation must be fed into the review being undertaken of the Reserve Defence Force. As I said yesterday, I hope the review will be completed by...

Reserve Defence Force (17 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: At the moment we are examining the reserve in the context of its functioning, its positioning and its inter-relationship with the Permanent Defence Force, PDF, and the back-up it can provide to the PDF. Naturally, there is a cross-over in the sense that certain duties the reserve undertakes to assist the civil power could equally be undertaken by the Civil Defence, a separate organisation...

Defence Forces Personnel (17 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: I am aware that the State Claims Agency has received such correspondence. However, considering that legal proceedings have been instituted the Deputy will appreciate that it would not be appropriate for me to comment further on individual cases other than to say that legal proceedings have been served in respect of four of these claims.

Defence Forces Personnel (17 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: I do not have the exact statistics or the numbers who have received Lariam because, as the Deputy is aware, it has been used for some years. I will make inquiries, however, to establish if I can get the information the Deputy has sought.

Defence Forces Personnel (17 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: Once proceedings are issued the matter is dealt with by the State Claims Agency. Obviously, the claims made by those who have taken proceedings will be carefully considered and examined. The background files and medical history will be considered. Any available information with regard to the use of Lariam or, in respect of the individuals concerned, any records that may exist of any...

Defence Forces Personnel (17 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: As I understand it, they are from individuals.

Overseas Missions (17 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 3 and 4 together. On 21 April 2012, unanimously adopting resolution 2043 (2012), the United Nations Security Council authorised the establishment, for an initial period of 90 days, of a supervision mission, known as the United Nations Supervision Mission in Syria, UNSMIS. The purpose of the mission is to monitor a cessation of armed violence "in all its...

Overseas Missions (17 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: There are no plans to move our troops from the Irish area of operations in southern Lebanon. There is a discrete area of operations in which the Irish UNIFIL force locate, and that will continue. Fortunately, the position is still relatively quiet within our area of operations. There is continued vigilance to ensure that our troops are secure and are in a position to undertake the...

Overseas Missions (17 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: The initial mission for the monitors is a 90 day mission. The Deputy might be interested in incidents involving the observers that have occurred in recent days and are a cause of concern. UN reports indicate that the UN supervision mission in Syria had advised the UN that shortly after 2 p.m. local time on 15 May a convoy of four vehicles was struck by an explosion from an improvised...

Overseas Missions (17 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: I receive any updates required, bearing in mind circumstances as they evolve. I am maintaining a continuing interest and closely monitoring what is happening. In reply to Deputy O'Sullivan, we have small numbers of members of the Deafens Forces located in different parts of the world engaged in UN authorised missions and they are performing important and useful functions. In parts of the...

Departmental Expenditure (17 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: In accordance with the roles assigned to them in the White Paper on Defence, the Air Corps is committed to providing support to the civil authorities including Government agencies such as the National Park & Wildlife Service, NPWS, which is the agency responsible for monitoring activity on raised bog special areas of conservation. As part of the efforts to ensure Ireland's compliance with the...

Departmental Expenditure (17 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: It is a great pity that the Deputy does not have regard to the substantial fines that could be imposed on the State for failing to comply with European Union regulations with regard to the bogs the Deputy addresses. The Air Corps and Garda Síochána have an obligation to uphold the law of the State. If the law of the State was being complied with, there would be no reason for any...

Departmental Expenditure (17 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: I am conscious that the Deputy has very little respect for the law and has seen fit to break it.

Departmental Expenditure (17 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: It is a great pity that, as a Member of this House, he will not have regard to the fact that there are laws with which people must comply. If they are not complied with, those who choose to break them are doing so in circumstances in which they are apparently intent on having fines of tens of thousands of euro imposed on the rest of the community and expect the rest of the community to take...

Departmental Expenditure (17 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: The Deputy should withdraw that remark.

Departmental Expenditure (17 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: If he is so foolish as to suggest that the difficulties in relation to the bogs replicate matters that happened in Nazi Germany in the 1930s and 1940s-----