Results 8,341-8,360 of 19,162 for speaker:Alan Shatter

Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (13 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: The State agencies under the aegis of the Department of Defence are the Civil Defence Board and the Army Pensions Board. The Civil Defence Act 2002 provides that the Board shall consist of at least eight but not more than fourteen members who shall be appointed by the Minister for Defence. Legislation is currently being drafted to dissolve the Civil Defence Board and transfer the functions...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Spent Convictions) Bill 2012: Second Stage (13 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: I am pleased to present the Criminal Justice (Spent Convictions) Bill 2012. The Government appreciates the work done on this issue by the Law Reform Commission, whose landmark report on spent convictions, published in 2007, provided the background research and a solid platform on which to build the robust legal regime this Bill delivers. The commission's report included a draft Bill that...

European Arrest Warrant (Application to Third Countries and Amendment) and Extradition (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (14 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: I thank Deputies who contributed to this debate over two days on an important issue with regard to matters concerning US arrest warrants and extradition. There have been interesting and thoughtful contributions to the debate as well as wild, wonderful and imaginative contributions that do not seem to be based on an understanding of how the legislation works, its objectives and its benefits,...

European Arrest Warrant (Application to Third Countries and Amendment) and Extradition (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (14 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: It is clear that some Deputies are not familiar with these provisions.

European Arrest Warrant (Application to Third Countries and Amendment) and Extradition (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (14 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: The review will proceed without delay but, equally, it will be a careful review without undue haste. The frequent amendments to the Act are a caution against the rush to reform. It is desirable that we ensure any difficulties that might be anticipated in so far as possible can be anticipated and addressed in the functioning of the legislation. We all know that the nature of legislation is...

European Arrest Warrant (Application to Third Countries and Amendment) and Extradition (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (14 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: Principal among the offences cited in the European arrest warrants sent to Ireland for execution - I refer to warrants we were to implement – were 15 cases of murder, 25 sexual offences, including rape and the sexual abuse of children, 20 drug offences, 31 offences associated with organised crime and robbery, and 97 fraud offences. Are Deputies seriously suggesting we should cease to be...

European Arrest Warrant (Application to Third Countries and Amendment) and Extradition (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (14 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: Is that what the Deputies are stating?

European Arrest Warrant (Application to Third Countries and Amendment) and Extradition (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (14 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: Deputies, in opposing the European arrest warrant system, are not thinking of the consequences.

European Arrest Warrant (Application to Third Countries and Amendment) and Extradition (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (14 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: There are also missing the reality-----

European Arrest Warrant (Application to Third Countries and Amendment) and Extradition (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (14 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: Everyone seems to be very excitable today and I have no idea why.

European Arrest Warrant (Application to Third Countries and Amendment) and Extradition (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (14 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: I appreciate that people are feeling tense as the Spanish match approaches.

European Arrest Warrant (Application to Third Countries and Amendment) and Extradition (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (14 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: Let us hope that nothing happens to Spain this evening that requires the use of European arrest warrants on some later occasion. There is a serious issue to be considered. In principle, a number of Members of this House have said here that they are opposed not only to this amending Bill but also to European arrest warrant legislation. Let us be absolutely clear: what this legislation does...

European Arrest Warrant (Application to Third Countries and Amendment) and Extradition (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (14 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: Can Deputies seriously suggest that a system that brings to justice the perpetrators of such heinous crimes is wrong? I hear Deputy Halligan shouting about people slashing tyres. Did it occur to him that individuals who own cars are entitled to have the freedom to go about their business without people slashing their tyres? Is there some level of criminality that the Deputy wants to...

European Arrest Warrant (Application to Third Countries and Amendment) and Extradition (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (14 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: It is unfortunate that some Deputies approach this issue with a closed mind drowning in irrelevant and outdated anti-American ideology.

European Arrest Warrant (Application to Third Countries and Amendment) and Extradition (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (14 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: I was somewhat shocked to hear Deputies opposite refer to the European arrest warrant as involving no-questions-asked extradition. Equally, it was suggested that it offers no protection for the human rights of persons sought. I can only assume from these ill-informed comments that the Deputies are either not bothered to read the European Arrest Warrant Act in full, have read it and do not...

European Arrest Warrant (Application to Third Countries and Amendment) and Extradition (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (14 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: We have no such agreements with Albania-----

European Arrest Warrant (Application to Third Countries and Amendment) and Extradition (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (14 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: We have no agreements with Albania and Zimbabwe. I do not know what illusion the Deputy is labouring under, what he has been reading or who has been briefing him on this matter, but he is living in fantasy land if he thinks that is the position. In the context of the European arrest warrant procedure, there is currently only one agreement in place relating to the European Union, which is...

European Arrest Warrant (Application to Third Countries and Amendment) and Extradition (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (14 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: The Deputy is obsessed with America. We are fortunate that in dealing with serious issues such as terrorism and organised crime that there is substantial co-operation between this State and the United States.

European Arrest Warrant (Application to Third Countries and Amendment) and Extradition (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (14 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: Long may it continue because it is in the interests both of the citizens of this State and the United States, and their security.

European Arrest Warrant (Application to Third Countries and Amendment) and Extradition (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (14 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: Is the Deputy suggesting to the House that if some of those who were engaged in putting together plans for the Twin Towers atrocity were based in this State, that this State should not be free to extradite them, on request, to the United States?