Results 8,421-8,440 of 19,162 for speaker:Alan Shatter

Written Answers — Defence Forces Review: Defence Forces Review (19 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: The Price Waterhouse Review of the Defence Forces was completed in 1994. It set out a range of options for the organisation of the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) at differing strength levels. This did not include an option for a Permanent Defence Force strength of 9,500 personnel. Following the Price Waterhouse Review and the Defence Forces Review Implementation Plan (1996), a three...

Written Answers — Official Apology: Official Apology (19 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: I have no such plans.

Written Answers — State Agencies: State Agencies (19 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: The bodies under the aegis of my Department are the Army Pensions Board, the Civil Defence Board and the Board of Coiste an Asgard. In July 2011, the Government approved a proposal to begin drafting legislation to transfer the functions of the Civil Defence Board back into the Department of Defence. The Heads of the Civil Defence (Repeal) Bill were subsequently agreed by Government and the...

Written Answers — Official Pardon: Official Pardon (19 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: I am pleased to acknowledge the vital contribution made by the Irish Citizens who served in the Allied Forces during World War 11. From the remove of 2012 it is very hard to imagine the difficult decisions that people made when they consciously decided to leave Ireland to fight with the allied forces during the course of World War II. Despite the level of anti-British feeling that without...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Search Warrants) Bill 2012: Second Stage (19 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: I am pleased to present the Criminal Justice (Search Warrants) Bill 2012 to the House. This is a short Bill, but an important one. As its Title suggests, it concerns search warrants, an essential tool in the effective investigation of crime. The primary purpose of the Bill is to restore, in updated form, the search warrant provision in section 29 of the Offences against the State Act 1939,...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Search Warrants) Bill 2012: Second Stage (19 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: I will start by thanking Senators for addressing the Bill and for their substantial support of its provisions. In particular, I wish to thank Senator Power for her contribution on behalf of Fianna Fáil. I welcome the recognition given by all who spoke of the need for this important legislation to be passed with some speed. Senator Bradford said that the State is more peaceful today than...

Garda Complaints Procedures (20 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: I assume the Deputy is referring to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission's annual report for 2011 which was published last week. Copies of the report have been laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas and it is also available on the commission's website. It was presented by the new ombudsman commission which took office in December 2011. The office is anxious to build on the...

Garda Complaints Procedures (20 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: To return to the statistics, the ombudsman commission received 2,275 complaints from members of the public in 2011 and they contained a total of 6,230 allegations of misconduct. A total of 1,424 of these allegations were deemed to be inadmissible. The corresponding figures for 2010 were 2,258 complaints, containing 4931 allegations, of which 1087 were deemed to be inadmissible. The reasons...

Garda Complaints Procedures (20 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: I am not aware of a particular area giving cause for concern. The complaints are well spread around parts of the country. Obviously, this is an issue the new members of the ombudsman commission may consider, but there was certainly nothing in the report laid before the Houses that indicated there was a substantial problem in a particular identifiable part of the country that would give rise...

Garda Investigations (20 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: As I am sure the Deputy will be aware I, as Minister, have no role in the conduct of criminal investigations or in decisions on prosecutions. These are matters for the Garda and the Director of Public Prosecutions, DPP, respectively, and it would be most inappropriate for me to attempt to become involved in assessing the content of any particular files. I can inform the Deputy that the Garda...

Garda Investigations (20 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: This is merely the answer to Question No. 2. There are other questions of a similar nature. In fact, there is some additional information in my reply which, perhaps, I will have the opportunity to give to Deputy O'Brien in response to a supplementary.

Garda Investigations (20 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: On the latter issue, I have no information. A substantial amount of the information was obtained as a consequence of the Criminal Justice Act being enacted in 2011 and a great deal of it would have no relevance to the section 29 issue that has given rise to difficulty. In the context of the investigation, I do not know whether that issue arose. If it did, I am sure it is an issue to which...

Garda Investigations (20 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: As Deputies, probably to the point of boredom, have heard me say to the House, on the first day I was in the Department of Justice and Equality following my appointment, I raised queries with regard to the investigations being conducted and whether there were additional resources required for the Garda or the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement. I arranged that staff of my...

Garda Operations (20 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: While the latest recorded crime statistics show a decrease in most types of crime during 2011, as I have previously stated, I am concerned at the increase in certain categories of crime, notably burglaries and other property crimes. In particular, I share the widespread outrage at recent incidents of aggravated burglary, where elderly people were terrorised in their own homes and subjected...

Garda Operations (20 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: I do not have definitive figures, but I can provide some information for the Deputy. Again, I must be careful not to say anything that could prejudice prosecutions. Operation Fiacla has been particularly successful. A number of individuals will find themselves before the courts in the not too distant future as a result of successful investigations. Some of those who have been engaged in...

Garda Operations (20 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: Heavy sentences can be passed in cases of aggravated burglary. In the context of the mandatory sentencing issue, clearly we have to wait for the final report. I understand the Law Reform Commission has published a consultative document, but it has not yet published its final report. If that is the case, we have to wait to see the contents of the final report.

Crime Prevention (20 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: I am informed by the Garda authorities that the drafting of a metal theft crime prevention and reduction plan is at an advanced stage and that this work is proceeding in consultation with the stakeholders represented on the metal theft forum. I understand the plan will be finalised shortly. I look forward to the outcome of this process and will study any Garda recommendation concerning...

Crime Prevention (20 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: It is very difficult in the context of the ramblings of the Deputy-----

Crime Prevention (20 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: -----to know what I should reply to.

Crime Prevention (20 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: On the basis that the Deputy has a serious interest in these issues, I hope shortly to receive the forum report from the Garda which is anxious to ensure it is comprehensive. I anticipated originally that I might have received it by this date. As soon as I receive it, I will consider its contents. I expect it will also be made available to Members. On the cash for gold issue, the Deputy...