Results 10,501-10,520 of 19,162 for speaker:Alan Shatter

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Search and Rescue Service (7 Nov 2012)

Alan Shatter: The Irish Coast Guard has overall responsibility for the provision of search and rescue services within the Irish search and rescue region and the responsibility for the prevention of drug-trafficking and people trafficking rests primarily with the Revenue Commissioners and An Garda Síochána respectively. However, the White Paper on Defence provides a role for the Naval Service and...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Properties (7 Nov 2012)

Alan Shatter: The monies received from the sales of surplus properties have returned to the Defence Vote as Appropriations in Aid. The increased levels of appropriations in aid have allowed the retention of funding levels for re-equipment. Some of the major more recent programmes include the acquisition of Light Tactical Armoured Vehicles, Mowag Armoured Personnel Carriers, two EC 135 helicopters, six AW...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Retirement Scheme (7 Nov 2012)

Alan Shatter: The following table sets out the number of women who have left the Permanent Defence Force and the number of women who were inducted into the Permanent Defence Force in each of the years 2010 and 2011, and at 31 October 2012, the latest date for which figures are available. The Government is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for men and women throughout the Defence Forces and to...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Recruitment (7 Nov 2012)

Alan Shatter: The number, by gender, of Cadets inducted to the Permanent Defence Force in each year 2009 to 2012 along with the number who were subsequently commissioned as officers is shown in the following tabular statement. The difference between those inducted and those subsequently commissioned or still in training reflects those who were discharged before completion of training. As with all...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2012
Vote 35 – Army Pensions (Supplementary) (7 Nov 2012)

Alan Shatter: I thank the select committee for the opportunity to present for its consideration the 2012 Supplementary Estimate for Vote 35, Army pensions, which is for a net sum of €30 million. I also thank the committee for agreeing to meet at 10 a.m. rather than 9.30 a.m. as I had another meeting in which to participate. The 2012 Estimate provided for a net sum of €207.9 million. Net...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2012
Vote 35 – Army Pensions (Supplementary) (7 Nov 2012)

Alan Shatter: Yes. Far more retired than was anticipated, especially in the period from January to February 2012. They did so because of the advantages in the pension that would accrue to them. After that had occurred we had to assess the impact on the Permanent Defence Force and make arrangements for recruitment which we advertised in June. When one advertises, there is a lead-in period. I may be...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2012
Vote 35 – Army Pensions (Supplementary) (7 Nov 2012)

Alan Shatter: We should be close to 9,500 by the time we get to the end of the year. That is our objective. In the middle of this process we are implementing a reorganisation programme. As there will be Dáil questions on that issue this afternoon, I will not go into it here. In the context of the Estimates process we are engaged with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2012
Vote 35 – Army Pensions (Supplementary) (7 Nov 2012)

Alan Shatter: That is a series of questions to which I have answers which I will gladly give to the Deputy. However, I will consult the statistics because I do not wish to do it from memory in case I give the wrong statistics. A total of 21 years is normally the length of service required to be on full pension. The retirement age is normally 50 years for those who joined post-2004. We have a...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2012
Vote 35 – Army Pensions (Supplementary) (7 Nov 2012)

Alan Shatter: Effectively, we have stayed within the overall financial envelope. In simple terms, we are moving a portion of money designated as salaries into pensions. That is facilitated as a consequence of the larger than expected number of retirements at the end of February and the obvious hiatus created thereafter. They retired and then became entitled to their pensions as opposed to Army salaries...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2012
Vote 35 – Army Pensions (Supplementary) (7 Nov 2012)

Alan Shatter: There was a saving on the salary side which then had to be transferred into the pension side. The good thing about it is that, going through the recruitment process, we are substantially on target as we get to the end of the year of ensuring we have the strength we envisaged at the start of the year, which was key to the Defence Forces meeting their operational requirements.

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2012
Vote 35 – Army Pensions (Supplementary) (7 Nov 2012)

Alan Shatter: Effectively, we are transferring the envelope from one side to the other. With a strength of 9,500 at year end we are going into 2013 with an additional cohort of pensioners but many of the retirements which occurred early in the year might have otherwise gone throughout the year. I think I am right in saying that the normal retirement rate from the Defence Forces was between 350 and 400...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2012
Vote 35 – Army Pensions (Supplementary) (7 Nov 2012)

Alan Shatter: I do not have an overall figure but if one takes the annual pension paid to an individual compared with what he or she would have received if he or she was still in the Defence Forces, there is a saving of approximately €17,000 per individual per annum. That is based on a comparison between an annualised pension payment and an annualised salary payment. It is not pure salary because,...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2012
Vote 35 – Army Pensions (Supplementary) (7 Nov 2012)

Alan Shatter: Yes, effectively.

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2012
Vote 35 – Army Pensions (Supplementary) (7 Nov 2012)

Alan Shatter: That is a recommendation that would come to the Minister from the military. There can be reasons as to why someone’s service should be terminated. As the Deputy can see, that provision affected three people. Disciplinary, health or other issues could arise in that context.

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2012
Vote 35 – Army Pensions (Supplementary) (7 Nov 2012)

Alan Shatter: Not in those circumstances. If there is a recommendation from the military that, for example, it is inappropriate for someone who has undergone a disciplinary process to remain in the military, he or she is not going to receive additional compensation for service being terminated. Fortunately it only affects a small number of individuals.

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2012
Vote 35 – Army Pensions (Supplementary) (7 Nov 2012)

Alan Shatter: Generally there are no added years as I understand the matter.

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2012
Vote 35 – Army Pensions (Supplementary) (7 Nov 2012)

Alan Shatter: I thank the Chairman and members for their co-operation in dealing with this issue and I look forward to reverting to them on other defence matters during Question Time later today by way of a break from dealing with the Personal Insolvency Bill.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Probation and Welfare Service (8 Nov 2012)

Alan Shatter: My Department's Human Resources Division has advised me that no action of the type referred to by the Deputy has been taken. The Deputy will appreciate that any further comment on this matter would not be appropriate in that it might identify persons to no good purpose.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Funding (8 Nov 2012)

Alan Shatter: The National Women’s Council of Ireland is the umbrella group for the promotion of women’s rights and women’s equality in Ireland with approximately 160 member organisations. It has received core funding from the State for many years to enable it to assist with the goal of achieving de facto gender equality, which has economic and social benefits as well as being a human...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (8 Nov 2012)

Alan Shatter: I have been advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) that it is not the practice to extend a permission to remain to persons admitted on holiday visas for a period of 90 days or less, save in very exceptional and unforeseen circumstances. The reason for this approach is that an extension of visitor's permission should not generally arise in circumstances where the...