Results 11,081-11,100 of 19,162 for speaker:Alan Shatter

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Rights of People with Disabilities (11 Dec 2012)

Alan Shatter: It is the Government's intention to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities as quickly as possible, taking into account the need to ensure that all necessary legislative and administrative requirements under the Convention are being met. As the Deputy may be aware, Ireland does not become party to treaties until it is first in a position to comply with the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Judicial Appointments and Removals (11 Dec 2012)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 80 and 97 together. The Deputy will be aware that, under the Irish Constitution, judges are appointed by the President on the advice of the Government. Applications are dealt with by the Judicial Appointments Advisory Board which was established under the Courts and Court Officers Act 1995. Under section 16 of that Act, where a judicial office stands...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Child Detention Centres (11 Dec 2012)

Alan Shatter: I can advise the Deputy that on 7th December, 2012 there were 30 seventeen year old prisoners in custody in St Patrick's Institution, 11 of which were held on remand. As you will be aware the Government committed, in the Programme for Government, to remove 16 and 17 year old offenders completely from the adult prison system. In this context, the practice of sending 16 year old boys to St...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Third Level Fees (11 Dec 2012)

Alan Shatter: Section 9 of the Immigration Act, 2004 provides that a non-national is required to pay a fee to the registration officer for the issue of a registration certificate. This fee is set by regulations made by the Minister for Justice and Equality with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. The fee was first introduced in 2006 and was then set at €100. It was...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Asylum Seeker Accommodation (11 Dec 2012)

Alan Shatter: The Irish Refugee Council (IRC) Report, which was launched in September, summarises many of the criticisms which have been made of the Direct Provision system since its inception over 12 years ago, concentrating specifically on issues relating to children. The report makes a number of recommendations for change to the direct provision system. Some of the recommendations - such as allowing...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prisoner Releases (11 Dec 2012)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 84 and 100 together. The power bestowed on the Minister for Justice and Equality to grant remission and temporary release is clearly set out in existing legislative instruments. Rule 59 of the 2007 prison rules provides that a prisoner is eligible by good conduct to earn a remission of sentence not exceeding one quarter. Rule 59(2) allows for the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Operations (11 Dec 2012)

Alan Shatter: I have been informed by the Garda Commissioner that the personnel strength of An Garda Síochána on 30 November 2012, the latest date for which figures are readily available, was 13,459. There are also approximately 1,000 Garda Reservists and over 2,000 civilians in the Garda Síochána. All members of An Garda Síochána are tasked with investigating crime including...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Asylum Seeker Accommodation (11 Dec 2012)

Alan Shatter: Asylum seekers deemed to be unaccompanied minors by the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner (ORAC) under Section 8 of the Refugee Act, 1996, are referred to the HSE which has responsibility for their care under the Child Care Act, 1991 until they reach 18 years of age. At that point, as a general policy, they are transferred to asylum accommodation centres under contract to the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Property Transfers (11 Dec 2012)

Alan Shatter: The Conveyancing Conflicts of Interest Regulation, to which the Deputy refers, was adopted by the Council of the Law Society on 7 September 2012, following the recommendations of the "Conveyancing Conflicts Task Force Report" published by the Law Society the previous July. Section 5 of the Solicitors Act 1954 provides for the Society to make regulations which are necessary for the carrying...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Operations (11 Dec 2012)

Alan Shatter: Let me say at the outset that the decision to host the G8 Summit in Enniskillen next year is a matter entirely for the host Government to make and would not involve prior consultation with my Department. Having said that, I welcome the fact that it is a clear recognition of the capacity for Northern Ireland to host such a high profile event. Naturally, security will be an important element...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Transport (11 Dec 2012)

Alan Shatter: The deployment of Garda vehicles is a matter for the Garda Commissioner in the context of his identified operational requirements. I have no role in this area and, accordingly, I am not in a position to indicate the stations to which the new vehicles will be allocated. At Garda Divisional level, it is for the Chief Superintendent to make appropriate arrangements for the distribution of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Funding (11 Dec 2012)

Alan Shatter: At the outset I would like to draw the distinction between funding from my Department for Disability Organisations which took the form, during this period of time, of once-off grants for innovative projects capable of being mainstreamed, and the continued funding of disability organisations to administer their organisations which has always been funded and is still funded via other...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Equipment (11 Dec 2012)

Alan Shatter: The Deputy will be aware that I recently announced a substantial investment in Garda transport, with funding of approximately €3 million being made available for the purchase of new vehicles. In that regard arrangements for the provision of 170 vehicles are currently being made and it is anticipated that they will begin to come on stream in the coming weeks. In addition, a further...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Court Staff (11 Dec 2012)

Alan Shatter: As the Deputy may be aware, my colleague the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform is responsible for the pay and pensions of the judiciary. The salary payable to a District Court Judge appointed prior to 1 January 2012 is €136,124. Judges' pensions are calculated by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in accordance with the relevant legislative provisions and paid...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Accommodation (11 Dec 2012)

Alan Shatter: I can advise the Deputy that many prisons including Limerick, Wheatfield, Dóchas, St. Patrick's Institution, the Training Unit, Loughan House and Shelton Abbey have designated areas to facilitate family visits for family occasions such as confirmations or communions. In addition temporary release (depending on security concerns) for access/visits to children for family occasions is...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Asylum Applications (11 Dec 2012)

Alan Shatter: In the interests of clarity, what is referred to as 'an application for leave to remain' refers to the submission of written representations to the Minister for Justice and Equality against the making of a Deportation Order, pursuant to the provisions of Section 3 of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended). all such cases, before a final decision is made, consideration is given to the eleven...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Court Orders (11 Dec 2012)

Alan Shatter: As the Deputy will be aware, the Government recently approved the drafting of the Fines (Amendment) Bill 2012, the Scheme of which is available on my Department's website (www.justice.ie). The Scheme provides, inter alia, for the introduction of attachment of earnings to recover unpaid fines from a person's earnings. The Scheme also recasts a number of the key provisions in the Fines Act...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Strength (11 Dec 2012)

Alan Shatter: The Deputy will be aware that the Commissioner is responsible for the detailed allocation of resources, including personnel, throughout the organisation and I have no direct function in the matter. This allocation of resources is constantly monitored in the context of crime trends, policing needs and other operational strategies in place on a District, Divisional and Regional level to ensure...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Operations (11 Dec 2012)

Alan Shatter: I am informed by the Garda authorities that the general movement of traffic is dependant on traffic volume, road design and traffic signals. An Garda Síochána works in close partnership with the relevant local authorities who have responsibility for these matters. While one of the primary responsibilities of the Garda Traffic Corps is traffic management, all Garda resources...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Crime Levels (11 Dec 2012)

Alan Shatter: I share the public concern about the extent to which offences continue to be committed by persons on bail. As the Deputy will be aware, the criminal law takes a serious view of offences committed by persons on bail. Section 11 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 provides that any sentence of imprisonment passed on a person for an offence committed while on bail must be consecutive on any...