Results 11,661-11,680 of 19,162 for speaker:Alan Shatter

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Probate Applications (22 Jan 2013)

Alan Shatter: As the Deputy will be aware, probate is a legal process whereby a grant of representation is issued by the High Court Probate Office or District Probate Registry in respect of a deceased person's estate. The grant of representation gives legal authority to a person or persons to access the estate and administer it in accordance with the law. The Probate Office is an office of the High Court...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: EU Directives (22 Jan 2013)

Alan Shatter: The Government has approved the scheme of the Criminal Records Information Systems Bill which will give effect to the 2009 EU Framework Decision. The Bill will codify the procedures to apply in relation to the exchange of criminal records data with other states. Currently, the Gardaí routinely request records of criminal convictions of citizens from other states who are appearing before...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (22 Jan 2013)

Alan Shatter: The number of Certificates of Naturalisation issued in 2012 was some 25,000 and reflects the success of measures that I introduced when I came into office in March 2011 to address the large backlog of applications pending a decision that had built up over several years. At that time there were approximately 22,000 citizenship applications awaiting decision, some 17,000 of which had been...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Proposed Legislation (22 Jan 2013)

Alan Shatter: I refer the Deputy to my reply below to Parliamentary Question No. 54456 of 4 December 2012. The position is unchanged since then.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Crime Levels (22 Jan 2013)

Alan Shatter: The Garda Síochána Act 2005 makes provision for the compilation and publication of crime statistics by the Central Statistics Office (CSO), as the national statistical agency, and the CSO has established a dedicated unit for this purpose. I have requested the CSO to provide statistics directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Naturalisation Applications (22 Jan 2013)

Alan Shatter: I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) that the application to which the Deputy refers is an application for a certificate of naturalisation which was received from the person in question in April 2012. The application is at an advanced stage of processing and the applicant will be informed of my decision in due course. As well as being a significant event...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (22 Jan 2013)

Alan Shatter: The Visa application referred to by the Deputy was lodged at our Embassy in Singapore on 15 January 2013 and has been forwarded to the Visa Office of the Irish Naturalisation & Immigration Service (INIS) in Dublin to be processed. I understand that the necessary supporting documentation is in transit to that Office and, when it is received, a decision on the application can be...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Deployment (22 Jan 2013)

Alan Shatter: I am informed by the Garda Commissioner that the personnel strength of Donegal Division on 31 December 2012 (the latest date for which figures are readily available) was as set out in the table attached. There were also a total of 28 Reserve Gardaí and 29 civilians attached to the Donegal Garda Division on that date. Divisional resources are further augmented by a number of Garda...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Staff Redeployment (22 Jan 2013)

Alan Shatter: As outlined in the reply to Parliamentary Question No. 766 of 6 November 2012, the lease for the Setanta Centre accommodation expires in March 2013. The 84 staff of the Property Registration Authority (PRA) currently located in that accommodation will be re-located before the expiry of the lease. The Office of Public Works has identified accommodation in the Irish Life Centre, Dublin 1....

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Courts Service (22 Jan 2013)

Alan Shatter: As the Deputy will be aware, under the provisions of the Courts Service Act 1998, management of the courts is the responsibility of the Courts Service which is independent in exercising its functions. However, in order to be of assistance to the Deputy, I have had enquiries made and the Courts Service has informed me that the total number of serving staff in the Courts Service is 1,006, which...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Ministerial Staff (22 Jan 2013)

Alan Shatter: The only person employed by me in my role as Minister for Defence is my personal assistant, who is not related to me.

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Appointments to State Boards (22 Jan 2013)

Alan Shatter: The State Boards under the aegis of the Department of Defence when the Government took office were the Civil Defence Board, the Army Pensions Board and the Board of Coiste an Asgard. The Civil Defence Board was identified in the Public Service Reform Plan as a body to be abolished. I appointed an interim Board as a temporary measure from 2011 and in this context none of the positions were...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Deployment (23 Jan 2013)

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. I have however been informed by the Garda Commissioner that the personnel strength of each Garda Station in the Tipperary Garda Division on 31 December 2010, 2011 and 2012, was as set out in the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Operations (23 Jan 2013)

Alan Shatter: I am informed by the Garda authorities that text alert systems may be used by Gardaí, via Community Alert or other such groups, to alert the community in relation to suspicious activity or vehicles in their area, appeal for information, inform the community about road closures or to provide crime prevention advice. The content of the messages sent are vetted locally by An Garda...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Drugs in Prisons (23 Jan 2013)

Alan Shatter: The figures requested by the Deputy are set out in the table. One of the continuing major challenges in prisons today lies in preventing access to contraband items, primarily mobile phones and drugs, which for obvious reasons, are viewed as highly valuable commodities among elements of the prison population. Efforts are made on a continuous basis to prevent the flow of contraband into our...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Sentencing Policy (23 Jan 2013)

Alan Shatter: There is no category of prisoners deemed to be convicted of political offences.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Closed Circuit Television Systems (23 Jan 2013)

Alan Shatter: A State supported Community CCTV Scheme was first launched in 2005, with a second round being advertised in 2007. Under the Scheme, two types of grant were available: A pre-development grant of up to €5,000 to assist local communities to develop proposals for a CCTV system and a substantive grant of up to €100,000 to assist with the capital cost of establishing a Community CCTV...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (23 Jan 2013)

Alan Shatter: When I came into office in March 2011 one of my immediate priorities was to address the large backlog of citizenship applications for naturalisation pending a decision that had built up over several years. At that time there were approximately 22,000 applications awaiting decision, many of which had been waiting for 2-3 years or longer. Over the past 22 months there has been a major...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Courts Service (23 Jan 2013)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 191 to 193, inclusive, together. As the Deputy may be aware, under the provisions of the Courts Service Act 1998, management of the courts is the responsibility of the Courts Service which is independent in exercising its functions, including the provision of accommodation for court sittings. However, in order to be of assistance to the Deputy, I have had...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Accommodation (23 Jan 2013)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 194 and 196 to 200, inclusive, together. As the Deputy is aware it is proposed to construct a new prison in Cork on a site adjacent to the existing prison facility there. The new facility in Cork will be built on a site immediately adjacent to the existing prison and will house 275 prisoners and have a maximum capacity of 310 prisoners. Prior to giving my...