Results 11,721-11,740 of 19,162 for speaker:Alan Shatter

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Operations (29 Jan 2013)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 558 and 559 together. Section 18(3) of the Coroners Act 1962 provides that it shall be the duty of an Inspector or officer of the Garda Síochána, if he becomes aware of the death within the district of a coroner of any person in whose case a medical certificate of cause of death is not procurable, to inform the coroner of such death. I am informed...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Directives (29 Jan 2013)

Alan Shatter: I am informed by the Garda authorities that the policy for Family Liaison Officers is contained in an internal Garda directive which issued to all members of the organisation in 2006. Internal Garda documents are not made publicly available.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Crime Levels (29 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: Charities Regulation (29 Jan 2013)

Alan Shatter: Section 99 of the Charities Act 2009, which regulates the sale of pre-signed Mass cards, came into effect on 1 September 2009. It has been the subject of a constitutional challenge, which failed in the High Court, but which is to be brought before the Supreme Court. I have no plans at this time to amend Section 99 of the Charities Act 2009.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Crime Levels (29 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. I have requested a report from the Garda authorities in relation to the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Transport (29 Jan 2013)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 564 and 565 together. As the Deputy will be aware, a substantial number of Garda vehicles was purchased towards the end of last year and they are currently being rolled out to Garda Divisions throughout the country. In this context I have been informed by the Garda authorities that 25 of the vehicles are due to be allocated to the Garda South Eastern...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Courts Service (29 Jan 2013)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 566 and 567 together. The allocation of the business of the courts, scheduling of court cases and the management of court lists are matters for the judiciary and the Presidents of the courts. The Deputy will also be aware that judges are, subject to the Constitution and the law, independent in the exercise of their judicial functions. However, in order to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Appeals Court (29 Jan 2013)

Alan Shatter: The Government has approved, in principle, the holding a referendum to allow, inter alia, for the establishment of a new Court of Appeal and for the drafting of the necessary legislative scheme. Work to this end is progressing in my Department. While the precise timing of a referendum is a matter for the Government to decide in due course, the intention is that it will be held on the same...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Joint Policing Committees (29 Jan 2013)

Alan Shatter: The functions and powers of Joint Policing Committees (JPCs) are set out in the Garda Síochána Act 2005, which provides for a Committee in each local authority area. The essential role of JPCs is to provide appropriate advice to the Gardaí and local authorities and to support collaborative engagement among stakeholders in relation to local policing issues. The Act provides...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Operations (29 Jan 2013)

Alan Shatter: I have requested a report from the Garda authorities in relation to the matter referred to by the Deputy. I will contact the Deputy again when the report is to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Committals (29 Jan 2013)

Alan Shatter: A breakdown of the number of persons imprisoned solely for non-payment of fines for each of the years 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 is set out in the table. Year Number of Persons 2009 4,350 2010 5,995 2011 6,727 2012* 7,467 * The 2012 figure is provisional pending the publication of the Irish Prison Service Annual Report. I can advise the Deputy that the number of such persons...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Operations (29 Jan 2013)

Alan Shatter: I have requested the information sought by the Deputy from the Garda authorities. However, I am informed that in the time available it has not been possible to compile fully the data required. I will be in contact with the Deputy when this information is to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Private Security Authority (29 Jan 2013)

Alan Shatter: The Private Security Authority, an independent agency under the remit of my Department, is the regulatory body with responsibility for regulating and licensing the private security industry in the State. The Private Security Services Act 2004 (as amended) sets out the activities in the private security industry which are, or will be, subject to licensing. One of the security services...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Temporary Release of Prisoners (29 Jan 2013)

Alan Shatter: I can inform the Deputy that 226 prisoners were granted temporary release for Christmas 2012 under the Criminal Justice Act 1960. This figure represented approximately 4% of the overall prisoner population. The Prison estate consists of 1 high security prison, Portlaoise Prison, and a total of 12 prisoners were granted Christmas temporary release from this institution. In general the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Public Service Reform Plan Update (29 Jan 2013)

Alan Shatter: As the Deputy is aware, the radical streamlining of State bodies is a key deliverable of the Public Services Reform Plan, published in November 2011. This streamlining included the rationalisation of 48 bodies by the end of 2012, as listed in Appendix IIa to the Reform Plan. On 31 October 2012, my colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, announced an update in relation to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Irish Sentencing Information System (29 Jan 2013)

Alan Shatter: The Irish Sentencing Information System, or ISIS, results from the work of a steering committee established by the judiciary itself to oversee the development of an electronic system to gather information about the range of sentences and other penalties that have been imposed for particular types of offences across court jurisdictions. The resulting website became operational as a pilot in...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Forensic Science (29 Jan 2013)

Alan Shatter: As I stated in my reply of 12 December 2012, I am informed by the Garda authorities that, despite numerous attempts by the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) to extract DNA from the remains in question in an effort to generate DNA profiles, all attempts to date have proved unsuccessful. I am further informed that the remains in question comprise four single or partial bones. In my previous...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Sentencing Policy (29 Jan 2013)

Alan Shatter: I know the Deputy will appreciate that judges are independent in the matter of sentencing, as in other matters concerning the exercise of judicial functions, subject only to the Constitution and the law. In accordance with this principle, the role of the Oireachtas has been to specify in law a maximum penalty and a court, having considered all the circumstances of the case, to impose an...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Operations (29 Jan 2013)

Alan Shatter: I have requested a report from the Garda authorities in relation to the matter referred to by the Deputy. I will contact the Deputy again when the report is to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (29 Jan 2013)

Alan Shatter: I am advised by the Citizenship Division of the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) that there is no record of an application for a certificate of naturalisation from the person referred to in the Deputy's question. My response to Parliamentary Question No. 179 of 21st November 2012, set out the position in respect of an application by the person concerned for residence in...