Results 12,121-12,140 of 19,162 for speaker:Alan Shatter

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (12 Feb 2013)

Alan Shatter: I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) that an application for a certificate of naturalisation was received from the person referred to by the Deputy in March 2012. The application is being processed with a view to establishing whether the applicant meets the statutory conditions for the granting of naturalisation, such as good character and lawful residence,...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Personal Insolvency Act (12 Feb 2013)

Alan Shatter: The full operation of the provisions of the Personal Insolvency Act 2012 is expected in the early part of 2013. The Insolvency Service of Ireland aims to open its office, launch its website, commence an information campaign with the issuing of publications and relevant guidelines in March 2013. The regulatory and IT frameworks required for the Service to accept and process applications for...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Station Closures (12 Feb 2013)

Alan Shatter: Each year the Commissioner prepares a Policing Plan which outlines his proposals for providing the policing service in the country for the following year. Among other things, this plan must include any proposals he has for the re-organisation of the Divisional or Regional network together with any plans he has for the closure of a Garda station. While the Policing Plan for 2014 has not yet...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Stations Opening Hours (12 Feb 2013)

Alan Shatter: Any decision on the opening hours of Garda stations throughout the country is an operational one for the Commissioner and I have no function in the matter. The Commissioner's Policing Plan for 2013, which I laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas on 5 December 2012, sets out details of the future opening hours of some stations in Cork and Dublin. It is important to remember that while...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Constitutional Amendments (12 Feb 2013)

Alan Shatter: I refer to my response to Parliamentary Question no. 146 of 7 November 2012 in which I indicated that legislation providing for same-sex marriage cannot be enacted without an amendment to the Constitution following a decision of the people in a referendum on the matter in accordance with Article 46 of the Constitution. In this regard the programme for Government includes a commitment to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Domestic Violence Policy (12 Feb 2013)

Alan Shatter: As I indicated in response to Parliamentary Question No. 103 of 11 December 2012, the programme for Government commitment - to introduce consolidated and reformed domestic violence legislation to address all aspects of domestic violence, threatened violence and intimidation, in a way that provides protection to victims - will be progressed as soon as possible having regard to the need for...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Civil Partnerships (12 Feb 2013)

Alan Shatter: As I indicated in response to Question No. 789 of 16 January 2013, I am presently engaged in the preparation of a Family Relationships and Children Bill. I intend to publish the Heads of the Bill as soon as possible in 2013 having regard to the need for consultations and the need to dispose of urgent legislative matters in my Department under the EU/IMF Programme of Financial Support for the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Recruitment (12 Feb 2013)

Alan Shatter: As of 31 December 2012, the latest date for which figures are readily available, the total strength of the Force was 13,424 which is, in fact, slightly more than the figure of 13,350 proposed by the previous Government in its National Recovery Plan 2011-2014. There are also approximately 2,000 civilian support staff and almost 1,000 Garda Reserves in the Garda Síochána. Garda...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Vetting Applications (12 Feb 2013)

Alan Shatter: The National Vetting Bureau (Children & Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012 sets out procedures to allow the disclosure of criminal records and specified information for vetting purposes. "Specified information" is information other than a court determined criminal record. For example, "specified information" includes conclusions from investigations of child abuse or neglect that have been...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Magdalen Laundries Report (12 Feb 2013)

Alan Shatter: The Government is committed to playing its full part in a healing and reconciliation process with a view to bringing closure for the women concerned. When we have a full debate in the House next week, the Deputy can be assured that An Taoiseach, who has been meeting some of the women involved, will be responding to the significant issues identified in the McAleese Report in a fair and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Drug Courts (12 Feb 2013)

Alan Shatter: The Support and Advisory Committee for the Drug Treatment Court has over the course of 2012 undertaken a detailed evaluation of the court's operation and is in the process of completing some final enquiries which are due to be submitted to my Department in the near future. I will consider this issue further when all of the information is to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Resources (12 Feb 2013)

Alan Shatter: I presume the Deputy is referring to the Garda Inspectorate report on Frontline Supervision in the Garda Síochána. The report was received in my Department in April last year. The content and various recommendations in the report required detailed consideration by my Department in consultation with An Garda Síochána. These considerations have recently concluded and I...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: European Arrest Warrant Procedure (12 Feb 2013)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 529 and 531 together. The Hungarian authorities issued a European arrest warrant for the person in question in 2005. Surrender was refused in the High Court on the basis that the person concerned had not fled the state in question, which was a requirement of the European Arrest Warrant Act at that time. The decision of the High Court was appealed to the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Criminal Law (12 Feb 2013)

Alan Shatter: Legislation will be required to give effect to the provisions of EU Council Framework Decision 2008/909/JHA on the application of the principle of mutual recognition to judgements in criminal matters imposing custodial sentences or measures involving deprivation of liberty for the purpose of their enforcement in the European Union. It is expected that Government approval for the required...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legal Services Regulation (12 Feb 2013)

Alan Shatter: The Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011, which has completed Second Stage and is due to commence Committee Stage during this Session, gives legislative expression to the commitment in the Programme for Government to "establish independent regulation of the legal professions to improve access and competition, make legal costs more transparent and ensure adequate procedures for addressing...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Firearms Seizures (12 Feb 2013)

Alan Shatter: I am informed by the Garda authorities that the following table shows the number of firearms seized in each year from 2005 to 2012. Number of Firearms Seized in Each Year from 2005 to 2012. Year Number Seized 2012 595 2011 737 2010 948 2009 871 2008 978 2007 886 2006 1009 2005 939 An Garda Síochána's Policing Plan for 2013 reflects the priorities which I...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Vetting Applications (12 Feb 2013)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 534 to 537, inclusive, together. The Garda Central Vetting Unit (GCVU) provides employment vetting for approximately 20,000 organisations in Ireland which employ personnel to work in a full time part time, voluntary or student capacity with children and or vulnerable adults and who are registered with the Unit for this purpose. The average processing time...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Expenditure (12 Feb 2013)

Alan Shatter: I wish to inform the Deputy that my Department does not provide services that require the means testing of citizens and that, accordingly, no costs are incurred.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Private Security Authority (12 Feb 2013)

Alan Shatter: I wish to inform the Deputy that the Private Security Authority, established under the Private Security Services Act 2004, as amended, is the statutory body responsible for the regulation and licensing of the private security industry in the State. The Authority is an independent statutory agency under the aegis of my Department. A register of licensed contractors and individuals is...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Human Rights and Equality Commission (12 Feb 2013)

Alan Shatter: As the Deputy will recall, the decision to integrate the Equality Authority and the Human Rights Commission into the new Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission was taken to produce a more coherent and effective institutional framework for the protection and promotion of human rights. I am on record regarding my concerns in relation to the disproportionate cuts to funding made to these two...