Results 12,421-12,440 of 19,162 for speaker:Alan Shatter

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Appointments to State Boards (5 Mar 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 established in 2003. I appointed an interim Board as a temporary measure from 2011 and in this context none of the positions were advertised. The Civil Defence Board was identified...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Reserve Reorganisation (5 Mar 2013)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 406 to 408, inclusive, together. The Value for Money Review of the Reserve Defence Force (RDF), which was published in November 2012, made a broad range of recommendations aimed at ensuring the continued viability of the RDF into the future. I accepted these recommendations and subsequent proposals for a major re-organisation of the RDF, which were brought...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Deployment (5 Mar 2013)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 409 and 410 together. It was not possible to provide the information sought by the Deputy in the time available. My Department is currently seeking to compile an accurate reply and I will provide the information directly to the Deputy once it comes to hand.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Garda Resources (6 Mar 2013)

Alan Shatter: I have regular discussions with the Garda Commissioner, including discussions on Garda resources. It goes without saying that no Minister would choose the appalling financial position in which I have had to operate. In that context, the legacy the previous Fianna Fáil-led Government bequeathed to me was a series of expenditure ceilings for the justice sector which, if applied, would...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Garda Resources (6 Mar 2013)

Alan Shatter: The Deputy obviously has listening difficulties. He stated I appeared to be hamstrung-----

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Garda Resources (6 Mar 2013)

Alan Shatter: The Deputy stated I appeared to be prepared to be hamstrung by Fianna Fáil's financial allocation.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Garda Resources (6 Mar 2013)

Alan Shatter: What the Deputy chose to ignore was that I explained I was not prepared to be hamstrung by Fianna Fáil's financial allocation.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Garda Resources (6 Mar 2013)

Alan Shatter: We negotiated the financial figures and, as a consequence, I have an additional €90 million available, on average, in 2012, 2013 and 2014, respectively, to fund the Garda force. The Deputy should be clear that I was not prepared to be hamstrung in any shape or form by Fianna Fáil's failure to provide adequately for the funding of the Garda.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Garda Resources (6 Mar 2013)

Alan Shatter: I will not be put off by the Deputy shouting across the Chamber at me.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Garda Resources (6 Mar 2013)

Alan Shatter: The hypocrisy in which he is engaging in trying to pretend that Fianna Fáil was not about to undermine the capacity of the Garda to-----

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Garda Remuneration (6 Mar 2013)

Alan Shatter: I am always available to meet the Garda associations to discuss issues of concern, as is the Garda Commissioner. The Commissioner met the executive committees of all the representative bodies in recent days to discuss issues arising from the recent negotiations on extending the Croke Park agreement. I am disappointed both the Garda Representative Association, GRA, and Association of Garda...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Garda Remuneration (6 Mar 2013)

Alan Shatter: I have genuine concerns about the position in which members of the force now find themselves. I believe the force was very ill-served by the conduct of the GRA and the AGSI in stepping outside the talks. They had a very important contribution to make to shaping the outcome of those talks and to addressing specific issues that related to members of An Garda Síochána with which I am...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Garda Remuneration (6 Mar 2013)

Alan Shatter: It was only in later days that the suggestion was put forward that they had been excluded from the talks. I want to say in direct response to the point raised by the Deputy that both the Commissioner and I are always available to engage in constructive and meaningful discussions on matters affecting members of An Garda Síochána. However, it must be clearly understood that, in any...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Garda Remuneration (6 Mar 2013)

Alan Shatter: I understand those difficulties but similar difficulties are being experienced by people across the public service. They are unfortunately a consequence-----

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Garda Remuneration (6 Mar 2013)

Alan Shatter: -----of the enormous financial difficulties with which the State is confronted.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Garda Remuneration (6 Mar 2013)

Alan Shatter: To be of help to the Deputy, we will have an opportunity to respond to his other questions later.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Garda Transport (6 Mar 2013)

Alan Shatter: The decision to close 100 Garda stations in 2013 was the result of a comprehensive operational assessment carried out by the Garda Commissioner over a 12-month period and proposed in the Commissioner's policing plan for 2013, which I laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas. The plan contained the Commissioner's proposals for the continued re-organisation and consolidation of the Garda...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Garda Transport (6 Mar 2013)

Alan Shatter: The Garda currently has 2,436 vehicles, which is roughly equivalent to the numbers it had in 2007 at the height of the Celtic tiger. An additional €5 million has been made available to it this year for the purchase of additional vehicles. Indeed, it may come to pass that if we can achieve the same effective financial approach to work in 2013 in my Department that we achieved in 2012,...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Garda Industrial Relations Issues (6 Mar 2013)

Alan Shatter: I have not met with any of the Garda representative bodies since 22 February 2013. The Garda Commissioner, whose function it is, under the Garda Síochána Act of 2005, to direct and control the Garda Síochána, has kept me fully briefed on developments as they arise in this particular matter. In fact, the Commissioner has recently met with the executive committees of all...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Garda Industrial Relations Issues (6 Mar 2013)

Alan Shatter: I did not say that.