Results 13,041-13,060 of 19,162 for speaker:Alan Shatter

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Debt Resolution Processes (24 Apr 2013)

Alan Shatter: It is difficult to ascertain the likely demand on the Insolvency Service of Ireland. The tentative estimate of applications for the two main debt resolution processes - the Debt Settlement Arrangement and Personal Insolvency Arrangement - is roughly 15,000 applications plus a further 3,000 to 4,000 applications for Debt Relief Notices in the first full year. In addition, approximately 3,000...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Proposed Legislation (24 Apr 2013)

Alan Shatter: The difficulties experienced by property owners arising from trees and high hedges on neighbouring land were raised in both the Dáil and Seanad during passage of the Land and Conveyancing Law Reform Act 2009. My Department consulted on the matter with the Law Reform Commission, which had been involved in drafting the 2009 Act, and the Commission took the view that unreasonable...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Asylum Applications (24 Apr 2013)

Alan Shatter: As explained to the Deputy previously, the person concerned is a failed asylum applicant. Arising from the refusal of his asylum application, and in accordance with the provisions of Section 3 of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended), the person concerned was notified, by letter dated 31st October, 2000, that the then Minister proposed to make a Deportation Order in respect of him. He was...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Expenditure (24 Apr 2013)

Alan Shatter: The Department of Defence did not use any of its 2012 capital expenditure allocation of €9.5m (including a capital carryover allocation of €0.5m) for current expenditure purposes.

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Expenditure (24 Apr 2013)

Alan Shatter: The monthly profile for the Department of Defence capital expenditure allocation for 2013 (inclusive of capital carryover of €0.9m) is set out in tabular format below: - 2013 Allocation€000 January 113 February 568 March 421 April 433 May 580 June 474 July 557 August 437 September 747 October 1,667 November 979 December 2,924 Total 9,900

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: VFM Review of Reserve Defence Force: Discussion with Minister for Defence and RDFRA (24 Apr 2013)

Alan Shatter: I welcome the opportunity to appear before the committee to discuss the value for money, VFM, review of the Reserve Defence Forces, which I shall refer to as the RDF for the sake of brevity. I will also outline the progress to date in implementing the response to its findings and recommendations. As the committee is aware, the VFM review of the RDF formally commenced in February 2010 and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: VFM Review of Reserve Defence Force: Discussion with Minister for Defence and RDFRA (24 Apr 2013)

Alan Shatter: As the Deputy will know if he has had an opportunity to read the value for money review, which was published last October, the members of the steering committee are detailed on page three. Mr. Liam Whelan, independent chairperson replaced Ms Mary Butler as independent chairperson in August 2012. It included Mr. Robert Mooney, principal officer, Department of Defence, and Col. Michael...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: VFM Review of Reserve Defence Force: Discussion with Minister for Defence and RDFRA (24 Apr 2013)

Alan Shatter: It has only been published since last October.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: VFM Review of Reserve Defence Force: Discussion with Minister for Defence and RDFRA (24 Apr 2013)

Alan Shatter: I read all the reports relevant to my brief.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: VFM Review of Reserve Defence Force: Discussion with Minister for Defence and RDFRA (24 Apr 2013)

Alan Shatter: I find the Deputy's questions really interesting. I should have welcomed the members of the reserve who are in the Gallery to hear our exchanges and the extent to which issues are addressed seriously in this Parliament. It is a very good thing that they are here this morning. I gather the committee is meeting them this afternoon. I very much welcome that because I particularly value the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: VFM Review of Reserve Defence Force: Discussion with Minister for Defence and RDFRA (24 Apr 2013)

Alan Shatter: I am sorry if Deputy Ó Cuív does not like my response. He cast aspersions on the steering committee.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: VFM Review of Reserve Defence Force: Discussion with Minister for Defence and RDFRA (24 Apr 2013)

Alan Shatter: He cast aspersions on the motives of the review group-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: VFM Review of Reserve Defence Force: Discussion with Minister for Defence and RDFRA (24 Apr 2013)

Alan Shatter: -----and it is not acceptable.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: VFM Review of Reserve Defence Force: Discussion with Minister for Defence and RDFRA (24 Apr 2013)

Alan Shatter: I will finish this.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: VFM Review of Reserve Defence Force: Discussion with Minister for Defence and RDFRA (24 Apr 2013)

Alan Shatter: Deputy Ó Cuív raised questions as to the remit of the steering committee. Page 2 of the report, under the heading of review, scope and terms of reference-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: VFM Review of Reserve Defence Force: Discussion with Minister for Defence and RDFRA (24 Apr 2013)

Alan Shatter: -----details the terms of reference of the committee. Those terms of reference clearly require that the review be undertaken in the context of maximising the use of public resources and ensuring that, in looking to the future as to whether we should have a reserve defence force and what its functions should be, all relevant issues be examined. The terms of reference provided for the outline...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: VFM Review of Reserve Defence Force: Discussion with Minister for Defence and RDFRA (24 Apr 2013)

Alan Shatter: Deputy Ó Cuív asked was the public interest considered in the-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: VFM Review of Reserve Defence Force: Discussion with Minister for Defence and RDFRA (24 Apr 2013)

Alan Shatter: Yes, in the wider public interest. Dealing with the wider public interest, what was identified in the context of the report was that a substantial sum of money was being spent on the reserve by way of the payment of gratuities to members who do not participate in training, and that clearly was a feature for the entire period that Deputy Ó Cuív was in office. We wanted to ensure in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: VFM Review of Reserve Defence Force: Discussion with Minister for Defence and RDFRA (24 Apr 2013)

Alan Shatter: I was anxious, because Deputy Ó Cuív seemed to think I did not want to give him a full reply, that I gave him the fullest reply possible. There is one other issue Deputy Ó Cuív raised which I can deal with briefly, that is, costing issues. On the figures I gave, in 2011 some €23 million was spent on the RDF and the changes will reduce the expenditure to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: VFM Review of Reserve Defence Force: Discussion with Minister for Defence and RDFRA (24 Apr 2013)

Alan Shatter: What we have effected is a reduction in the supports necessary for the RDF, to the number overall of 57 from approximately 350. The benefit of that at a time of limited resources is that the members of the PDF who were providing those supports are now freed up to do other duties within the PDF.