Results 13,061-13,080 of 19,162 for speaker:Alan Shatter

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: If a Deputy asks questions and then leaves the room he clearly does not want to hear responses so I will not waste the time of the other members in responding.

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 looking forward to listening to Deputy Mac Lochlainn, who I know has a genuine interest in the issue.

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 would disagree with absolutely nothing Deputy Mac Lochlainn has said. The commitment to volunteerism and engagement, and the interest of members of the Reserve Defence Force, is very commendable and should be encouraged. I very much encourage young people, within the limited numbers for which we can provide at present, to engage with the Reserve Defence Force. With regard to those who...

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: Members might join in some of the training as well.

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, I knew that.

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: The first stage of implementation is complete and from memory, it is envisaged the rest of it will be completed by September next. In the context of two important issues, I will focus on training days. In 2012, there was only funding for 30,000 training days whereas in 2013, funding for 41,500 training days has been made available. Consequently, the financial focus has gone from 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 will take the last issue first. In the past, that was the case but they became separated. As I understand it, it became possible to get the gratuity without participating in training. If I am wrong in this regard, I am sure I will be corrected. However, my understanding is there was such a connectivity at one point. However, I am talking about this historically, as I was not around at...

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 not clear on the answer to that question and do not wish to guess it. I am sure there was a range of different reasons some people were unable to engage in training in any particular year. I am sure that for some people, there were very good reasons for this. Consequently, I do not wish to second-guess that. Nevertheless, in the context of the review, what is made clear is 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: Allow me to check some figures. In 2011, there were 4,554 members, of whom 2,010, as I mentioned, actually participated in training. When one speaks in terms of being effective or non-effective, while one might relate this simply to those who were participating in training, it is or can be something quite different to that in practical terms. Consequently, the objective is to ensure 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: Ultimately, there is a substantial difference between the training members of the PDF receive and the training received by members of the RDF. In dealing with overseas duties, it is important that members of the Defence Forces are trained to the maximum possible extent and at present, it is certainly not envisaged that members of the RDF would go overseas. In the context of overseas duties,...

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: On the basis of the numbers that we have set at just over 4,000, we will get a clearer view when the reorganisation has been completed. I do not wish to pre-empt our giving consideration to the matter at that point.

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: That is in the context of skills and people being moved from one technical area to another or being reassigned to another RDF unit. Training is available in that context.

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: One of the important things to emphasise is the importance that is being attached to the trained reserve being in a single force structure. The implementation plan will achieve that. It may well arise out of that, that there will be circumstances in which members of the RDF will in the future be utilised when in the past they have not been. I deliberately touched on that both in my speech...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Coroners Service (25 Apr 2013)

Alan Shatter: Under the Coroners Act, 1962, a Coroner is a statutory officer exercising quasi-judicial functions in relation to which he/she is independent and neither I nor my Department has any role in the conduct of any inquest, including the calling of any witnesses. I understand that the Coroner, Dr. Ciarán MacLoughlin, called a number of expert witnesses to assist the inquest in the case...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Staff Remuneration (25 Apr 2013)

Alan Shatter: The information sought by the Deputy in respect of staff of my Department and agencies under its aegis is set out in the following table. The figures are based on annual gross salary and do not include allowances or overtime. The salary bands include staff employed on both a full-time and a work-sharing basis. Salary Bands Number of persons over €500,000 0 €200,001 -...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Proposed Legislation (25 Apr 2013)

Alan Shatter: Drafting of the Bill is currently being finalised so that it can shortly be submitted to Government to approve its publication in this session. The Bill will implement the commitment in the Programme for Government to introduce a Bill that is in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. It will offer a statutory framework to support people with impaired...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: UN Conventions Ratification (25 Apr 2013)

Alan Shatter: At my Department one of the key requirements is the enactment of capacity legislation. Drafting of the Bill is being finalised with a view to meeting the commitment in the Government Legislation Programme which indicates that the Bill is expected to be published in the current session. The Programme for Government contains a commitment to introduce a Bill that is in line with the UN...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Vetting Applications (25 Apr 2013)

Alan Shatter: The Garda Central Vetting Unit (GCVU) provides employment vetting for approximately 20,000 organisations in Ireland, registered with the Unit for this purpose, which employ personnel to work in a full-time, part time, voluntary or student capacity with children and / or vulnerable adults. The Unit processed approximately 328,000 vetting applications on behalf of these organisations in 2012. ...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Refugee Status Applications (25 Apr 2013)

Alan Shatter: A person who is refused a declaration of refugee status by the Minister for Justice and Equality is, in addition to other options, notified of their entitlement to apply for subsidiary protection in the State. The details in this regard are set out in the European Communities (Eligibility for Protection) Regulations, 2006 (Statutory Instrument No. 518 of 2006). The Deputy might wish to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Alcohol Sales Legislation (25 Apr 2013)

Alan Shatter: Section 14 of the Intoxicating Liquor Act 2008 makes provision for the test purchasing of alcohol products. The primary objective of the scheme, which entered into force on 1 October 2010, is to enable An Garda Síochána to target those licensed premises which are suspected of engaging in illegal sales of alcohol to young people. I am informed by the Garda authorities that, up to 23...