Results 13,921-13,940 of 19,162 for speaker:Alan Shatter

Seanad: Criminal Justice Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (11 Jun 2013)

Alan Shatter: I thank the Senator for raising these issues. Part 3 is an important new provision in our legislation, which should have been put in place years ago. It is important that it be put in place because it is essentially about saving lives. Section 19 defines a serious threat as an imminent threat that an explosive or other lethal device will be activated by use of a mobile communications...

Seanad: Criminal Justice Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (11 Jun 2013)

Alan Shatter: I will come back to that. It is a very interesting suggestion and I will certainly follow it up. I am conscious that people can, with great simplicity, acquire mobile telephones. Some of our regular criminals have managed to do this and then dispose of them in the context of certain types of telephones. I am happy to hear any ideas which might render it easier to identify who is using...

Seanad: Criminal Justice Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (11 Jun 2013)

Alan Shatter: He would have phoned me about it.

Seanad: Criminal Justice Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (11 Jun 2013)

Alan Shatter: We are now ranging far and wide and heading down the prism route in the context of the United States. I will come back to that in a moment but I will first deal with the more direct and simpler query raised by Senator Wilson. I refer the Senator to section 28 (1), which states: "The functions of the Minister under this Part may be performed by such officer of the Minister, not below the...

Seanad: Criminal Justice Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (11 Jun 2013)

Alan Shatter: It is because, clearly, if there was an issue arising under the legislation there may be information of a sensitive nature that would be very damaging if revealed in public. It may identify the sources of information. It may pose a risk to the security of the State or it may pose a risk to the lives of those who provided information. Clearly, offences would have to be proved beyond...

Topical Issue Debate: Domestic Violence Incidence (12 Jun 2013)

Alan Shatter: I thank my colleague Deputy Mitchell O'Connor for raising this matter, and Deputy McDonald, who seems to be consistently disappointed about everything. I regard this as an issue of particular importance and have always done so. The report released by Women's Aid today shows that domestic violence continues to be a blight on the life of many women, children and indeed men in Ireland and...

Topical Issue Debate: Domestic Violence Incidence (12 Jun 2013)

Alan Shatter: Again, I thank the Deputies for their contributions. There is no one in this House who does not share the concern to ensure we have the best possible legal architecture to deal with domestic violence issues, as well as the necessary social and other supports for victims of such violence. As in other areas, however, we are constrained by the State’s financial difficulties. We do not...

Topical Issue Debate: Domestic Violence Incidence (12 Jun 2013)

Alan Shatter: A protection order can be sought, whether or not Deputy McDonald is aware of it, at District Court level by way of an ex parte application by a wife who is a victim of domestic violence. By simply attending the District Court, a wife in such circumstances is afforded every assistance by the District Court clerks and these applications are dealt with in camera before District Court judges....

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: EU Conventions (12 Jun 2013)

Alan Shatter: Ireland supports, in principle, the aims and terms of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence. It is a detailed Convention with a very broad scope across a number of policy areas with potential policy and legislative implications. The provisions of the Convention and the legislative and administrative arrangements that would...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Reports (12 Jun 2013)

Alan Shatter: A Value for Money Review was carried out by my Department on the Legal Aid Board during 2011, with the report published in 2012. The recommendations from this Value for Money Review and the current position in relation to these recommendations are set out in the Table attached. Key Recommendation Current Position The relative efficiency of law centres and the scope for improving...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Vetting of Personnel (12 Jun 2013)

Alan Shatter: I am informed by the Garda authorities that the current average processing time for applications is approximately 14 weeks from date of receipt. However, seasonal fluctuations and the necessity to seek additional information on particular applications can result in this processing time being exceeded on occasion. All organisations registered for Garda Vetting are aware of the processing...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Court Orders (12 Jun 2013)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 166 to 169, inclusive, together. It should be noted that section 47 of the 1995 Family Law Act does not provide for the provision of reports in the District Court. Reports on the welfare of children in proceedings before the District Court are more usually provided under section 20 of the 1991 Child Care Act which provides that the court may direct the HSE...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Reports (12 Jun 2013)

Alan Shatter: I can inform the Deputy that the publication of the relevant sections of the report referred to is subject to directions of the High Court under section 38 of the Commissions of Investigation Act 2004 and that these proceedings were yesterday adjourned until 3 July. Accordingly, I am not free at present to publish the Chapter in question. I can assure the Deputy that I am, of course,...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Public Order Offences (12 Jun 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 directly as soon as the report is to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Crime Prevention (12 Jun 2013)

Alan Shatter: An Garda Síochána’s Policing Plan 2013, sets out the continued commitment of An Garda Síochána to pro-actively target groups and individuals engaged in criminal activity, including all forms of organised criminal activities. There is a wide range of robust legislation already in place to tackle criminality of the kind referred to by the Deputy. In particular...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Operations (12 Jun 2013)

Alan Shatter: I am informed by the Garda authorities that Operation Headrest, which commenced in 2010, is a joint operation between An Garda Síochána and the Department of Social Protection targeting particular fraudulent claimants on the social welfare system. The Garda investigation was conducted by the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation and involved searches of dwellings, seizures of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Training (12 Jun 2013)

Alan Shatter: I am informed that on the basis of current figures the direct cost, incorporating basic pay and allowances, of a Garda recruit up to attestation would be in the region of €8,000 and that uniform costs amounting to approximately €1,200 would be incurred. Additional expenditure would also arise in a number of areas, such as for training and maintenance, but the relevant amounts...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Divisional Policing Plans (12 Jun 2013)

Alan Shatter: The Garda Divisional Policing Plans for 2013, including that for the Dublin Metropolitan Region North Division, are available on the Garda Síochána website, www.garda.ie, under 'Publications'.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Stardust Fire Issues (12 Jun 2013)

Alan Shatter: As the Deputy will be aware, the document in question has been released under Freedom of Information legislation but I do not propose to depart from normal practice by laying before the Oireachtas a draft version of an independent report, which was submitted on the basis that amendments could be made prior to its publication.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Road Safety Issues (12 Jun 2013)

Alan Shatter: I am informed by the Garda authorities that members of An Garda Síochána enforce the law on pedal cycling as part of their normal duties on an ongoing basis. In addition to the day to day enforcement of the relevant provisions of the Road Traffic Acts, breaches of the legislation in respect of pedal cycle behaviour are regularly targeted by way of specific Garda operations...