Results 14,921-14,940 of 19,162 for speaker:Alan Shatter

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Rental Agreements (18 Jul 2013)

Alan Shatter: As the Deputy will be aware, I have legislative responsibility for aspects of landlord and tenant law. In that context, during the course of 2011, I sought to develop proposals which would give effect to the commitment in the Programme for Government to legislate to end upward-only rent review clauses for leases entered into prior to 28 February 2010. As is well known, in December of that...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Recruitment (18 Jul 2013)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 502, 505 and 521 together. I do believe that it is important for an organisation such as the Garda Síochána to have some regular intakes of new recruits, even if on a modest scale. In this context, I am very pleased to have received sanction from my colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, to hold a recruitment competition for An...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Judicial Appointments (18 Jul 2013)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 503 and 557 together. The Deputy will be aware that under the Irish Constitution judges are appointed by the President on the advice of the Government. Such appointments are dealt with by the Judicial Appointments Advisory Board which was established pursuant to the Courts and Court Officers Act 1995. Section 17 of the same Act provides that these procedures...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Vetting Application Numbers (18 Jul 2013)

Alan Shatter: Garda Vetting is conducted by the Garda Central Vetting Unit (GCVU) for organisations registered with the Unit for that purpose. The Unit processed approximately 328,000 vetting applications on behalf of these organisations in 2012. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Criminal Law Review (18 Jul 2013)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 506 and 535 together. The report referred to by the Deputies was published by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality on 27 June and I have not yet had the opportunity to fully consider its contents. The report of the Joint Committee and the views expressed at a conference on prostitution hosted by my Department last October will be...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: International Policing Co-operation (18 Jul 2013)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 507 and 515 together. The Deputy may wish to note that Garda vetting is only provided in the case of those seeking employment in Ireland with registered organisations where the employment involves substantial unsupervised access to children or vulnerable adults. Criminal history vetting for general employment purposes, here or abroad, is not available on...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: UN Conventions Issues (18 Jul 2013)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 508 and 556 together. It is the Government's intention to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities as quickly as possible, taking into account the need to ensure that all necessary legislative and administrative requirements under the Convention are being met. As the Deputy may be aware, Ireland does not become party to treaties...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Witness Intimidation (18 Jul 2013)

Alan Shatter: As I indicated to the Deputy in my replies to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 126 and 135 of 13 June, the intimidation of a witness or juror is an offence pursuant to Section 41 of the Criminal Justice Act 1999, which specifies the offence as harming, threatening or menacing or in any other way intimidating or putting in fear another person who is assisting in the investigation of an offence by...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Retirements (18 Jul 2013)

Alan Shatter: It is the policy of An Garda Síochána not to publish the details under which members retire due to health related matters, as doing so may compromise the privacy of any individual given the relatively small number of members who retire on these grounds.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Industrial Relations Issues (18 Jul 2013)

Alan Shatter: I have requested the information sought by the Deputy from the Garda Commissioner and as soon as it is to hand I will pass it on to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Compensation (18 Jul 2013)

Alan Shatter: I have requested the information sought by the Deputy from the Garda Commissioner and as soon as it is to hand I will pass it on to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Information and Communications Technology Issues (18 Jul 2013)

Alan Shatter: While it is difficult from the question to ascertain specifically what the Deputy has in mind here, I can assure her that my Department is continually assessing means by which technology can improve its performance and how it interacts with the public. I would also remind the Deputy that the Government has an eGovernment strategy in place for some years, which all Departments follow and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Deployment (18 Jul 2013)

Alan Shatter: The Deputy will be aware that the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the detailed allocation of resources, including personnel, throughout the organisation and I have no direct function in the matter. This allocation of resources is constantly monitored in the context of demographics, crime trends, policing needs and other operational strategies in place on a District, Divisional and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Peace Commissioners (18 Jul 2013)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 516 and 517 together. Peace Commissioners are appointed under section 88 of the Courts of Justice Act, 1924. It is open to anyone to seek nomination to this office and all such requests for appointment are considered by me. The Garda authorities may also request an appointment in the public interest when they believe there is an essential need for a...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: EU Presidency Issues (18 Jul 2013)

Alan Shatter: The Irish Presidency successfully concluded negotiations with the European Parliament on the Regulation establishing the European border surveillance system (EUROSUR). It is expected that formal adoption of the Regulation will take place in time for the system to come into effect by the end of the year. The aim of EUROSUR is to reinforce the control of the Schengen external borders. In...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Schengen Agreement (18 Jul 2013)

Alan Shatter: The Schengen Agreement was incorporated into the framework of the European Union under the Treaty of Amsterdam. The relevant Protocol recognised the fact that Ireland and the United Kingdom were not parties to the Schengen Agreement and made provision to allow those Member States to accept some or all of its provisions. The Schengen Information System is the mechanism through which...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: EU Directives (18 Jul 2013)

Alan Shatter: Under the Irish Presidency, the EU Council and the European Parliament, as co-legislators, reached agreement on the Directive on the right of access to a lawyer in criminal proceedings and European arrest warrant proceedings, and on the rights to have a third party informed upon deprivation of liberty and to communicate, while deprived of liberty, with third persons and consular authorities....

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Transport Provision (18 Jul 2013)

Alan Shatter: Decisions in relation to the provision and allocation of Garda vehicles are a matter for the Garda Commissioner in the light of his identified operational demands and available resources. All Garda vehicles are assigned on an operational basis. I am advised by the Garda authorities that on 30 June 2013 the Garda Fleet comprised 2,473 vehicles and that on the same date the number of new...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Property Services Regulatory Authority (18 Jul 2013)

Alan Shatter: Arising from concerns in relation to lack of transparency in relation to residential property sales prices and the terms of commercial leases, the Property Services (Regulation) Act 2011 provides for the establishment and maintenance by the Property Services Regulatory Authority of a Register of Residential Sales Prices and a Commercial Leases Database. The Residential Sales Price Register...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Equipment (18 Jul 2013)

Alan Shatter: The Garda Commissioner is responsible for the provision and the deployment of Garda equipment. Within this framework every effort is made to ensure that all Garda resources are fully utilised and that they contribute towards the overall effectiveness of the Force to the maximum extent possible. The Deputy will appreciate that a very broad range of equipment is in service within An Garda...