Results 15,541-15,560 of 16,849 for speaker:Dermot Ahern

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (6 Oct 2010)

Dermot Ahern: My Department is responsible for the payment of pensions awarded to retired members of An Garda Síochána, retired solicitors of the Legal Aid Board and retired staff of the Children's Detention Schools operated by the Irish Youth Justice Service. The current value of the highest annual pension paid from my Department is €116,250.00 and 87% of all annual pensions are less than €35,000....

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (6 Oct 2010)

Dermot Ahern: An application for a certificate of naturalisation from the person referred to in the Deputy's Question was received in the Citizenship Section of my Department in September 2007. Officials in that section inform me that a letter requesting further documentation was sent to the applicant on 2 September 2008 and further letters on the 14 October 2008 and the 17 December, 2008. No response was...

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (6 Oct 2010)

Dermot Ahern: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the visa application referred to was approved on the 4 October 2010. I am informed by officials in the Visa Division of my Department that there is no record of a current visa application in respect of the son referred to. I should remind the Deputy that queries in relation to the status of individual Immigration cases may be made direct to INIS by...

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (6 Oct 2010)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 246 and 247 together. Each application for a visa for the purpose of study is considered on its individual merits based on documentation and evidence provided by the applicant. It is always the case that the onus rests with the applicant to satisfy the Visa Officer as to why a visa should be granted. In order to assist visa applicants, a list of...

Written Answers — Irish Language: Irish Language (6 Oct 2010)

Dermot Ahern: Irish Language Training for the staff in the Department is mainly provided by Gaeleagras na Seirbhíse Poiblí attached to CMOD, Department of Finance. Gaeleagras invites Departments to nominate staff for participation in courses. The funding for these courses is provided centrally through the Department of Finance with this Department providing a contribution towards scholarship expenses....

Written Answers — Programmes for Government: Programmes for Government (6 Oct 2010)

Dermot Ahern: The Renewed Programme for Government of October 2009 indicates that debt enforcement will be reformed in light of the deliberations of the Law Reform Commission. As indicated in my response to the Deputy's Question No. 1198 of 29 September 2010, I intend to give early attention to the recommendations of the Law Reform Commission when it finalises its report on Personal Debt Management and...

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (6 Oct 2010)

Dermot Ahern: I am informed by Visa Officials in my Department that there are no delays currently in the processing of "holiday" visas. Visa applications are processed as speedily as possible having regard to the numbers on hand and the resources available to process them. Although the INIS website states that visa applications are processed in six to eight weeks, in fact most applications are processed...

Written Answers — Crime Prevention: Crime Prevention (6 Oct 2010)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 251 and 252 together. Neighbourhood Watch is a crime prevention programme which aims to enlist the active cooperation of the community in a neighbourhood by observing and reporting to An Garda Síochána suspicious activities and by so doing reducing the level of criminal behaviour. Since its establishment, the Garda authorities have sought to encourage the...

Written Answers — Community Service Orders: Community Service Orders (6 Oct 2010)

Dermot Ahern: I published a Value for Money and Policy Review of the operation of the Community Service Scheme last October. This independent review found that the Scheme was not being used to the extent that it had been in the past. Furthermore, it found that the Community Service Supervisors then employed, operating at full capacity, could provide supervision services to three times as many offenders as...

Written Answers — Data Protection: Data Protection (6 Oct 2010)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 254 and 255 together. Article 25 of EU Directive 95/46/EC (the 'Data Protection Directive') prohibits the transfer of personal data from EU member states to a non-EU state unless the country in question provides an adequate level of protection of personal data in its national legislation. Article 25(6) provides that the European Commission may, subject to...

Written Answers — Sentencing Policy: Sentencing Policy (6 Oct 2010)

Dermot Ahern: As the Deputy may be aware, the Criminal Justice (Community Service) Act 1983 provides that a court may make a Community Service Order as an alternative to a sentence of imprisonment in respect of a person over the age of 16 years who has been convicted of a criminal offence and who consents to the Order being made. The Community Service Order requires an offender to perform unpaid work for...

Written Answers — Misuse of Drugs: Misuse of Drugs (6 Oct 2010)

Dermot Ahern: The Criminal Justice (Psychoactive Substances) Act, 2010 is part of the Government's multi-pronged approach to targeting the activities of headshops and the sale of unregulated psychoactive substances. The Act works in tandem with the ongoing controlling as appropriate of identified harmful substances by the Department of Health and Children through the Misuse of Drugs legislation and also...

Written Answers — Garda Equipment: Garda Equipment (6 Oct 2010)

Dermot Ahern: I am informed by the Garda authorities that, following a procurement process conducted in accordance with EU Directives, national procurement procedures and relevant legislation, a Preferred Supplier has been selected for the provision of sound level meters on behalf of An Garda Síochána. The unsuccessful bidders have also been informed and the required period before the contract can be...

Written Answers — Garda Deployment: Garda Deployment (6 Oct 2010)

Dermot Ahern: The Deputy will appreciate that a considerable amount of Garda time will always have to be devoted to court duties. In that context, however, I have been informed by the Garda Commissioner, who is responsible for the allocation of Garda resources, that specific measures have been put in place to minimise the extent to which Garda members are required to attend in court. This is an area that...

Garda Investigations (7 Oct 2010)

Dermot Ahern: The reprehensible events at Anglo Irish Bank have caused enormous damage to our country. There is a clear and overwhelming public interest that, where it is shown that anyone involved in those events broke the law, they should face justice. Neither I nor the Government can seek to interfere, direct investigations or decide whether people should face charges. That is a cornerstone of our...

Garda Investigations (7 Oct 2010)

Dermot Ahern: The independent investigating authority - the Garda Síochána and the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement - is to carry out this investigation without fear or favour. To the best of my knowledge that is happening. I can understand the fury and outrage of the public. No one is more outraged than members of the Cabinet, who must deal with this issue on a daily basis since the...

Garda Investigations (7 Oct 2010)

Dermot Ahern: I assure the Deputy there will be no political policing as long as I am in this job. Deputy Shatter would correctly criticise me if I were seen to interfere directly in this investigation. I and the Government share the outrage and fury at what has gone on. In our democratic society there is a system where, independent of Government and political influence, these cases are examined. That...

Garda Investigations (7 Oct 2010)

Dermot Ahern: I will not interfere in that. It may be taking a long time but Deputy Shatter made reference to a number of cases that were relatively simple. In this case there are ten different strands of investigation. More than 115,000 e-mails and documents have passed between various institutions and individuals and they have to be examined.

Garda Investigations (7 Oct 2010)

Dermot Ahern: That is the extent-----

Garda Investigations (7 Oct 2010)

Dermot Ahern: Any issue will be put before the court if, ultimately, the Garda Commissioner and the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement can put together a case that is systematically and forensically examined.