Results 16,341-16,360 of 19,162 for speaker:Alan Shatter

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission Investigations (10 Dec 2013)

Alan Shatter: -----in respect of individuals who seek to prevent bringing in an important natural resource to the detriment of the economy of this country and of that region and who are intent on trying to sabotage jobs that are available to people in the local community?

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Property Trusts (10 Dec 2013)

Alan Shatter: As Deputy Collins is aware, this matter was the subject of a Topical Issue debate on 27 November 2013 which was dealt with by the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, in my absence. I should explain first that to address the problem of over-indebtedness, the Government has brought forward significant modernisation of the law, primarily through the enactment of the Personal Insolvency...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Property Trusts (10 Dec 2013)

Alan Shatter: I am sure the Deputy will understand and appreciate that it is not appropriate for me to go into the detail of any investigation the Garda Síochána might be conducting. I can tell him the Garda Commissioner is aware of this matter. I hope the Deputy will understand if I do not take it any further. I agree entirely with what Mr. Justice Ryan had to say in court about this...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Property Trusts (10 Dec 2013)

Alan Shatter: I hope the Deputy will be satisfied if I say two things. First, I hope this activity is no longer a work in progress. I hope its progress has been halted. Second, I encourage and ask the media outlets that gave such prominence to this activity at an early stage to give much more prominence to the court decision. I am surprised the decision was not given greater prominence because it is a...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Proposed Legislation (10 Dec 2013)

Alan Shatter: I intend to publish the Bill early next year. The Bill, which is currently at an advanced stage of drafting, will promote mediation as a viable, effective and efficient alternative to court proceedings, thereby reducing legal costs and speeding up the resolution of disputes. It will introduce an obligation on solicitors and barristers to advise any person wishing to commence court...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Proposed Legislation (10 Dec 2013)

Alan Shatter: On this issue the Deputy is preaching to the converted. I should make a declaration of interest, in that I am a qualified mediator. My view of the world is that far too many disputes end up in court hearings or are resolved outside the doors of the courts, after people have incurred very substantial expense, that could be dealt with at an earlier stage through the assistance of mediation....

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Proposed Legislation (10 Dec 2013)

Alan Shatter: Both Bills will be passed in 2014 and the Legal Services Regulation Bill should be enacted during the first half of 2014. We will publish the amendments to that Bill very soon. As Deputy Niall Collins knows, we originally hoped to continue Committee Stage in December. The good news is that this is now scheduled for 15 and 16 January 2014, immediately following our return from the Christmas...

Other Questions: Garda Investigations (10 Dec 2013)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 71, 99, 380 and 381 together. I refer the Deputies to my reply to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 75 and 81 of 5 November 2013 wherein I indicated that in the interests of transparency, I was consulting with the Attorney General with a view to the appointment of a senior counsel to conduct an independent examination of the report of the serious crime review...

Other Questions: Garda Investigations (10 Dec 2013)

Alan Shatter: To use that awful phrase, "I am not ruling anything out or anything in". I do not want to prejudge what has been requested to be undertaken in this context. I did not envisage a timeline because there is a very detailed document for the senior counsel to read, consider, make recommendations on and to address according to the terms of reference. I do not envisage it being unduly long but I...

Other Questions: Garda Investigations (10 Dec 2013)

Alan Shatter: First, the counsel appointed will be able to raise any questions or queries that arise with An Garda Síochána. I am presuming this will occur and that gardaí will fully co-operate with that. I am sure the Deputies will be interested to know I have received a detailed report which addresses all of the different issues that have been in the public domain and issues raised in...

Other Questions: Garda Investigations (10 Dec 2013)

Alan Shatter: There have been all kinds of media reports around this case. I ask the Deputy to withhold judgment on all that until a document is published. The job of the senior counsel is not to re-investigate what An Garda Síochána has investigated. The job of the senior counsel is to look at what is a very detailed report that for all sorts of legal reasons cannot be put into the public...

Other Questions: Garda Investigations (10 Dec 2013)

Alan Shatter: The Deputy said that the word on the street, at least in his constituency, is a person can get away with murder. I presume the Deputy is oblivious to the number of individuals An Garda Síochána has arrested in circumstances where homicides are alleged. He has not noticed the number of trials that have taken place. He has not noticed the number of convictions that have been...

Other Questions: Garda Investigations (10 Dec 2013)

Alan Shatter: He is oblivious to the number of individuals currently in prison, sentenced to life terms for committing murder. The Deputy lives in some extraordinary world that is separated from the world inhabited by the rest of us. I know of the Deputy's affection for certain substances-----

Other Questions: Garda Investigations (10 Dec 2013)

Alan Shatter: -----but it is unfortunate if that affects the Deputy's judgment when it comes to addressing issues of public importance. No Member of this House with any sense of responsibility should give out a message from this House that, in this State, one can get away with murder. The reality is, if someone commits a homicide, the Garda investigates that rigorously.

Other Questions: Garda Investigations (10 Dec 2013)

Alan Shatter: Where there is evidence, individuals are brought before the courts and prosecuted. Then there are two things, that are independent, of importance, something that the other Deputy mentioned that she does not seem to approve of.

Other Questions: Garda Investigations (10 Dec 2013)

Alan Shatter: We have a Director of Public Prosecutions, DPP, who is rightly independent of political interference by Government and we have an independent courts system that, when people are prosecuted, as Deputy Wallace will be familiar with, determines their guilt or innocence. That is the legal system that we have. No Deputy, whatever constituency he or she represents-----

Other Questions: Garda Investigations (10 Dec 2013)

Alan Shatter: -----should give out from this House a message that-----

Other Questions: Garda Investigations (10 Dec 2013)

Alan Shatter: -----people are free to murder, that justice will not be done and that the Garda will not properly investigate it.

Other Questions: Garda Investigations (10 Dec 2013)

Alan Shatter: It is a disgraceful message for any Deputy to give out.

Other Questions: State Pathologists (10 Dec 2013)

Alan Shatter: The Deputy will appreciate that the prosecution of offences is a function which is reserved to the DPP who is fully independent in that area and it is up to her to determine how a particular prosecution should be dealt with. That being said, I have been advised generally that the resignation of Dr. Khalid Jaber from the post of Deputy State Pathologist should not prevent the prosecution of...