Results 16,941-16,960 of 19,162 for speaker:Alan Shatter

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Data Protection (22 Jan 2014)

Alan Shatter: I can advise the Deputy that I have already made available significant additional supports and resources to the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner, which included a 20% increase in its budget for 2013 (compared with 2012) and a 9% increase in its 2014 budget (compared with 2013). These significant increases are noteworthy given that budgets for many public sector organisations have...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Deployment (22 Jan 2014)

Alan Shatter: As the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution of personnel, including Community Gardaí, among the Garda Regions, Divisions, and Districts. Garda management keep this distribution under continuing review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities so as to ensure that the best possible use is made of these resources. I have however...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Operations (22 Jan 2014)

Alan Shatter: I have sought a report from the Garda Commissioner on the matter. I will communicate further with the Deputy when the report is to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service Staff (22 Jan 2014)

Alan Shatter: In relation to the first matter raised by the Deputy, I am advised that the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department operates a number of helplines to facilitate clients in making enquiries on immigration and citizenship issues. These helplines are provided between certain set periods each week, for example, the citizenship helpline is available two mornings a week...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Operations (22 Jan 2014)

Alan Shatter: I have requested a report from the Garda authorities in relation to the information sought by the Deputy and I will contact him directly when the report is to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Grant Payments (22 Jan 2014)

Alan Shatter: Neither my Department nor An Garda Síochána provide grants for the purchase of mobile phones for use in Text Alert Schemes. Guidelines for establishing and operating a Community Text Alert Service have been published and are available on the Garda Website and information and advice on establishing such a scheme is available from local Community Gardaí.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Public Sector Management Appointments (22 Jan 2014)

Alan Shatter: I can assure the Deputy that my Department, in making senior appointments, always acts in accordance with the requirements of the Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Act 2004 or other applicable legislation. It adheres to best practice and the requirements laid out in the Code of Practice of the Commission for Public Service Appointments. Except where there is...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Outsourcing of Public Services (22 Jan 2014)

Alan Shatter: My Department has availed of outsourcing in connection with support services for several years. For example, since 2009, the Department’s IT Shared Service has been provided through an outsourced arrangement. The Department’s Financial Shared Service Centre (FSS) in Killarney has also been providing payroll and other financial services to the Department and its agencies, and to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Bodies Establishment (22 Jan 2014)

Alan Shatter: I wish to inform the Deputy that the following agencies have been established under the remit of my Department since 9 March 2011: - Property Services Regulatory Authority (established April 2012) - Insolvency Service of Ireland (established March 2013) In the context of the Deputy's question, State Agencies is taken to refer to statutory independent bodies, often (but not exclusively),...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Investigations (22 Jan 2014)

Alan Shatter: I would firstly like to extend my sincere sympathies to the families of the deceased. There have been three separate reports into this tragic accident: - The Air Accident Investigation Unit of the Department of Transport conducted an investigation and published its report on 24 January 2012; - A Coroner’s inquest was held in May 2012 into the deaths of the two crew members; - The...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Reserve Strength (22 Jan 2014)

Alan Shatter: New organisational arrangements for the Reserve Defence Force (RDF) came into effect on 31 March 2013. Work is continuing on the implementation of the reorganisation and the development of the single force concept and a review of the number of active members of the RDF is currently being compiled in this regard. As part of this process, the criteria for participation in the RDF is also being...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Outsourcing of Public Services (22 Jan 2014)

Alan Shatter: The Department of Defence and the Defence Forces already have an established track record in externalising the delivery of goods and services. A wide variety of services/projects required by the Department/Defence Forces are already delivered by external providers ranging from the provision of catering services through to certain medical services and the development of IT capabilities. In...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Bodies Establishment (22 Jan 2014)

Alan Shatter: No new agencies have been established under the auspices of my Department since 9 March 2011. The State Boards under the aegis of the Department of Defence when the Government took office in March 2011 were the Civil Defence Board, the Army Pensions Board and the Board of Coiste an Asgard. The Civil Defence Board was identified in the Public Service Reform Plan as a body to be abolished...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Semi-State Bodies Remuneration (22 Jan 2014)

Alan Shatter: The agencies associated with my Department in the period 2011 to 2013 were the Civil Defence Board, the Army Pensions Board and the Board of Coiste an Asgard. The Civil Defence Board and the Board of Coiste an Asgard were dissolved in 2012 and 2013 respectively. All three agencies were staffed by civil servants, none of whom received bonuses during the period in question.

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Fines (Payment and Recovery) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (22 Jan 2014)

Alan Shatter: I move amendment No. 1: In page 4, to delete lines 1 to 12 and substitute the following: “ “appropriate court official”— (a) in relation to a fine imposed by the District Court, means the district court clerk for the district court area in which the fine was imposed, (b) in relation to a fine imposed by the Circuit Court, means the county registrar for the county...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Fines (Payment and Recovery) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (22 Jan 2014)

Alan Shatter: I move amendment No. 2: In page 4, line 13, after “section 14(1)” to insert “, including such an order as varied under section 14(4)(a)*”.The Bill makes provision for a change in a person's employment status after an attachment order is made. However, it does not cover the situation where a person remains in employment but is on lower earnings or is off pay. For...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Fines (Payment and Recovery) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (22 Jan 2014)

Alan Shatter: The Deputy raises an interesting issue. The Unfair Dismissals Act and anti-discrimination legislation are in place. My initial reaction is that these legislative provisions would adequately cover that possibility. I do not believe an employer who would conduct itself in that way would be acting lawfully. I do not think the fact that an attachment order could be made could properly result...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Fines (Payment and Recovery) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (22 Jan 2014)

Alan Shatter: I move amendment No. 3: In page 5, line 11, to delete "compensation, costs" and substitute "costs, compensation".Heretofore, a person on whom a fine was imposed either paid that fine in full by the due date or failed to do so, in which case a warrant was activated and the individual could be arrested and brought to prison. Under the new arrangements, part-payment of fines is possible. This...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Fines (Payment and Recovery) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (22 Jan 2014)

Alan Shatter: I will begin by dealing with my amendment No. 5 in this group of amendments. Subsection 6(3) requires a person who is in employment and who avails of the instalment process for paying a fine to provide certain information to the court. It was intended that this information would be available to the courts for use should it be necessary to make an attachment order at a later date. On...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Fines (Payment and Recovery) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (22 Jan 2014)

Alan Shatter: I move amendment No. 5: In page 8, to delete lines 6 to 16.