Results 17,961-17,980 of 19,162 for speaker:Alan Shatter

Other Questions: Tribunals of Inquiry Reports (27 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: As I said, in the context of the meeting we tasked our officials to undertake any further work required to ensure any issues that remain to be addressed arising from the Smithwick report are addressed. As I said there is very close co-operation between the Garda Síochána and the PSNI. There is continuing contact between the Chief Constable in Northern Ireland and the Garda...

Other Questions: Tribunals of Inquiry Reports (27 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: The Government must accept Mr. Justice Smithwick's report. I presume the Deputy raises that matter in the presentation he makes to this Dáil seeking either to defend the Garda Síochána one day or to criticise it the next day. It is difficult to keep pace with Deputy Mac Lochlainn's approach to the Garda Síochána. I am more interested in knowing whether Sinn...

Other Questions: Tribunals of Inquiry Reports (27 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: -----the barbaric murder of the two members of the PSNI and in the context of the Deputy's very cynical presentation in this House, as a defender of the Garda Síochána, he might indicate whether he was supportive-----

Other Questions: Tribunals of Inquiry Reports (27 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: The Deputy might indicate to the House, in expressing his support for the Garda Síochána, whether he condemns his colleagues in Sinn Féin who met those who were released from prison and who were convicted of matters relating to the death of Detective Garda Jerry McCabe.

Other Questions: Direct Provision System (27 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 and 33 together. The direct provision system is managed by the Reception and Integration Agency, RIA, of my Department. Its function is to provide accommodation and related services to those who have sought international protection and who have no means of supporting themselves otherwise. More than 53,000 such persons have availed of RIA's services to...

Other Questions: Direct Provision System (27 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: First, I will deal with the issue in relation to children. I have recounted in detail to the Oireachtas on numerous occasions the ways in which RIA affords the highest priority to the safeguarding and protection of children. These include the full implementation of the Children First guidelines as well as Garda vetting of all RIA staff. RIA has a fully staffed child and family service...

Other Questions: Direct Provision System (27 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: I understand the Deputy's genuine interest in the matter but he is mistaken on one issue. The last Bill was published in 2010, at which time I was Opposition spokesperson. It was the third Bill in this area and despite that it was a much better Bill than its predecessor there were still very substantial defects in it. Deputy Rabbitte, who was then Labour Party spokesperson on justice, and...

Other Questions: Direct Provision System (27 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: Some of those houses could be provided to those who are not entitled to asylum. The State cannot afford to do that. We are not in a position, having regard to the current finances of the State, to provide appropriate local authority or social housing for many of those born in this country who are currently in need of housing. We are constrained in terms of the amount of money available to...

Other Questions: Direct Provision System (27 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: I have to deal with these matters realistically.

Other Questions: Direct Provision System (27 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: There is an independent structure to deal with appeals in this area. I note the judgment to which the Deputy referred. As I said, people are entitled to have access to the courts. It is not the function or role of the Minister to deal with the hearings of these cases. There is a structure in place to do that, which is independent. If there is a procedural or substantive failure, the...

Other Questions: Ministerial Responsibilities (27 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 and 38 together. As the Deputy will be aware, Departments, while tasked with different responsibilities and duties, co-operate and contact one another on a daily basis regarding areas of common interest and duty. With regard to the Departments of Justice and Equality and Defence the following are the main areas of co-operation and policy overlap. As the...

Other Questions: Ministerial Responsibilities (27 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: The Minister for Justice and Equality and the Minister for Defence do on occasion agree with each other. The list of legislation the Deputy received from the Department of Defence was a reasonable list and not excessive. Given the manner in which the Deputy phrased the question and the amount of legislation for which the Department of Justice and Equality is responsible, the amount of time...

Other Questions: Ministerial Responsibilities (27 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: When that matter arose I expressed some concern about it. The legal advice I got was that under statute it was quite appropriate that I do both jobs. However, I took the view that it was not appropriate based on the spirit of the legislation. Therefore, to cater for when matters come from the Chief of Staff to be signed by the Minister for Defence, an order was made to the effect that...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Judicial Appointments (27 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: The Deputy will be aware that, under the Constitution, judges are appointed by the President on the advice of the Government. The current process for the appointment of judges in Ireland is set out in sections 12 to 17 of the Courts and Courts Officers Act 1995 which established the Judicial Appointments Advisory Board. Under the existing system of judicial appointments, the Board submits...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission Investigations (27 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 11 and 177 together. An IT security consultancy was retained on 14 February 2014 to provide an expert IT security opinion on the reports that GSOC had received from the security company it contracted. The report was received by the Department on 18 February 2014. I gave the Cabinet my assessment of the potential damage to both the Garda Ombudsman...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission Remit (27 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: I presume the Deputy is referring to suggestions for an extension of the oversight functions of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission to include oversight of the Garda Commissioner and not that the Garda Commissioner should be accountable for the performance of his statutory functions to the Ombudsman Commission. It is important that the Garda Síochána is operationally...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Northern Ireland Issues (27 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: I would say at the outset that the killing of Denis Donaldson, to whom the Deputy refers in his question, is the subject of an ongoing murder investigation by the Garda Síochána. In that context, I am sure the House will appreciate that we must be judicious in our comments with regard to the case. I am informed by the Garda authorities that the investigation into this crime is...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Child Sex Abuse Victims (27 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: The Criminal Justice (Withholding of Information on Offences against Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012 makes it an offence for any person to deliberately withhold information regarding sexual and other serious offences committed against a child or other vulnerable person. Under section 2 of the Act, a person who knows or believes that an offence has been committed against a child and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Complaints Procedures (27 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 15 and 201 together. I understand that the Deputy's question is in respect of instances where complaints of corruption or malpractice were raised by whistleblowers within An Garda Síochána. The Garda Síochána (Confidential Reporting of Corruption or Malpractice) Regulations 2007 provide for the appointment of an independent Confidential...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Investigations (27 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: The murder of Garda Richard Fallon was a terrible tragedy for his family and I want to, again, express my deepest sympathy to them. On top of that personal tragedy, his murder was also an event that can only be described as a heinous crime carried out by ruthless individuals with no respect for human life. In view of the fact that Garda Richard Fallon was carrying out his duties as a member...