Results 19,121-19,140 of 19,162 for speaker:Alan Shatter

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Children and Family Relationships Bill 2015: Committee Stage (5 Mar 2015)

Alan Shatter: If I may give a one-line response to that, the references that were made to what comprises the best interests of the child were substantially taken from legislation in Australia and Canada, where it works particularly well and where the legislation is very up-to-date. In both of those jurisdictions, as in England, these concepts of access and custody are defined and are complementary to each...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Children and Family Relationships Bill 2015: Committee Stage (5 Mar 2015)

Alan Shatter: This is a good and important section. I want to return to the issue of guardianship as well. It is important that we have an extended description of the obligations - perhaps "responsibilities" is a better word - and rights of guardians. I will not detain the committee by reciting what was in head 36 of the draft Bill that this committee considered last year. That particular provision...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Children and Family Relationships Bill 2015: Committee Stage (5 Mar 2015)

Alan Shatter: I would like to give a brief response. The very content of the section referenced by the Minister is causing me the greatest puzzlement because some of it reflects the provisions I mentioned. It is extraordinarily perverse that we are spelling out the rights and obligations of third parties who are named as guardians by the courts without defining or spelling out in detail what being a...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Children and Family Relationships Bill 2015: Committee Stage (5 Mar 2015)

Alan Shatter: There are provisions in this section which are important and very welcome. They prescribe how to deal with difficulties that arise when a parent fails to comply with a custody or access order and, effectively, this legislation will deal with the issue of access. There is provision for a parent who has financially lost out. For example, attending or arranging to meet a child for access...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Children and Family Relationships Bill 2015: Committee Stage (5 Mar 2015)

Alan Shatter: I agree with everything the Minister has just said about the need to provide the back-up services and to provide a more sophisticated court welfare service, which is practically non-existent in the context of the family law area at the moment. The whole point of this is to ensure that where people are in contempt of court, imprisonment is not the only remedy available to the court. I am...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Children and Family Relationships Bill 2015: Committee Stage (5 Mar 2015)

Alan Shatter: I am not suggesting that. I certainly do not think that criminal law should be introduced into the family law area. I am concerned about the circumstance where, whether it is the mother or the father, one of them is misbehaving and creating an enormous difficulty with regard to access issues. On occasions fathers create enormous difficulties for custodial mothers by not complying with...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Children and Family Relationships Bill 2015: Committee Stage (5 Mar 2015)

Alan Shatter: Sections 85 and 86 have an interconnectivity. Can the Minister explain how she sees the workings of those sections?

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Children and Family Relationships Bill 2015: Committee Stage (5 Mar 2015)

Alan Shatter: I want to raise some serious issues about this action. I will reference it as (2A) in section 86(b), though it is cross-referenced as section 42(b)(2A). Under this provision the Circuit Court or the High Court can make a lump sum order that is unlimited in amount. It can be an order made instead of, or in addition to, a periodical payment order. How will this work in practice and is it...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Children and Family Relationships Bill 2015: Committee Stage (5 Mar 2015)

Alan Shatter: That leads on to another issue which is a problem. I would have mentioned I was involved in court proceedings some years ago. This is a declaration of interest that I have referenced on several occasions. The McE case involved an unmarried mother left high and dry by an extremely wealthy father with whom she had been residing. The Circuit Court made an order for €400,000 for the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Parliamentary Party Allowances Expenditure (12 May 2015)

Alan Shatter: 308. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide, in detail, the sums paid in respect of each allowance to each non-party Independent Member of Dáil Éireann, since the general election held in 2011; and the annual sum in respect of each allowance so paid, including the Leader's allowance. [18274/15]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Station Refurbishment (19 May 2015)

Alan Shatter: 229. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality when the works currently being undertaken at Dundrum Garda station, Dublin 14, will be completed; the estimated final cost of the works; if she will provide details on the new facilities that will result from these works; and the additional technology that will be available as a result to the gardaí stationed in Dundrum. [19287/15]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Crime Data (19 May 2015)

Alan Shatter: 230. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the number and category of crimes committed in the Stepaside area, County Dublin in each of the years between 2005 and 2014; and the crimes committed in 2015 to date. [19288/15]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Transport Data (19 May 2015)

Alan Shatter: 231. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of new patrol cars made available to members of An Garda Síochána undertaking policing within the south Dublin constituency, in the period March 2011 to date in 2015; and the total number of patrol cars attached to each of the relevant Garda stations, as of this date, as compared to those so attached in 2010. [19289/15]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Reserve (19 May 2015)

Alan Shatter: 232. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of members of the Garda Reserve currently attached to each of the Garda stations engaged in policing within the Dublin South constituency area, compared to the numbers so attached to those stations in 2010. [19290/15]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Naturalisation Certificates (19 May 2015)

Alan Shatter: 233. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons granted citizenship in each of the following periods: 1 May 2011 to 30 April 2012, 1 May 2012 to 30 April 2013, 1 May 2013 to 30 April 2014 and 1 May 2014 to 30 April 2015. [19291/15]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (19 May 2015)

Alan Shatter: 407. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills in relation to the Dublin South constituency, the new works sanctioned for schools since 9 March 2011; the funding provided, to date, for such works; the schools that received such funding; the new schools, school buildings and-or school extensions completed from March 2011 to date in 2015; the works currently being undertaken, and works...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Enrolments Data (19 May 2015)

Alan Shatter: 408. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills in relation to Dublin South constituency, the number of pupils currently attending primary school or secondary school in 2015, compared to 2010; in respect of each school, the enrolment numbers expected in September 2015; in respect of each school, as compared to 2011, the current number of teachers, resource teachers, and special needs...

Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Report Stage (1 Jul 2015)

Alan Shatter: May I briefly raise a point of order?

Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Report Stage (1 Jul 2015)

Alan Shatter: It concerns a matter of great importance to all Members of the House. Members have a constitutional right to access, enter and leave Leinster House. Equally, citizens of the State have a right to demonstrate outside it if they see fit, but they do not have a right to prevent elected Members of the House from gaining access to or leaving it. There is an anti-democratic fascist mob outside...

Environment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Report Stage (1 Jul 2015)

Alan Shatter: Sadly, the policing by An Garda Síochána in this context is grossly inadequate.