Results 3,001-3,020 of 16,849 for speaker:Dermot Ahern

Written Answers — Computerisation Programme: Computerisation Programme (12 May 2010)

Dermot Ahern: My Department has two IT sections, one in Dublin, providing IT services to the central Department and associated agencies under the Justice Sector IT Shared Service, and a second in Killarney supporting the financial operations of the Department's Financial Shared Services. Regarding the Departmental IT Division, Dublin, the main suppliers of IT services to the Department over the last five...

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (12 May 2010)

Dermot Ahern: The position is that responsibility for the allocation of education grants rests with the Department of Education and Skills and educational bodies operating under that Department's aegis and not with the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department. However, the INIS is happy to provide the Department of Education and Skills, or any statutory educational authority,...

Written Answers — Deportation Orders: Deportation Orders (12 May 2010)

Dermot Ahern: I refer the Deputy to the Reply given to his Parliamentary Question No. 164 on Tuesday 14 October 2008. The status of the persons concerned remains largely as set out in that Reply. However, in the interim, an application for Subsidiary Protection was made on behalf of the second named person by her legal representative and lodged under cover letter dated 23 March 2009. In response to this...

Written Answers — Dublin-Monaghan Bombings: Dublin-Monaghan Bombings (12 May 2010)

Dermot Ahern: From 2003-2008 the Remembrance Commission operated a Scheme of Acknowledgement, Remembrance and Assistance for Victims in this Jurisdiction of the Conflict in Northern Ireland. Under the Scheme, payments could be made to individuals under various categories such as acknowledgement payments, economic hardship payments and medical expenses payments. The Scheme also contained a provision to...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (12 May 2010)

Dermot Ahern: The funding provided to the National Disability Authority in the past three years was as follows: €4.791m in 2008 (outturn); €4.357m in 2009 (outturn); and €5.617m in 2010 (allocation). The allocation of funding to the N.D.A. in 2010 is reasonable in circumstances where both my Department and other agencies under my remit have seen significant reductions in their allocations.

Written Answers — Road Traffic Offences: Road Traffic Offences (12 May 2010)

Dermot Ahern: Following a tender and evaluation process in accordance with relevant EU and national legislation and national procurement procedures, the Garda Commissioner and I signed the contract with the preferred bidder for an outsourced safety camera network in November, 2009. The service provider will be paid according to the level of service provided. The number of speeding drivers detected by...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (12 May 2010)

Dermot Ahern: As outlined to the Deputy in my reply to the Deputy's question on 3rd February 2010, my Department due to budgetary constraints will not be providing any funding to the Community Graffiti Reduction Programme in 2010.

Written Answers — Freedom of Information: Freedom of Information (12 May 2010)

Dermot Ahern: The total number of Freedom of Information Requests received and answered by the Equality Division of my Department for the years 2007, 2008 and 2009 were 0, 3 and 5 respectively.

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (12 May 2010)

Dermot Ahern: The Government yesterday gave approval for priority drafting of my proposals for a Criminal Justice (Psychoactive Substances) Bill which will make it an offence to supply unregulated psychoactive substances for human consumption. The proposed Bill will also give the Gardaí and the courts the power to prevent the sale of such substances for human consumption by specified persons or from...

Written Answers — Debt Management: Debt Management (12 May 2010)

Dermot Ahern: I intend to give early attention to the recommendations of the Law Reform Commission when it finalises its report on Personal Debt Management and Debt Enforcement later this year. And, insofar as they come within the area of responsibility of my Department, I shall also consider as quickly as possible the recommendations of the Commission in its Interim Report that will be published shortly...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (12 May 2010)

Dermot Ahern: The context in which financial provisions have been made by the Government for the Equality Authority and the Human Rights Commission has been with regard to the extremely difficult Exchequer position and the need for substantial savings. I am satisfied that in all the circumstances the funding made available is adequate to meet the needs of both organisations.

Written Answers — Equal Opportunities Employment: Equal Opportunities Employment (12 May 2010)

Dermot Ahern: The Maternity Protection Acts 1994 to 2004 provide protection from discrimination for women who are pregnant, on maternity leave or returning to work after having a child. The Equality Authority has an important role to play in providing information to the public regarding allegations of pregnancy-related discrimination. The grant in aid provision of €3.2m for the Equality Authority for...

Written Answers — Equal Opportunities Employment: Equal Opportunities Employment (12 May 2010)

Dermot Ahern: Ireland has already extensively legislated to promote and protect the principles of equality and freedom from discrimination in employment, in the Employment Equality Acts 1998 to 2008. This legislation prohibits direct and indirect discrimination, harassment and victimisation in the area of employment on nine grounds, including that of sexual orientation. Institutional structures, in the...

Leaders' Questions. (12 May 2010)

Dermot Ahern: This is like the Muppets.

Leaders' Questions. (12 May 2010)

Dermot Ahern: He is a ventriloquist.

Leaders' Questions. (12 May 2010)

Dermot Ahern: Hurrah.

Seanad: Fines Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (11 May 2010)

Dermot Ahern: The purpose of this amendment is to limit the requirement for personal service of documents or service by registered post to the notification required under section 15(2) of the Bill as passed by Dáil Éireann, instead of applying this requirement to all notices and documents to be served on or given to a person under Part 3. Section 15(2) provides that a recovery order shall not enter into...

Seanad: Fines Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (11 May 2010)

Dermot Ahern: As I mentioned in my speech on Second Stage, the indexation of fines scheme is based on the Law Reform Commission report of 1991 and a review of the developments on the indexation of fines published by the commission in 2002. In 2002 the commission recommended that the court should have the ability to take into account, in determining the level of a fine in a particular case, the financial...

Seanad: Fines Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (11 May 2010)

Dermot Ahern: This is all based around the concept of equality of impact which works both ways. Obviously, the judge cannot impose a fine of more than €5,000, the overall limit for the District Court. Equally, in individual cases judges cannot impose a fine greater than the maximum that pertains to the particular offence. However, the intention is to allow discretion to the judge to take into account...

Seanad: Fines Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (11 May 2010)

Dermot Ahern: I cannot put it any other way other than reiterating the point that it was always envisaged, when the Oireachtas was passing legislation, that a judge had discretion as to the maximum fine to impose. We are putting into law a much more definite regulation, in effect, and obligation on a court to determine the personal financial circumstances of people before it. I accept the point made by...