Results 3,341-3,360 of 19,162 for speaker:Alan Shatter

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Transport Provision (5 Nov 2013)

Alan Shatter: Decisions in relation to the provision and allocation of Garda vehicles are a matter for the Garda Commissioner in the light of his identified operational demands and available resources. I am conscious of the continuing pressures on the Garda fleet and, in that regard, I am very pleased to have secured a further €9m for investment in the fleet, made up of €5m between now...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Penal Policy Review Group Report (5 Nov 2013)

Alan Shatter: I can inform the Deputy that the Working Group conducting a Strategic Review on Penal Policy is expected to report early in 2014.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Proposed Legislation (5 Nov 2013)

Alan Shatter: As I have outlined previously to the Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality, it is my considered view that instead of engaging in an extremely cumbersome process of tabling hundreds of amendments to the 2010 Bill it would be much more efficient to publish a new and enhanced text. Such an approach can incorporate the many anticipated amendments while addressing key outstanding...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Communications (5 Nov 2013)

Alan Shatter: I understand from the Garda Commissioner that it is the policy of An Garda Síochána that overall responsibility for releasing Garda information to the media rests with the Garda Press and Public Relations Office. Members of An Garda Síochána are prohibited, except in specified circumstances, without the authority of the Commissioner from communicating either directly or...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Proposed Legislation (5 Nov 2013)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 96 and 99 together. As the Deputy will be aware, consultations in relation to the Legal Services Regulation Bill have been ongoing since its publication both directly and by submission. The Bill and key responses to it have also been considered at Second Stage and in detail by the Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality prior to the Bill's...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Courts Service Issues (5 Nov 2013)

Alan Shatter: The Courts Service has a network of 6 District Court offices in the greater Dublin area with a further 32 such offices distributed throughout the country. Each office has access to the Criminal Case Tracking System (CCTS). This system records details of all prosecutions initiated by An Garda Síochána including offences under the Road Traffic Acts. In relation to road traffic...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Recidivism Rate (5 Nov 2013)

Alan Shatter: A decision to grant bail in a particular case is a matter for the court, which is, subject only to the Constitution and the law, independent in the exercise of its judicial functions. There is a constitutional presumption in favour of bail, since, in the eyes of the law, a person is innocent until proven guilty. The provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights also restrict the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Budgets (5 Nov 2013)

Alan Shatter: The reduction of €70 million in the Justice budget relates to the gross current expenditure allocation for the Vote Group in 2014 compared with the corresponding allocation in the 2013 Revised Estimate Volume. Given the composition of the Vote Group where circa 77% of all current expenditure refers to pay and pensions, the greater proportion of the reduction relates to payroll costs....

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Investigations (5 Nov 2013)

Alan Shatter: Garda Richard Fallon’s murder in April 1970 was a terrible tragedy for his family and I want to, again, express my deepest sympathy to them. Garda Fallon’s callous killing was a heinous crime perpetrated by ruthless individuals. The Serious Review Crime Team of the Garda Síochána is carrying out a review of this case. I am informed by the Garda Commissioner that...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Operations (5 Nov 2013)

Alan Shatter: I am assured by the Garda Commissioner that the Garda Síochána does not engage in discriminatory ethnic profiling, and specifically that it does not engage in data gathering or data mining based upon discriminatory profiling in respect of race, colour, language, religion, nationality, national or ethnic origin, ethnicity or membership of the traveller community. I am not clear...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Same-sex Marriage (5 Nov 2013)

Alan Shatter: As the Deputy will be aware, the procedure is that the Government responds to the Constitutional Convention's recommendations within a four-month period. The response to the recommendations of the Convention on equal access to civil marriage will be available very shortly and will be provided via a statement which I will make in this House.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Proposed Legislation (5 Nov 2013)

Alan Shatter: As the Deputy will be aware, I have signalled my intentions to bring legislative proposals to Government as soon as possible in the form of a General Scheme of a Family Relationships and Children Bill. The focus of the Scheme will be on reforming and modernising certain aspects of family law, as provided for in the Agreed Programme for Government, and, in particular, ensuring that children...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Military Aircraft Landings (5 Nov 2013)

Alan Shatter: The Deputy may wish to note that operational matters pertaining to policing are a matter for the Garda Commissioner and accordingly the question of the Government issuing instructions of the kind referred to by the Deputy does not arise. In that context, the Garda Síochána remain fully committed to investigate all alleged breaches of the criminal law, including alleged offences...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Court of Appeal Establishment (5 Nov 2013)

Alan Shatter: Following the successful outcome of the referendum on the proposed Thirty-third Amendment of the Constitution (Court of Appeal) Bill I will shortly bring forward an “Implementation Bill” that will deal with many practical issues in regard to the new Court of Appeal, such as the formal establishment and membership of the Court of Appeal, the appointment of judges, the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Irish Sign Language (5 Nov 2013)

Alan Shatter: The Programme for Government includes a commitment to "examine different mechanisms to promote the recognition of Irish Sign Language". This process has already commenced. The National Disability Authority (NDA) facilitated consultations with the Deaf Community in Ireland in 2012 at my request in relation to actions that could make improvements in the lives of deaf people and submissions...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Criminal Assets Bureau (5 Nov 2013)

Alan Shatter: As the Deputy will be aware, the Criminal Assets Bureau is a vital component in the State's law enforcement response to serious and organised crime. The remit of the Bureau is to target those persons who seek to derive benefit from criminal activities. In carrying out this role, the Bureau utilises all available legal remedies, primarily those contained in the Proceeds of Crime legislation,...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Criminal Assets Bureau (5 Nov 2013)

Alan Shatter: I can inform the Deputy that the Criminal Assets Bureau liaises on an ongoing basis with law enforcement authorities throughout Europe and worldwide in the pursuit of assets derived from criminal conduct. Having regard to the particular issue raised by the Deputy, I am informed that the Bureau does liaise directly with its Spanish counterparts and explores all available avenues within the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Deployment (5 Nov 2013)

Alan Shatter: Discussions are near completion on the temporary secondment of a small number (up to 20) of Gardaí on a pilot basis to the Department of Social Protection to work with officers from the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) of that Department. The SIU's function is to investigate and report on social welfare fraud and abuse, and the Unit already works closely with An Garda...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Road Traffic Offences (5 Nov 2013)

Alan Shatter: As the Deputy is aware, the Courts Service has put in place arrangements to ensure that summonses issued since May 2012 include wording to advise persons charged with an offence under the Road Traffic Acts to bring their driving licence together with a photocopy of the licence when they are attending court. The conduct of any case before a court is a matter for the presiding judge. I am...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Road Safety Issues (5 Nov 2013)

Alan Shatter: The Deputy will be aware from my response on 1 October, 2013, as set out below, that I brought his concerns surrounding the location in question to the attention of the Garda authorities. I have sought a report from the Garda authorities with regard to any action taken in the area referred to and will reply directly to the Deputy when the reply is to hand. PQ 4122/13 response of 1 October,...