Results 3,881-3,900 of 19,162 for speaker:Alan Shatter

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission Issues (25 Sep 2013)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 27 and 54 together. The Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission was established under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 to provide independent oversight of complaints made against members of the Garda Síochána. The Garda Ombudsman Commission has a hugely important role in ensuring that public confidence in the Garda Síochána is...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Sentencing Policy (25 Sep 2013)

Alan Shatter: As the Deputy will no doubt appreciate, judges are independent in the matter of sentencing, as in other matters concerning the exercise of judicial functions, subject only to the Constitution and the law. In accordance with this principle, the role of the Oireachtas has been to specify in law a maximum penalty and a court, having considered all the circumstances of the case, to impose an...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Programme (25 Sep 2013)

Alan Shatter: I would like to inform the Deputy that serious consideration is being given to this issue which remains ongoing, with a view to ensuring that full analysis of all aspects of the granting of ethnic status to Travellers is available to Government when coming to a decision on the matter. I would like to remind the house that Travellers in Ireland have the same civil and political rights as...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Charitable Lotteries Scheme (25 Sep 2013)

Alan Shatter: Beneficiaries of the Charitable Lotteries Scheme were advised in October 2012 that the Scheme would be phased out over a 3 year period beginning in late 2013. This is necessitated by the urgent need to make savings in Government expenditure across many programmes. The Scheme is being phased out on this gradual basis in order to give affected organisations as much time as possible to adjust to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Equality Proofing of Budgets (25 Sep 2013)

Alan Shatter: I refer the Deputy to the Government's position on this matter, as set out in Minister of State's Kathleen Lynch's statement to the Dáil on 2 July 2013 in the context of the debate on her party's Private Members Bill, the Equal Status (Amendment) Bill 2013, on this topic. Ministers were formally consulted on and involved in agreeing the Government's position on this issue. In our...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: National Traveller-Roma Integration Strategy (25 Sep 2013)

Alan Shatter: Ireland's National Traveller/Roma Integration Strategy was developed following an EU Commission communication which required Member States to submit a National Roma Integration Strategy for improving the situation of Roma in proportion to the size of the Roma population living in their territories and taking into account their specific circumstances. It is important to note that the term...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Peace Commissioners Appointments (25 Sep 2013)

Alan Shatter: The Office of Peace Commissioner is an honorary appointment under section 88 of the Courts of Justice Act, 1924 for which there is no remuneration or compensation by way of fees or expenses for their services. An application for appointment may be submitted by a person who is interested in obtaining an appointment, or a third party may submit a nomination in respect of a person considered...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Sentencing Policy (25 Sep 2013)

Alan Shatter: As the Deputy will be aware, under the Courts Service Act 1998, the management and administration of the courts is a matter for the Courts Service while the allocation of the business of the courts, scheduling of cases and management of lists are matters for the judiciary and in particular the Presidents of the courts. The Deputy will also be aware that judges are, subject to the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Court Accommodation Provision (25 Sep 2013)

Alan Shatter: As the Deputy may be aware, under the provisions of the Courts Service Act 1998, management of the courts is the responsibility of the Courts Service which is independent in exercising its functions which include the provision of accommodation for court sittings. However, in order to be of assistance to the Deputy, I have had enquiries made and have been informed that the Courts Service is...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Recruitment (25 Sep 2013)

Alan Shatter: The Garda Síochána (Admissions and Appointments) Regulations 1988 (as amended) provide that, in a competition for full-time membership of An Garda Síochána, the Public Appointments Service shall take into account any service by the candidate as a reserve member of the Garda Síochána, and shall give due recognition to evidence of satisfactory service as such a...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Sex Offenders Notification Requirements (25 Sep 2013)

Alan Shatter: Under the Sex Offenders Act 2001, a convicted sex offender is required to notify his or her name and home address to the Garda Síochána within 7 days of becoming subject to the notification requirement. This notification period applies whether the person is resident in the State or was convicted of a relevant offence in another jurisdiction and subsequently enters the State....

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Magdalen Laundries Report (25 Sep 2013)

Alan Shatter: Judge Quirke stated specifically, with regard to the scheme he proposed, that "it does not contemplate payments to persons who may have been indirectly or otherwise affected by the admission of those women to and their work within a designated laundry." (report para. 3.12). In his 7th Recommendation - eligibility and qualification process - he made it clear that he only contemplated one...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Proposed Legislation (25 Sep 2013)

Alan Shatter: I have no plans to make the Garda Síochána an independent policing authority. The perceived advantage of a separate authority is that it interposes an additional layer of independent accountability between the political process and the management of An Garda Síochána. Where there is a single national police force, the case for the setting up of a policing authority to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Recruitment (25 Sep 2013)

Alan Shatter: As the Deputy is aware, I have secured the approval of my colleague the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform for a recruitment competition for the Garda Síochána. There are a number of procedural issues that need to be finalised prior to its formal commencement, which is expected in the coming weeks, with the first students expected to enter the Garda College in Templemore,...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Proposed Legislation (25 Sep 2013)

Alan Shatter: My Department is currently drawing up policy proposals for my consideration in relation to the consolidation and reform of domestic violence legislation. This is in pursuance of the Programme for Government commitment to introduce consolidated and reformed domestic violence legislation to address all aspects of domestic violence , threatened violence and intimidation, in a way that provides...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Oireachtas Joint Committee Reports (25 Sep 2013)

Alan Shatter: The report of the Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality on hearings and submissions on the Review of Legislation on Prostitution was published on 27 June last. The report is being examined.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Accommodation Standard (25 Sep 2013)

Alan Shatter: The Government is committed to the elimination of slopping out in all prisons and places of detention. This will be delivered through the Irish Prison Service 40 month Capital Plan, published in April 2012 as part of the Prison Service Three Year Strategic plan 2012 - 2015. Consideration is currently being given by the Irish Prison Service to refurbishment works at Portlaoise Prison...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Referendum on Marriage Equality (25 Sep 2013)

Alan Shatter: I refer the Deputy to my response to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 421, 422 and 430 on 9 July 2013 and No 857 on 16 July 2013 in which I indicated as follows: "I am aware that the Convention on the Constitution published its third report, on its recommendation in relation to amending the Constitution to provide for same-sex marriage, on 2 July 2013. Following receipt of the Convention's...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Crime Prevention (25 Sep 2013)

Alan Shatter: I can assure the Deputy that there is close and ongoing co-operation between the Garda Síochána and the PSNI in tackling criminal activity in the border region which is reflected in the Cross-Border Policing Strategy already in place between both forces in addressing crime and terrorist activities in all its manifestations. Inter agency co-operation is a key factor in combating...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Courts Service Issues (25 Sep 2013)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 50 and 163 together. As the Deputy will be aware, the Courts Service is responsible for the management and administration of the Courts. The scheduling of court cases and the allocation of court business is a matter for the Presidents of the courts and the presiding judge who are under the Constitution independent in the exercise of their judicial...