Results 4,361-4,380 of 19,162 for speaker:Alan Shatter

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Committee Stage (17 Jul 2013)

Alan Shatter: I move amendment No. 1: In page 10, subsection (1), line 31, to delete “Statute” and substitute “statute”.This is a minor technical amendment to correct a typographical error in the Bill, as published.

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Committee Stage (17 Jul 2013)

Alan Shatter: I move amendment No. 2: In page 10, subsection (1), to delete lines 37 to 39 and substitute the following:“ “lay person” shall be construed in accordance with subsection (3);”.The purpose of amendments Nos. 2 and 4 is to broaden slightly the definition of "lay person". The current definition states it means a person who is not and never was a practising solicitor...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Committee Stage (17 Jul 2013)

Alan Shatter: I will take the last question first. There is no national standard for cooling-off periods. For some people who cease to be politicians, there is never a cooling-off period. I do not know. People have engagements in different professions but there are certainly people who might at some stage have been practising barristers or solicitors or engaged in other areas of life. Indeed, one...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Committee Stage (17 Jul 2013)

Alan Shatter: The reason is to ensure that from a public perspective, someone clearly fits the category of being a layperson if one is talking about a body designed to be independent where there is an architecture with a certain representation from the legal professions and a specific number of laypeople. Under the guise of laypersons, we do not want it to become top-heavy with lawyers and undermine the...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Committee Stage (17 Jul 2013)

Alan Shatter: I know, and I am sure the Deputy is aware that during the 14 years during which his party was in Government and I was in Opposition it was quite usual for amendments to Bills to appear a maximum of four days before Committee Stage. There was nothing unusual about it. Unfortunately, in the context of the pressure of work involved between Departments and the Office of the Attorney General, it...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Naturalisation Applications (17 Jul 2013)

Alan Shatter: I can inform the Deputy that the application has entered the final stage of processing and I intend to grant citizenship. A letter has issued to the person referred to by the Deputy asking him to submit the prescribed fee and other documents. Upon receipt of the fee and documentation, the case will be finalised. The person concerned will be invited in due course to attend a citizenship...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Vetting of Personnel (17 Jul 2013)

Alan Shatter: Garda Vetting disclosures are made to registered organisations following the signed authorisation of a vetting subject permitting the Garda Central Vetting Unit (GCVU) to disclose to the registered organisation "details of all prosecutions, successful or not, pending or completed, and/or convictions which may be recorded in respect of them in the State or elsewhere"; or alternatively that...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Coroners Service (17 Jul 2013)

Alan Shatter: I can inform the Deputy that the post mortem results have been finalised and are available from the Kerry North Coroner's Office.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Civilian Staff Recruitment (17 Jul 2013)

Alan Shatter: The number of civilian staff in the Garda Síochána has increased in recent years to just over 2,000 whole time equivalent staff. Recruitment is carried out through the Public Appointments Service and the Commissioner is responsible for the detailed allocation of resources throughout the organisation. These staff continue to provide vital services in a wide range of areas, such as...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Proposed Legislation (17 Jul 2013)

Alan Shatter: The Programme for Government contains a commitment to enact a new consolidated and reformed anti-corruption law to punish white collar crime and end the impunity from consequences for corporate behaviour that threatens the economy and a commitment that rogue bankers and all those that misappropriate or embezzle funds are properly pursued for their crimes and that the full rigours of the law...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Naturalisation Applications (17 Jul 2013)

Alan Shatter: The person referred to by the Deputy has not made an application for naturalisation. The immigration status of the person concerned remains essentially the same as set out in my reply to the Deputy's question of Tuesday 11th June 2013 (PQ No. 731 of 11th June, 2013). In February, 2013, the person concerned made an application for permission to remain in the State on the basis of his...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Peace Commissioners (17 Jul 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 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: National Disability Strategy Implementation Plan Issues (17 Jul 2013)

Alan Shatter: As the Deputy will be aware my Department has been engaged in a wide ranging consultation process with Government Departments and with the Disability Stakeholders Group in the preparation of the National Disability Strategy Implementation Plan. Following significant consultation and consideration the Plan was agreed by the National Disability Strategy Implementation Group at their meeting...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Asylum Support Services (17 Jul 2013)

Alan Shatter: I assume the question refers to a recently published article by the Ombudsman on asylum seekers. The Ombudsman says in her article that her examination of a specific case, involving the HSE and the Department of Social Protection around the issue of a social welfare entitlement to a family which had been in Direct Provision, led her to comment on the asylum accommodation system more...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Court Accommodation Refurbishment (17 Jul 2013)

Alan Shatter: I wish to inform the Deputy that, 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 by the Courts...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Anti-Racism Measures (17 Jul 2013)

Alan Shatter: I am aware of the information released by the Immigrant Council of Ireland on 1 July 2013 regarding the total number of racist incidents reported to it over a ten week period in response to its recent awareness raising campaign on social media and public transport. I understand that these were preliminary figures only and that a more detailed analysis of the figures will be produced. I...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Sexual Offences (17 Jul 2013)

Alan Shatter: It is my intention that this issue will be addressed in the forthcoming Sexual Offences Bill, which is at an advanced stage of preparation in my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Northern Ireland Issues (17 Jul 2013)

Alan Shatter: The Deputy will be aware that the Nally Group was established by the then Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform in 2002 to examine certain issues raised in a report submitted by the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland. The Nally Group which comprised a former Secretary to the Government, a former Secretary of the Department of Justice, and a former Director of Public Prosecutions...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Northern Ireland Issues (17 Jul 2013)

Alan Shatter: As the Deputy will be aware, the investigation of criminal offences is a matter for the Garda Síochána. In this context, the Garda investigation file into the terrorist atrocity at Omagh remains open and the Garda authorities remain ready to follow up any new leads or information that may come to light which would allow the investigation to be progressed further. I met with the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Vetting of Personnel (17 Jul 2013)

Alan Shatter: I am informed by the Garda authorities that the current average processing time for applications is approximately 14 weeks from date of receipt. However, seasonal fluctuations and the necessity to seek additional information on particular applications can result in this processing time being exceeded on occasion. All organisations registered for Garda Vetting are aware of the processing...