Results 5,141-5,160 of 19,162 for speaker:Alan Shatter

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Domestic Violence Policy (13 Jun 2013)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 22, 29 and 44 together. The Programme for Government contains a 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 protection to victims. Cosc, the National Office for the Prevention of Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Penalty Point System (13 Jun 2013)

Alan Shatter: The report by the Professional Standards Unit of the Garda Síochána is an examination of the processes and systems in place to deal with the cancellation of fixed change notices. The examination was directed by the Garda Commissioner arising from the allegations relating to the cancellation of penalty points. This report is additional to Assistant Commissioner John O'Mahoney's...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Crime Levels (13 Jun 2013)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 24 and 125 together. I share the public concern about the extent to which offences continue to be committed by persons on bail and can assure the Deputy that the Garda authorities closely monitor these and all other offending patterns and trends. As the Deputy will be aware, the criminal law takes a serious view of offences committed by persons on bail....

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Human Trafficking (13 Jun 2013)

Alan Shatter: The Annual Report for Trafficking in Human Beings in Ireland for 2012 is currently being finalised and will be published shortly. The 2012 Annual Report will be the fourth such report to be produced by the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit in my Department. The Report will be based, as in previous years, on information gathered from An Garda Síochána and Non-Governmental Organisations...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Industrial Relations Issues (13 Jun 2013)

Alan Shatter: I am always available to meet with either AGSI, the GRA or the other Garda representative associations to discuss with them issues of concern to them and to their members. In fact, I met with AGSI on 19 October 2012 for nearly two hours in a constructive and businesslike meeting. I spoke at their conference earlier this year and I also spoke at the annual Conference of the Association of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Stations Closures (13 Jun 2013)

Alan Shatter: The proposals for the closure of some Garda stations were made by the Garda Commissioner in the policing plans for 2012 and 2013 and constituted his professional judgement on the best use of Garda resources in the delivery of an effective policing service. It is also worth noting that, even after the closures, there will still be more Garda stations across the country than there are police...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Organised Crime (13 Jun 2013)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 32 and 134 together. The Deputy will appreciate that organised crime, by its very nature, is constantly evolving and diversifying in both its structures and activities and that membership of organised crime groups tends to be fluid. I am informed by the Garda authorities that there are two categories of organised crime groups operating within this...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Criminal Assets Bureau (13 Jun 2013)

Alan Shatter: All monies collected by the Criminal Assets Bureau are returned to the Exchequer in accordance with the provisions of the Proceeds of Crime Acts 1996 and 2005. Such funds are paid into the Government’s Central Fund, from which the Government draws for expenditure on all necessary public services and investment. From time to time, it has been suggested that such monies should be used...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (13 Jun 2013)

Alan Shatter: The statistical data requested by the Deputy is supplied in the following table. Non-EEA nationals, including students, residing in Ireland for more than three months must register with the Garda National Immigration Bureau. The table is based on a series of snapshots taken in March 2011, 2012 and 2013 of the resident non-EEA student population at that time. The table also indicates the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Sex Offenders Notification Requirements (13 Jun 2013)

Alan Shatter: The Sex Offenders Act 2001 contains a comprehensive series of provisions aimed at protecting children and other persons. Part 2 of the Act makes persons convicted of a range of sexual offences subject to notification requirements. The provisions of the Act also extend to any offenders convicted abroad of the same range of sexual offences who enter the State. All offenders subject to the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Complaints Procedures (13 Jun 2013)

Alan Shatter: The Garda Síochána (Confidential Reporting of Corruption or Malpractice) Regulations 2007 provide for an independent Confidential Recipient to whom members of the Force can report, in confidence, instances where they believe there may be corruption or malpractice within the Force. The Confidential Recipient is required to transmit each report to the Commissioner but, in doing so,...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Penal Policy Review Group Report (13 Jun 2013)

Alan Shatter: In line with the recommendations of the Thornton Hall Project Review Group, I announced an all encompassing strategic review of penal policy last September. A Working Group was established to carry out this review and to make recommendations on how a principled and sustainable penal system might be further enhanced taking into account resource implications, constitutional imperatives and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Family Reunification Policy (13 Jun 2013)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 38 and 43 together. It is anticipated that this document will be finalised shortly. This is a complex matter and there is a need to achieve the proper balance between competing interests. In relation to cases being delayed, I should point out that most of the caseload is being processed normally and those on hold pending the revised policy relate primarily...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Resources (13 Jun 2013)

Alan Shatter: As the Deputy is aware, the allocation of all resources, including personnel, is a matter entirely for the Garda Commissioner and I have no direct function in the matter. I have however been informed by the Garda authorities that the personnel strength of the Cavan/Monaghan Garda Division on 30 April 2013 was 342. There were also 23 Garda Reservists and just under 40 Garda Civilians...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: National Disability Strategy Implementation Plan Issues (13 Jun 2013)

Alan Shatter: In line with the Programme for Government commitment to publish an Implementation Plan for the National Disability Strategy, the Minister for Disability, Equality, Mental Health and Older People, Ms. Kathleen Lynch, established and personally chairs the National Disability Strategy Implementation Group (NDSIG). This Group is charged with developing the Plan and monitoring its future...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Investigations (13 Jun 2013)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 41 and 50 together. I am informed by the Garda authorities that the examination surrounding the circumstances of the death of Father Niall Molloy has been completed and that an investigation file has been forwarded for the attention of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). The Deputies will appreciate that in these circumstances it would...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Traveller Community Issues (13 Jun 2013)

Alan Shatter: The report referred to by the Deputy is very recent, published in April 2013, and it presents statistics and associated conclusions to found what seems to be its basic premise that there has been a ‘dramatic disinvestment’ by the State in the Traveller community in the past five years. Whilst it is accepted that Traveller funding has been reduced, funding has had to be reduced...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Resources (13 Jun 2013)

Alan Shatter: As the Deputy will be aware, all members of An Garda Síochána may be tasked with investigating crime, including fraud-related incidents. In that context no specific Garda budget has been allocated to combating white collar crime. Where required, specialist assistance is provided by the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation (GBFI) and the Garda authorities have indicated that...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission Administration (13 Jun 2013)

Alan Shatter: I arranged to meet the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission in May to discuss concerns they raised in their 2012 Annual Report regarding delays in concluding their investigations, and in particular delays in receiving requested information from the Garda Síochána. The Ombudsman Commission separately raised concerns regarding Garda response times in the context of their...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Joint Policing Committees Remit (13 Jun 2013)

Alan Shatter: There is ongoing liaison between my Department, the Garda authorities and the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government in relation to the operation of Joint Policing Committees (JPCs). The Programme for Government makes a commitment to build on existing community policing partnerships and forums to enhance trust between local communities and their Gardaí. In the...