Results 501-520 of 19,162 for speaker:Alan Shatter

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Residency Permits (10 Apr 2014)

Alan Shatter: I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the position in the State of the persons concerned is as set out in my Reply to the Deputy's earlier Question - PQ No. 161 of Thursday, 27th March, 2014 - copy follows. The Deputy might note from that Reply that the spouse referred to did not hold a right of residency in the State at that time and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Leave to Remain (10 Apr 2014)

Alan Shatter: I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the person concerned has had their permission to remain in the State renewed for a further two year period, valid to 11th April, 2016. This decision was conveyed in writing to the person concerned by letter dated 9th April, 2014. Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Properties (10 Apr 2014)

Alan Shatter: As the Deputy is aware Magee Barracks is surplus to the Department’s requirements and in accordance with normal procedure it can only be disposed of by sale to another Government Department or State Agency or by public auction/tender. Agreement has been reached with the Department of Education for the sale of a portion of the site for the construction of a new school. When the...

Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (9 Apr 2014)

Alan Shatter: I thought some of the Members opposite were going to contribute as they are in the House. I thank all those who contributed to a very important debate on an important piece of legislation. I will start where I finished in my contribution yesterday evening by saying we want the best possible piece of legislation enacted and we are open to constructive suggestions as to how the legislation...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Commission of Inquiry (9 Apr 2014)

Alan Shatter: As the Deputy will be aware, the Government has decided to set up a statutory Commission of Investigation into the recording of telephone calls in certain Garda stations. In this regard the Government yesterday agreed the terms of reference for the Commission and it will examine extensively matters of public concern relating to the issue of recording of conversations in Garda stations. The...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Retirements (9 Apr 2014)

Alan Shatter: I have been informed by the Garda Commissioner that there is no facility for members to purchase any shortfall of service where they have reached the age of 50 and do not have 30 years service. In April, 2005 the Minister for Finance announced the introduction of cost neutral early retirement for the public service. The scheme allows public servants to retire early with immediate payment...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Personal Insolvency Act (9 Apr 2014)

Alan Shatter: The numbers of all arrangements at various stages of progress are set out in the Insolvency Service of Ireland's Statistical Report - Q1 2014. This Report is available on the ISI's website, www.isi.gov.ieand will be updated on a quarterly basis. The Statistical Report highlights that as of 31 March 2014 there were: - 55 Debt Solution Arrangements approved (44 Debt Relief Notices (DRNs), 7...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Data Protection (9 Apr 2014)

Alan Shatter: Directive 96/45/EC has been transposed into national law in the Data Protection Acts 1988 and 2003. While article 258 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union allows the European Commission to commence proceedings before the Court of Justice where a Member State has failed to fulfil an obligation under the Treaties, I am not aware of any concerns on the part of the European...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Assisted Human Reproduction Issues (9 Apr 2014)

Alan Shatter: My proposals, contained in the General Scheme of a Children and Family Relationships Bill, are that donation of gametes does not confer parentage on the donor. The draft legislation sets out clear rules for the assignment of parentage where children are born through assisted reproduction methods using donor gametes. The broader bioethical questions concerning gamete donation are a matter for...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Assisted Human Reproduction Issues (9 Apr 2014)

Alan Shatter: My recently published General Scheme of a Children and Family Relationships Bill makes express provision for the assignment of parentage in cases of surrogacy. The draft legislation will allow commissioning parents to apply for court orders assigning parentage to them, in cases of altruistic surrogacy. A surrogacy arrangement is not enforceable and the consent of the birth mother to the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Residency Permits (9 Apr 2014)

Alan Shatter: I am informed by officials in the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) that the person referred to by the Deputy was requested, by letter dated 27 March 2014, to supply additional evidence of residence (utility bills) in the State for a continuous period of 5 years in support of an application for a permanent residence card which was made to INIS in February 2014. It is noted...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Child Abduction (9 Apr 2014)

Alan Shatter: As the Deputy will appreciate, it would not be appropriate for me to comment on individual cases that may be or have been the subject of legal proceedings. The procedures for dealing with cases of international parental child abduction involving countries who are party to the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction are set out in the Child Abduction and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Policy (9 Apr 2014)

Alan Shatter: While I am unaware of the specific views expressed in the correspondence referred to by the Deputy I am happy to set out for the Deputy the broad range of measures in place in the State and the steps I have and am taking to further enhance our immigration controls to combat abuses of the system. Can I say at the outset that the overwhelming majority of migrants in Ireland are here lawfully...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Retirements (9 Apr 2014)

Alan Shatter: There was no legal action or threat of legal action in relation to the extension of the term of office of former Commissioner Fachtna Murphy. The previous Government appointed Mr Murphy as Commissioner of An Garda Síochána for a period of two years with effect from 21 November 2007. This term of office was extended in February 2009 to the end of 2010.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Closed Circuit Television Systems (9 Apr 2014)

Alan Shatter: I have requested the information sought by the Deputy from the Garda authorities. I will be in contact with the Deputy when this information is to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Closed Circuit Television Systems (9 Apr 2014)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 136 and 137 together. CCTV systems installed for the purposes of crime prevention and as aids to policing in areas to which the general public routinely have access, such as town centres, fall into two distinct categories: community-based CCTV systems and Garda CCTV systems. Garda CCTV systems are planned and implemented on the basis of the Garda...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Courts Service (9 Apr 2014)

Alan Shatter: I can inform the Deputy that I have recently undertaken to consider the issue of Community Courts in Ireland. I envisage an initial project operating on a pilot basis where stakeholders will engage in partnership, in conjunction with the local business community. It will be important to learn from international experience, and I have asked for preparations to be made for a pilot in the...

Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Bill 2014: Order for Second Stage (8 Apr 2014)

Alan Shatter: I move: "That Second Stage be taken now."

Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Bill 2014: Second Stage (8 Apr 2014)

Alan Shatter: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am pleased to present this Bill to the House. It is now 15 years since the Equality Authority was established and 14 years since the establishment of the Human Rights Commission. In that time, the demographic, social and economic fabric of the State has continued to change profoundly. The commitment and professionalism of the members...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Human Trafficking (8 Apr 2014)

Alan Shatter: The National Action Plan to Prevent and Combat Trafficking of Human Beings in Ireland identified the need to establish links with airlines to develop awareness among staff of the potential vulnerability of children travelling either alone or with adults. In 2012 the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of my Department, in consultation with their counterparts in the United Kingdom, developed a...