Results 5,281-5,300 of 19,162 for speaker:Alan Shatter

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Asylum Applications (11 Jun 2013)

Alan Shatter: It is important that the asylum recognition rate not be perceived as some target to be achieved irrespective of the merits of applications. Applications for refugee status in the State are assessed at first instance by the statutory independent Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner and on appeal by the Refugee Appeals Tribunal in accordance with a prescribed legal framework and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Property Ownership (11 Jun 2013)

Alan Shatter: The primary purpose of the Multi-Unit Developments Act 2011 is to reform the law relating to the ownership and management of common areas of multi-unit developments and to facilitate the fair, efficient and effective management of owners' management companies (OMCs) which are the bodies established for the management of such areas. Section 5 of the 2011 Act contains provisions which deal...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Proposed Legislation (11 Jun 2013)

Alan Shatter: I published a report in June, 2012 on the criminal justice aspects of the cash for gold trade. The Report prepared by my Department is available on www.justice.ie. I requested the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Equality and Defence to consider the content of the report, to ensure that it obtains the views of all relevant interested parties and that it makes such report and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Direct Provision System (11 Jun 2013)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 695 and 696 together. The Reception & Integration Agency (RIA) is a functional unit of the Irish Naturalisation & Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department responsible for the accommodation of asylum seekers under the direct provision system. 4,650 persons are currently being accommodated in 34 centres under contract to RIA. These questions...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Direct Provision System (11 Jun 2013)

Alan Shatter: The Reception and Integration Agency (RIA) of my Department is responsible for the operation of the system of direct provision. There are currently 34 asylum accommodation centres under contract to RIA, providing accommodation and ancillary services to 4,650 persons. Of these 34 centres, 7 are State owned. That is to say, while the centres are managed by private companies under contract to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Direct Provision Expenditure (11 Jun 2013)

Alan Shatter: The Reception & Integration Agency (RIA) is a functional unit of the Irish Naturalisation & Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department responsible for the accommodation of asylum seekers under the direct provision system. 4,650 persons are currently being accommodated in 34 centres under contract to RIA. Of these 34 centres, 7 are State owned i.e. the land and buildings are...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Crime Prevention (11 Jun 2013)

Alan Shatter: Under the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act, 1990, the possession of specified offensive weapons is prohibited and it is an offence for any person to manufacture, import, sell, hire or loan such weapons. Specifically, under Section 9 of the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act, it is an offence to possess any knife or any other article which has a blade or which is sharply pointed in any...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Irish Prison Service (11 Jun 2013)

Alan Shatter: As the Deputy is aware there is a tuck shop in operation in each of the prisons which are operated and staffed by the Irish Prison Service. Profits generated from prisoner purchases in the tuck shop are used to support prisoners through the Prisoner Assist Programme Fund. The cumulative total of monthly revenues and gross profits generated by the tuck shop at Mountjoy Prison for the years in...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Direct Provision System (11 Jun 2013)

Alan Shatter: The Reception and Integration Agency (RIA), a functional unit of the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department, is responsible for the accommodation of persons while their applications for international protection are being processed. It is a multi agency organisation with staff seconded to it from the HSE, the Department of Education and Skills and the Irish Prison...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Property Registration Authority (11 Jun 2013)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 702 and 703 together. As I indicated in my reply to Question No. 153 of 8th May 2013, the role of the Property Registration Authority (PRA) in relation to the registration of judgment mortgages is purely administrative. I am advised by the PRA that in the specific case referred to by the Deputy, the High Court has confirmed that the PRA was legally obliged...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Road Traffic Offences (11 Jun 2013)

Alan Shatter: I have requested a report from the Garda authorities in relation to the matter referred to by the Deputy. I will contact the Deputy directly as soon as the report is to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Transport Expenditure (11 Jun 2013)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 705 and 706 together. The provision of fuel for Garda vehicles is an operational matter for the Garda Commissioner. The Commissioner is the Accounting Officer for the Force and I am advised by the Garda authorities that expenditure on fuel for Garda vehicles for the years 2011, 2012 and to date in 2013 was as outlined in the table below: Year Expenditure...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Traffic Fines (11 Jun 2013)

Alan Shatter: I am informed by the Garda authorities that ordinary post is utilised to serve fixed charge notices, in accordance with section 25 of the Interpretation Act 2005, which provides that service of a document may be so effected and that such service is deemed, unless the contrary is proved, to have been effected at the time at which the letter would be delivered in the ordinary course of post. I...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Proposed Legislation (11 Jun 2013)

Alan Shatter: At this time there are no proposal to introduce paternity leave however this matter will be kept under review. While male employees are not entitled to paid or unpaid paternity leave, they may be entitled to Parental Leave. In March of this year I signed the European Union (Parental Leave ) Regulations 2013 which increased the amount of parental leave available to each parent per child from...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Adult Cautioning Scheme Administration (11 Jun 2013)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 709 and 711 together. The Garda Adult Cautioning Scheme, approved by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), was introduced on a non-legislative basis on 1 February 2006 for specific offences including offences contained in the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994, the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001, the Intoxicating Liquor Act...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Crime Levels (11 Jun 2013)

Alan Shatter: The Garda Síochána Act 2005 makes provision for the compilation and publication of crime statistics by the Central Statistics Office (CSO), as the national statistical agency, and the CSO has established a dedicated unit for this purpose. I have requested the CSO to provide relevant information with reference to the statistics that are available directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Drugs Crime (11 Jun 2013)

Alan Shatter: The Deputy will be aware that, under the provisions of the Courts Service Act 1998, management of the courts is the responsibility of the Courts Service and I have no role in the matter. Section 4(3) of the 1998 Act provides that the Courts Service is independent in the performance of its functions, which includes the provision of statistics. However, in order to be of assistance to the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Controls (11 Jun 2013)

Alan Shatter: I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service of my Department that from time to time and on an intelligence led basis, immigration officers attached to the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB), who are based at Dublin Airport, conduct immigration controls at the door of or on board aircraft which have arrived at the Airport. The undertaking of immigration controls in...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Vetting of Personnel (11 Jun 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...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Official Secrets Act (11 Jun 2013)

Alan Shatter: The Official Secrets Act 1963 continues in force. Preliminary work is underway in my Department on an Official Secrets Act (Amendment) Bill in accordance with commitments in the Programme for Government. This will be reassessed in light of related legislation, which deals with Protected Disclosures in the Public Interest, being proposed by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.