Results 5,761-5,780 of 19,162 for speaker:Alan Shatter

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Road Traffic Offences (9 May 2013)

Alan Shatter: Driving while holding a mobile phone is a Fixed Charge Penalty Offence and subject to ongoing enforcement by the Garda authorities. I am advised that members of An Garda Síochána carry out regular monitoring to detect breaches across the whole range of road traffic and transport legislation, including holding a mobile phone while driving. The following table sets out the total...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Anti-Social Behaviour (9 May 2013)

Alan Shatter: As the Deputy will be aware, An Garda Síochána has in place measures to address difficulties which arise with respect to public disorder and anti-social behaviour generally including the designation of certain areas as hotspots for such criminality with additional patrols directed accordingly. I have requested a report from the Garda authorities in relation to the specific...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Judicial Appointments (9 May 2013)

Alan Shatter: As the Deputy will be aware, the question of the appointment of judges to the Court of Appeal will not arise unless the People approve its establishment in the Referendum, in which case a Bill will be enacted setting out the various operational aspects of the Court, including the number of judges to be appointed to the Court. I announced earlier this week that the Government has decided to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Visiting Committees Issues (9 May 2013)

Alan Shatter: While I have no plans to seek public expressions of interest, the Deputy can be assured that the vacancies in Shelton Abbey Prison will be filled shortly.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Appointments to State Boards (9 May 2013)

Alan Shatter: It is a fundamental requirement of the Paris Principles that the members of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission be independent. This includes but is not limited to being independent of Government. The question of whether Commissioners should be nominated by any social partner organisation or be representative of any particular sector or NGO was expressly considered by the Working...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Vetting Applications (9 May 2013)

Alan Shatter: I am informed by the Garda authorities that a vetting application on behalf of the individual referred to by the Deputy was received by the Garda Central Vetting Unit (GCVU) on 5 February 2013. The application was processed and returned to the registered organisation concerned on 7 May 2013. This is the only vetting application received by the GCVU in respect of the individual concerned.

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Recruitment (9 May 2013)

Alan Shatter: The Government has decided to accept my recommendation that the strength of the Permanent Defence Force will be maintained at 9,500. I believe this is the optimum strength required to fulfil all roles assigned by Government. The Military Authorities have advised that the strength of the Permanent Defence Force, at 31 March 2013, the latest date for which details are available, was 9,189...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Ministerial Expenditure (9 May 2013)

Alan Shatter: The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the tables. The cost to my Department of domestic travel and subsistence for each Minister of State and the Secretary General from 1 Jan 2007 to date is as follows: Year Mr. Tom Kitt T.D 29/04/04 to 06/05/08 Mr. Pat Carey T.D 7/05/08 to 22/03/10 Mr. John Curran T.D 23/03/10 to 23/01/11 Mr. Paul Kehoe T.D 9/03/11 to date Secretary...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: European Defence Agency (9 May 2013)

Alan Shatter: The European Defence Agency was set up in 2004 during Ireland’s Presidency of the EU. On 6 July 2004, the Government approved Ireland’s participation in the framework of the EDA on the basis of a memorandum submitted by the Minister for Defence, in association with the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Ireland contributes, on an annual basis, to the operational budget of the...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Direct Provision (8 May 2013)

Alan Shatter: The Senator is incorrect in his conceptualisation of the position. I do not know whether any of the properties we are discussing are in NAMA, but the point is that it matters little either way. If one of the centres is in NAMA, all it means is that the company or individual who owns the property and is running the centre borrowed money from a bank at some time in the past which went towards...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Direct Provision (8 May 2013)

Alan Shatter: As the Senator is aware we are developing a new piece of legislation to deal with residence, asylum and immigration issues. It had been my hope that it would have been published by now but it is part of the legislation waiting to be completed in the Attorney General's office. It is part of the Government's enormous legislative agenda and I have to take my turn with colleagues in the context...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Architectural Heritage (8 May 2013)

Alan Shatter: I thank the Senator. I apologise on behalf of my colleague the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Hayes, who was unavailable. I was asked to stand in for him, so the Senator will appreciate that the information I will give him is the information that has been supplied by Deputy Brian Hayes's office to me. I am advised that Castledonovan Castle, also sometimes known as O'Donovan's Castle, is a...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Architectural Heritage (8 May 2013)

Alan Shatter: I am extremely happy that I have made Senator O'Donovan happy. I am also relieved that as a consequence of what I was in a position to tell him, the Senator did not have to carry out his threat of starting to shoot at me. I can tell the Senator there are enough people shooting at me without adding him to the posse. I will certainly convey to Deputy Brian Hayes the Senator's request that he...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prisoner Transfers (8 May 2013)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 150 and 151 together. I am to advise the Deputy that the Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons was ratified in Germany on 31st October, 1991 and came into force there on 1st February, 1992. The Transfer of Sentenced Persons Acts, 1995 and 1997 provide a mechanism whereby non-nationals serving sentences in Ireland may apply to serve the remainder...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legal Aid Service Expenditure (8 May 2013)

Alan Shatter: I wish to inform the Deputy that 16,870 applications were made to the Legal Aid Board's general law centres during 2012. This compared with 18,727 applications in 2011 which was a decrease of approximately 10%. Overall however, there has been a significant increase in demand for civil legal aid services in recent years, as the number of applications in 2006 was 9,689 which the Deputy will...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Property Registration Authority (8 May 2013)

Alan Shatter: The role of the Property Registration Authority in relation to the registration of judgment mortgages is purely administrative and provided that an application is made in the correct form, registration proceeds. The case referred to by the Deputy is currently the subject of an ongoing judicial review case. Two judgment mortgages were lodged with the Property Registration Authority by a firm...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Child Abduction (8 May 2013)

Alan Shatter: The Central Authority for Child Abduction operates in my Department for the purposes of, among other international instruments, the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. The Convention is designed to ensure the prompt return of children who have been removed from one contracting state to another - usually by a parent in defiance of the wishes of the other...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legal Aid Service Expenditure (8 May 2013)

Alan Shatter: I wish to inform the Deputy that 16,870 applications were made to the Legal Aid Board's general law centres during 2012. This compared with 18,727 applications in 2011 which was a decrease of approximately 10%. Overall however, there has been a significant increase in demand for civil legal aid services in recent years, as the number of applications in 2006 was 9,689 which the Deputy will...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Property Registration Authority (8 May 2013)

Alan Shatter: The role of the Property Registration Authority in relation to the registration of judgment mortgages is purely administrative and provided that an application is made in the correct form, registration proceeds. The case referred to by the Deputy is currently the subject of an ongoing judicial review case. Two judgment mortgages were lodged with the Property Registration Authority by a firm...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Child Abduction (8 May 2013)

Alan Shatter: The Central Authority for Child Abduction operates in my Department for the purposes of, among other international instruments, the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. The Convention is designed to ensure the prompt return of children who have been removed from one contracting state to another - usually by a parent in defiance of the wishes of the other...