Results 6,501-6,520 of 19,162 for speaker:Alan Shatter

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Deployment (14 Mar 2013)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 24 and 29 together. On 20 December 2001, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 1386 under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, authorising the establishment of an International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. On 9 October 2012, the UN Security Council extended ISAF’s mandate for a further year until October 2013. Ireland...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Remuneration (14 Mar 2013)

Alan Shatter: The Representative Association for Commissioned Officers, RACO, and the Permanent Defence Force Other Ranks Representative Association, PDOFRRA, were not consulted until after a prospective deal had been concluded. It is true to say that they are not trade unions and are not, therefore, represented by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions. While this means that there must be parallel...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: NATO Membership (14 Mar 2013)

Alan Shatter: I can confirm that this Government does NOT intend to join NATO. Our cooperation with NATO will continue to be conducted through the Partnership for Peace. There has been no change in policy in relation to Ireland’s engagement in NATO or indeed in our Policy for deploying our troops to NATO-led Missions, which requires that the Mission be UN Mandated, and Government and Dáil...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Reserve Abolition (14 Mar 2013)

Alan Shatter: There are no plans to abolish the Reserve Defence Force and no circulars were issued by my Department in the last 24 months in this regard. The recently published Value for Money Review of the Reserve Defence Force recommended the retention of a Reserve of approximately 4,000 personnel with a range of reforms aimed at ensuring a viable and cost effective Reserve into the future. These...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: EU Battlegroups (14 Mar 2013)

Alan Shatter: Ireland has previously participated in the Nordic Battlegroup in 2008 and 2011 and in the EU Battlegroup 2012. The other members of the Nordic Battlegroup were Sweden, acting as Framework Nation, Finland, Norway and Estonia and Croatia (2011 only). The members of the EU Battlegroup were Germany, acting as Framework Nation, Austria, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Macedonia. For each of these...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Operations (14 Mar 2013)

Alan Shatter: The EU has not indicated any intention to assume responsibilities for defence as a whole. The Common Security and Defence Policy is an integral part of the Common Foreign and Security Policy and, as such, decisions of the European Council in relation to defence are reached unanimously by all Member States. This is safeguarded within the provisions of the legal guarantees, secured by Ireland...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Common Foreign and Security Policy (14 Mar 2013)

Alan Shatter: As part of Ireland’s Presidency of the European Council 2013 my colleague, the Minister for Defence, has prioritised a number of areas that he would like to progress during our Presidency. These include the continued development of the Common Security and Defence Policy and the comprehensive approach to crisis management. Regarding the Comprehensive approach to crisis management the...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Air Ambulance Service (14 Mar 2013)

Alan Shatter: In 2005, the Department of Defence and the Department of Health completed a Service Level Agreement (SLA) which formalised the arrangements for the provision of an inter hospital air ambulance service by the Air Corps. The Agreement outlines the support provided by the Air Corps, specifically in respect of emergency inter-hospital transfers for spinal and serious injuries and illnesses,...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Expenditure (14 Mar 2013)

Alan Shatter: The Department of Defence has at present security arrangements in place at two former military installations – Columb Barracks Mullingar and Rockhill House Letterkenny. The amount paid in security costs at these installations varies from month to month depending on security requirements. In relation to Mullingar the average cost per month since its closure in 2012 is €5,187 and...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Operations (14 Mar 2013)

Alan Shatter: One of Ireland’s priorities during our Presidency of the European Council, is EU cooperation in the area of Maritime Security and Surveillance with a particular focus on improving cooperation between EU Navies and other EU security actors and leveraging innovation through security sector research and development. To this end, I will host a Seminar titled “Challenges and...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Reserve (14 Mar 2013)

Alan Shatter: I am aware that other countries, including Nordic countries, deploy members of their Reserve Forces on overseas peace support operations. As part of the Value for Money (VFM) Review of the Reserve Defence Force (RDF), which was published last November, the approach to Reserve Forces in certain other countries was considered. For comparative purposes, the UK, Canada, New Zealand and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Accommodation (14 Mar 2013)

Alan Shatter: Harristown House is a 22 roomed two storey property situated just outside of the boundary wall of Castlerea Prison. It was most recently used for accommodating persons who were under the care of the Probation Service. The property has been refurbished with the intention of using it as a low-security facility. Prisoners housed there will be those who have demonstrated good behaviour over...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Personal Insolvency Act (14 Mar 2013)

Alan Shatter: The Personal Insolvency Act 2012, was passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas on 19 December, 2012 and signed into law by the President on 26 December, 2012. The Act provides for the introduction of three new debt resolution processes, which though requiring approval by the court, are essentially non-judicial in nature: - The Debt Relief Notice (DRN) will allow for the write-off of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Resources (14 Mar 2013)

Alan Shatter: The Deputy will be aware that the Commissioner is responsible for the detailed allocation of resources and that I have no direct function in that matter. It is clear, however, that the Commissioner and senior Garda management keep under continuing review the measures necessary to efficiently and effectively match the allocation of resources with policing demands, and that this may involve...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Transport (14 Mar 2013)

Alan Shatter: Decisions in relation to the provision and deployment of Garda transport are matters for the Garda Commissioner. In that context I am advised by the Garda authorities that the number of Garda vehicles procured and the number of vehicles decommissioned in the period referred to by the Deputy were as detailed in the following table: Year Procured Decommissioned 2010 165 124 2011...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Recruitment (14 Mar 2013)

Alan Shatter: Recruitment to An Garda Síochána is governed by the Garda Síochána (Admissions and Appointments) (Amendment) Regulations 2006. These regulations provide that in a competition for full-time membership of An Garda Síochána, the Public Appointments Commission shall take into account any service by the candidate as a Reserve member of the Garda Síochána,...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Betting Legislation (14 Mar 2013)

Alan Shatter: I draw the Deputy's attention to my press statement of 21 September 2011 in which I announced that the Government had agreed to my proposals for new legislation to update our laws on gambling. In that statement I announced that the Government had decided, in the public interest, that the new legislation should prohibit fixed odds betting terminals. My Department has prepared Heads of a...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (14 Mar 2013)

Alan Shatter: I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) that a valid application for a certificate of naturalisation was received from the person referred to by the Deputy in February, 2013. The application is being processed with a view to establishing whether the applicant meets the statutory conditions for the granting of naturalisation, such as good character and lawful...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Probation and Welfare Service (14 Mar 2013)

Alan Shatter: The Probation Service, which is the lead agency in the assessment and management of offenders in our communities, is divided into seven operational regions. County Kerry comes within the South West Region which also encompasses Cork City and County; County Clare; and Limerick City and County. The team operating out of Tralee covers a caseload of both adult and young offenders. In...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Residency Permits (14 Mar 2013)

Alan Shatter: I am advised that the person concerned was granted five years residency based on her EU Treaty Rights application but that this permission was subsequently revoked for reasons which were outlined to her at the time. The immigration status in the State of the person concerned is currently under consideration by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service and once a decision has been made,...