Results 6,801-6,820 of 16,849 for speaker:Dermot Ahern

Written Answers — Gambling Legislation: Gambling Legislation (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: Gambling in Ireland has many forms and currently as Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform I hold a primary statutory responsibility only in respect of certain forms of gaming and lotteries. The legislation and current policy governing those forms of gaming and lotteries is contained in the Gaming and Lotteries Acts 1956 - 2003. The Deputy should note that under current legislation,...

Written Answers — Gambling Legislation: Gambling Legislation (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: Under the Gaming and Lotteries Acts 1956 - 2003, it is a matter for the Garda Síochána to investigate breaches of the legislation and to take whatever action is appropriate. The Garda Síochána Act 2005 makes provision for the compilation and publication of crime statistics by the Central Statistics Office as the national statistical agency, and the CSO has established a dedicated unit...

Written Answers — Gambling Legislation: Gambling Legislation (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 565 and 566 together. I refer the Deputy to my response to Parliamentary Question No. 77 of 27 May. The objective of the wide-ranging review of gambling which I have initiated from within my Department, is to provide Government with options for a new and comprehensive legal and organisational framework governing the gambling architecture in the State....

Written Answers — Civil Legal Aid: Civil Legal Aid (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The Domestic Violence Act 1996 already provides protection for victims of domestic violence who are not married to their abusers. As it stands, a person who is not married to the respondent may apply for a safety order under section 2 of the Act if he or she has been living with the respondent "as husband and wife" for a period of at least six months in the previous twelve, or is a parent of...

Written Answers — Garda Training: Garda Training (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I have been informed by the Garda Commissioner that during initial training all members of An Garda Síochána receive instructions in the handling and investigation of incidents relating to domestic violence. The training includes procedures to be followed when recording reports of domestic violence, first aid training, diversity training and training on safety and barring orders....

Written Answers — Garda Deployment: Garda Deployment (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: In the time available it has not been possible to provide the information requested by the Deputy. I will communicate further with the Deputy when the information sought is to hand.

Written Answers — Refugee Appeals Tribunal: Refugee Appeals Tribunal (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 570 to 572, inclusive, together. As I stated in my reply to Parliamentary Question 35 of the 8th April 2009, the Presenting panel was established to address a backlog of appeals in the Refugee Appeals Tribunal which arose from a Supreme Court Judgement in the Atanasov case which required the Refugee Appeals Tribunal to provide greater access to past decisions...

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: A total of 31 amendments were proposed and accepted during Committee and Report Stages of the Bill in the Dáil, including 30 Government amendments and one amendment from the Labour Party. It was possible to incorporate the spirit of a number of amendments proposed by the Opposition. On group 1, amendments Nos. 1 and 2 concern the saver provisions and the insertion of a new review mechanism....

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The review is to happen "not later than" five years, so it could take place after five months. This is an area of law that evolves on a daily basis. One of the reasons for the delay in passing this legislation since its publication is that things have changed not just on this island but also across the water. Many judgments handed down in the UK have implications for our law. I hazard a...

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: These are drafting amendments, based on advice from the Office of the Attorney General and the Parliamentary Counsel. They propose to delete sections 7(1)(b) and 7(2)(b), which refer to the provision of further information by plaintiffs or defendants under sworn affidavits. I am advised that retention of the provisions would require the addition of a detailed definition as to what...

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: Amendments Nos. 12 and 15 are drafting amendments to correct the required reference to section 1 in sections 15 and 16. Amendments Nos. 13 and 14 are linked: amendment No. 13 provides absolute privilege for statements made in the course of proceedings during an arbitral tribunal where the statement is connected with those proceedings, while amendment No. 14 is a technical amendment...

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I thank Senators for their remarks. All those in public life, not only politicians, will have some difficulty with a defence of fair and reasonable publication. If any Bill was to feature on my Christmas card list, the Bill before us is not it. Before my appointment to this Department I looked long and hard at section 24, now section 26, on the defence of fair and reasonable publication....

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: Amendments Nos. 23 to 26 support amendments tabled by the Labour Party on Committee Stage regarding the jurisdiction of courts in dealing with applications for declaratory orders under section 26. The Labour Party had proposed to widen the jurisdiction to both District and Circuit Courts in addition to the High Court. Fine Gael supported this proposal. Of course, the District Court has no...

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: No.

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: Amendment No. 28 refines the text of amendment No. 34 to use the more correct term "defamatory libel", rather than the previous "criminal libel", which is more of a catch-all phrase for various types of libel. This change has been advised by the Offices of the Attorney General and the Parliamentary Counsel. Amendment No. 29 provides for a new section to modernise the current law in section...

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: Does the Senator mean even in the paper of record? Senators may recall that this House agreed the deletion from the Bill of a provision regarding the publication of gravely harmful statements, which were in the Bill as originally published. The decision of the then Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform to delete that provision was widely acclaimed. He did, however, indicate clearly...

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: However, for a number of reasons, it would not be my intention to bring forward proposals for a referendum at this time. Thus, in order to complete the long awaited reform of defamation we must now - we have an obligation under the Constitution-----

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: -----address this matter. My immediate predecessor as Minister indicated here in the Seanad on two occasions that we must address the appropriate legislative provision of blasphemous libel in regard to offences contained in the relevant article of the Constitution. It is stated in plain English and one could not get any plainer than this. Article 40.6.1o states: The publication or...

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: It is because of the Corway case. It is being incorrectly alleged that neither of my predecessors felt there was a need for this. A member of the Labour Party was on a programme and said something that was a complete untruth, and he knew it. The Minister, Deputy Lenihan, said on 11 March 2008: If we repeal, in full, the provisions of the 1961 Act in reforming the defamation laws, we create...

Seanad: Defamation Bill 2006 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] : Report and Final Stages (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I do not know what the Senators are talking about.