Results 7,081-7,100 of 16,849 for speaker:Dermot Ahern

Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (2 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: An amendment has not been tabled on this issue. It is necessary to include the relevant provisions because the number of those engaged in airsoft has dramatically increased, as have the numbers and types of airsoft guns. It is not uncommon for people to have weaponry which, to all intents and purposes, are imitation weapons. While I accept that people use these weapons in a sport, if this...

Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (2 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I have nothing further to say other than to agree with Deputy Charles Flanagan that the review should include more than simple facts and figures. It should touch on compliance and trends of the types of weapons being licensed. The committee should be given the opportunity to decide whether it wishes to discuss the report.

Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (2 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I move amendment No. 10: In page 23, between lines 41 and 42, to insert the following: 31.—The Principal Act is amended by the insertion of the following section after section 3D (inserted by section 30): "3E.—The Commissioner shall conduct an annual review of the operation of the Firearms Acts 1925 to 2009 and shall submit a report to the Minister specifying the number and classes of...

Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (2 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: We had no legalised handguns here until 2004. The former Minister for Justice, Des O'Malley, banned hand guns in the early 1970s, so there were no legalised hand guns here for more than 30 years. As a result of a series of High Court decisions, the number of hand guns increased since 2004 to about 1,800 today. The decision in 2004 centred around the suitability of the person rather than...

Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (2 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: No.

Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (2 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: That is and will be allowed under the legislation.

Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (2 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: Rightly so.

Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (2 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I, in no way, misrepresented Deputy Flanagan's position. Under the legislation and the guidelines, there will be no difficulty with normal target shooting.

Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (2 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: People lobbied the Deputy, as they did Members on my side of the House with whom I had a good conversation the other night. When I explained the reality of dynamic practical shooting, they fully accepted the position. It is as I said and nothing else. As people knew this legislation was coming up, they tended to ease off. There is a desire to operate on that basis and I cannot concede on...

Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (2 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to make a correction to the Bill under Standing Order 136, as follows: In section 29 of the Bill, to change the citation from "Firearms Acts 1925 to 2006" to "Firearms Acts 1925 to 2009".

Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (2 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I also propose to make similar correction to a later section, as follows: In section 30 of the Bill, to change the citation from "Firearms Acts 1925 to 2007" to "Firearms Acts 1925 to 2009".

Companies (Amendment) Bill 2009 [Seanad]: Report and Final Stages (2 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: It is his first Bill.

Written Answers — Closed Circuit Television Systems: Closed Circuit Television Systems (2 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The Community-based CCTV Scheme was launched in 2005 to provide financial assistance towards the capital costs of establishing a community CCTV system. To date two major rounds of this Scheme have been advertised, in 2005 and 2007. I am advised by Pobal who administer the scheme on behalf of my Department that no application was received in response to either of these rounds in respect of...

Written Answers — Garda Stations: Garda Stations (2 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I am informed by the Garda authorities that a sketch scheme for Athlone Garda District Headquarters is currently being finalised with the Office of Public Works. The scheme incorporates the existing Garda premises and the adjacent State owned site previously occupied by the Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs. The development of the project will be progressed having regard to...

Written Answers — Residency Permits: Residency Permits (2 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that letters have recently issued from my Department to the persons in question informing them that they have been granted permission to remain in the State until 5 April 2010. This permission to remain only becomes operative when the persons concerned have registered with the Garda National Immigration Bureau.

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (2 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The first table below contains figures in respect of all study visa application decisions for the years 2005 to 2008 inclusive. Year Total study visa applications decided Approved Refused 2008 6801 4563 (67%) 2238 (33%) 2007 9254 4849 (52%) 4405 (48%) 2006 6516 3548 (54%) 2968 (46%) 2005 7838 3213 (41%) 4625 (59%) All study visa applications are decided by Department of...

Written Answers — Family Law: Family Law (2 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: Existing legislation makes extensive provision for fathers with respect to their children. Under section 6 of the Guardianship of Infants Act 1964, the mother and father of children born within marriage are the joint guardians of their children. Under section 6A of that Act, as inserted by section 12 of the Status of Children Act 1987, an unmarried father may apply to the court to be...

Written Answers — Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission: Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (2 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I have received correspondence from the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission regarding its investigation into the circumstances surrounding the issuing of an international road haulage operator's licence to the person referred to in the Deputy's question. The matter of the issuing or review of such licences is one properly for consideration by the Minister for Transport and I note that the...

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (2 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: An application for a certificate of naturalisation from the person referred to in the Deputy's Question was received in the Citizenship Division of my Department in March 2008. Officials in that section are currently commencing further processing of applications received in early 2008. Applications are dealt with in chronological order as this is deemed to be the fairest to all applicants....

Written Answers — Asylum Applications: Asylum Applications (2 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The person concerned applied for asylum on 28 February 2006. Her application was refused following consideration of her case by the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner and, on appeal, by the Refugee Appeals Tribunal. The letter dated 6 April 2009, referred to by the Deputy in the Question, was issued by the Refugee Appeal Tribunal to inform the person concerned that her appeal...