Results 10,541-10,560 of 19,162 for speaker:Alan Shatter

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (26 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 451 and 452 together. The number of staff who retired from my Department and from agencies under the auspices of my Department in each year since 1 January 2009 up to 26th June 2012 is set out in Table 1. For the most part the cost of lump sum gratuity payments in respect of staff who retire from my Department and from agencies in the Justice Sector are paid...

Written Answers — Registration of Title: Registration of Title (26 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: I can inform the Deputy that under the Registration of Deeds and Title Act 2006, the Property Registration Authority (PRA) was established as and from 4 November 2006. The PRA replaces the Registrar of Deeds and Titles as the registering authority in relation to property registration in Ireland and, subject to the above Act, is independent in the performance of its functions. The Deputy...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (26 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 454 and 459 together. The number of personnel who retired in each year since 2009, to date, with entitlement to gratuity immediately on retirement, as well as the total gratuity payments made to retiring personnel in each of these years, are shown in tabular form below: Table 1 – retired members of the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) Table 2 – retired civil...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (26 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 455, 456 and 458 together. There are three civil servants and two civilian employees of this Department on the redeployment panel at present. The civil servants were placed on the redeployment panel in October 2011, and the civilian employees were placed on the redeployment panel in March 2012. My Department is actively engaging with the Public Appointments...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Recruitment: Defence Forces Recruitment (26 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: The Defence Forces are committed to the principles of equal opportunity, in all employment policies, procedures and regulations. The Defence Forces operate in an environment which is free from discrimination as provided for by the Equality Acts. However, the Defence Forces have a derogation from the provisions of the Employment Equality Acts, 1998 to 2011 in respect of criteria of disability...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Operations: Defence Forces Operations (26 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: I would like to advise the Deputy that Questions relating to the cost of policing events fall within the remit of the Minister for Justice & Equality. The Garda Commissioner is the Accounting Officer for the Garda Vote. In that context I have sought information from the Garda authorities in relation to the matters raised in this Question and I will contact the Deputy when I receive their...

Written Answers — Redundancy Payments: Redundancy Payments (26 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: I take it that the Deputy is referring to the period covered by the Croke Park Agreement. During this period, a total of €1,312,700 was paid in redundancy payments. The bulk of the payments arose as a result of the closure of military barracks. The redundancies represent a permanent reduction in staff numbers and ongoing savings in pay costs and as such, are reported under the Croke Park...

Criminal Justice (Withholding of Information on Offences Against Children and Vulnerable Persons) Bill 2012 [Seanad]: Second Stage (26 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am pleased to present this important legislation to the House, the primary purpose of which is to close an existing loophole in the law. Under the Offences Against the State (Amendment) Act 1998, it is an offence to withhold information in respect of a serious criminal offence. However, that provision of the 1998 Act specifically excludes...

Criminal Assets Bureau (26 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: I am aware that the Deputy has raised this matter on several occasions and is keen to have a full debate on the question of diverting moneys collected by the Criminal Assets Bureau into community programmes. I welcome this opportunity to outline the current position in this regard. The bureau has served the State well in tackling serious and organised crime, including drug trafficking in...

Criminal Assets Bureau (26 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: I acknowledge the Deputy's sincerity in raising this issue and admit that his proposal does have certain attractions. However, I am obliged to be conscious not only of what is in the current legislation but whether, on a policy basis, the introduction of such a scheme would be a good idea. The work done by CAB is paid for out of public funds, as is the work done by the Garda Síochána to...

Army Barracks (21 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: There is currently no funding. I could take the Deputy around the country and point out where we need new Garda stations but the funding is not there. We need planning for the process and I will not pretend that the money for it exists, although I wish it did. I wish we had the sort of capital allocations that existed in years gone by as I share the Deputy's view that if we were able to...

Army Barracks (21 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: There will be some additional information, although I cannot guarantee that.

Defence Forces Review (21 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 and 8 together. As the Deputy is aware, arising from the Government's comprehensive review of expenditure, the strength ceiling of the Permanent Defence Force was reduced to 9,500 personnel. In response to this reduced strength ceiling, I initiated a major re-organisation of the Defence Forces, both permanent and reserve. This re-organisation will...

Defence Forces Review (21 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: The interim report from the Chief of Staff and the Secretary General of the Department recommended the brigade headquarters would be based in Cork and Dublin. I was interested in the Deputy's figures. He asked if 200 members currently based in Athlone will be transferred along with their families. In the context of the reorganisation, no one will lose his job. There are no figures to...

Defence Forces Review (21 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: The Deputy is a little confused. He cannot make up his mind about how many personnel he wants stationed in Athlone. I would have thought in the context of the town that the important issue is that approximately 1,000 personnel will be based in the barracks, which is 100 more than were there when we took office on 9 March 2011. Those members and their families contribute to the town's...

Defence Forces Review (21 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: I did not interrupt the Deputy and perhaps he will do me the courtesy of not interrupting me. It is a great pity the Deputy ran a grossly misleading campaign. He first told people that 600 members would be transferred out of the barracks and, second, he laboured under the illusion that 1,400 personnel were based there. I presume he did not go to the barracks to count them because if he...

Defence Forces Review (21 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: The Deputy would not have had as many people at his public meeting if he announced it was a public meeting to ensure that forever more a brigadier general would be based in Athlone. I say that with the greatest respect for the current brigadier general but there is an inordinate concern as to where he should be posted. The important thing for the town is that the future of the barracks is...

Defence Forces Review (21 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: The misinformation that went around the area was such that I felt the need to clarify the position with regard to the location of brigade headquarters and to give assurances that there would be no substantial reduction in personnel, as was being stated. In the context of the question Deputy Naughten asked, I will not second guess the ongoing work and I will not go around each barracks to...

Overseas Missions (21 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: Ireland has offered, through the United Nations Standby Arrangements System, UNSAS, to provide up to 850 military personnel for overseas service at any one time. This demonstrates Ireland's commitment to the cause of international peace. This is the maximum sustainable commitment that Ireland can make to overseas peacekeeping operations. Ireland is currently contributing 440 Defence Forces...

Overseas Missions (21 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: We are jointly engaged with a Finnish contingent in the Lebanon and that is envisaged to be the position for some little time. With regard to Syria, in the context of the six point plan that Kofi Annan has been engaged with arising out of UN decisions, six members of the Defence Forces are engaged as monitors in an overall contingent of 300. I had particular concerns about the safety of the...