Results 10,561-10,580 of 19,162 for speaker:Alan Shatter

Medicinal Products (21 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 9, 15, 18, 20, 22 and 25 together. Malaria is a serious disease which can cause severe complications and death. It is estimated by the World Health Organisation that approximately 1 million people die every year from the disease in sub-Saharan Africa alone. It has long been recognised as a serious threat to any military force operating in a malarious area....

Medicinal Products (21 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: The Irish Medicines Board determines the safety or otherwise of all medicines prescribed in this State. The board is appointed by the Minister for Health and its advisory committee on human medicines has a statutory role to provide advice in cases where it is proposed to refuse a licence for medicinal products on any grounds relating to safety, quality or efficacy. Following approval for...

Medicinal Products (21 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: I do not know on what basis the Deputy is alleging the Defence Forces have not acted properly in regard to this matter. It is important to look at the alternatives to Lariam. There are three other anti-malaria medications available, namely, Chloroquine, Malarone and Doxycycline. However, in the case of each of these products, there are specific reasons they are not suitable for use by the...

Overseas Missions (21 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 and 19 together. The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, mission is the main overseas mission in which Defence Forces personnel are currently deployed with a total of 356 personnel. The 106th infantry battalion, comprising some 332 personnel, deployed to UNIFIL in May 2012. The Irish battalion has been working alongside a contingent of 170...

Overseas Missions (21 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: The Defence Forces have a very important role to play in this area. I visited them and know the work they are doing is greatly appreciated by the local community. In addition to fulfilling their UN mandate, they engage with the local community and provide assistance where they can on community matters. I do not envisage that the UN's commitment to UNIFIL will finish any time soon. I intend...

Overseas Missions (21 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: There is constant reassessment of security issues in the area where our troops are based. Everyone is very conscious of what is happening across the border in Syria and the crimes against humanity that are being committed there. There is a great need to bring an end to the barbarity and destruction in Syria, where it appears the Government has turned on its own people in a manner that is...

Overseas Missions (21 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: I am satisfied that we have the required equipment. While I said to the Deputy that the area is generally calm, circumstances continue to be unpredictable in the context of the security situation in the UNIFIL area of operations in southern Lebanon, including the area in which the Irish-Finnish battalion operates. The threat level to Defence Forces personnel serving in the Irish battalion...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Deployment: Defence Forces Deployment (21 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: Ireland is committed to participation in the Austro-German led Battlegroup, which will be on stand-by from 1 July 2012 to 31 December 2012. In 2010, the then Government approved Ireland's participation in this Battlegroup. The other members of the Austro-German Battlegroup are Austria, Germany, Czech Republic, Croatia and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM). Our contribution...

Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (21 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: The United Nations Security Council authorized the establishment, for an initial period of 90 days, of a supervision mission, known as the United Nations Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS). The purpose of the mission is to monitor a cessation of armed violence "in all its forms by all parties" in Syria. The new mission is also tasked with monitoring the full implementation of the six-point...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Reserve: Defence Forces Reserve (21 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: Recruitment to the Reserve Defence Force (RDF) is ongoing but limited due to resource constraints. The current budgetary provision provides for approximately 30,000 paid training mandays. In 2011 and 2012, I sanctioned paid training mandays to include support for the training of new recruits to the RDF. This was sufficient to train approximately 400 recruits during 2011 and 2012. The military...

Written Answers — European Defence Agency: European Defence Agency (21 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: On 23 March 2012, the Foreign Affairs Council of the European Union decided to activate, for the first time, an EU Operations Centre in Brussels. The purpose of the Centre is to improve coordination and strengthen civil-military synergies between three Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) missions in the Horn of Africa. The EU is currently conducting two military operations in the Horn...

Written Answers — Army Barracks: Army Barracks (21 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: As I have previously outlined to the House the consolidation of the Defence Forces formations into a smaller number of locations is a key objective in the ongoing defence modernisation programme and has been recommended in many reports over the past number of years. This was a key consideration of Government in addressing this issue as releasing personnel from security and support functions...

Written Answers — Military Archives: Military Archives (21 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: The Military Archives are located in Cathal Brugha Barracks, Rathmines, Dublin 6. The Military Archives are the designated place of deposit for the records of the Department of Defence, the Defence Forces and the Army Pensions Board under the terms of the National Archives Act 1986. Archives are held there and, because of space constraints, in other locations. The function of the Military...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Deployment: Defence Forces Deployment (21 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: To assist the NPWS in its role in securing the conservation of a representative range of ecosystems and to maintain and enhance populations of flora and fauna in Ireland, the Air Corps provides transport for NPWS personnel in order to facilitate surveys of species that are difficult to view from the ground or at sea, such as waterfowl, seals and deer, as well as surveys of habitats such as...

Written Answers — Cyber Security Policy: Cyber Security Policy (21 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: My colleague the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources is devising a national cyber security policy aimed at protecting economic infrastructure, informing and assisting citizens. The Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources regularly briefs the Government Task Force on Emergency Planning on matters relating to this policy and on cyber security issues...

Written Answers — Overseas Missions: Overseas Missions (21 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: 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. Ireland has participated in the NATO–led UN mandated mission since 5 July 2002, following the Government Decision of 2 July 2002, authorising the provision of seven (7)...

Written Answers — Army Barracks: Army Barracks (21 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 26, 130 to 132, inclusive, and 136 together. As I have previously outlined to the House the consolidation of the Defence Forces formations into a smaller number of locations is a key objective in the ongoing defence modernisation programme and has been recommended in many reports over the past number of years. This was a key consideration of Government in...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Strength: Defence Forces Strength (21 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 27 and 133 together. Arising from the Comprehensive Review of Expenditure, the Government decided to reduce the strength ceiling of the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) 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. The re-organisation will ensure that,...

Written Answers — Liquor Licences: Liquor Licences (21 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: The Deputy will be aware that, under the provisions of the Courts Service Act 1998, management of the courts is the responsibility of the Courts Service. The Act provides that the Service is independent in the performance of its functions, which includes the provision of statistics. However, in order to be of assistance to the Deputy, I have had enquiries made and the Courts Service has...

Written Answers — Garda National Immigration Bureau: Garda National Immigration Bureau (21 Jun 2012)

Alan Shatter: Enquiries with members of the Garda National Immigration Bureau and officials of the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service, who carry out immigration control at Dublin Airport, did not identify any incident similar to that described by the Deputy. However, if details regarding the flight on which the persons concerned travelled to Dublin airport can be provided, it would greatly...