Results 1,041-1,060 of 16,849 for speaker:Dermot Ahern

Order of Business (19 Oct 2010)

Dermot Ahern: It is a memory lapse.

Garda Vetting of Personnel (14 Oct 2010)

Dermot Ahern: I fully appreciate the reasons why Deputy Naughten has raised this issue. He will be aware of the current pressures on the Garda vetting service due to the large increase in recent times in the number of applications for vetting. The Garda central vetting unit provides employment-vetting to organisations which are registered for this purpose and which employ or engage persons, whether in a...

Written Answers — Commercial Rent Reviews: Commercial Rent Reviews (14 Oct 2010)

Dermot Ahern: I presume that the Deputy is referring to upwards-only rent review clauses in commercial leases. I would remind the Deputy that a provision which prohibits upward only rent review clauses in future business leases is contained in Section 132 of the Land and Conveyancing Law Reform Act 2009. That provision came into force on 28 February last. The prohibition on upward only rent review...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (14 Oct 2010)

Dermot Ahern: I understand that the Deputy is referring to the Civil Service Worksharing Scheme. The number of staff in my Department availing of the Scheme is 352 (322 female and 30 male). My Department endeavours to facilitate all applications for participation in this Scheme.

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (14 Oct 2010)

Dermot Ahern: I have requested the information sought by the Deputy from the Garda Commissioner and I will write to the Deputy directly when this information is to hand.

Written Answers — Asylum Applications: Asylum Applications (14 Oct 2010)

Dermot Ahern: Arising from the refusal of her asylum application, and in accordance with the provisions of Section 3 of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended), the person concerned was notified, by letter dated 7 January 2010, that the Minister proposed to make a Deportation Order in respect of her. She was given the options, to be exercised within 15 working days, of leaving the State voluntarily, of...

Written Answers — Immigrant Certification: Immigrant Certification (14 Oct 2010)

Dermot Ahern: At the outset I would like to advise the Deputy that documents submitted by an applicant as evidence of identity or nationality, or in support of a case to be permitted to remain in the State, can only be returned to that applicant once the case has had a definitive outcome. Insofar as the case referred to by the Deputy is concerned, the person had a Deportation Order made against him on 29...

Written Answers — Garda Recruitment: Garda Recruitment (14 Oct 2010)

Dermot Ahern: The general moratorium on recruitment and appointments in the Public Service continues to apply to An Garda Síochána. The purpose of initiating a Garda recruitment campaign at this time is to establish a panel of approved candidates who will be available to meet future Garda recruitment needs in line with Government policy. I was happy to obtain the approval of my colleague the Minister...

Written Answers — Crime Levels: Crime Levels (14 Oct 2010)

Dermot Ahern: The increase in activities in recent months by these supposed republicans, the so-called dissidents, is obviously a matter of concern for the Government. I know that all Members of the House will join me in condemning these groups without reserve. The Independent Monitoring Commission has outlined the range of criminal activity in which they are involved, and we should be clear that these...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (14 Oct 2010)

Dermot Ahern: There were a number of recommendations in the Special Group Report (McCarthy) which referred to the Justice Sector, across nine different programme areas. In all these recommendations identified €134.5m in potential savings; €84m of which related to staffing and payroll costs, €16.3m to operational efficiencies, €14.6m related to structural reform and rationalisation and a further...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (14 Oct 2010)

Dermot Ahern: I presented the Criminal Justice (Forensic Evidence and DNA Database System) Bill 2010 to Dáil Éireann on 15 January 2010. The Bill passed Second Stage on 4 March 2010 and it is currently awaiting Committee Stage.

Written Answers — White Papers: White Papers (14 Oct 2010)

Dermot Ahern: I can inform the Deputy that the White Paper on Crime is on target for publication in 2011. A key part of the process involves the publication of a series of discussion documents designed to give structure to the broad range of issues which arise in this field. Submissions are invited from members of the public and other interested parties in connection with each document and consultation...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (14 Oct 2010)

Dermot Ahern: The Property Services (Regulation) Bill 2009 has passed all Stages in Seanad Éireann and is currently awaiting Second Stage in the House. The amendment to give responsibility to the Property Services Regulatory Authority for the management of the database relating to letting arrangements in the commercial property market will be advanced in the normal way as the Bill progresses through the...

Written Answers — Rent Reviews: Rent Reviews (14 Oct 2010)

Dermot Ahern: The Rent Review Arbitration Code to which the Deputy refers was the subject of a recommendation of the Working Group on transparency in commercial rent reviews. That recommendation was for industry-wide acceptance, on a voluntary basis, of a code of best practice along the lines of the code which was appended to the report. As such, the code is already in the public domain and is available...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (14 Oct 2010)

Dermot Ahern: The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the table. Year Overtime Expenditure in €000 2008 € 115,280 2009 € 79,486 2010 € 60,666 I would ask the Deputy to note that the figure for 2009 is subject to final confirmation by way of the Appropriation Accounts process. The figure for 2010 is provisional as at 30 September 2010.

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (14 Oct 2010)

Dermot Ahern: The Reception and Integration Agency (RIA) of my Department is responsible for the accommodation of asylum seekers in accordance with the Government policy of direct provision and dispersal. In 2008, the RIA expenditure on asylum seeker accommodation was €91.5m, in 2009 the figure was €86.5m while to end September, 2010 the figure was €57.9m. The estimates provision for 2010 is...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (14 Oct 2010)

Dermot Ahern: Each EU instrument has to be considered on its merits, including any Common Travel Area concerns that might arise and the outcome of those considerations in respect of one Directive does not necessarily bear on that for subsequent unrelated instruments. I refer the Deputy to my answer to Parliamentary Question 142 of 13 May 2010 in which I set out the primary reason why Ireland did not...

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (14 Oct 2010)

Dermot Ahern: Valid applications for certificates of naturalisation from the persons referred to in the Deputy's Question were received in the Citizenship Division of my Department in December 2007. All valid applications are dealt with in chronological order as this is deemed to be the fairest to all applicants.The average processing time from application to decision is now at 26 months. More complicated...

Written Answers — Public Order Offences: Public Order Offences (14 Oct 2010)

Dermot Ahern: I am informed by the Garda authorities that the area referred to is within Maynooth Garda Sub-District. Local Garda management is aware of difficulties being experienced by residents. A number of persons have been arrested in relation to incidents, some of whom have been charged and are currently before the courts. Other incidents are under ongoing Garda investigation. A member of the...

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (14 Oct 2010)

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 October 2008 and I decided in my absolute discretion to grant a certificate of naturalisation. The person concerned was informed of this decision in a letter issued to him on 21 September, 2010. Documentation required for...