Results 11,341-11,360 of 19,162 for speaker:Alan Shatter

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (8 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: My Department is examining all relevant criminal justice aspects of the cash for gold trade in consultation with An Garda Síochána and a report of this examination which is at an advanced stage will allow for the necessary comprehensive assessment of the position and the development of any necessary and effective measures to address any gap that currently exists in the law in respect of the...

Written Answers — Sexual Offences: Sexual Offences (8 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: It is not possible, in the time available, to collate the information requested by the Deputy. I will furnish the information to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Crime Levels: Crime Levels (8 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: I share the Deputy's concern at the incidence of burglaries and other property crimes. Insofar as detection rates are concerned, the most recent CSO analysis shows a detection rate for burglary in the region of 25% for 2010. It is important to note that detection rates do vary according to the nature of the crime and that this is in line with international experience. Detection rates are...

Written Answers — Garda Deployment: Garda Deployment (8 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: I refer the Deputy to my reply below to Parliamentary Question No. 951 of 18 April 2012. The position is unchanged since then. The Deputy will appreciate that for good reason it is not the policy, nor would it be in the public interest, to comment on matters relating to the personal security of specific individuals. However, as a matter of course, An Garda Síochána continually keep such...

Written Answers — Northern Ireland Issues: Northern Ireland Issues (8 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 302 and 303 together. Over the course of the conflict in Northern Ireland a number of people were abducted and murdered by paramilitary groups, and then buried in secret locations. They have become known as 'the Disappeared'. The Irish and British Governments established the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims' Remains in 1999 as one of the...

Written Answers — Criminal Prosecutions: Criminal Prosecutions (8 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: 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 for this purpose. I have requested the CSO to provide statistics directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (8 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: I wish to inform the Deputy that the information he has requested is as follows: Health and Safety My Department recently commissioned Safecon Training and Consultancy to carry out the preparation of a Safety Statement and Risk Assessment Investigation. To date no payment has been made for this service. Finally, the Deputy might wish to note that questions concerning Ministerial allowances...

Written Answers — Consultancy Contracts: Consultancy Contracts (8 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: There are no records to indicate that there were any payments made to External Public Relations, Marketing or Communication Consultants by my Department during the period February 2011 to date. I wish to advise the Deputy that queries concerning my Ministerial Allowance are solely a matter for the Houses of the Oireachtas and all future queries should be directed to that forum.

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (8 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: I am advised by the Citizenship Division of the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) that valid applications for a certificate of naturalisation were received from the persons referred to by the Deputy in May, 2011 and March, 2011 respectively. The applications are at an advanced stage of processing and will be submitted to me for decision as expeditiously as possible. The...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (8 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: It is assumed the Deputy is interested in establishing whether any staff of my Department or agencies under my remit who retired and benefited from the transitional arrangements that operated up to 29 February 2012 under the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Act 2009, have subsequently been re-employed. The Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2)...

Written Answers — Liquor Licensing Laws: Liquor Licensing Laws (8 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: The Deputy will appreciate that I am not in a position to comment on a particular case in response to a Parliamentary Question. However, I can indicate the following by way of general information. Under section 4 of the Courts (No. 2) Act 1986, as amended, renewal of a licence for the sale of intoxicating liquor for premises which have been licensed in the immediately preceding year is...

Written Answers — Departmental Complaints Procedures: Departmental Complaints Procedures (8 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: I wish to assure the Deputy that my Department treats all complaints of bullying seriously and manages them in accordance with the Civil Service Policy on harassment, sexual harassment and bullying - A Positive Working Environment. In the instance referred to by the Deputy the Human Resources Division of my Department made every effort to have the complaint involving the person in question...

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (8 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: The visa application referred to by the Deputy was received in the visa office, Dublin on the 3 May 2012. Following consideration it was the decision of the visa officer to refuse the granting of the visa. It is open to the person concerned to appeal the decision not to grant the visa sought, within two months of the date of refusal, in this instance before the 3 July 2012. Guidelines as to...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (8 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: The position in relation to this matter remains as indicated in my reply to Questions Nos. 941 and 977 of 18th April 2012. I have also addressed this matter in the course of my speech about the modernisation and reform of the legal sector delivered at the Annual Conference of the Law Society on 14th April - the full text has been made available on my Department's website, www.justice.ie, for...

Written Answers — Crime Prevention: Crime Prevention (8 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: I am informed by the Garda authorities that the area referred to is within Raheny Garda sub-District. I am further informed that members of the Community Policing Unit recently called to the residence of the person referred to by the Deputy to discuss her concerns and provide advice on security measures. The area referred to has a large number of elderly residents who receive dedicated...

Written Answers — Prisoner Releases: Prisoner Releases (8 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 315, 316 and 319 together. The legislative basis for making decisions on temporary release are fully set out in the Criminal Justice Act 1960, as amended by the Criminal Justice (Temporary Release of Prisoners) Act 2003. Candidates for temporary release are identified by a number of different means but primarily on the recommendation of the Prison Governor or...

Written Answers — Prison Education Service: Prison Education Service (8 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: I refer the Deputy to my response to Parliamentary Question No. 119 which outlines the position in this regard. As the Deputy will be aware from my replies to previous Parliamentary Questions, the Irish Prison Service provides a wide range of rehabilitative programmes that include education, vocational training, health care, psychiatric, psychological, counselling, welfare and spiritual...

Written Answers — Prisoner Transfers: Prisoner Transfers (8 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 318 and 320 together. Applications for transfer to an alternate facility within the prison estate on health, humanitarian or other grounds are received primarily on the recommendation of the Prison Governor or the therapeutic services in the prisons. The prisoner, their family or their legal representative can also apply for consideration of such a request. As...

Written Answers — Crime Levels: Crime Levels (8 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: I have studied the statistics on recorded crimes where the suspected offenders are on bail and I am conscious of public concern about the extent to which offences continue to be committed by persons on bail. I share that concern. A decision to grant bail in a particular case is a matter for the court, which is, subject only to the Constitution and the law, independent in the exercise of its...

Written Answers — Organised Crime: Organised Crime (8 May 2012)

Alan Shatter: The Deputy will appreciate that organised crime, by its very nature, is constantly evolving and diversifying in both its structures and activities so as to exploit opportunities for criminal gain. Given this, membership of organised crime gangs tends to be fluid and offences committed by members of criminal gangs may or may not be connected with an individual's membership of such gangs. It is...