Results 11,981-12,000 of 19,162 for speaker:Alan Shatter

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (13 Mar 2012)

Alan Shatter: In assessing a visa application a visa officer takes into consideration a number of factors before arriving at a decision. Each visa application is considered on its individual merits, the onus resting at all times with the applicant to satisfy the visa officer that the visa should be granted. Regarding the matter of finances and what would be considered sufficient, I can advise that there...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (13 Mar 2012)

Alan Shatter: Reviews of the matters covered by the Bill to which the Deputy refers are at an advanced stage and the conclusions arising will allow for the necessary comprehensive assessment of the matters and the development of any necessary measures to address any gap that currently exists in the law in respect of cash for gold and scrap metal trading. My Department is examining the criminal justice...

Written Answers — Residency Permits: Residency Permits (13 Mar 2012)

Alan Shatter: I am informed by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) that there is no record of a family reunification application having been received from the person referred to by the Deputy. I would advise the Deputy that a specific case query may be made directly to INIS by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. This...

Written Answers — Public Service Staff: Public Service Staff (13 Mar 2012)

Alan Shatter: I am taking the Deputy's question to refer to public servants who have retired in the period 1 January 2012 to 29 February 2012 and who benefited from the provisions under the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Act 2009 which provided for the superannuation benefits of public servants, who retired within a 'grace period' which ended on 29 February 2012, to be...

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (13 Mar 2012)

Alan Shatter: I am advised by the Citizenship Division of the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) that a valid application for a certificate of naturalisation was received from the person referred to by the Deputy in December, 2008. The application is currently being processed with a view to establishing whether the applicant meets the statutory conditions for the granting of...

Written Answers — Organised Crime: Organised Crime (13 Mar 2012)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 462 and 464 together. The Deputy will appreciate that 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. The Garda Síochána Policing Plan for 2012 sets out the continued commitment of An Garda Síochána to pro-actively target...

Written Answers — Crime Levels: Crime Levels (13 Mar 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 the most up to date figures concerning homicide directly to the Deputy. As the Deputy will appreciate, the categorisation...

Written Answers — Defence of the Dwelling: Defence of the Dwelling (13 Mar 2012)

Alan Shatter: As I stated in a topical issues debate in the House on the 29 February, the Criminal Law (Defence and the Dwelling) Act 2011 clearly outlines the rights of householders when faced with an attack or an intrusion in their own house. Section 2 of the Act provides that where a trespasser is entering the dwelling to commit a criminal act, a householder may use such force as is reasonable in the...

Written Answers — Defence of the Dwelling: Defence of the Dwelling (13 Mar 2012)

Alan Shatter: As I stated recently in a Topical Issues debate in the House, I am of the view that the Criminal Law (Defence and the Dwelling) Act 2011 is an extremely important piece of legislation. I specifically referred to the fact that there had previously been a lack of clarity regarding what a householders rights are when a burglar enters a dwelling and that this Act clearly states what those rights...

Written Answers — Criminal Prosecutions: Criminal Prosecutions (13 Mar 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, therefore, requested the CSO to provide statistics as sought directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Crime Levels: Crime Levels (13 Mar 2012)

Alan Shatter: I take it that the Deputy is referring to incidents of domestic violence reported to An Garda Síochána. Prosecutions in such cases arise following a breach of the domestic violence barring or protection order. In the usual course of events following an incident of domestic violence, the victim may apply to court for a barring or protection order. Where such an order is breached, the victim...

Written Answers — Prison Education Service: Prison Education Service (13 Mar 2012)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 469 and 471 together. The statistics requested by the Deputy are not readily available and would require a disproportionate and inordinate amount of staff time and effort that could not be justified where there are other significant demands on resources. However, I can advise that, in addition to education and vocational training, the Irish Prison Service...

Written Answers — Electronic Tagging: Electronic Tagging (13 Mar 2012)

Alan Shatter: Part 10 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006 provides for the introduction of electronic monitoring, or tagging as it is also known, in this jurisdiction. My predecessor made the relevant order in 2010 commencing the provisions in the context of a restriction of movement condition applying to the granting of temporary release. A Project Board was at the time set up to examine the whole area of...

Written Answers — Prisoner Releases: Prisoner Releases (13 Mar 2012)

Alan Shatter: The Criminal Justice Act 1960, as amended by the Criminal Justice (Temporary Release of Prisoners) Act 2003 provides that sentenced prisoners may be approved temporary release. The Act sets out the criteria which applies including the circumstances when temporary release may be provided and what matters must be taken into account. Candidates for temporary release are identified by a number...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (13 Mar 2012)

Alan Shatter: Under the provisions of section 26 of the Sex Offenders Act, 2001, it is an offence for a person convicted of a sexual offence to apply for a position working with children or mentally impaired persons without informing the employer of their criminal conviction. It is currently the practice for persons working in such positions to be vetted when they apply for employment and any criminal...

Written Answers — Crime Levels: Crime Levels (13 Mar 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 the relevant recorded crime statistics directly to the Deputy. Insofar as sentences are concerned, tables, provided by the...

Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (13 Mar 2012)

Alan Shatter: The bodies under the aegis of my Department are the Civil Defence Board, the Army Pensions Board and the Board of Coiste an Asgard. Tables set out membership of these Boards for years 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011. Civil Defence Board Term Mr. Joe Meagher (Chair) 2005 - 2011 Mr. Ned Gleeson 2005 - 2011 Ms. Gabrielle Willis 2005 - 2011 Mr. Gerry Naylor 2005 - 2008 Ms. Róisín...

Written Answers — Public Service Staff: Public Service Staff (13 Mar 2012)

Alan Shatter: There have been no early retirements by staff of my Department or bodies under the aegis of my Department from positions based in County Clare.

Asylum Support Services (13 Mar 2012)

Alan Shatter: The Deputy and I agree that the current system does not work well in the sense that when someone seeks to be granted political asylum, an initial decision is made as part of an appellate system which people are entitled to appeal. Then a series of further applications can be made. This draws out something that should produce a decision within a six month period. However, in most cases it...

Asylum Support Services (13 Mar 2012)

Alan Shatter: I do not have the answer to that. The Deputy should remember that in the context of processing applications the duration people stay in direct provision and the difficulties they experience are not solely the issue of the legislation. An extraordinary number of applications are made by way of judicial review to the High Court when applications are turned down. Then, rather than my...