Results 12,961-12,980 of 19,162 for speaker:Alan Shatter

Written Answers — Legal Aid Service: Legal Aid Service (17 Jan 2012)

Alan Shatter: 1I can inform the Deputy that the Legal Aid Board is unable to provide an immediate service to all applicants. However in recognition of the fact that certain categories of cases require an immediate or almost immediate service the following matters are accorded priority: · child abduction proceedings; · cases in which there is a real danger of children being taken out of the jurisdiction...

Written Answers — Legal Aid Service: Legal Aid Service (17 Jan 2012)

Alan Shatter: 2057I wish to inform the Deputy that as the Legal Aid Board is a statutory, independent body in accordance with the Civil Legal Aid Act 1995, any decision to grant or refuse legal aid is a matter for the Board. Under Section 7(3) of the Act, I am precluded from exercising any power or control in relation to any particular case with which the Legal Aid Board is or may be concerned....

Written Answers — Crime Levels: Crime Levels (17 Jan 2012)

Alan Shatter: 4I have requested a report from the Garda authorities in relation to the matter referred to by the Deputy. I will contact the Deputy again when the report is to hand.

Written Answers — Garda Recruitment: Garda Recruitment (17 Jan 2012)

Alan Shatter: 2057The moratorium on Public Service Recruitment continues to apply to An Garda Síochána and no date has been fixed for future intakes into the Garda College. A decision on when recruitment will re-commence will take into account the rate of retirements in the Garda Síochána and Government targets, set in the context of the agreement with the EU and the IMF, to reduce the numbers of...

Written Answers — Legal Services Regulation Bill: Legal Services Regulation Bill (17 Jan 2012)

Alan Shatter: 1I refer the Deputy to my reply to Parliamentary Questions No. 27 and 37 of 1 December 2011. In my reply I indicated that while a preliminary regulatory impact assessment had been in preparation it did not prove possible to complete it for publication at the same time as the Bill. This was due to the exceptionally demanding EU/IMF deadline that applied and was met by the Government in...

Written Answers — Drug Offences: Drug Offences (17 Jan 2012)

Alan Shatter: 1I understand the Deputy's question to refer to drugs offences which attract the mandatory minimum sentencing provisions as set out in Section 27 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977 (as amended by the Criminal Justice Acts 1999, 2006 and 2007). The data as requested by the Deputy is not readily available in my Department. However, I have asked the Courts Service to supply the information sought...

Written Answers — Legislative Programme: Legislative Programme (17 Jan 2012)

Alan Shatter: 1The Government's Legislative Programme which was published on 11 January provides that the Mediation Bill will be published in 2012. However, as indicated in Section G of the Programme, I intend to forward the draft Heads of the Bill to the Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality for any observations or suggestions they may have prior to finalising its contents.

Written Answers — Immigration Service: Immigration Service (17 Jan 2012)

Alan Shatter: 1I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) that the Asylum & Immigration Strategic Integration Programme (AISIP) went live in October 2011. One of the principal aims of the new system is to ensure more efficient management of its cases by combining into one system over 20 stand-alone and disparate IT systems involving 69 separate types of applications and...

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (17 Jan 2012)

Alan Shatter: 1The Ethics in Public Office Acts 1995 and 2001 provide for the disclosure of interests by Office Holders, the Attorney General, members of the Houses of the Oireachtas, Special Advisers and holders of designated directorships and occupiers of designated positions in the civil service and the semi-state sector. Such designated posts are either included in the primary legislation or...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (17 Jan 2012)

Alan Shatter: 1In general the lump sum and ongoing pension costs in respect of staff who retire from this Department and from organisations under the auspice of the Department are paid from the Superannuation and Allowances Vote of the Office of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. However, the retirement lump sums and ongoing pension costs in relation to members of An Garda Síochána are paid...

Written Answers — Garda Stations: Garda Stations (17 Jan 2012)

Alan Shatter: 1I am advised by the Garda authorities that an expenditure of €2,200 was incurred by An Garda Síochána from the Garda Vote in respect of minor repair works to Loughglynn Garda station in 2010. I am further advised that the Office of Public Works has separately undertaken maintenance works at Loughglynn Garda station with a view to securing the overall fabric of the building, in the...

Written Answers — Animal Pounds: Animal Pounds (17 Jan 2012)

Alan Shatter: 1Under the Pounds (Provision and Maintenance) Act 1935 local authorities are required to provide pounds for the use of a County Registrar in exercising the function of Sheriff. The Deputy will appreciate that County Registrars are independent in the performance of their functions in this regard. However, I have had enquiries made and the Kilkenny County Registrar has not used the animal...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (17 Jan 2012)

Alan Shatter: 1The total gross allocated budget for the Departments Vote (Vote 19 – Justice and Equality) in 2011 was €402.664 million. The provisional figure for gross expenditure is €400.403 million which does not include €460,000 in unspent capital expenditure carried forward to 2012 under the deferred capital provisions of the Finance Act 2004. In addition the budget for receipts...

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (17 Jan 2012)

Alan Shatter: 1I am informed by the Garda Authorities that a Police Certificate is issued for the information of Consular Authorities only and not for any other purpose. It is issued solely to show convictions, if any, recorded against the applicant. Subject to the provisions of Section 258 Children's Act, 2001, when completing a Police Certificate in respect of a person who has been found guilty of an...

Written Answers — Legislation on Prostitution: Legislation on Prostitution (17 Jan 2012)

Alan Shatter: 1As indicated by the Deputy, I announced in October my intention to arrange a consultation process to help inform the future direction of legislation on prostitution. I also stated at that time that I am concerned to ensure public debate on this issue is open to the widest possible audience. For that reason, a detailed discussion document to facilitate the consultation process is being...

Written Answers — Asylum Applications: Asylum Applications (17 Jan 2012)

Alan Shatter: 1The persons concerned are a husband and wife who entered the State on 10th September, 2004 and lodged separate asylum applications. Their asylum applications were considered by the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner and the Refugee Appeals Tribunal, both of whom concluded that the persons concerned did not meet the criteria for recognition as refugees. Arising from the refusal...

Written Answers — Homophobic Crime: Homophobic Crime (17 Jan 2012)

Alan Shatter: 1I am informed by the Garda authorities that An Garda Síochána attach importance to managing with sensitivity cases where members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) communities are victims of crime. Where appropriate, such a victim is referred to a trained LGBT Officer within An Garda Síochána. All victims of crimes, including those with a homophobic motivation, are...

Written Answers — Legal Services Regulation Bill: Legal Services Regulation Bill (17 Jan 2012)

Alan Shatter: 1The Deputy will be aware that the Second Stage debate in respect of the Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011 commenced in the House on 16 December 2011 and is soon to resume. The Bill represents a historical opportunity for modernisation and reform of the way legal services are provided in the State and of the antiquated and opaque legal costs regime. It sets out to achieve an appropriate...

Written Answers — Irish Prison Service: Irish Prison Service (17 Jan 2012)

Alan Shatter: 1I wish to inform the Deputy that it is not possible, in the time available, to provide a full breakdown of all the information sought. My Department is in the process of collating this information which will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible. However, I have been informed by the Irish Prison Service that a Central Procurement Unit was established in March, 2007. There are...

Written Answers — Deportation Orders: Deportation Orders (17 Jan 2012)

Alan Shatter: 1I am satisfied that the applications made by the person concerned for asylum and subsidiary protection, as well as the representations made under Section 3 of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended), together with all refoulement issues, were fairly and comprehensively examined and, as such, the decision to deport him is justified. However, if new information or circumstances have come to...