Results 15,561-15,580 of 19,162 for speaker:Alan Shatter

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (23 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: As the Deputy is aware, Ireland had its first examination under Article 19 of the United Nations Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment on the 22nd and 23rd of May 2011. As part of this examination process, the Irish Human Rights Commission submitted a report to the UN Committee against Torture. Reports were also submitted to the Committee by...

Written Answers — Neighbourhood Watch: Neighbourhood Watch (23 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: I am informed by the Garda authorities that as the current Strategy and Implementation Plan for Neighbourhood Watch, covering the period 2007 - 2011, is in its final year of operation, it is now being reviewed. Future strategies to develop Neighbourhood Watch, and similar programmes such as Community Alert, as effective crime prevention initiatives will take account of the overall policing...

Written Answers — Garda Strength: Garda Strength (23 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: I recently received sanction from the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform for the filling of six Garda posts and on 22nd March the Government appointed one Deputy Commissioner, one Assistant Commissioner, one Chief Superintendent and three Superintendents in An Garda Síochána. The allocation of resources in An Garda Síochána, including the distribution of personnel, is a matter for...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (23 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: The Deputy will be aware that the Programme for Government indicates that legislation will be introduced to end upward only rent reviews for existing leases. I am engaged in on-going consultations with the Attorney General in order to determine how this matter can best be expedited. In addition to the legislation which has been specified in the Programme for Government, I am also very...

Written Answers — Departmental Committees: Departmental Committees (23 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: As I have already indicated, the Government decided on a number of actions following its meeting last week which considered the circumstances of the women and girls who resided in the Magdalen Laundries. The Government believes it is essential to fully establish the true facts and circumstances relating to the Laundries as a first step. Along with my colleague, the Minister for State for...

Written Answers — Departmental Appointments: Departmental Appointments (23 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: I refer the Deputy to my reply below to Parliamentary Question No. 15984 of 16 June 2011. The position is unchanged since then. The Government has decided that new arrangements will be put in place for the making of appointments to State boards and bodies, such as the Equality Authority. In future, Departments will invite expressions of interest on their websites for vacancies on the boards...

Written Answers — Garda Vetting of Personnel: Garda Vetting of Personnel (23 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: The Garda Central Vetting Unit (GCVU) provides a centralised vetting service for all registered organisations nationwide. The organisation to which the Deputy refers is registered with the GCVU for employment vetting purposes. I am informed by the Garda Authorities that there have been no changes to the procedures in place for the processing of Garda vetting applications. The length of time...

Written Answers — Missing Persons: Missing Persons (23 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: I am informed that the telephone number to which the Deputy refers has been reserved by the European Commission as a common missing children telephone hotline for the entire EU. It is made available by national telecoms regulators to organisations they consider to be qualified to offer such a service. The allocation of the number in Ireland is therefore a matter in the first instance for...

Written Answers — Gaming Licences: Gaming Licences (23 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: I am not aware that an application has been made for a gaming licence in respect of the development to which the Deputy refers. However, should an application be made, it will be assessed in accordance with the relevant statutes, namely the Gaming and Lotteries Acts 1956-2003. Those Acts are based on the principle that only those gaming activities and establishments permitted by the Acts may...

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (23 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: Valid applications for a certificate of naturalisation from the persons referred to in the Deputy's Question were received in the Citizenship Division of my Department in November 2008. The application from the second named person is at the final stage of processing. Officials in the Citizenship Division inform me that a letter requesting further documentation was issued to the applicant on...

Written Answers — Prison Accommodation: Prison Accommodation (23 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 128 and 132 together. The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the tables below. Table 1 sets out the total number of cells in each institution and is broken down into cells that can accommodate one, two, three and four or more prisoners. The table also includes the capped bed capacity as suggested by the Inspector of Prisons in the report...

Written Answers — Organised Crime: Organised Crime (23 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 129 to 131, inclusive, and 135 together. I am informed by the Garda authorities that there are two categories of organised crime groups operating in this jurisdiction. The first category consists of individuals / groups that are well established and tightly structured involved in drug trafficking, armed robbery, firearms offences and other offences with...

Written Answers — Prison Education Service: Prison Education Service (23 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 133 and 134 together. I can advise the Deputy that the Irish Prison Service provides a range of rehabilitative programmes which have the dual purpose of providing prisoners with purposeful activity while serving their sentences and encouraging and equipping them to lead productive lives on release. Amongst these are health care, psychiatric, psychological,...

Written Answers — Crime Levels: Crime Levels (23 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 136 and 137 together. Following the submission in 2004 of a report and recommendations by an expert group on crime statistics, it was decided that the compilation and publication of crime statistics should be taken over by the Central Statistics Office, as the national statistical agency, from An Garda Síochána. The Garda Síochána Act 2005 consequently...

Written Answers — Courts Service: Courts Service (23 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: The management and administration of the courts, as the Deputy will be aware, is a matter for the Courts Service. The allocation of the business of the courts, scheduling of court cases and the management of court lists are matters for the judiciary and the Presidents of the courts. The Deputy will also be aware that judges are, subject to the Constitution and the law, independent in the...

Written Answers — Residency Permits: Residency Permits (23 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: I can confirm that the person concern has submitted an application for Long Term Residency. This application is one a number of applications which are awaiting a decision at present. However, I can assure the Deputy that, assuming that all necessary documentation and information has been submitted and all is found to be in order, there will be no avoidable delay in having this application...

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (23 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: Based on the information supplied by the Deputy, I am informed by officials in my Department that they can find no record of a current visa application for the person referred to. When completing an on-line visa application the applicant is assigned a unique visa transaction number. This detail must be provided where a query on the status of a visa application arises. The provision of this...

Written Answers — Garda Recruitment: Garda Recruitment (23 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: As the moratorium on Public Service Recruitment continues to apply to An Garda Síochána, no date has been fixed for future intakes into the Garda College or for the commencement of a recruitment competition. A decision on when recruitment will re-commence will take into account the rate of retirement in the Garda Síochána and Government targets for reductions in public service numbers.

Written Answers — Army Barracks: Army Barracks (23 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: Various commissions, reports and studies back to the 1990s identified barrack closure as a fundamental requirement towards improving military effectiveness and efficiency. The dispersal of Defence Forces personnel over an extended number of locations is a major impediment to essential collective training and the consolidation process is designed to facilitate higher training standards, while...

Written Answers — Defence Forces Recruitment: Defence Forces Recruitment (23 Jun 2011)

Alan Shatter: Recruitment to the Permanent Defence Force was suspended in late 2008 pending a review of the best means by which to achieve the reduction of 3% in payroll costs that had been applied, in common with other areas of the public service, to the Defence Forces. The present position is that, within the context of consolidating the public finances, the Government is focused firmly on maintaining...