Results 1,921-1,940 of 19,162 for speaker:Alan Shatter

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Insolvency Service of Ireland Administration (5 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: Recent media coverage suggested that individual debts to credit unions which were in excess of €20,000 may be secured by an insurance policy with the credit union and would therefore be ineligible for inclusion in a Debt Settlement Arrangement under the Personal Insolvency Act 2012. The position as to whether or not a credit union is deemed to be a "secured creditor" will depend on...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Services for People with Disabilities (5 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: The Government continues to prioritise the needs of people with disabilities. The Programme for Government contains a number of commitments in that regard, including the publication of a realistic implementation plan for the National Disability Strategy. That Implementation Plan was published in July 2013 and is the first such implementation plan to be put in place since the National...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Stardust Fire (5 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: As I have previously indicated, nothing I have seen in the extensive correspondence from the Stardust Victims Committee to date, including the considerable volume of correspondence circulated recently, would be grounds for my taking a different view to the conclusions set out in the Independent Examination by Mr. Paul Coffey. That is, in the absence of any identified evidence, the most...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Criminal Justice Issues (5 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: The Deputy will be aware that this tragic case was the subject of an independent examination by a Senior Counsel who reported in 2007 and whose conclusions were accepted by the then Minister. Establishing an inquiry into the events in question would not be consistent with the report's findings. Insofar as the question of criminal investigations into these events are concerned, the Deputy...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Investigations (5 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: I have been informed by the Garda authorities that the matter in question is currently the subject of a Garda investigation and the Deputy will therefore appreciate that it would not be appropriate for me to comment further on the matter.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission Remit (5 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: It is important that the Garda Síochána is operationally independent and democratically accountable. The Garda Síochána Act 2005 seeks to achieve those objectives by specifying the functions of the Garda Commissioner and the Force, on the one hand, and the Minister for Justice, the Government and the Houses of the Oireachtas on the other. The Act provides that the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission Remit (5 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: I propose to answer Questions Nos. 27 and 47 together. The Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission was established under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 to provide independent oversight of complaints made against members of the Garda Síochána. The Garda Ombudsman Commission has a hugely important role in ensuring that public confidence in the Garda Síochána...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Magdalen Laundries (5 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: The Deputy will appreciate that the provision of medical services will be done through the Department of Health and the details of exactly what services will be provided, where they will be provided and how they will be provided will, have to be fully determined by them. In that context my officials are working with officials in the Department of Health on finalising the drafting of the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Court Procedures (5 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: At its meeting yesterday, the Government approved the drafting of the Criminal Justice (Community Sanctions) Bill, which will replace the Probation of Offenders Act 1907 with modern provisions dealing with community sanctions and the role of the Probation Service in the criminal justice system. The details of the proposed Bill will be announced in due course. It is intended that the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Complaints Procedures (5 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: My Department has been examining the correspondence from 24 individuals which was delivered to my office on 17 October 2013. This correspondence was acknowledged upon receipt and an examination was arranged of the cases in order to ascertain whether the individuals concerned have availed of the appropriate mechanisms for the consideration of their complaints. Some of these complaints date...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Youth Diversion Projects (5 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: The Diversion Programme operates in accordance with Part 4 of the Children Act 2001, as amended, and under the general superintendence and control of the Garda Commissioner. The objective of the Diversion Programme is to divert any child who accepts responsibility for his or her criminal or anti social behaviour from committing further offences or engaging in further anti social behaviour....

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Youth Diversion Projects (5 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: There are 100 Garda Youth Diversion Projects (GYDPs) nationwide. These projects are community-based, multi-agency crime prevention initiatives run by community based organisations in partnership with An Garda Síochána and they are funded/overseen by my Department‘s unit within the Irish Youth Justice Service. The projects receive their participants mainly between the ages...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Resources (5 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: As the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the detailed distribution of resources and the allocation of personnel among the Garda Regions, Divisions and Districts, the various Garda national units and of course Garda Headquarters. Garda management keep this distribution under continuing review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities so as to ensure...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prisoner Numbers (5 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: I can inform the Deputy that as of Wednesday 29th January, there were a total of 62 subversive prisoners in custody in the prison estate. There are 14 prisoners awaiting trial, the remaining 48 prisoners have been sentenced. Subversive prisoners are located in the maximum security Portlaoise Prison which, in addition to the usual perimeter security, has an armed military presence. My...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Crime Investigation (5 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: The Deputy will be aware that arrangements are being put in train for Mr. Dominic McGinn, Senior Counsel, to carry out the proposed independent examination of the report of the Serious Crime Review Team relating to the Garda investigation into the death of Fr.Niall Molloy. The terms of reference for the examination have been agreed with the Attorney General and are available on my...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Subsidiary Protection Administration (5 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: With regard to the introduction of a new subsidiary protection system, the Deputy may be aware that I made new Regulations last year governing the investigation and determination of applications for subsidiary protection in the State. The European Union (Subsidiary Protection) Regulations 2013, which came into effect on 14 November 2013, were made to address certain matters which arose from...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Operations (5 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: As I explained in a response to a previous Question on this matter, all cancellations are now executed using the Fixed Charge Processing Office computer system and as a result the comment box on Pulse is no longer used when cancelling notices. I do not see a need for further examination into the specific matter at this point in time.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Proposed Legislation (5 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: The draft legislation to provide for the merger of the Human Rights Commission and the Equality Authority to form a new enhanced Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) is close to being finalised and I expect to publish this Bill shortly. In the meantime, and pending enactment of the Bill, the members designate of the new Commission have been appointed on an interim basis to the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Irish Prison Service (5 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: The Deputy will be aware that I published the Irish Prison Service 3-Year Strategic Plan in April 2012. I am pleased to note that significant progress has already been achieved by the Irish Prison Service with regard to the implementation of the Strategy. The Community Return Programme has been successfully rolled out across all prisons. In excess of 800 prisoners have participated in the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Charities Regulation (5 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that I recently issued a call for Expressions of Interest from suitably qualified persons who wish to be considered for appointment to the Board of a new Charities Regulatory Authority, with a view to making appointments before Easter. I have also recently received sanction from the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to appoint an interim CEO and a...