Results 281-300 of 4,808 for speaker:Alan Shatter in 'Dáil debates'

Criminal Law (Incest) (Amendment) Bill 2012: Second Stage [Private Members] (7 Mar 2014)

Alan Shatter: I thank Deputy Naughten. It is a very good thing that we have had this discussion and I very much appreciate the work he has done in this area. When we talk about child sexual abuse, the focus is very often on the stranger who poses a threat to a child but much of the research done and much of the experience in this area show that children more often than not know their abuser. Often the...

Criminal Law (Incest) (Amendment) Bill 2012: Second Stage [Private Members] (7 Mar 2014)

Alan Shatter: On a point of order, I do not wish to interrupt the Deputy's flow, but Deputy Naughten's Bill is not being blown out of the water. We are not opposing the Bill and I welcome the initiative he has taken.

Criminal Law (Incest) (Amendment) Bill 2012: Second Stage [Private Members] (7 Mar 2014)

Alan Shatter: There will be no vote on the Bill.

Criminal Law (Incest) (Amendment) Bill 2012: Second Stage [Private Members] (7 Mar 2014)

Alan Shatter: We will accept the Bill on Second Stage. I have merely explained we will produce a Bill which will address a range of other matters of relevance.

Criminal Law (Incest) (Amendment) Bill 2012: Second Stage [Private Members] (7 Mar 2014)

Alan Shatter: I thank Deputy Denis Naughten for raising this issue. It is one in which he and I have had a particular interest for some considerable time. The Bill is, in part, a response to the Roscommon child care case, as detailed by him. As the House is aware, an inquiry team chaired by Ms Norah Gibbons presented a report on the case to the HSE in October 2010. I am conscious that the preface to...

Government's Priorities for the Year Ahead: Statements (Resumed) (5 Mar 2014)

Alan Shatter: I intend to address my justice brief first and thereafter defence. As Deputies will know, the programme for Government sets out a substantial and broad agenda for reform in the area of justice and equality. We have made great progress in implementing this agenda in the first three years of the Government's term of office and we have achieved unprecedented reform in that time. It is my aim,...

Other Questions: Ministerial Responsibilities (27 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: The Minister for Justice and Equality and the Minister for Defence do on occasion agree with each other. The list of legislation the Deputy received from the Department of Defence was a reasonable list and not excessive. Given the manner in which the Deputy phrased the question and the amount of legislation for which the Department of Justice and Equality is responsible, the amount of time...

Other Questions: Ministerial Responsibilities (27 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: When that matter arose I expressed some concern about it. The legal advice I got was that under statute it was quite appropriate that I do both jobs. However, I took the view that it was not appropriate based on the spirit of the legislation. Therefore, to cater for when matters come from the Chief of Staff to be signed by the Minister for Defence, an order was made to the effect that...

Other Questions: Direct Provision System (27 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: I understand the Deputy's genuine interest in the matter but he is mistaken on one issue. The last Bill was published in 2010, at which time I was Opposition spokesperson. It was the third Bill in this area and despite that it was a much better Bill than its predecessor there were still very substantial defects in it. Deputy Rabbitte, who was then Labour Party spokesperson on justice, and...

Other Questions: Direct Provision System (27 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: Some of those houses could be provided to those who are not entitled to asylum. The State cannot afford to do that. We are not in a position, having regard to the current finances of the State, to provide appropriate local authority or social housing for many of those born in this country who are currently in need of housing. We are constrained in terms of the amount of money available to...

Other Questions: Direct Provision System (27 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: I have to deal with these matters realistically.

Other Questions: Direct Provision System (27 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: There is an independent structure to deal with appeals in this area. I note the judgment to which the Deputy referred. As I said, people are entitled to have access to the courts. It is not the function or role of the Minister to deal with the hearings of these cases. There is a structure in place to do that, which is independent. If there is a procedural or substantive failure, the...

Other Questions: Ministerial Responsibilities (27 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 and 38 together. As the Deputy will be aware, Departments, while tasked with different responsibilities and duties, co-operate and contact one another on a daily basis regarding areas of common interest and duty. With regard to the Departments of Justice and Equality and Defence the following are the main areas of co-operation and policy overlap. As the...

Other Questions: Direct Provision System (27 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 and 33 together. The direct provision system is managed by the Reception and Integration Agency, RIA, of my Department. Its function is to provide accommodation and related services to those who have sought international protection and who have no means of supporting themselves otherwise. More than 53,000 such persons have availed of RIA's services to...

Other Questions: Direct Provision System (27 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: First, I will deal with the issue in relation to children. I have recounted in detail to the Oireachtas on numerous occasions the ways in which RIA affords the highest priority to the safeguarding and protection of children. These include the full implementation of the Children First guidelines as well as Garda vetting of all RIA staff. RIA has a fully staffed child and family service...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Commissions of Investigation (27 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: I have already explained that. It is unfortunate that a very important job undertaken by a retired High Court judge under very specific and detailed terms of reference should be described as a "half-baked review". It is unfortunate that the Deputy should insult the retired judge by suggesting he would participate in a half-baked review.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Commissions of Investigation (27 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: I suggest Deputy Mac Lochlainn withdraw that allegation and show some respect for an individual who served with honour in both the European Court and in our High Court, whose integrity is beyond reproach and who has agreed to undertake this work.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Commissions of Investigation (27 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: Deputy Mac Lochlainn has just made the accusation that this has gone on for three weeks. It could go on for three, four, five or six weeks, depending on how long Deputies Mac Lochlainn and Niall Collins, Sinn Féin or Fianna Fáil see it as a political issue they want to keep on running. The fact that they run it does not necessarily mean that it is appropriate that matters be dealt...

Other Questions: Tribunals of Inquiry Reports (27 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: The Smithwick tribunal submitted its final report to the Clerk of the Dáil on 29 November 2013 and the report was published on 3 December 2013. In the absence of direct evidence, the tribunal found that, on the balance of probabilities, there was collusion by an unknown garda or gardaí in the murders of RUC officers Harry Breen and Bob Buchanan. This is a finding of the utmost...

Other Questions: Tribunals of Inquiry Reports (27 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: As I said, in the context of the meeting we tasked our officials to undertake any further work required to ensure any issues that remain to be addressed arising from the Smithwick report are addressed. As I said there is very close co-operation between the Garda Síochána and the PSNI. There is continuing contact between the Chief Constable in Northern Ireland and the Garda...