Results 301-320 of 4,808 for speaker:Alan Shatter in 'Dáil debates'

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

Alan Shatter: The Government must accept Mr. Justice Smithwick's report. I presume the Deputy raises that matter in the presentation he makes to this Dáil seeking either to defend the Garda Síochána one day or to criticise it the next day. It is difficult to keep pace with Deputy Mac Lochlainn's approach to the Garda Síochána. I am more interested in knowing whether Sinn...

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

Alan Shatter: -----the barbaric murder of the two members of the PSNI and in the context of the Deputy's very cynical presentation in this House, as a defender of the Garda Síochána, he might indicate whether he was supportive-----

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

Alan Shatter: The Deputy might indicate to the House, in expressing his support for the Garda Síochána, whether he condemns his colleagues in Sinn Féin who met those who were released from prison and who were convicted of matters relating to the death of Detective Garda Jerry McCabe.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission Issues (27 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: I am very surprised at the Deputy raising all of those questions but I can understand why he might be asking them. As the Deputy will recall, on Wednesday, 19 February 2014, there was a meeting of the Joint Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions, which lasted for more than four hours and at which I answered extensive questions, including those the Deputy just raised. The Deputy...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission Issues (27 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: -----and television programmes offered to him to make false charges against me-----

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission Issues (27 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: -----and to raise questions he believed to be of interest. In the context of the questions he raised, can I direct the Deputy to read the transcript of the four hour meeting that took place? If he had remained at the meeting and had sufficient interest in addressing those issues, I expect he would not only have known the answers but perhaps might have asked some question at that meeting.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission Issues (27 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: I think the other engagements the Deputy had last Wednesday were making other allegations against me on the plinth outside Leinster House-----

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission Issues (27 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: -----and then visiting as many broadcast programmes as he could. If the Deputy was really taking this matter seriously and not just trying to engage in party political point scoring, he would have remained at the meeting, would have listened to what was said at it, would have asked the questions he is now asking and would have heard all of them responded to. It is not a question of having...

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

Alan Shatter: The Commissions of Investigation Act 2004 provides for the establishment of commissions to investigate into and report on matters considered to be of significant public concern. Section 3 provides that, following a proposal by a Minister, with the approval of the Minister of Public Expenditure and Reform, the Government may, by order establish a commission. The draft order establishing a...

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

Alan Shatter: The great difficulty with all of this is that rather than deal with this on the basis of the facts, the facts of the background to this matter which I set out at the committee, and the issues of concern and of difference, this is all simply becoming a political football. Most people outside this House would regard it as entirely reasonable that all of these matters in regard to GSOC are...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission Reports (27 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: In the context of the GSOC issue, a committee was also established, chaired by a senior official of my Department, with senior representatives from GSOC and the Garda Síochána, to act as a forum where any future emerging issues concerning the protocols can be identified and appropriately addressed. The Government has appointed retired High Court judge, Mr. Justice John Cooke, to...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission Reports (27 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: It is important we respect the independence of GSOC. I took with great seriousness the report published by GSOC. Some of the issues raised had been dealt with and addressed, while others have not. GSOC is independent and in the context of issues that remain to be addressed we have put in place systems to ensure they are addressed. It is of the utmost importance that the Garda...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission Reports (27 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: The Boylan report and related issues are of great importance and there should be full co-operation between GSOC and the Garda Síochána.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission Issues (27 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: On 18 February, 2014 I gave the Cabinet my assessment of the potential damage to both the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission and the Garda Síochána, and more widely to public confidence in the enforcement of law, from the ongoing controversy relating to reports of unlawful surveillance of GSOC. The manner in which this controversy had continued and the new information I...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Garda Confidential Recipient (27 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: I will take the Deputy's questions in reverse order. My only knowledge of the issue raised by Deputy McGuinness is what he said in this House yesterday and on "Morning Ireland" on RTE radio this morning. I do not have any knowledge of the matter. I do not have knowledge of conversations that a confidential recipient has with members of An Garda Síochána. The essence of the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Garda Confidential Recipient (27 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: I can state quite categorically that I find the whole thing a complete mystery. I have absolutely no idea what Mr. Connolly was thinking. I have had very limited contact with Mr. Connolly in the context of his role as confidential recipient. I recalled from memory last evening, and there are no notes of this, that following receipt of his letter of 23 January 2012 there was a brief...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Garda Confidential Recipient (27 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: As I said a number of times before any of these controversies arose, my judgment was that the office of confidential recipient did not work. I concluded, having been Minister for some time, that it was not appropriate that these matters are dealt with in this way. It was unsatisfactory. I brought a proposal to the Cabinet that the Bill brought forward by my colleague, the Minister for...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission Reports (27 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: The report from the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission referred to by the Deputy contains a series of recommendations related to informant handling procedures within An Garda Síochána, oversight of those procedures and intelligence handling and information exchange between GSOC and An Garda Síochána. At the time, I sought the observations of the Garda...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Garda Confidential Recipient (27 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 and 2 together. I was surprised that Deputy Collins raised this matter because it is my recollection that approximately one week prior to me relieving Mr. Connolly of his position, Deputy Micheál Martin said that his position was untenable and I had presumed that Deputy Collins agreed with that. I detailed in the Dáil yesterday my reasons for...

Allegations in relation to An Garda Síochána: Statements (Resumed) (26 Feb 2014)

Alan Shatter: That letter was signed by the private secretary to the then Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. There might not be time for me to go into a second series of correspondence.