Results 21-40 of 12,802 for speaker:Alan Shatter in 'Written Answers'

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Equipment (7 May 2014)

Alan Shatter: A number of Israeli companies have successfully tendered for and have been awarded contracts by the Department of Defence for the provision of defensive equipment to the Defence Forces as a result of competitive tender competitions. This is not a new development and has been the situation for many years. The principle of competitive tendering for Government contracts is used by the...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: White Paper on Defence (7 May 2014)

Alan Shatter: Arising from the comprehensive review of expenditure in 2011, the Government decided to stabilise the strength ceiling of the Permanent Defence Force at 9,500 Permanent Defence Force personnel. The three Brigade structure then in place had originally been designed in the 1990s, when the strength ceiling of the PDF was 11,500 personnel. Clearly, at a strength ceiling of 9,500 personnel, this...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: European Council Meetings (7 May 2014)

Alan Shatter: I attended the Foreign Affairs Council in Defence Ministers format on 15 April in Luxembourg. The meeting was chaired by the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Baroness Catherine Ashton. NATO Secretary General Mr. Anders Fogh Rasmussen was present for part of the meeting. The meeting commenced when the European Defence Agency (EDA) Steering Board met to discuss the...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Air Ambulance Service Provision (7 May 2014)

Alan Shatter: As the Deputy will be aware, the Air Corps currently plays a significant role in support of the HSE through the provision of an emergency inter-hospital transfer service throughout the country and to the United Kingdom. It also supports the HSE’s pilot Emergency Aeromedical Support (EAS) service which operates out of Custume Barracks, Athlone. In 2005, the Department of Defence and...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Visits of Naval Vessels (7 May 2014)

Alan Shatter: As indicated by the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade in his reply to your parliamentary question on 30 April, visits from foreign naval vessels are a long-standing and common practice in Ireland and worldwide. Foreign naval vessels are granted permission to visit Irish ports on condition that they meet the necessary policy stipulations, which require that the vessels...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Ombudsman (7 May 2014)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 21, 23 and 25 together. I met with the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces, Mr. Patrick Anthony McCourt on 16 April 2014 and discussed the caseload currently going through his office in addition to other general matters of interest. I was also updated on progress made to date on the publication of the 2012 and 2013 annual reports of the Ombudsman. Due to...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Reorganisation (7 May 2014)

Alan Shatter: Enlisted personnel who joined the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) before April 2004, including the current cohort recruited since January 1994, have pension scheme terms that are regarded as among the most advantageous available in the Public Service generally. They are subject to the same pension scheme terms as their pre-January 1994 enlisted counterparts. However, they have different upper...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Military Aircraft Landings (7 May 2014)

Alan Shatter: An Garda Síochána has the primary responsibility for law and order, including the protection of the internal security of the State. Among the roles assigned to the Defence Forces is the provision of Aid to the Civil Power (ATCP) which, in practice, means to assist Garda Síochána when requested to do so. There is ongoing and close liaison between Garda Síochána...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Reorganisation (7 May 2014)

Alan Shatter: The primary roles of the Defence Forces Field Engineer Companies are to provide Combat Engineer support as part of an infantry brigade across all of the roles assigned by Government to the Defence Forces. The reorganisation of the Defence Forces in 2012 resulted in the reduction from three to two Infantry Brigades, with a consequential reduction from three to two Field Engineer Companies....

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Asylum Seeker Accommodation (7 May 2014)

Alan Shatter: The Reception and Integration Agency (RIA) of my Department is responsible for the accommodation of asylum seekers while their application for international protection are being processed. Currently, RIA is providing accommodation for approximately 4,300 persons in 34 centres located in 16 counties throughout the State. Seven of these centres, including at Knockalisheen, Co. Clare, are State...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Corporate Governance (7 May 2014)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 150 to 153, inclusive, together. I am advised by the Garda authorities that the recent trial referred to resulted from one strand of the investigations into Anglo Irish Bank. These investigations contain several such strands and between 2011 and 2013 investigation files in relation to all strands have been submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Firearms Licences (7 May 2014)

Alan Shatter: I propose to take Questions Nos. 154 and 159 together. In light of public safety concerns highlighted by An Garda Síochána and difficulties in the interpretation of the legislation expressed by members of the judiciary, my Department is currently examining key policy, legislative, administrative and other issues relating to firearms licensing in conjunction with An Garda...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prisoner Privacy (7 May 2014)

Alan Shatter: I can advise the Deputy that on 26 March 2014 the Director General of the Irish Prison Service became aware of an anomaly whereby a number of prisoners who had more than one solicitor on the Prisoner Phone System had their phone calls to the second solicitor recorded. In these cases, calls to additionalsolicitors were inadvertently recorded as they were outside the restriction parameters that...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Investigations (7 May 2014)

Alan Shatter: An independent inquiry was carried out, pursuant to the Dublin Police Act 1924 as amended, into the circumstances leading up to and surrounding the death of the person concerned. The inquiry, conducted by Mr Hugh Hartnett SC, concluded its work in March 2008. An abridged version of Mr. Hartnett's report was published and is available on my Department's website, www.justice.ie. As the death...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Residency Permits (7 May 2014)

Alan Shatter: I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that both persons concerned were granted permission to remain in the State in August, 2007 for an initial three year period, valid to 14th August, 2010. This permission to remain was renewed for a further three year period in August, 2010, valid to 14th August, 2013 in both cases. These renewal decision...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Deployment (7 May 2014)

Alan Shatter: As the Deputy is already aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the detailed allocation of resources, including personnel, throughout the organisation and I have no direct function in the matter. This allocation of resources is constantly monitored in the context of demographics, crime trends, policing needs and other operational strategies in place on a District, Divisional and...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Airport Security (7 May 2014)

Alan Shatter: An Garda Síochána has the primary responsibility for law and order, including the protection of the internal security of the State. Among the roles assigned to the Defence Forces is the provision of Aid to the Civil Power (ATCP) which, in practice, means to assist An Garda Síochána when requested to do so. The Defence Forces are deployed for security duties at airports in...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Asylum Seeker Accommodation (7 May 2014)

Alan Shatter: A portion of the lands owned by my Department at Knockalisheen Camp are currently being used as a centre for asylum seekers. There are no plans to dispose of any lands within the area allocated to the asylum centre. The remaining lands are surplus to requirements and negotiations are ongoing with a number of sitting tenants for the sale to them of the lands which they currently hold under...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Personnel (7 May 2014)

Alan Shatter: The unsatisfactory age and fitness profile of the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) was an issue of serious concern during the 1990s and was the subject of severe criticism by a series of external reports, mainly Price Waterhouse Consultants and the Efficiency Audit Group (EAG). One of the key areas identified for urgent action by the EAG was the development of a manpower policy with an emphasis...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Coroners Service (6 May 2014)

Alan Shatter: The arrangements made for the carrying out of post-mortems are a matter for the relevant coroner. In this context the Deputy will appreciate that a coroner is a statutory officer exercising quasi-judicial functions in relation to which he or she is independent and neither I nor my Department has any role in the coronial process in particular cases. The costs associated with the provision of...