Alan Shatter
Encyclopedia
Alan Joseph Shatter is an Irish
Fine Gael
politician. He is a Teachta Dála
(TD) for the Dublin South
constituency and has been the Minister for Justice and Equality and Minister for Defence
since March 2011.
and Trinity College, Dublin
. He has always lived in Dublin — he grew up in Rathgar
and Rathfarnham
and lives now in Ballinteer
with his wife Carol and two children. He supports Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, and is the only Jewish member of Dáil Éireann
.
, and was re-elected at each subsequent election until he lost his seat at the 2002 general election
. He was re-elected at the 2007 general election. Shatter was a member of Dublin County Council
from 1991 to 1999 for the Rathfarnham
area.
Having a legal background, Shatter has proposed much legislation during his time as a TD. While in opposition, he published more Private member's bill
s than any other TD had done previously. His bills were successful in making changes in areas such as health, sport and justice, with the government often amending bills that he brought forward and adopting them as their own. Even prior to becoming a member of the Oireachtas, Shatter satirised some of the measures inherent within a 1979 Family Planning bill in the form of his nationally published booklet, "Family Planning - Irish Style".
During the 1980s Shatter successfully lobbied for the establishment of an Oireachtas
Committee on Foreign Affairs. He was a member of the Committee from its foundation in 1992, apart from a brief period in 1993 to 1994, and its Chairman from December 1996 to June 1997.
During a period in 1993 to 1994 he was removed by party leader John Bruton
as a disciplinary measure for breaking the party whip
. This was occasioned by his voting in the Dáil in favour of a Bill to ban live hare coursing
. Shatter was president of the Irish Council against Blood Sports for a time.
During his time in the Dáil, he has been a Fine Gael Front Bench spokesperson on Law Reform (1982, 1987–88); the Environment (1989–91); Labour (1991); Justice (1992–93); Equality and Law Reform (1993–94); Health and Children (1997–2000); Justice, Law Reform and Defence
(2000–02); Children (2007–10); and Justice and Law Reform (2010–11).
During his time out of politics after losing his seat at the 2002 general election, he practised as a solicitor
and was a partner of the firm Gallagher Shatter. Among his professional affiliations, he is a Fellow of the International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. He is currently chairman of the ATIC, an organisation campaigning for the reform of inheritance tax laws in the Republic of Ireland
.
One of Alan Shatter first portfolio's as new minister of justice in 2011 was dealing with the scandals of child abuse involving the Catholic church, he is responsible for the release of the Cloyne report
. In the wake of several sex abuse scandals, the Fine Gael–Labour government announced controversial plans to criminalise failure to report an allegation of child abuse even in the confession box. Seán Brady
, the Catholic primate of all Ireland, condemned this as compromising the seal of the confessional
.
During the 2009 Gaza War, Sinn Féin
TD Aengus Ó'Snodaigh
claimed that Shatter and the Israel
i ambassador to Ireland had exposed the Oireachtas committee on Foreign Affairs to "propaganda, twisted logic and half truths". Ó'Snodaigh also said that Joseph Goebbels
, the Nazi propaganda
minister, would have been proud of it. In February 2009, during a sitting of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs concerning the Gaza conflict, Shatter clashed verbally with Professor Ilan Pappé
, Professor of History at the University of Exeter
, accusing Pappé of biased scholarship and historical inaccuracies.
in Enda Kenny
's cabinet. In May that year, he made a public statement in support of the RTÉ Prime Time programme that defamed a priest which he later backtracked on. That June, he apologised for "unfair and inaccurate" comments he made about RTÉ crime correspondent Paul Reynolds
after saying he "consistently engages in tabloid sensationalism". When eight former attorneys general criticised the proposed Twenty-ninth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland
on cutting judges' pay and Oireachtas inquiries he described their views as "nonsense" and "simply wrong".
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
Fine Gael
Fine Gael
Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...
politician. He is a Teachta Dála
Teachta Dála
A Teachta Dála , usually abbreviated as TD in English, is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas . It is the equivalent of terms such as "Member of Parliament" or "deputy" used in other states. The official translation of the term is "Deputy to the Dáil", though a more literal...
(TD) for the Dublin South
Dublin South (Dáil Éireann constituency)
Dublin South is a parliamentary constituency represented in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament or Oireachtas. The constituency elects 5 deputies...
constituency and has been the Minister for Justice and Equality and Minister for Defence
Minister for Defence (Ireland)
The Minister for Defence is the senior minister at the Department of Defence in the Government of Ireland. Under new arrangements this department is being merged with the Department of Justice over which Mr. Shatter will also preside....
since March 2011.
Background and early life
Shatter was born in Dublin to a Jewish family. He was educated at The High School, DublinThe High School, Dublin
The High School is a co-educational school located in Rathgar, Dublin, Ireland. The school was founded in 1870 in Harcourt Street before moving to its current location in Rathgar in 1971 and amalgamated with The Diocesan School for Girls in 1974, thereby becoming co-educational.-Millennium...
and Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
. He has always lived in Dublin — he grew up in Rathgar
Rathgar
Rathgar is a suburb of Dublin, Ireland, lying about 3 kilometres south of the city centre.-Amenities:Rathgar is largely a quiet suburb with good amenities, including primary and secondary schools, nursing homes, child-care and sports facilities, and good public transport to the city centre...
and Rathfarnham
Rathfarnham
Rathfarnham or Rathfarnam is a Southside suburb of Dublin, Ireland. It is south of Terenure, east of Templeogue, and is in the postal districts of Dublin 14 and 16. It is within the administrative areas of both Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown and South Dublin County Councils.The area of Rathfarnham...
and lives now in Ballinteer
Ballinteer
Ballinteer is a southside suburb of Dublin, located in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown county, Ireland, extensively developed from the late 1960s onwards.- History :...
with his wife Carol and two children. He supports Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, and is the only Jewish member of Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...
.
Political career
He was first elected to the Dáil at the 1981 general electionIrish general election, 1981
The Irish general election of 1981 was held on 11 June 1981, three weeks after the dissolution of the Dáil on 21 May. The newly elected 166 members of the 22nd Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 30 June when a new Taoiseach and government were appointed....
, and was re-elected at each subsequent election until he lost his seat at the 2002 general election
Irish general election, 2002
The Irish general election of 2002 was held on Friday, 17 May 2002 just over three weeks after the dissolution of the 28th Dáil on Thursday 25 April by President Mary McAleese, at the request of the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern...
. He was re-elected at the 2007 general election. Shatter was a member of Dublin County Council
Dublin County Council
Dublin County Council was a local authority for the administrative county of County Dublin in the Republic of Ireland. It was established by the Local Government Act 1898....
from 1991 to 1999 for the Rathfarnham
Rathfarnham
Rathfarnham or Rathfarnam is a Southside suburb of Dublin, Ireland. It is south of Terenure, east of Templeogue, and is in the postal districts of Dublin 14 and 16. It is within the administrative areas of both Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown and South Dublin County Councils.The area of Rathfarnham...
area.
Having a legal background, Shatter has proposed much legislation during his time as a TD. While in opposition, he published more Private member's bill
Private Member's Bill
A member of parliament’s legislative motion, called a private member's bill or a member's bill in some parliaments, is a proposed law introduced by a member of a legislature. In most countries with a parliamentary system, most bills are proposed by the government, not by individual members of the...
s than any other TD had done previously. His bills were successful in making changes in areas such as health, sport and justice, with the government often amending bills that he brought forward and adopting them as their own. Even prior to becoming a member of the Oireachtas, Shatter satirised some of the measures inherent within a 1979 Family Planning bill in the form of his nationally published booklet, "Family Planning - Irish Style".
During the 1980s Shatter successfully lobbied for the establishment of an Oireachtas
Oireachtas
The Oireachtas , sometimes referred to as Oireachtas Éireann, is the "national parliament" or legislature of Ireland. The Oireachtas consists of:*The President of Ireland*The two Houses of the Oireachtas :**Dáil Éireann...
Committee on Foreign Affairs. He was a member of the Committee from its foundation in 1992, apart from a brief period in 1993 to 1994, and its Chairman from December 1996 to June 1997.
During a period in 1993 to 1994 he was removed by party leader John Bruton
John Bruton
John Gerard Bruton is an Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 1994 to 1997. A minister under two taoisigh, Liam Cosgrave and Garret FitzGerald, Bruton held a number of the top posts in Irish government, including Minister for Finance , and Minister for Industry, Trade,...
as a disciplinary measure for breaking the party whip
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
. This was occasioned by his voting in the Dáil in favour of a Bill to ban live hare coursing
Hare coursing
Hare coursing is the pursuit of hares with greyhounds and other sighthounds, which chase the hare by sight and not by scent. It is a competitive sport, in which dogs are tested on their ability to run, overtake and turn a hare, rather than a form of hunting aiming at the capture of game. It has a...
. Shatter was president of the Irish Council against Blood Sports for a time.
During his time in the Dáil, he has been a Fine Gael Front Bench spokesperson on Law Reform (1982, 1987–88); the Environment (1989–91); Labour (1991); Justice (1992–93); Equality and Law Reform (1993–94); Health and Children (1997–2000); Justice, Law Reform and Defence
Minister for Defence (Ireland)
The Minister for Defence is the senior minister at the Department of Defence in the Government of Ireland. Under new arrangements this department is being merged with the Department of Justice over which Mr. Shatter will also preside....
(2000–02); Children (2007–10); and Justice and Law Reform (2010–11).
During his time out of politics after losing his seat at the 2002 general election, he practised as a solicitor
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
and was a partner of the firm Gallagher Shatter. Among his professional affiliations, he is a Fellow of the International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. He is currently chairman of the ATIC, an organisation campaigning for the reform of inheritance tax laws in the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
.
One of Alan Shatter first portfolio's as new minister of justice in 2011 was dealing with the scandals of child abuse involving the Catholic church, he is responsible for the release of the Cloyne report
Sexual abuse scandal in Cloyne diocese
The sexual abuse scandal in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cloyne is officially elaborated as the "Commission of Investigation, Dublin Archdiocese, Catholic Diocese of Cloyne". It has examined how allegations of sexual abuse of children in the diocese were dealt with by the church and state. The...
. In the wake of several sex abuse scandals, the Fine Gael–Labour government announced controversial plans to criminalise failure to report an allegation of child abuse even in the confession box. Seán Brady
Seán Brady
Seán Baptist Brady is an Irish cardinal of the Catholic Church. He is the current Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 2007.-Early life and education:...
, the Catholic primate of all Ireland, condemned this as compromising the seal of the confessional
Seal of the Confessional
In the Roman Catholic Church, the Seal of Confession is the absolute duty of priests not to disclose anything that they learn from penitents during the course of the Sacrament of Penance.-History:...
.
During the 2009 Gaza War, Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
TD Aengus Ó'Snodaigh
Aengus Ó Snodaigh
Aengus Ó Snodaigh is an Irish Sinn Féin politician. He has been a Teachta Dála for the Dublin South Central constituency since May 2002, and is party spokesperson for Housing, Justice, Equality and Human Rights, and International Affairs.-Early and private life:A Dubliner and Irish language...
claimed that Shatter and the Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i ambassador to Ireland had exposed the Oireachtas committee on Foreign Affairs to "propaganda, twisted logic and half truths". Ó'Snodaigh also said that Joseph Goebbels
Joseph Goebbels
Paul Joseph Goebbels was a German politician and Reich Minister of Propaganda in Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945. As one of Adolf Hitler's closest associates and most devout followers, he was known for his zealous oratory and anti-Semitism...
, the Nazi propaganda
Nazi propaganda
Propaganda, the coordinated attempt to influence public opinion through the use of media, was skillfully used by the NSDAP in the years leading up to and during Adolf Hitler's leadership of Germany...
minister, would have been proud of it. In February 2009, during a sitting of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs concerning the Gaza conflict, Shatter clashed verbally with Professor Ilan Pappé
Ilan Pappé
Ilan Pappé is a professor with the College of Social Sciences and International Studies at the University of Exeter in the UK, director of the university's European Centre for Palestine Studies, co-director of the Exeter Centre for Ethno-Political Studies, and political activist...
, Professor of History at the University of Exeter
University of Exeter
The University of Exeter is a public university in South West England. It belongs to the 1994 Group, an association of 19 of the United Kingdom's smaller research-intensive universities....
, accusing Pappé of biased scholarship and historical inaccuracies.
Minister for Justice and Defence (2011-)
On 9 March 2011, Shatter was appointed Minister for Justice and Equality and also Minister for DefenceMinister for Defence (Ireland)
The Minister for Defence is the senior minister at the Department of Defence in the Government of Ireland. Under new arrangements this department is being merged with the Department of Justice over which Mr. Shatter will also preside....
in Enda Kenny
Enda Kenny
Enda Kenny is an Irish Fine Gael politician, and has been the Taoiseach since 2011. He has led Fine Gael since 2002. He served as Minister for Tourism and Trade from 1994 to 1997. He is also a two-term Vice President of the European People's Party.Kenny has been a Teachta Dála for Mayo since...
's cabinet. In May that year, he made a public statement in support of the RTÉ Prime Time programme that defamed a priest which he later backtracked on. That June, he apologised for "unfair and inaccurate" comments he made about RTÉ crime correspondent Paul Reynolds
Paul Reynolds (RTE journalist)
Paul Reynolds is an Irish journalist. He has been on the main RTÉ News and Current Affairs programmes, in both television and radio, almost daily for over a decade....
after saying he "consistently engages in tabloid sensationalism". When eight former attorneys general criticised the proposed Twenty-ninth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland
Twenty-ninth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland
The Twenty-ninth Amendment of the Constitution of Ireland is a pending amendment to the Constitution of Ireland which will relax its prohibition on the reduction of the salaries of Irish judges. The Twenty-Ninth Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2011 The Twenty-ninth Amendment of the...
on cutting judges' pay and Oireachtas inquiries he described their views as "nonsense" and "simply wrong".
Publications
- Family Law in the Republic of Ireland (1980), ISBN 0-905473-43-4
- Laura: A Novel You Will Never Forget (1989), ISBN 1-85371-042-3
- Ireland and the Palestine Question 1948–2004 (2005), ISBN 0-7165-2814-2 (foreword by Alan Shatter)