Results 3,541-3,560 of 6,389 for speaker:James Lawless

Written Answers — Department of Health: Disability Services (6 Dec 2022)

James Lawless: 702. To ask the Minister for Health if the case of a child (details supplied) will be examined; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60991/22]

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Accommodation (8 Dec 2022)

James Lawless: I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Fleming, for taking this Topical Issue. My question relates to the availability of school places in north Kildare. As the Minister of State is aware, north Kildare is in the heart of the commuter belt and has a growing population. As always, there are growing pains. This is not new, but it does remind me of the early noughties when we had this...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Accommodation (8 Dec 2022)

James Lawless: I thank the Minister of State for his response and his kind words and acknowledgement concerning my work in north Kildare. Laois in his own constituency is experiencing similar growing pains, which the Minister of State advocates on regularly. I am aware of the projects the Minister of State mentioned and there has been investment in a number of schools in north Kildare. If these were...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 20 - An Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (29 Nov 2022)

James Lawless: We have received apologies from Deputy Pa Daly. Deputy Costello is currently in the Dáil Chamber but may join us later in the meeting. Today's meeting is to consider the Supplementary Estimates for Vote 20 - An Garda Síochána; Vote 21 - prisons; Vote 22 - the Courts Service; and Vote 24 - justice. I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Browne, and his officials and team for...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 20 - An Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (29 Nov 2022)

James Lawless: Thank you. We move to questions from members. I call Deputy Carroll MacNeill.

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 20 - An Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (29 Nov 2022)

James Lawless: I am sorry to interrupt. Because the Deputy has started with the prisons, we will do the prisons first. However, we might do one Vote at a time.

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 20 - An Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (29 Nov 2022)

James Lawless: We will do Vote 21. However, we will start with prisons as the Deputy has kicked off with prisons, and that is fine. We will take the prisons and we will then take each subhead and go through it that way. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 20 - An Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (29 Nov 2022)

James Lawless: I call Deputy Carroll MacNeill. Is it on the prisons?

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 20 - An Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (29 Nov 2022)

James Lawless: Following on from that last exchange, regarding prisoners purchasing items in prisons, and Deputy Carroll MacNeill mentioned the tuckshop and various products the prisoners may wish to buy, it was reported that there was an issue in some prisons whereby the families of prisoners could not lodge money for them to be held on account or in a credit system. Some prisoners may not have bank...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 20 - An Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (29 Nov 2022)

James Lawless: I thank the Minister of State. That concludes our discussion of the Vote on prisons. We will take Vote 20 - An Garda Síochána next. We will go around the table for any questions the members may have, and then we will do the same for each subhead. I call Deputy Carroll MacNeill.

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 20 - An Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (29 Nov 2022)

James Lawless: Before the Minister of State responds, I wish to concur with the Deputy's point in respect of the bike training course. I have heard the same feedback from Garda members with whom I am friendly, particularly in the context of the role of bicycle usage and training in community policing. Deputy Costello makes a good point about gardaí on bike patrols being part of the urban environment...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 20 - An Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (29 Nov 2022)

James Lawless: I have a few questions before we move on to the next head. My remarks will mirror some of what has been said to an extent. I, too, have a question on retention and recruitment. Deputy Martin Kenny and I recently attended a meeting of the National Bus and Rail Union at which there were representatives of the Garda Representative Association, GRA, and the Association of Garda Sergeants and...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 20 - An Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (29 Nov 2022)

James Lawless: How many come in with each intake? What is the class size?

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 20 - An Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (29 Nov 2022)

James Lawless: There will be five batches of 200 to make up the 1,000 gardaí.

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 20 - An Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (29 Nov 2022)

James Lawless: Okay. That will take approximately 18 months, or a little longer, to go through the system.

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 20 - An Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (29 Nov 2022)

James Lawless: Very good. I thank the Minister of State. I am not sure whether it is an issue of resources, equipment, training or all of the above, but the Minister of State referred to attacks on members of the force while on duty, such as those in Ballyfermot and Cherry Orchard and a few others we heard about during summer and in recent months. It was suggested in the media at the time of those...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 20 - An Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (29 Nov 2022)

James Lawless: I thank the Minister of State. What about the point about whether there is a greater concentration of probationer members of the force in certain areas? That may give rise to difficulty in more challenging districts.

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 20 - An Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (29 Nov 2022)

James Lawless: Thank you. That concludes the discussion on Vote 20 - An Garda Síochána. We will move on to Vote 22 - Courts Service. This is a technical Vote.

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 20 - An Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (29 Nov 2022)

James Lawless: I want to follow on with question on the number of judges. The Minister of State mentioned the McManus report. This matter was raised at the committee last week. As Deputy Costello noted, it is not just with regard to High Court judges although obviously this is very important. The volume of cases that can be managed is a function of how many judges are available. We have an opportunity...