Results 4,081-4,100 of 16,849 for speaker:Dermot Ahern

Written Answers — Prison Accommodation: Prison Accommodation (20 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: Recent developments in this area include the opening of high security units at Cloverhill Prison and Portlaoise Prison. In addition the new prison facilities at Thornton Hall will include a purpose designed high security facility capable of accommodating up to 40 prisoners in a safe, secure setting with appropriate support facilities. It is also intended that the proposed prison development...

Written Answers — Prison Discipline: Prison Discipline (20 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: Part 3 of the Prisons Act 2007, which came into operation on 1 October 2007, relates to prison discipline and provided a basis in primary legislation for revised disciplinary procedures applicable to prisoners, including access for prisoners to an independent appeals mechanism. Section 12 provides for an inquiry to be held by a prison governor if a prisoner is alleged to have committed a...

Written Answers — Prison Inspections: Prison Inspections (20 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The Office of the Inspector of Prisons, was established on a statutory independent basis under Part 5 of the Prisons Act 2007. Under section 31 of that Act, the Inspector shall carry out regular inspections of prisons and to that end may enter any prison at any time. Particular issues of concern identified in the course of such an investigation may be brought by the Inspector to the...

Written Answers — Community Service Orders: Community Service Orders (20 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The Criminal Justice (Community Service) Act, 1983, provides that a Court may make a Community Service Order as an alternative to a sentence of imprisonment or detention in respect of any individual over the age of 16 years who has been convicted of a criminal offence and who consents to the Order being made. As the Deputy will be aware, the Community Service Order requires an offender to...

Written Answers — Community Service Orders: Community Service Orders (20 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The Deputy will be aware that the Criminal Justice (Community Service) Act, 1983 provides for the performance of between 40 and 240 hours of unpaid work in the community under the supervision of the Probation Service by a person who is 16 years or over, who has been convicted of an offence, for which the appropriate penalty would be an immediate custodial sentence and who has given his/her...

Written Answers — Public Order Offences: Public Order Offences (20 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The Children Act 2001, as amended, provides for a number of measures in relation to parental responsibility in respect of children involved in anti-social behaviour, and children found guilty of offences. Section 111 of the Act provides that in any proceedings in which a child is found guilty of an offence, the court may make an order for the supervision of the child's parents where it is...

Written Answers — Public Order Offences: Public Order Offences (20 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I attach a high priority to the combating of anti-social behaviour. One of the priorities set for An Garda Síochána for 2008 under section 20 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 is to combat, particularly in cooperation with other agencies and the community generally, the problems of public disorder with particular emphasis on alcohol related behaviour (including underage drinking) and...

Written Answers — Garda Powers: Garda Powers (20 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The Programme for Government represents a comprehensive approach to the important issues facing the Government and the country. This Programme is, of course, a Programme for the life of this Government. As a consequence progress across the range of issues will reflect a sustained level of commitment to achieving the full implementation of the Programme. The question of expanding Garda powers...

Written Answers — Garda Powers: Garda Powers (20 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: Consideration of the commitment in the Programme for Government 2007-2012 to legislate to allow Gardaí to issue restriction orders which would be used in emergency situations to restrict named persons from travelling to or from certain places for defined periods of time is at an early stage. Existing 'restriction on movement'- type powers under Irish law largely arise in either the context...

Written Answers — Closed Circuit Television Systems: Closed Circuit Television Systems (20 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The Community-based CCTV Scheme is designed to provide financial assistance to qualifying organisations towards meeting the capital costs associated with the establishment of local community CCTV systems. Pobal has been engaged by my Department to carry out the day-to-day administration of the scheme. I have been informed by Pobal that the following locations have CCTV systems that are fully...

Written Answers — Public Order Offences: Public Order Offences (20 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The Agreed Programme for Government contains a wide range of commitments to combat anti-social behaviour. One of these is to establish special Garda units to deal with anti-social behaviour on public transport. I am informed that currently, An Garda Síochána carries out patrols to deal with specific incidents and complaints as they arise, primarily in the late evenings when incidents of...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (20 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The Non-Fatal Offences against the Person Act 1997 provides for offences in relation to assault, assault causing harm, causing serious harm, threats to kill or cause serious injury as well as a range of other offences and includes appropriate penalties. The need for further measures in the light of the commitment in the Programme for Government 2007-2012 dealing with violent unprovoked...

Written Answers — Garda Recruitment: Garda Recruitment (20 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The accelerated intake of 1,100 Garda recruits per annum is fully on course to meet the recruitment target of 15,000 by 2010. As of 30 April 2008, the latest date for which figures are readily available, there were 13,874 attested members of An Garda Síochána with more than 1,000 recruits in training.

Written Answers — Garda Operations: Garda Operations (20 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The policing priorities for 2008 for An Garda Síochána include, "To increase the level of high visibility patrols, including through greater use of marked vehicles, linked to the development during 2008 of a Garda Charter which will set out targeted response times and levels of service, including frequency of high visibility patrols." This priority has been incorporated into the Annual...

Written Answers — Garda Strength: Garda Strength (20 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I have been informed by the Commissioner that as of this date Small Area Population Statistics, based on the 2006 Census, of Garda Districts are being developed by staff of the Central Statistics Office in consultation with An Garda Síochána. No publication date is available at this time. The Garda Inspectorate has been tasked to examine and report on how the allocation of Garda resources...

Written Answers — Garda Reserve: Garda Reserve (20 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: As at 30th April 2008 there were 51 Reserve trainees and 261 attested Reserve Gardaí. The Agreed Programme for Government has set a target strength for the Reserve at 10% of the strength of full-time members of the force. Garda Reserve members undertake their training and other duties on a voluntary basis during their free time. As a result it is not possible to predict how many people...

Written Answers — Garda Investigations: Garda Investigations (20 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: Section 56 of the Criminal Justice Act 2007 governs the circumstances in which a copy of the recording of interviews conducted by the Garda Síochána may be given to an accused. Specifically the section provides that only a person charged with an offence before a court, or his or her legal representative, may be given at a copy of any recording of the questioning of the person while he or...

Written Answers — Garda Reform: Garda Reform (20 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: Following the publication of the Barr Tribunal Report the Garda Inspectorate were tasked with reviewing the report to assess the reforms already introduced in the Garda Síochána and to recommend any additional steps required to bring the organisation into line with best international practice particularly relating to barricade incidents. Recently the Inspectorate published a progress...

Written Answers — Drug Courts: Drug Courts (20 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The Drug Treatment Court, which originally operated on a pilot basis in the North inner city of Dublin, has been placed on a permanent footing and extended to the Dublin 7 area. The Court uses a multi-disciplinary approach and involves a range of Government Departments and agencies charged with dealing with various aspects of the problem of drug misuse. The Court operates with the assistance...

Written Answers — Garda Operations: Garda Operations (20 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I refer to the replies to Question Nos. 9121/08 and 14079/08 of 4 March and 17 April 2008 respectively. The position is unchanged.