Results 4,281-4,300 of 16,849 for speaker:Dermot Ahern

Youth Diversion Projects. (28 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I concur with the Deputy on the success of these projects. I know from my experience in the Louth constituency that they are beneficial and get gardaí into areas in which perhaps heretofore they were not able to operate. It also allows them to gain the confidence of some young people, but not all unfortunately. The national youth justice strategy 2008 to 2010 details the plans for the...

Youth Diversion Projects. (28 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I understand it will be a national audit on the existing projects. If Deputy Rabbitte has any specific issues regarding rejected projects, perhaps he could give me the specific details. I am not sure if the projects have to be ultimately approved by the Minister. The allocation of resources is a matter for the Garda Commissioner but I would expect this is done in conjunction with the...

Youth Diversion Projects. (28 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I do not have that answer in my file.

Legal Services Ombudsman Bill 2008: Order for Second Stage (28 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I move: "That Second Stage be taken now."

Legal Services Ombudsman Bill 2008: Second Stage (28 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." The rule of law is the cornerstone of a properly functioning democratic society and in an increasingly complex and prosperous society the law is becoming ever more complex. It is that rule that defines relationships between private individuals or entities in society and between the State and those individuals or entities. The law has never...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (28 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I want to make it clear at the outset that intensive surveillance operations by the Gardaí, covert and otherwise, are and will continue to be, a most effective tool in the fight against serious crime, including, in particular, gangland crime. It is clearly evident that Garda surveillance is one of the tools of crime prevention and detection. Information obtained through surveillance allows...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (28 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 94, 170 and 201 together. As my predecessor informed the House in response to Parliamentary Question No. 10 on 17 April last, work on the scheme of the Judicial Council Bill, which builds on the report of the Committee on Judicial Conduct and Ethics, is at an advanced stage of development in my Department. Consultations on the proposed Bill have, as is usual...

Written Answers — Juvenile Liaison Service: Juvenile Liaison Service (28 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: As of 30 April 2008, the number of Gardaí assigned to the Juvenile Liaison Service was 102. The Garda Commissioner has given a commitment to appoint an additional 21 personnel by 2010. The Garda Juvenile Diversion Programme has proven to be highly successful in diverting young persons away from crime by offering guidance and support to juveniles and their families. It also enables referral...

Written Answers — Investigations into Garda Activities: Investigations into Garda Activities (28 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The Morris Tribunal has completed its oral hearings in relation to all modules of its terms of reference and is now finalising its two final reports. One of these reports will deal with allegations that two senior members of An Garda Síochána acted with impropriety. The other will deal with allegations of ongoing harassment of the McBreartys and their extended family and how their...

Written Answers — State Memorials: State Memorials (28 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I am informed by the Garda Commissioner that there are no plans to erect memorials to Gardaí killed in the line of duty at the scene of their deaths. However a working group, established by the Commissioner, is examining the commemoration of members of An Garda Síochána who died in active service. I have been informed by the Commissioner that he is considering a proposal to construct a...

Written Answers — Garda Ombudsman: Garda Ombudsman (28 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The Garda Ombudsman Commission has a budget this year of over €11.6 million and an approved staff complement of just over 100. For a number of months now my Department has been in discussion with the Ombudsman Commission on proposals for legislative change which the Commission believes would make it more efficient and effective in managing its workload of complaints. I expect to bring...

Written Answers — Road Traffic Offences: Road Traffic Offences (28 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: When a case of speeding is detected, the registered owner of the vehicle involved receives a fixed charge notice. This notice informs the owner that he or she may during the period of 28 days pay a specified fixed charge and that in the following period of 28 days they may pay the specified fixed charge, increased by 50%. In either case the driver receives a certain number of penalty...

Written Answers — Firearms Licences: Firearms Licences (28 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I have been informed by the Garda Authorities that there has been an increase in the number of handguns licensed in this jurisdiction since 2004 following a legal challenge taken on the temporary custody order made in 1972 by the then Minister for Justice. The following table shows the number of such firearms licensed each year since 2004. Year Total (cumulative number) 2007/08* 1,787...

Written Answers — Departmental Statistics: Departmental Statistics (28 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: Following the submission of a report and recommendations by an expert group on crime statistics, it was decided that the compilation and publication of crime statistics should be taken over by the Central Statistics Office, as the national statistical agency, from the Garda Síochána. The Garda Síochána Act 2005 consequently makes provision for this, and the CSO has established a...

Written Answers — Sexual Offences: Sexual Offences (28 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 102 and 188 together. Every effort is made to assist sex offenders in custody who are willing to participate at any level in rehabilitation and relapse prevention. There are three main forms of direct therapeutic intervention for sex offenders currently operating within the Irish prison system. These are as follows: An intensive sex offender programme which...

Written Answers — Electronic Monitoring: Electronic Monitoring (28 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 103 and 200 together. I wish to advise the Deputy that enabling provisions are already in place in the Criminal Justice Acts, 2006 and 2007, in relation to Electronic Monitoring. As the House will appreciate the merits of Electronic Monitoring require careful consideration not least from a cost effectiveness perspective developments in technology, most...

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (28 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 104 and 168 together. I can inform the Deputy that more than 30 additional posts have been sanctioned for the Forensic Science Laboratory since December 2006, representing an increase of approximately 40% in approved staffing. This substantial extension of the Laboratory's capacity takes into account the findings of Professor Kopp as to current demands on the...

Written Answers — Prison Education Service: Prison Education Service (28 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: Responsibility for managing the children detention schools transferred to my Department from 1st March 2007. It is, however, the responsibility of the Department of Education and Science, in accordance with the provisions of section 159A of the Children Act 2001, as amended, to provide the education service within the children detention schools, through the relevant Vocational Education...

Written Answers — Restorative Justice: Restorative Justice (28 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 106 and 202 together. The concept of Restorative Justice does have a place in how we deal with offending behaviour. To date we have two such projects funded by my Department, through the Probation Service. We must, of course, learn from the experience of how restorative justice has worked both here in Ireland and in other jurisdictions so that future...

Written Answers — Community Policing: Community Policing (28 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I am informed by Garda authorities that the Commissioner established an internal working group to develop a model of community policing for both urban and rural community policing. The report is now at final draft stage and it is anticipated that it will be completed shortly. Engagement with the community is a key priority of An Garda Síochána. Community policing is constantly being...