Results 4,341-4,360 of 16,849 for speaker:Dermot Ahern

Written Answers — Prison Building Programme: Prison Building Programme (28 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The Government decided to assign a site owned by the Department of Defence to the Irish Prison Service as the location for the development of a prison facility to replace Cork Prison and serve the Munster region. A preliminary site suitability report has been carried out on the site and this has confirmed that there are no significant constraints to the development of this site. I can...

Written Answers — Legal Aid Service: Legal Aid Service (28 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The Criminal Justice (Legal Aid) Act 1962 provides that free legal aid may be granted in certain circumstances for the defence of persons of insufficient means in criminal proceedings. Under the 1962 Act, the courts, through the judiciary, are responsible for the granting of legal aid. An applicant must establish to the satisfaction of the court that his/her means are insufficient to enable...

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

Dermot Ahern: The report of the Hartnett Inquiry constitutes a detailed examination of the circumstances surrounding the arrest and detention of Brian Rossiter. The Inquiry found that, while the arrest of Brian Rossiter was lawful, his detention was unlawful, notwithstanding that his father consented to it. The Inquiry found that there was a failure to observe properly certain procedural requirements of...

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

Dermot Ahern: The Government Legislative Programme published on 1 April 2008 provides for publication of the Property Services Regulatory Authority Bill during the current Dail session. The Authority is currently operating on a non-statutory basis but will be put on a statutory footing by the Bill. Property management agents will, together with auctioneers and estate agents, be covered by the licensing...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (28 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I understand from the Garda Authorities that they are aware that an application for planning permission for an underground firing range was received by Limerick County Council in March 2008. To date no application has been received by An Garda Síochána for authorisation of this range. As of now, neither I nor my Department has any role in the matter and I have not received any...

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

Dermot Ahern: I am informed by the Garda Commissioner that the number of persons from ethnic minorities recruited to An Garda Síochána is 4 with a further 21 members in training. I am also informed that there are 8 attested members of the Garda Reserve from ethnic minorities with a further 5 in training. There is an ongoing recruitment campaign in place for recruitment to An Garda Síochána and there...

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

Dermot Ahern: I am informed by the Garda authorities that the numbers of bench warrants, penal warrants and committal warrants which were recorded on the PULSE system as being on hand on 23 May, 2008 are set out in the following table. It is inevitable in any criminal justice system that at any given time there will be a significant number of warrants awaiting execution. It should be borne in mind too...

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

Dermot Ahern: A total of €260 million has been provided in the National Development Plan for the provision of new and upgraded Garda accommodation. The Garda accommodation programme is based on agreed priorities established by An Garda Síochána and it is brought forward in close cooperation with the Office of Public Works (OPW), who have responsibility for the provision and maintenance of Garda...

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

Dermot Ahern: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that earlier this year the Government accepted a proposal from my predecessor that it should take over the Spent Convictions Bill 2007, introduced into the Dáil in October 2007 as a Private Members Bill by (prior to his recent promotion) Minister of State Barry Andrews, TD, and adopt it as a Government Bill. Certain procedural requirements, as laid down in...

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

Dermot Ahern: The sixth report of the Morris tribunal deals with the arrest and treatment in custody of twelve persons arrested in connection with the death of Richard Barron in 1996. It finds that those persons were unlawfully arrested and detained, and that some were mistreated in custody, through verbal and, in some cases, physical abuse. These arrests followed directly or indirectly from the...

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

Dermot Ahern: There is no information available to me, either from the Garda authorities or the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, to support the allegation contained in the Deputy's Question. I am informed that the search which gave rise to the allegation was authorised in accordance with Section 99(1) of the Garda Síochána Act 2005. The intention to search was signalled in advance to senior Garda...

Written Answers — Crime Prevention: Crime Prevention (28 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The NDVIA is a non governmental organisation which has been campaigning for Government funding for its operations for some years past. Despite its title, the NDVIA does not actually exercise a nationwide co-ordination role on this matter. Prior to the establishment of Cosc, the National Office for the Prevention of Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence, responsibility for matters related...

Written Answers — Alcohol Policy: Alcohol Policy (28 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The Government Alcohol Advisory Group submitted its Report on 31 March. It contains 31 recommendations for legislative and other reforms in areas covered by its terms of reference. On 22 April, the Government approved the drafting of the Intoxicating Liquor Bill 2008 which contains proposals for urgent reforms to licensing law and public order legislation in response to certain...

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

Dermot Ahern: I have been advised by the Garda authorities that the introduction of Divisional Property Stores is being overseen by an Implementation Group, established to progress the Property and Exhibits Management System (PEMS) in the Garda Síochána. The purpose of the Property and Exhibits Management System is to establish a Divisional Property Store in each Garda Division which will manage all...

Written Answers — Regulation of Legal Profession: Regulation of Legal Profession (28 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I refer the Deputy to the replies to questions 86 of 17 April 2008 and 89 of 13 December 2007. I have nothing further to add to the details of those replies other than to say that the Legal Services Ombudsman Bill 2008 is scheduled to commence Dáil Second Stage today.

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

Dermot Ahern: Following the recommendations contained in the Garda Inspectorate's report into barricade incidents, the Garda Commissioner is establishing Regional Support Units (RSU's) in the Garda regions outside Dublin to act as a primary response to critical incidents, pending the arrival of the Emergency Response Unit. The operational procedures for the Units are matters for the Garda Commissioner. I...

Written Answers — Asylum Applications: Asylum Applications (28 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I refer the Deputy to my reply to Question No. 530 of Tuesday, 20 May 2008 which sets out the position in relation to this question and other matters concerning asylum applications which have been deemed withdrawn.

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

Dermot Ahern: In accordance with the provisions of the Garda Síochána Acts 2005 to 2007 proposals, inter alia, to alter the boundaries of a divisional geographical area are a matter in the first instance for the Garda Commissioner in the context of the Annual Policing Plan. The 2008 Policing Plan, which was laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas, contains the Commissioner's proposals to realign Garda...

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

Dermot Ahern: As the Deputy will be aware, bench warrants are issued when a defendant or witness fails to appear in court. I am informed that the Garda authorities are committed to strengthening the warrants enforcement process. The Commissioner has raised the issue of the execution of warrants, particularly bench warrants, with each Regional Assistant Commissioner and a range of measures have been...

Written Answers — Prison Building Programme: Prison Building Programme (28 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The development of the prison facility centred at Thornton Hall will be the single biggest step in improving standards for prisoners since the foundation of the State. Its main purpose is to replace existing sub standard accommodation and allow greater capacity to avoid overcrowding. It will do away with the practice of slopping out and other conditions that have been criticised severely...