Results 5,101-5,120 of 16,537 for speaker:Brian Lenihan Jnr

Anti-Social Behaviour: Motion (4 Mar 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The terms of the Fine Gael motion, containing unfounded criticism of the Government's record, make it inevitable that the House will divide on it. Nevertheless, I welcome the opportunity the debate provides to discuss several difficult issues which we as a society must address. The criminal justice system has a major role to play in tackling some of these issues and I will outline the...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (4 Mar 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: In the context of improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, there have been ongoing discussions between my Department and the Commission to make certain procedural and technical amendments in the Garda Síochána Act 2005. Indeed, I met with the Commission late last year and I indicated my broad approval for the preparation of the necessary...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (4 Mar 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The Property Services Regulatory Authority Bill is currently being drafted and I intend to publish it as soon as possible this year. Because they provide property services, property management agents, together with auctioneers and estate agents, will be covered by the licensing system to be operated by the Property Services Regulatory Authority. The Authority is currently operating on a...

Written Answers — Drug Seizures: Drug Seizures (4 Mar 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: Consideration of the issue of heroin misuse in Ireland needs to take place in the global context within which such misuse takes place. The United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime estimates that 90% of the heroin which is consumed in the European Union originates from Afghanistan. The sharp increase both in cultivation and production of illicit opium poppy in Afghanistan, which in 2007,...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (4 Mar 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: While I recognise the good faith in this suggestion, I do not envisage being in a position to accede to it. In particular, I am informed by the Minister for Finance, that in accordance with the requirements of Article 11 of the Constitution, revenue accruing to the State, including revenue which has been accumulated as a result of drug trafficking, which is seized by the Criminal Assets...

Written Answers — Juvenile Offenders: Juvenile Offenders (4 Mar 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The capital budget for the Irish Youth Justice Service, an executive office of my Department, is €9 million in 2008. This capital allocation is in respect of spending on the 4 children detention schools for which my Department assumed responsibility on 1 March of last year. The allocation for 2008 is required to fund a range of projects across the 4 schools and to begin to fund the...

Written Answers — Tribunals of Inquiry: Tribunals of Inquiry (4 Mar 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The information sought by the Deputy has been compiled by my Department and, as it comprises a substantial amount of detail, is set out in a written Tabular format for ease of reference. In summary, there have been eight instances involving the establishment of Tribunals of Inquiry, Commissions of Investigation or other statutory inquiries under my Department's aegis since 1997. In addition,...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (4 Mar 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The Government Legislative Programme published on 29 January last provides for the publication of a Sale of Alcohol Bill in late 2008. This Bill will modernise and streamline the laws relating to the sale and consumption of alcohol, including provisions relating to the grant of theatre licences and the sale of alcohol in such premises, by repealing the Licensing Acts 1833 to 2004, and...

Written Answers — Regulation of Legal Profession: Regulation of Legal Profession (4 Mar 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I propose to take Questions Nos. 100 and 141 together. I refer the Deputy to my reply to Question No. 89 of 13 December 2007. I have nothing further to add to the details of that reply other than to say that the Government Legislative Programme published on 29 January 2008 provides for the publication of a Legal Services Ombudsman Bill in the current session.

Written Answers — Tribunals of Inquiry: Tribunals of Inquiry (4 Mar 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I wish to refer the Deputy to my response to Parliamentary Question, Reference 8965/08 of today, which sets out the Tribunals of Inquiry, Commissions of Investigation or other Statutory Inquiries under my Department's aegis. The position insofar as such examinations where a final report has not yet been published is as follows. Name of Tribunal/Commission of Investigation Date Established...

Written Answers — Family Law Proceedings: Family Law Proceedings (4 Mar 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The Report of the Family Law Reporting Pilot Project sums up the work of the one-year pilot project, undertaken by Dr Carol Coulter for the Courts Service. This initiative was permitted by a change in the law on the in camera rule in family law. Dr. Carol Coulter was engaged to carry out the reporting of family law on a pilot basis. The Report comes in two parts. The first part deals with...

Written Answers — Garda Investigations: Garda Investigations (4 Mar 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I am informed by the Garda authorities that the Garda Síochána has submitted a comprehensive investigation file to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in relation to this matter and that directions remain awaited. As the issue remains the subject of ongoing consideration by the DPP, it would not be appropriate to make further comment at this stage.

Written Answers — Joint Policing Committees: Joint Policing Committees (4 Mar 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I propose to take Questions Nos. 104 and 126 together. The Garda Síochána Act 2005 provides for the establishment of a joint policing committee in each local authority administrative area. The purpose of these committees is to provide a forum where members of a local authority and senior Garda officers, with the participation of Oireachtas members and community interests, can consult,...

Written Answers — Juvenile Offenders: Juvenile Offenders (4 Mar 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The Children Act 2001, as amended, provides for the extension of the children detention school model to all children under the age of 18 years who are ordered to be detained by the Courts. An Expert Group on Children Detention Schools was tasked by the Minister for Children in 2006 to initiate and plan for the necessary redevelopment of existing children detention schools including the...

Written Answers — Prison Drug Treatment Services: Prison Drug Treatment Services (4 Mar 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The dedicated multidisciplinary drug detoxification programme in the Medical Unit in Mountjoy Prison involves both prison based staff and external agencies. The aim of the Unit is to assist prisoners who have indicated a desire to move from either a situation of current drug use or existing substitution programme to drug free status. Participation is based on assessment of suitability for...

Written Answers — Departmental Publications: Departmental Publications (4 Mar 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I refer the Deputy to the reply to Parliamentary Question No. 443 of 16 May, 2006 which included information detailing reports published by my Department from June 1997 to May 2006. In addition, the reports listed below, which were produced or commissioned from May 2006 to January 2007, relate to my Department's areas of responsibility. As is evident from the list, and from the material...

Written Answers — Garda Reserve: Garda Reserve (4 Mar 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I propose to take Questions Nos. 108 and 160. The total personnel strength of the Garda Reserve, including trainees, as at 31st January 2008 was 277. At a graduation ceremony to take place in the Garda College on Thursday 6th March, it is expected that approximately 60 more trainees will be attested. The next intake of trainees will be on the weekend of 8th and 9th March. The 206 attested...

Written Answers — Asylum Process: Asylum Process (4 Mar 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I presume the Deputy is referring to remarks attributed to the Minister for Integration which were reported in the media in January of this year. I should point out at the outset, that notwithstanding the lower number of applications in recent years, significant levels of abuse continue in our asylum process. In the region of 90% of asylum applications are determined to be unfounded after...

Written Answers — Criminal Prosecutions: Criminal Prosecutions (4 Mar 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I propose to take Questions Nos. 110 and 166 together. I am informed by the Garda authorities that the following table shows the number of murders recorded, detected, proceedings commenced and convictions, which involved the use of a firearm, for the years 1998 to 2008 up to 26 February. Investigations into many of these cases are ongoing and, accordingly, the number of cases where...

Written Answers — Departmental Reports: Departmental Reports (4 Mar 2008)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I propose to take Questions Nos. 111, 148, 501 and 502 together. The most recent report of the Designated Judge to the Taoiseach on the operation of both the Interception of Postal Packets and Telecommunications Messages (Regulation) Act 1993 and Part 7 of the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Act 2005 was made on 14 December, 2007. This report, with no material excluded, was laid before...