Results 6,421-6,440 of 16,849 for speaker:Dermot Ahern

Written Answers — Prison Committals: Prison Committals (11 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The statistics as requested by the Deputy are set out in the following table. Year Average Number 2001 3,112 2002 3,165 2003 3,176 2004 3,199 2005 3,151 2006 3,191 2007 3,321 2008 (up to 6 November) 3,525 The Government's significant investment in modernising our prisons over the lifetime of this Government has resulted in the provision of some 1300 new prison spaces. This...

Written Answers — Prison Committals: Prison Committals (11 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The following information is taken from the Annual Reports of the Irish Prison Service for the years 2003 to 2006 and from available information which will be included in the 2007 report. While the statistics are not categorised in the exact format requested by the Deputy, it is assumed that the information given will be useful. Year 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 Group 1 Offences...

Written Answers — Departmental Transport: Departmental Transport (11 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 376 and 378 together. I wish to inform the Deputy that my Department incurs transport related costs under a wide range of headings, including by means of travel claims submitted in the normal fashion. It is not feasible to extract this data in the time available. I can, however, inform the Deputy that total expenditure by my Department under the subhead...

Written Answers — Departmental Transport: Departmental Transport (11 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I have requested this information from the Garda authorities and I will contact the Deputy when it is to hand.

Written Answers — Residency Permits: Residency Permits (11 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I am informed by the Immigration Division of my Department that the person in question was granted permission to reside in the State on Stamp 4 conditions on the basis of his marriage to an Irish National on 31 October 2008. This permission is valid until 30 October 2009.

Written Answers — Prison Accommodation: Prison Accommodation (11 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The majority of institutions within the prison estate are medium security closed prisons and accommodate a wide variety of prisoners ranging from those serving short sentences for relatively minor offences up to prisoners serving lengthy determinate sentences or life for serious offences. The exception is Portlaoise Prison which is a maximum-security prison. The most recent available costings...

Written Answers — International Agreements: International Agreements (11 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I have already outlined the position in this matter in my Reply to Question No. 143 from the Deputy on 22nd October 2008.

Written Answers — Public Order Offences: Public Order Offences (11 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994 is the enactment under which most public order offences are prosecuted, including those for alcohol related disorder. Sections 4 and 5 of that Act are of particular relevance to alcohol related offences. They relate to offences of intoxication in a public place and disorderly conduct in a public place, respectively. The fines for sections 4 and 5...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (11 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: There are, of course, legislative provisions already in place to oblige people to stay away from other people or places. Thus, the Non Fatal Offences against the Person Act 1997 permits the court, in appropriate cases, to order a person not to communicate with a specified person or not to approach within a specified distance his/her home. Section 41 of the Criminal Justice Act 1999 makes it...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (11 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: Restrictions on movement or access can give rise to consideration of the extent to which such restrictions are in compliance with constitutional rights. It is, therefore, generally the case that these restrictions are imposed by the courts, on application by the Garda. The following are among the provisions currently on the statute book which provide for restrictions: (i) exclusion orders...

Written Answers — Closed Circuit Television Systems: Closed Circuit Television Systems (11 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The Community-based CCTV Scheme was established in 2005. It is designed to provide financial assistance to qualifying local organisations towards meeting the capital costs associated with the establishment of local community CCTV systems. The Scheme offers pre-development (Stage 1) grants of up to €5,000 to enable qualifying applicants to investigate the need for CCTV in their area and to...

Written Answers — Criminal Prosecutions: Criminal Prosecutions (11 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: As the Deputy may be aware, 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. In the context of other legislative priorities, the need for additional measures is under consideration in light of the commitment in the Programme...

Written Answers — Garda Strength: Garda Strength (11 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The strength of the management ranks in An Garda Síochána as of 30th September 2007 and 30th September 2008, the latest date for which figures are readily available, is as follows: Rank Number in rank on 30th September 2007 Number in rank on 30th September 2008 Commissioner 1 1 Deputy Commissioner 3 2 Assistant Commissioner 12 9 Chief Superintendent 49 52 Superintendent 187 187...

Written Answers — Garda Deployment: Garda Deployment (11 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I have been informed by the Garda Commissioner that the personnel strength of An Garda Síochána on 30 September 2008, the latest date for which figures are readily available, was 14,284. Strong provisions are in place to combat anti-social behaviour and the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994 modernised the law in this regard. Furthermore, the Intoxicating Liquor Act 2003 contains...

Written Answers — Garda Charter: Garda Charter (11 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The Garda Inspectorate have been requested to provide advice on the development of a Garda Charter, specifically: To advise on the development and implementation of the Garda Charter proposed in the Programme for Government which will set out targeted response times and levels of service which the public can expect including frequency of high visibility patrols in urban and rural communities;...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (11 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The centrality of human rights compliance to policing in Ireland is highlighted by section 7 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 which sets out for the first time the core functions of the Garda Siochana in a modern and unambiguous statutory format. Those objectives include (a) the protection of life and property and (b) vindicating the human rights of each individual. That said, it is...

Written Answers — Drug Court Programme: Drug Court Programme (11 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I can inform the Deputy that 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...

Written Answers — Prison Drug Treatment Services: Prison Drug Treatment Services (11 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The Irish Prison Service continues to work to implement its Drugs Policy & Strategy, entitled Keeping Drugs Out of Prisons, which was launched in May 2006. Working to fulfil the commitments contained in the Policy and Strategy involves the implementation of stringent measures to prevent drugs from getting into prisons while, at the same time, continuing to invest in services within prisons...

Written Answers — Criminal Prosecutions: Criminal Prosecutions (11 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The question of providing the DPP with a power to seek a review of unduly lenient sentences handed down in the District Court was examined by the Law Reform Commission in its report on prosecution appeals and pre-trial hearings (LRC 81-2006). The Report cited the lack of sentencing information in the District Court as a difficulty with regard to conferring such a power on the DPP. This...

Written Answers — Judicial Studies Institute: Judicial Studies Institute (11 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The Deputy will appreciate that it is for the Judicial Studies Institute itself to plan, organise and manage its business. My function as Minister under the Courts and Courts Officers Act 1995 is, with the consent of the Minister for Finance, to provide funds for the training and education of judges. The aim of the Institute is to facilitate the continuing education of judges in relation to...