Results 6,501-6,520 of 16,849 for speaker:Dermot Ahern

Brutal Killing in Limerick: Statements. (13 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: ——to send a strong message, particularly to the wider community.

Brutal Killing in Limerick: Statements. (13 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: While my Department and the Garda Síochána are homing in on supply, the reality is that there is also a demand. It is incumbent on us, if we are to do any justice to Shane Geoghegan, to remind the people we represent that when they take cocaine, heroin or whatever, they are feeding the crime gangs — those people who are bringing about the awful deaths of Shane Geoghegan and others.

Brutal Killing in Limerick: Statements. (13 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: That provision is already there.

Brutal Killing in Limerick: Statements. (13 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: It is already there.

Brutal Killing in Limerick: Statements. (13 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I will give the Deputy those figures too.

Brutal Killing in Limerick: Statements. (13 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I will give that figure too.

Brutal Killing in Limerick: Statements. (13 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: Deputy O'Donnell raised a number of issues earlier this week, some of which I had an opportunity to answer in the Seanad yesterday. The Criminal Justice Act 2006 specified new offences of membership of an organised criminal gang, carrying a penalty of five years, and committing an offence for a criminal gang, which carries a penalty of ten years. To answer Deputy Flanagan, who questioned...

Brutal Killing in Limerick: Statements. (13 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: There is some difficulty in finding exact figures under the system.

Brutal Killing in Limerick: Statements. (13 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: However, we estimate that 23 proceedings were taken in 2006, 54 in 2007 and 10 in 2008.

Brutal Killing in Limerick: Statements. (13 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The number of convictions for these offences was six in 2006 and 15 in 2007.

Brutal Killing in Limerick: Statements. (13 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I asked the Garda Commissioner about this. Ultimately it is a matter for him to decide and he is adamant that he has a proper management set-up in Limerick. The Deputy asked me about a branch of the CAB for Limerick. Already there are a number of CAB profilers in Limerick——

Brutal Killing in Limerick: Statements. (13 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: Representatives of the CAB are always in Limerick, I can assure the Deputy.

Brutal Killing in Limerick: Statements. (13 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: They are concentrating on Limerick. When we were discussing the annual report of the CAB in the Seanad, I gave some figures in that respect. It is intended as soon as possible to roll out the successful system for blocking mobile phones. It has only been a success in the last while. It will now be rolled out in other prisons, particularly in certain areas of those prisons.

Brutal Killing in Limerick: Statements. (13 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I cannot answer that question offhand. I agree wholeheartedly with the remarks of Deputy McGrath. In fairness to this House, it did bring in extremely tough legislation, particularly in 2007, and there were objections to some of the issues to which we have referred. We brought in tighter bail requirements relating to the opinion of the Chief Superintendent to refuse bail. We brought in new...

Brutal Killing in Limerick: Statements. (13 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I am answering questions in a couple of minutes.

Brutal Killing in Limerick: Statements. (13 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: We brought in new mandatory sentencing for repeat offenders and we restated the rules on the right to silence which, as was mentioned earlier on the other side of the House, was upheld in court just the other day. We introduced post-release monitoring orders and protection of persons orders to allow the Garda to supervise convicted persons and protect witnesses. We brought in laws to allow...

Brutal Killing in Limerick: Statements. (13 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I assure Deputy Neville of that. In the past number of years, Limerick has been blanketed with gardaí. As I said earlier, there are more gardaí in Limerick per head of population than anywhere else in the country, except, perhaps, Dublin. The legislation on covert surveillance will be brought in as soon as possible, but it is very complex and that is probably why it has not been brought...

Brutal Killing in Limerick: Statements. (13 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: It is extremely complex legislation and we want to get it right.

Sentencing Policy. (13 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I know the Deputy appreciates that the courts are, subject only to the Constitution and the law, independent in the exercise of their judicial functions and the sentencing of offenders is clearly a matter for the presiding judge. The Deputy refers to one of the few exceptional situations where the legislature has intervened by statute to create mandatory sentences for certain crimes. Section...

Sentencing Policy. (13 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I have met the Chief Justice and many members of the Judiciary, particularly since I became Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. However it is not my job, nor am I entitled or allowed under the Constitution, to interfere in their judicial discretion on their decisions.