Results 6,801-6,820 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Operations (18 Jun 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: Operation Camac was set up by An Garda Síochána to target individuals who are involved in the production, distribution and sale of counterfeit merchandise in this jurisdiction. In December 2011 and November 2012, the Intellectual Property Crime Unit, at the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation carried out two separate operations to counteract the activities of these...

Seanad: Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Bill 2014: Second Stage (18 Jun 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am pleased to present this Bill to the House. It is now 15 years since the Equality Authority was established and 14 years since the establishment of the Human Rights Commission. In that time, the demographic, social and economic fabric of the State has changed profoundly. In particular, public expectations of the high standards of visibility, transparency and accountability to be...

Seanad: Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Bill 2014: Second Stage (18 Jun 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I thank the Senators for their responses to the introduction of this Bill to the House today. I believe that it is important and robust legislation and an important part of the architecture of the protection of human rights in this country. Quite a number of Senators have remarked on the various provisions in the legislation for equality review, protocols and inquiries. In particular, I...

Offences against the State (Amendment) Act 1998 and Criminal Justice (Amendment ) Act 1998: Motions (19 Jun 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I move:That Dáil Éireann resolves that sections 2 to 4, 6 to 12, 14 and 17 of the Offences Against the State (Amendment) Act 1998 (No. 39 of 1998) shall continue in operation for the period beginning on 30 June 2014 and ending on 29 June 2015.The House will be aware that the Offences Against the State (Amendment) Act 1998 was enacted in the wake of the murder of 29 people by the...

Offences against the State (Amendment) Act 1998 and Criminal Justice (Amendment ) Act 1998: Motions (19 Jun 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I thank the Deputies for their contributions to this debate. The substantial threat that remains from terrorist activity, particularly from dissident republican paramilitary groups, warrants the continuance in force of the Act's provisions. The message needs to go out, loud and clear, that the State will not bow to the self-serving interests of such individuals and will continue in its...

Offences against the State (Amendment) Act 1998 and Criminal Justice (Amendment ) Act 1998: Motions (19 Jun 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I move:That Dáil Éireann resolves that section 8 of the Criminal Justice (Amendment) Act 2009 (No. 32 of 2009) shall continue in operation for the period beginning on 30th June, 2014 and ending on 29th June, 2015.

Cooke Report: Statements (19 Jun 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I welcome this opportunity for the House to debate the findings and recommendations of the report by Mr. Justice Cooke into claims of unlawful surveillance of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, GSOC. Mr. Justice Cooke's authoritative report assesses, in a balanced and measured way, the evidence for these claims. As the House knows, The Sunday Timeson 9 February 2014 claimed...

Cooke Report: Statements (19 Jun 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I thank Deputy Regina Doherty for ending the contributions to this debate on that very appropriate note. It is absolutely essential for our society, as a democracy, to have confidence in An Garda Síochána. It is equally important to have confidence in GSOC. I thank all the Deputies who have contributed to the debate today. It has been wide-ranging, with many thoughtful...

Topical Issue Debate: Direct Provision System (19 Jun 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I thank Deputy Ó Ríordáin for raising this Topical Issue matter in the Dáil this afternoon. As he has said, there are 4,353 residents in 34 direct provision accommodation centres throughout the State under contract to the Reception and Integration Agency of the Department of Justice and Equality. I visited Mosney last Monday week and met the managers and residents there....

Topical Issue Debate: Direct Provision System (19 Jun 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: In regard to the inspection regime, HIQA is being asked to do a great deal of things at this time. For instance, as Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, I asked it to examine child protection teams, what the benchmarks should be and the progress that needs to be made. That progress is under way. I am not sure HIQA is necessarily the right body for what the Deputy is proposing, but I...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Closed Circuit Television Systems (19 Jun 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: CCTV systems installed for the purposes of crime prevention and as aids to policing in areas to which the general public routinely have access, such as town centres, fall into two distinct categories: Garda CCTV systems and community-based CCTV systems. Garda CCTV systems are planned and implemented on the basis of an Garda Síochána's identified operational needs and priorities....

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prisoner Welfare (19 Jun 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy will be aware that the primary role of the Irish Prison Service is the provision of safe and secure custody for prisoners. The Deputy will also be aware that the Prison Service must accept all persons committed by the courts into custody and does not have the option of refusing committals. I am informed by the Irish Prison Service that as of Wednesday 18 June 2014, there was a...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Measures (19 Jun 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: EU Council Framework Decision 2008/913/JHA on combating certain forms and expressions of racism and xenophobia by means of criminal law requires the Member States to criminalise incitement to hatred, hatred being defined by reference to race, colour, religion, descent, or national or ethnic origin. The Prohibition of Incitement to Hatred Act 1989 defines "hatred" by reference to race,...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Law Reform Proposals (19 Jun 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I assume that the Deputy is referring to statutory provisions governing the registration of easements such as rights of way over land as set out in the Land and Conveyancing Law Reform Act 2009 and the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2011. The position is that Part 8 (Chapter 1) of the Land and Conveyancing Law Reform Act 2009 updated the law concerning the acquisition of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Naturalisation Applications (19 Jun 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Irish Nationality and Citizenship Regulations 2011 set out the prescribed fees to be paid by an applicant for a certificate of naturalisation. An application fee of €175 is payable on application for a certificate of naturalisation and a fee is payable by applicants on the issue of a certificate of naturalisation. The standard certification fee is €950, while a reduced fee...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Correspondence (19 Jun 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: My Department has had extensive correspondence with the individual in question, over the last number of years, on a wide range of issues. His further correspondence will be considered and responded to in due course.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Temporary Travel Documentation (19 Jun 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department to refer the Deputy to my answer to Parliamentary Question 596 of Tuesday of this week, 17 June 2014. The situation has not changed in the intervening two days. "I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that in exceptional cases an application for Irish...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Status (19 Jun 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that this person entered the State on 01 April 2007 and is registered as a student in the State until 30 September 2014. All non-EEA students resident in the State are subject to the student immigration rules set out under the "new immigration regime for full time non-EEA students" which was published...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Deportation Orders Re-examination (19 Jun 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy will be aware, from previous Dáil replies in this matter, that a Deportation Order was made in respect of the child of the person referred to. Judicial review proceedings were then initiated challenging the Deportation Order. These proceedings, which related to procedural rather than substantive matters, were settled and the deportation order was revoked. A new proposal to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Status (19 Jun 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: The question of residency status or entitlement to naturalisation does not arise at this time in the case of the person whose details were supplied. As the Deputy is aware, if the person has made an application for asylum or subsidiary protection, the position is that it is not the practice to comment on such applications for so long as they remain in the protection process.