Results 7,321-7,340 of 16,849 for speaker:Dermot Ahern

Written Answers — Residency Permits: Residency Permits (18 Dec 2008)

Dermot Ahern: It is not the practice to comment in detail on individual asylum applications. As the Deputy will be aware, applications for refugee status in the State are determined by an independent process comprising the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner and the Refugee Appeals Tribunal which make recommendations to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform on whether such status...

Written Answers — Residency Permits: Residency Permits (18 Dec 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I refer the Deputy to Parliamentary Question No. 136 of Thursday, 9 October 2008, and the written Reply to that Question. The person concerned applied for asylum on 2 June 2005. His application was refused following consideration of his case by the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner. The person concerned was notified of his entitlement to appeal this determination to the...

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (18 Dec 2008)

Dermot Ahern: An application for a certificate of naturalisation for the person referred to in the Deputy's Question was received in the Citizenship Section of my Department in September 2006. Officials in that Section inform me that processing of the application has commenced and the file will be forwarded to me for a decision in the coming months.

Written Answers — Asylum Applications: Asylum Applications (18 Dec 2008)

Dermot Ahern: It is not the practice to comment in detail on individual asylum applications. As the Deputy will be aware, applications for refugee status in the State are determined by an independent process comprising the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner and the Refugee Appeals Tribunal which make recommendations to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform on whether such status...

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (18 Dec 2008)

Dermot Ahern: An application for a certificate of naturalisation from the person referred to in the Deputy's Question was received in the Citizenship Section of my Department in June 2007. Officials inform me that a letter requesting further information was sent to the applicant's solicitor on the 10 December 2008. Further processing of the application will commence once the documentation requested has...

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (18 Dec 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I refer the Deputy to my Reply to Parliamentary Question No. 160 of 19 June 2008. It is open to all non-nationals who are resident outside the State, and who are visa required to apply to their nearest Irish Embassy or Consulate for the appropriate visa. Each visa application is considered on its individual merits the onus resting with the applicant to satisfy the Visa Officer as to why the...

Written Answers — Deportation Orders: Deportation Orders (18 Dec 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I would refer the Deputy to my detailed Reply to his recent Parliamentary Question, No. 128 of Thursday, 20 November 2008, in this matter. As stated in that Reply, the latest representations submitted on behalf of the person concerned are being treated as an application for revocation of the existing deportation orders as provided for under Section 3(11) of the Immigration Act, 1999 (as...

Written Answers — Asylum Applications: Asylum Applications (18 Dec 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I refer the Deputy to Parliamentary Question No. 154 of Thursday 26th June 2008, and the written Reply to that Question. The person concerned arrived in the State on 24 June 2003 and applied for asylum. Her application was refused following consideration of her case by the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner and, on appeal, the Refugee Appeals Tribunal. Subsequently, in...

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (18 Dec 2008)

Dermot Ahern: An application for a certificate of naturalisation from the person referred to in the Deputy's Question was received in the Citizenship Section of my Department in December 2007. Officials in that Section are currently processing applications received in mid 2007. Applications are dealt with in chronological order as this is deemed to be the fairest to all applicants. However, I understand...

Written Answers — Residency Permits: Residency Permits (18 Dec 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I refer the Deputy to Parliamentary Question No. 204 of Thursday, 2 October 2008, and the written Reply to that Question. The person concerned applied for asylum on 1 December 2004. Her application was refused following consideration of her case by the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner and, on appeal, the Refugee Appeals Tribunal. Subsequently, in accordance with Section 3 of...

Written Answers — Prisoner Releases: Prisoner Releases (18 Dec 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I am informed that the gathering of the information requested would require a disproportionate and inordinate amount of staff time and effort and could not be justified in current circumstances where there are other significant demands on resources. Temporary/early release arrangements operate similarly to a system of parole, which is a feature of prison systems worldwide. They are an...

Written Answers — Prison Accommodation: Prison Accommodation (18 Dec 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I wish to inform the Deputy that as of 16 December, 2008 there were 3,611 permanent beds available in the prison system. On the same day there were 3,656 prisoners in custody. In addition there were 453 persons on temporary release. Most of our prisons are currently operating at close to or slightly in excess of their bed capacity. It is the case that there has been a consistent increase...

Written Answers — Crime Levels: Crime Levels (18 Dec 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The Garda Síochána Act 2005 makes provision for the compilation and publication of crime statistics by the Central Statistics Office, as the national statistical agency, and the CSO has established a dedicated unit for this purpose. I have requested the CSO to provide the statistics sought by the Deputy directly to him.

Written Answers — Crime Levels: Crime Levels (18 Dec 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I wish to advise the Deputy that it would be inappropriate for me to comment on the cost of what the Deputy refers to as a "gangland hit". As I am sure the Deputy will agree, the placing of a contract on anyone's life is a reprehensible and cowardly act. As such it is incumbent on all members of society to fully assist Gardaí with their investigations into such activities and to provide...

Written Answers — Crime Levels: Crime Levels (18 Dec 2008)

Dermot Ahern: As the Deputy will appreciate, given the covert nature of the criminal activity referred to in his Parliamentary Question it is not possible to provide an accurate estimate of the number of firearms available to those involved in criminal activity. An Garda Síochána will continue to tackle the issue of illegal guns, particularly through Operation Anvil under which about 2,200 guns have...

Written Answers — Crime Prevention: Crime Prevention (18 Dec 2008)

Dermot Ahern: A wide range of provisions to combat gun crime were introduced in the Criminal Justice Act 2006. That Act introduced mandatory minimum sentences of between five and ten years for certain firearms offences, including possession of a firearm in suspicious circumstances, possession of a firearm with criminal intent, possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, possession of a firearm...

Written Answers — Crime Levels: Crime Levels (18 Dec 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The Garda Síochána Act 2005 makes provision for the compilation and publication of crime statistics by the Central Statistics Office, as the national statistical agency, and the CSO has established a dedicated unit for this purpose. I have requested the CSO to provide the statistics sought by the Deputy directly to him.

Written Answers — Crime Prevention: Crime Prevention (18 Dec 2008)

Dermot Ahern: As the Deputy is aware, the legislation introduced by the Government to tackle serious drug trafficking in Section 27 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977 (as amended by the Criminal Justice Acts 1999, 2006 and 2007), provides for mandatory minimum sentences of not less than 10 years imprisonment for individuals convicted of a first offence under sections 15A and/or 15B of that Act. The provisions...

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (18 Dec 2008)

Dermot Ahern: An application for a certificate of naturalisation from the person referred to in the Deputy's Question was received in the Citizenship Section of my Department in December 2007. Officials in that Section inform me that the application is at an advanced stage of processing and the file will be forwarded to me for a decision in due course.

Seanad: Gun Crime: Statements (18 Dec 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I thank the House for the opportunity to speak on the important subject of gun crime. Senators will appreciate that I am very constrained in what I can say about a specific recent tragic incident where a gun was used. A person has been charged so it would be inappropriate for me to comment either on the detail surrounding the immediate incident or the circumstances which gave rise to it....