Results 61-80 of 190 for garda speaker:Martin Kenny

Ceisteanna - Questions: Garda Reform (26 Nov 2019)

Martin Kenny: ...end of the year with only 65% of these protective service units delivered. My party leader, Deputy McDonald, has regularly raised these delays with the Minister for Justice and Equality and the Garda Commissioner over the past two years. So slow has been the pace of delivery that the Garda Representative Association told delegates at its annual conference in May that the protective...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (24 Oct 2019)

Martin Kenny: I raise the issue of justice, in particular the presence of gardaí on the streets. In Dublin the other day a young woman was robbed in Long's Place, just off Thomas Street, by an armed man who was casually smoking a cigarette. The reason it is happening is there is no Garda presence on the streets of the cities and towns. That is why criminals believe they can wander around and do...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: An Garda Síochána (16 Feb 2023)

Martin Kenny: I appreciate that. I understand that many gardaí get great job satisfaction from what they do and work very hard in respect of that. I always wonder about having more civilian staff that are going to free up gardaí for front-line duties. The experience in communities does not show that. That is the problem here. There was a similar story when Garda stations were closed. Many...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: An Garda Síochána (17 Feb 2022)

Martin Kenny: I understand that but I turn to another side of this, which is the issue of people's trust in An Garda Síochána and trust that they will get a response when they look for one. I think of the incidents of assault we have seen recently. I am conscious of the case of Alanna Quinn Idris in Ballyfermot, which was probably one of the most extreme cases we have seen recently. There have...

Garda Siochana (Functions and Operational Areas) Bill 2021: Second Stage (22 Sep 2021)

Martin Kenny: ...opening remarks on this technical Bill, which will impact on a series of legislative measures, many of them dating back to well before the formation of the State, particularly in respect of Garda districts, which will now become part of Garda divisions. All of this is coming from the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland's recommendations on modernising the force and making it...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: An Garda Síochána (24 May 2022)

Martin Kenny: ...It needs to be considered very carefully because it is quite unusual that the investigating authority or service is also the prosecuting service. That is the case regarding many aspects of what An Garda Síochána does. Other jurisdictions have a different system that has served them better. The recommendation that needs to be examined comes from recognising that the current...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: An Garda Síochána (20 Oct 2022)

Martin Kenny: I met with the Garda Commissioner recently and, of the number of issues he outlined to me, one was that we have two economies in this country. We have an international economy whereby people are in very high paid positions in the various technological companies. Many of the gardaí being recruited have skills and we need those skills to deal with cybercrime and all these areas. They...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of the Communications (Retention of Data) (Amendment) Bill 2022: Discussion (30 Jun 2022)

Martin Kenny: ...telecommunications were part of the method that was used at that time to investigate the case. If a similar situation arises after this legislation comes in, a victim is found somewhere and the Garda has identified a potential suspect or perhaps more than one, in that case, can they go to a judge and seek to get telecommunications data to identify the movement of the person using existing...

Appointment of Member and Chair of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission: Motion (15 Dec 2021)

Martin Kenny: ...many within the organisation wanted to do. GSOC has a vital role to play in building public confidence in regard to difficulties that people encounter when engaging with certain members of An Garda Síochána. The State as a whole and all of us have a job to do to build the maximum amount of public confidence in the institutions of the State. I refer to recent issues with...

Rural Crime: Motion (21 Nov 2017)

Martin Kenny: ...about rural crime. Text alert schemes are up and running in many rural communities, including my local community. This is a response from people who, unfortunately, feel let down because Garda resources are not adequate to provide the type of monitoring and protection they need. Growing up in the 1980s, I drove an old banger of a car. If I had a bald tyre, I used to be afraid of...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 – Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 24 – Justice (Revised)
Vote 41 - Policing Authority (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised) (8 Feb 2022)

Martin Kenny: It is one of those oxymorons we have to deal with. I note the increase in funding for the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, GSOC. One of the biggest difficulties many people have with GSOC is that the inquiries it carries out often require that it second members of An Garda Síochána from other areas to do investigations. There is certainly an impression among people...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Relating to Road Safety: An Garda Síochána (15 May 2024)

Martin Kenny: ...this problem. Enforcement is a part of it, but it is not all of it. We need to acknowledge that. However, we want to focus on that aspect in light of the fact that the representatives from An Garda Síochána are before us today. The Commissioner mentioned that an additional 75 gardaí will be recruited to the road policing unit this year and that the competitions in this...

Estimates for Public Services 2020 (Resumed) (9 Jul 2020)

Martin Kenny: ..., out of Covid and into a more normal arrangement. The Estimates this year are governed by what happened in previous months with regard to Covid and the crisis that we have come through. The Garda numbers are interesting. The Minister says there are 14,700, with just over 3,000 civilian personnel. I know there was a target of having 4,000 civilian personnel working in the Garda by...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Domestic Violence (3 Oct 2019)

Martin Kenny: I recognise the work being done by the Garda, often in very difficult circumstances, and that needs to be acknowledged. The difficulty is not really about legislation or the work of An Garda Síochána but is about the court process and how this very often lets the victim down. The Minister would acknowledge that there are difficulties in respect of that. In other jurisdictions,...

Death of Shane O'Farrell: Motion [Private Members] (12 Jun 2018)

Martin Kenny: ...the country which have involved similar situations. We are all aware of them. We are all aware of the role that GSOC has played in many cases in which people have made legitimate complaints about Garda inaction or inappropriate action. While the Minister's defence of GSOC has been very valiant on this occasion, to call it to account in no way suggests that we do not need a body in place...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 20 - An Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (17 Nov 2020)

Martin Kenny: My thanks to the Minister for her opening statement. One thing I mentioned to the Minister privately was the issue of administrative pay for gardaí, especially of those out from Templemore at the moment. They would have been expected to go through their training programme over a certain period and then go to Garda stations throughout the country. They were all out early last spring as...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 – Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 24 – Justice (Revised)
Vote 41 - Policing Authority (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised) (8 Feb 2022)

Martin Kenny: ...the past several months. The trade unions whose members drive trains and buses are very exercised over the dangers faced by the public and employees. They feel there needs to be a section of An Garda Síochána to deal with public transport. I agree and believe it is a direction in which we need to go. As the Minister is aware, we are pushing everybody to use more public...

Covid-19 (Justice and Equality): Statements (4 Jun 2020)

Martin Kenny: If there is time for a reply that is fine, but I am also happy for the Minister to respond in writing. I commend An Garda Síochána for the good work that many thousands of gardaí have done across the country during this pandemic. For many people, they have been a lifeline. This needs to be recognised and acknowledged. I too want to comment on what happened in the...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (20 Jan 2022)

Martin Kenny: The programme for Government gives an overall commitment to transparency across all Departments and programmes. In fairness, much progress has been made in the Department of Justice on Garda reform and so forth. However, in the last number of weeks we have seen the documentary "Crimes and Confessions" running on RTÉ. The most recent episode on the Sallins train robbery was shocking...

Questions on Proposed Legislation (6 Oct 2016)

Martin Kenny: It is the Government's commitment on page 100 of the programme for Government to extend Garda oversight and accountability.