Results 8,301-8,320 of 18,851 for speaker:Fergus O'Dowd

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 20: An Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary) (2 Dec 2015)

Fergus O'Dowd: Notwithstanding what the Minister says, my constituents would prefer a different answer.

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 20: An Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary) (2 Dec 2015)

Fergus O'Dowd: Can the Garda system exchange information with the Courts Service system? How integrated are these systems?

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 20: An Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary) (2 Dec 2015)

Fergus O'Dowd: There has been significant investment in the Courts Service in the past couple of years. One of the problems is that when a member of An Garda Síochána goes to issue a summons, the person concerned is no longer at the address indicated. This happens quite often and it is a major waste of Garda time and resources. Is there an alternative? I think thousands of summonses have been...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 20: An Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary) (2 Dec 2015)

Fergus O'Dowd: The Minister responded earlier and I understand the point she is making. In view of the exceptional need at this moment and the inability of the Garda to train more than 600 recruits at a time because of the physical limitation on the buildings at Templemore, would it not make sense, as an exceptional measure, to see if more people would continue to work? That is my point in a nutshell....

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 20: An Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary) (2 Dec 2015)

Fergus O'Dowd: I acknowledge fully the Minister's absolute commitment to increasing the number of gardaí. Either we have to train more somewhere else, or we have to hold on to people for longer, if possible, as an exceptional measure.

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 20: An Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary) (2 Dec 2015)

Fergus O'Dowd: I know the Chairman will not allow my question, but I will ask it anyway.

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 20: An Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary) (2 Dec 2015)

Fergus O'Dowd: I will have an opportunity later. One of my biggest problems is that politicians are pressurised in terms of Garda numbers and resources. This is not a political comment. The reply to any question that one submits on these issues is that the allocation of gardaí is a matter for the Garda Síochána and not politicians. However, the Estimates are a matter for us. My...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 20: An Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary) (2 Dec 2015)

Fergus O'Dowd: I understand.

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 20: An Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary) (2 Dec 2015)

Fergus O'Dowd: The extra bit in Louth is that 27 new gardaí have been provided as a result of the appalling murder of a garda in our constituency. I do not know if it is an additional cost. The people want the gardaí to be kept in the area, at whatever cost, if any.

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 20: An Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary) (2 Dec 2015)

Fergus O'Dowd: I accept that.

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 20: An Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary) (2 Dec 2015)

Fergus O'Dowd: I accept all that. I have no issue.

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 20: An Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary) (2 Dec 2015)

Fergus O'Dowd: I agree.

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 20: An Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary) (2 Dec 2015)

Fergus O'Dowd: I have a query which I have raised on a previous occasion. If I do not have the correct subhead then I am happy to wait until we get to that section.

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 20: An Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary) (2 Dec 2015)

Fergus O'Dowd: Yes. My question concerns the use of Garda resources to bring people who have, for non-payment of fines to-----

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 20: An Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary) (2 Dec 2015)

Fergus O'Dowd: Please do.

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 20: An Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary) (2 Dec 2015)

Fergus O'Dowd: Yes, it has. Allow me to explain to the Chairman why it has, and I will put it into context. I understand that prison staff are on duty to receive incoming prisoners who are convicted by the courts or who are brought for incarceration for whatever reason. The problem is that thousands of these prisoners are people who have not paid fines, are brought to prisons and are processed in the...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 20: An Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary) (2 Dec 2015)

Fergus O'Dowd: I have one question and I apologise if I missed it earlier in the Minister's speech. There is no open prison for female prisoners, which is a huge issue. If male prisoners have that opportunity, and if they are deemed to be no-risk, what is the position on the provision of an open prison for females?

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 20: An Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary) (2 Dec 2015)

Fergus O'Dowd: It should.

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 20: An Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary) (2 Dec 2015)

Fergus O'Dowd: Have we missed an item on education services?

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 20: An Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary) (2 Dec 2015)

Fergus O'Dowd: My apologies, I was looking at appropriations-in-aid.