Results 9,061-9,080 of 16,849 for speaker:Dermot Ahern

Written Answers — Residency Permits: Residency Permits (21 May 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The Deputy should note that it is not the practice to comment in detail on individual applications for refugee status where a final decision has not been made. 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...

Written Answers — Residency Permits: Residency Permits (21 May 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The person concerned applied for asylum on 27 February 2006. His application was refused following consideration of his case by the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner and, on appeal, the Refugee Appeals Tribunal. Subsequently, in accordance with Section 3 of the Immigration Act, 1999 (as amended), the person concerned was informed, by letter dated 14 January 2009, that the...

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (21 May 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The visa application referred to by the Deputy was received in the Visa Office, Abuja on the 11 March 2009. Following consideration by a Visa Officer in Abuja it was referred to the Visa office, Dublin for processing on 1 April 2009. The application is currently being processed and a decision will issue within two weeks.

Written Answers — Garda Stations: Garda Stations (21 May 2009)

Dermot Ahern: As part of the alignment of Divisional boundaries the station referred to by the Deputy transferred to the Naas District in June 2008. The detailed allocation of Garda resources, including personnel, is a matter for the Garda Commissioner to be decided on the basis of his identified operational needs. I am advised that the personnel strength at the Station was doubled from 1 Garda to 2...

Written Answers — Garda Vetting Services: Garda Vetting Services (21 May 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I am informed by the Garda authorities that a vetting application in respect of one of the persons referred to was received by the Garda Central Vetting Unit on 7 May, 2009. The application is being processed at present and a response will issue shortly. However, the Garda Central Vetting Unit has also informed me that no vetting application has been received on behalf of the other persons...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (21 May 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The General Scheme of the Civil Partnership Bill published in June 2008 provides for a civil registration scheme for same-sex couples and a cohabitants scheme for opposite-sex and same-sex couples who choose not to marry or to register a civil partnership as the case may be. The Government Legislation Programme published on 22 April 2009 provides for the publication of the Civil Partnership...

Written Answers — Prison Reports: Prison Reports (21 May 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I wish to advise the Deputy that all reports of the Inspector of Prisons can be viewed on the Department's website at www.justice.ie. The following is a list of hyperlinks to the electronic version of each of the annual reports of the Inspector of Prisons as requested. http://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/1stannreport.pdf/Files/1stannr eport.pdf...

Written Answers — Residency Permits: Residency Permits (21 May 2009)

Dermot Ahern: Officials in the Long-Term Residency Section of my Department inform me that an application for long-term residency was received from the person referred to by the Deputy on 29 May, 2007. On 19/03/2009 a letter advising him of the outcome of his application was sent to the most recent address the applicant had provided. A copy of this letter has now been sent to the applicant at the address...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (21 May 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I wish to inform the Deputy that based on a review of invoices received in the year to date and paid up to 30 April, 2009 across the Justice Sector the average time from receipt of the invoice to payment is less than 13 working days.

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (21 May 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I have adopted a general policy that I will normally require an applicant for naturalisation, unless he/she is a refugee, programme refugee or Stateless person, to show that he/she has supported him or herself (and his or her family if appropriate) while residing in the State and, as far as can be determined, is in a position to continue that support into the future. I am, generally speaking,...

Written Answers — Prison Accommodation: Prison Accommodation (21 May 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I wish to inform the Deputy that as of 21 May, 2009 there were 3,641 permanent beds available in the prison system. On the same day there were 3,860 prisoners in custody. This represented an occupancy total of 106%. This is in contrast to the situation at the time of my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 239 where on 18 December, 2008 there were 3,611 permanent beds available in the prison...

Seanad: Property Services (Regulation) Bill 2009: Second Stage (21 May 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I am very pleased to have the opportunity to introduce the Property Services (Regulation) Bill 2009 in this House and I look forward to our discussion. The Bill provides for a comprehensive and streamlined legislative framework for the regulation of auctioneers, letting agents and property management agents. It will replace the current court-based system for regulating auctioneers and house...

Order of Business (26 May 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The Deputy should look at section 35 of the Residential Institutions Redress Act.

Written Answers — Child Abuse: Child Abuse (26 May 2009)

Dermot Ahern: As the Deputy is no doubt aware, the Internet is an international and worldwide phenomenon, it has no borders and no single organisation controlling it. Therefore efforts to combat illegal and harmful materials and activities on it can often be hampered by the multiplicity of jurisdictions, differing legal systems and differing societal norms. In this particular instance many of the major...

Written Answers — Voluntary Work: Voluntary Work (26 May 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The Law Reform Commission published its Consultation Paper on the Civil Liability of "Good Samaritans" and Volunteers in November 2007. The Consultation Paper included provisional recommendations in relation to the standard of conduct to be expected of Good Samaritans, voluntary rescuers and other volunteers and defences against civil liability claims for such people. I understand that the...

Written Answers — Road Traffic Regulations: Road Traffic Regulations (26 May 2009)

Dermot Ahern: One of the strategic goals set out in the Garda Síochána Corporate Strategy 2007-2009 is to significantly reduce the incidence of fatal and serious injuries on the roads and improve road safety. I am informed by the Garda authorities that there has been no reduction in the efforts of members of An Garda Síochána in the enforcement of road traffic legislation. While members of the Garda...

Written Answers — Garda Deployment: Garda Deployment (26 May 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I am advised by An Garda Síochána that there are four Garda Assets Profilers allocated to the Limerick Garda Division. Their remit is to identify assets believed to be the proceeds of crime derived by persons suspected of involvement in crime and organised criminal activity. While there has been no increase in the number of Asset Profilers allocated to this Division since January 2009, the...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (26 May 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The Deputy will appreciate that it can be difficult to arrive at an accurate estimate of costs within the criminal justice system associated specifically with drug misuse as services such as An Garda Síochána, the Prisons, the Courts and Probation Service all deal with drugs issues as a part of their wider daily remit, as indeed do a number of officials of this Department as a feature of...

Written Answers — Witness Intimidation: Witness Intimidation (26 May 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 254 and 255 together. There is a specific statutory offence of intimidation of witnesses or jurors. Section 41 of the Criminal Justice Act 1999 makes it an offence to harm or threaten or in any other way intimidate or put in fear another person who is assisting in the investigation by the Garda Síochána of an offence or is a witness or potential witness or...

Written Answers — Residency Permits: Residency Permits (26 May 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I wish to inform the Deputy that a letter of intention to revoke the permission granted on 17 September 2008 issued to the person referred to by the Deputy on 21 May 2009. The person concerned has been given 10 days from the date of this letter in which to respond to the issues raised.