Results 9,181-9,200 of 16,849 for speaker:Dermot Ahern

Written Answers — Pre-Nuptial Agreements: Pre-Nuptial Agreements (27 May 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The Study Group on Pre-Nuptial Agreements examined the operation of the law since the introduction of divorce in 1996 with respect to pre-nuptial agreements, having regard to the provisions in the Constitution on the protection of marriage and the requirement that proper provision be made for each party in divorce proceedings. The Report of the Study Group recommended that provision be made...

Written Answers — Drug Offenders Register: Drug Offenders Register (27 May 2009)

Dermot Ahern: Part 9 of the Criminal Justice Act, 2006 provides, in effect, for a Drug Offenders Register. I am informed by the Garda authorities that, since the provisions of the Act have come into force, a national Register has been maintained by the Garda National Drugs Unit at Dublin Castle. In relation to the various detailed provisions which Part 9 contains, I am advised that the Garda authorities...

Written Answers — Prison Inspections: Prison Inspections (27 May 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I wish to advise the Deputy that the Office of the Inspector is a statutorily independent body provided for in legislation by Part 5 of the Prison Act, 2007. The Inspector's function is to carry out regular inspections of prisons and in exercise of his functions he may at any time enter any prison or place of detention. The current Inspector of Prisons, Judge Michael Reilly, took up his...

Written Answers — Garda Equipment: Garda Equipment (27 May 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I am informed by the Garda authorities that there are a total of 939 digital radio units deployed in three Divisions in the Dublin Metropolitan Region (DMR). These are in use in the North Central, Regional Traffic and Eastern Division mobile units and have been in use since 2002. The selected service provider for the new National Digital Radio Service, TETRA Ireland Ltd., is currently...

Written Answers — Gangland Crime: Gangland Crime (27 May 2009)

Dermot Ahern: Information concerning the number of cases of murders recorded in which firearms were used, detected and proceedings relating to those cases in each year from 2005 to 2008 and in 2009 up to 21 May is set out in the table below. Figures provided are provisional, operational and liable to change. The Deputy will appreciate that the stage would not have been reached in proceedings where...

Written Answers — Domestic Violence: Domestic Violence (27 May 2009)

Dermot Ahern: Comprehensive protection is already afforded to victims of domestic violence in our civil and criminal law statutes. The operation of the law on the protection of persons in relationships, whether through the operation of the Domestic Violence Acts 1996 and 2002 or otherwise, continues to be kept under review in my Department. The protection provisions in the Domestic Violence Acts are...

Written Answers — Electronic Tagging: Electronic Tagging (27 May 2009)

Dermot Ahern: As the Deputy is aware, in January of this year I announced the establishment of a Project Board, led by the Probation Service, to examine the implementation of electronic monitoring in this jurisdiction including electronic monitoring as a condition of bail provided for in the Criminal Justice Act, 2007. The Project Board has commenced its examination which includes the cost and viability...

Written Answers — Garda Reserve: Garda Reserve (27 May 2009)

Dermot Ahern: At 30 April 2009, there were 322 attested Reserve Gardaí and 198 Reserve trainees. Details of the stations to which the Reserve members were assigned are set out in the table below. The Agreed Programme for Government has set a target strength for the Reserve at 10% of the full-time strength of the force. As the Garda Reserve depends on volunteers who undertake their training and other...

Written Answers — Proceeds of Crime: Proceeds of Crime (27 May 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The information requested by the Deputy concerning the value of assets seized in the Criminal Assets Bureau from 2005 to 2007 is set out in the table below. Figures for 2008 and 2009 are not yet available. The figures for 2008 are in the process of being finalised and will be published soon as part of the 2008 Annual Report. In terms of the value of assets such as cars, property etc....

Written Answers — Gangland Crime: Gangland Crime (27 May 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 64, 84 and 159 together. I want to assure the House that the Government places the highest priority on tackling organised crime and the gangs involved. The Garda Síochána commit significant resources to combating these criminal gangs and we must acknowledge their considerable success. Intelligence-led operations such as Operation Anvil continue to provide...

Written Answers — Prison Inspection Reports: Prison Inspection Reports (27 May 2009)

Dermot Ahern: Reports of the Inspector of Prisons are submitted to me as Minister. They are then laid before each House of the Oireachtas and published. They provide an independent report on the operation of our prison system and are of great value to me in drawing attention to progress being made and to any particular difficulties arising. As a matter of course all such reports are referred by my...

Written Answers — Sexual Offences: Sexual Offences (27 May 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 66 and 74 together. An Garda Síochána and a number of other agencies have participated in a detailed research project funded by the EU Daphne II programme, relating to the attrition rate in rape cases in eleven EU countries. While there is as yet no published report from the main research project, data in respect of Ireland was recently published. I look...

Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (27 May 2009)

Dermot Ahern: Following a competition organised by the Public Appointments Service, the Equality Authority, on the 19 May 2009, approved the appointment of Renee Dempsey as Chief Executive Officer. It is expected that Ms Dempsey will take up her position shortly. Ms. Dempsey is an experienced senior civil servant who has worked with a number of Government Departments and is currently a member of the board...

Written Answers — Garda Stations: Garda Stations (27 May 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I am informed by the Garda authorities that there are a total of 703 Garda Stations. Email facilities are available at 347 networked locations within An Garda Síochána and internal email facilities are provided to all ranks of An Garda Síochána via the PULSE environment. External email facilities are also provided to all Gardaí from Inspector rank upwards and are made available to...

Written Answers — Garda Training: Garda Training (27 May 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I am informed by the Garda authorities that a considerable investment in training facilities has been made over the past two years including the provision of two Modular Firearms ranges at the Garda College and in the Dublin Metropolitan region. These modular ranges are newly designed products that facilitate live fire shooting for up to four persons in a carefully managed environment which...

Written Answers — Prisoner Literacy Levels: Prisoner Literacy Levels (27 May 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The findings of the most recent survey commissioned by my Department were published in 2003 in the Irish Prison Service publication entitled "The Prison Adult Literacy Survey - Results and Implications". The survey found that a significant number of prisoners have virtually no literacy skills, with 52% of them at Level 1 or Pre-Level 1 literacy levels. Level 1 is defined as knowing the...

Written Answers — Programmes for Government: Programmes for Government (27 May 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I refer the Deputy to my reply to Parliamentary Question No.109 of 22 April, 2009. The information requested by the Deputy is published on the website of the Department of the Taoiseach. It can be accessed at www.taoiseach.gov.ie under Publications (archive 2008). The information will be updated later this year.

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (27 May 2009)

Dermot Ahern: My Department has responsibility for seven EU directives which have to be implemented. There are four directives which are currently overdue as follows: Council Directive 2005/85/EC of 1 December 2005 on minimum standards on procedures in Member States for granting and withdrawing refugee status. Irish law and practice in this area is already substantially in compliance with the terms of...

Written Answers — Prison Building Programme: Prison Building Programme (27 May 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The cost of the acquisition of the site for the prison development at Thornton was €29.9 million. The cost of the site was completely offset by the sale of the prison lands at Shanganagh, County Dublin. An additional 8.7 acres has also been acquired to provide a dedicated access road to the main prison site at a cost of €1.3 million. This was done following representations from the...

Written Answers — Crime Levels: Crime Levels (27 May 2009)

Dermot Ahern: One of the priorities I have set for An Garda Síochána in 2009 is the targeting of serious crime, in particular organised, gun and drug related crime. The Garda Policing Plan for 2009 contains a series of measures aimed at reducing the impact of crime and criminal behaviour. These goals are backed up by strategic actions which include a commitment to continue and intensify...