Results 9,741-9,760 of 21,096 for speaker:Charles Flanagan

Other Questions: Garda Deployment (6 Feb 2018)

Charles Flanagan: I acknowledge that Deputy Brendan Smith has raised these issues with me on numerous occasions and that he represents a challenging constituency. I refer to the Border and the rural nature of a large constituency comprising two counties. I am sure he will agree that the distribution of gardaí is exclusively the statutory responsibility of the Garda Commissioner. However, I am advised...

Other Questions: Garda Deployment (6 Feb 2018)

Charles Flanagan: The Deputies will be pleased to hear that the number of gardaí for the Cavan-Monaghan division increased from December 2009 to 2017: in 2015, it was 318; in 2016, it was also 318; and in 2017 it was 329. There are more on the way. A number of new recruits have been assigned to the Cavan-Monaghan division. The total number of gardaí, taking account of retirements, had increased to...

Other Questions: Garda Deployment (6 Feb 2018)

Charles Flanagan: I acknowledge that there is a particular challenge in Border areas having regard to the ongoing work in progress that is the peace process. I hope that over the next few weeks we will see the successful re-establishment of the power-sharing institutions in Northern Ireland, particularly the Executive and a working assembly. It is almost a year since the people in Northern Ireland voted and...

Other Questions: Policing Authority Reports (6 Feb 2018)

Charles Flanagan: The Policing Authority is tasked with overseeing the implementation of the agreed recommendations of the Garda Inspectorate report, Changing Policing in Ireland, and reporting to me on a regular basis. I welcome its fourth progress report which includes an in-depth assessment of the human resources function within An Garda Síochána.  Human resources is an...

Other Questions: Policing Authority Reports (6 Feb 2018)

Charles Flanagan: I certainly agree that there is a body of work to be undertaken. The Deputy referred to the plan that was submitted by An Garda Síochána to the authority in July. This has been the subject of discussion with the authority, my Department and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. I am informed by the Garda Commissioner that a further iteration of that plan is currently...

Other Questions: Policing Authority Reports (6 Feb 2018)

Charles Flanagan: I acknowledge the crucial role of the Policing Authority in the ongoing process of modernisation and reform. The issue of recruitment of civilians is of particular significance and I am anxious to ensure that process is accelerated. It is disappointing that the target of 500 civilian recruits last year was not reached. I acknowledge a number of contributory factors in that regard,...

Other Questions: Family Law Cases (6 Feb 2018)

Charles Flanagan: I acknowledge that Deputy Fitzpatrick has been raising this issue with me for some time. It is an issue that is important to him as a parliamentarian. The Government remains committed to significant reform of the courts, including the establishment of a family law court structure that is streamlined, more efficient and less costly. My Department is working on the general scheme of a...

Other Questions: Family Law Cases (6 Feb 2018)

Charles Flanagan: I do not disagree with the points raised by Deputy Fitzpatrick. The programme for Government 2011 to 2016 contained a commitment to establish a distinct and separate system of family courts to streamline the family law court process and make it more efficient and less costly. There has been ongoing negative comment in the media highlighting what are perceived to be the inadequate facilities...

Other Questions: Family Law Cases (6 Feb 2018)

Charles Flanagan: I agree that there are issues to be addressed, including infrastructural issues in terms of court facilities and buildings. We must advert to the need to ensure there is specialist training in family law for those involved in its practice, which would not only focus on the latest developments in legislation and international treaties but also ensure best international practice. We need to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Legal Cases (6 Feb 2018)

Charles Flanagan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 57 and 70 together. The Government had two options to respond to the Supreme Court Judgment which acknowledges that a constitutional right to seek employment exists where no temporal limit is set for the processing of protection applications. It could have responded narrowly to this judgment by setting a temporal limit. Instead it decided to opt-in to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Reform (6 Feb 2018)

Charles Flanagan: On Tuesday last, the Government approved the establishment of an independent Change Implementation Group for the Department of Justice and Equality. It is undoubtedly the case that my Department plays a central role in the functioning of our society with a mandate which is complex, varied and challenging.  Members of this House are aware that following the Toland report in 2014, the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Child Protection (6 Feb 2018)

Charles Flanagan: The Government is committed to providing the necessary legislative and other tools required by An Garda Síochána in order to investigate sexual offences against children and bring perpetrators to justice, whether their offences are committed online or on the streets. The Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act was enacted in early 2017. It is...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Organised Crime (6 Feb 2018)

Charles Flanagan: At the outset it is important to note that the fatal shooting that took place last week in Dublin’s North Strand is currently under investigation by An Garda Síochána. The Deputy will appreciate that the manner in which particular investigations are conducted is solely a matter for the Garda Commissioner and his management team and I have no role in relation to such...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Constitutional Amendments (6 Feb 2018)

Charles Flanagan: On 26 September 2017, the Government decided on an indicative timetable for a number of referenda to be held in 2018 and 2019. Under this timetable, and subject to passage of the necessary Bills by the Houses of the Oireachtas and formal confirmation of the polling date, it is proposed to hold referendums in October 2018 on the offence of blasphemy (Article 40.6.1°1) and on a woman's...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Data (6 Feb 2018)

Charles Flanagan: As the Deputy will be aware, the Policing Authority assumed the function of selecting and appointing persons to the rank of Assistant Garda Commissioner, Chief Superintendent and Superintendent in An Garda Síochána on 1 January 2017. I wish to make it clear that, with the exception of members of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) whose appointment by the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Data (6 Feb 2018)

Charles Flanagan: As I outlined to the Deputy in my earlier response, An Garda Síochána is working with the CSO to resolve an issue which emerged in relation to the classification of homicide offences.  The expert oversight by the CSO of crime statistics is welcome in order to ensure that we can have confidence in the official crime statistics and can tailor our policies accordingly.  ...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Insurance Fraud (6 Feb 2018)

Charles Flanagan: The Cost of Insurance Working Group's "Report on the Cost of Motor Insurance" (January 2017) includes a recommendation to establish a fully functioning integrated fraud database for industry to detect patterns of fraud managed by an independent not-for-profit body but funded by industry. As recommendation lead, my Department established a working group to progress the related action...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Child Protection Guidelines (6 Feb 2018)

Charles Flanagan: As the Deputy will be aware, the Commissioner of An Garda Síochána engaged the professional services of Professor Geoffrey Shannon, Special Rapporteur on Child Protection, to conduct an independent audit of the exercise by An Garda Síochána of section 12, Child Care Act, 1991. The final Report was published on 29 May 2017 and was welcomed by An Garda...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Road Traffic Offences Data (6 Feb 2018)

Charles Flanagan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 67 and 72 together. While An Garda Síochána has been testing Irish drivers for drugs, with the assistance of the Medical Bureau of Road Safety (MBRS), since 1999, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport commenced the drug driving provisions in the Road Traffic Act 2016 on 12 April 2017. One of the key measures in the legislation provides for...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Crime Data (6 Feb 2018)

Charles Flanagan: As the Deputy will be aware, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) as the national statistics agency, is responsible for the publication of the official recorded crime statistics. I understand that the CSO has already carried out two detailed reviews of crime data quality, in 2015 and 2016, and that further general reviews of crime data quality are planned. The CSO's involvement is key to the...