Results 10,201-10,220 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Direct Provision System (2 Apr 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: Procurement of accommodation of the type concerned is a matter for the Reception & Integration Agency (RIA) of my Department. RIA is responsible for the provision of full board accommodation and certain ancillary services to asylum seekers in accordance with the Government policy of direct provision. There are currently approximately 4,400 asylum seekers in 34 centres around the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Road Traffic Offences (2 Apr 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy will appreciate that I have no direct role in the operation of the outsourced safety camera network which is principally a matter for An Garda Síochána. I am, however, informed by the Garda authorities that following the identification of a speed enforcement zone, the outsourced safety camera provider liaises with local Garda management in order to identify suitable and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Transport Provision (2 Apr 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: Decisions in relation to the provision and allocation of Garda vehicles are a matter for the Garda Commissioner in the light of her identified operational demands and the availability of resources. Responsibility for the efficient deployment of Garda vehicles in each Division is assigned to the Divisional Officer, who may allocate vehicles between stations, as required by operational...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Equipment (2 Apr 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: Decisions in relation to the provision and allocation of Garda vehicles are a matter for the Garda Commissioner in the light of her identified operational demands and the availability of resources. Responsibility for the efficient deployment of Garda vehicles in each Division is assigned to the Divisional Officer, who may allocate vehicles between stations, as required by operational...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Student Visas Eligibility (2 Apr 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: Each case is looked on its merits in accordance with the policy in place at the time and the circumstances of the applicant and I would not wish to prejudge a potential future application. Any non-EEA national would be entitled to apply for immigration permission to attend a degree course at an Irish university. If they are accepted as suitable by the college and satisfy the financial...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Strength (2 Apr 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 122 and 123 together. I am informed by the Garda Commissioner that Garda strength at the end of February 2015 was 12,763 with approximately 1,100 Garda Reserve members and 2,000 civilian staff. The first intake since 2009 of 100 new recruits entered training at the Garda College, Templemore, on 15th September 2014. As part of Budget 2015, a further intake of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Refugee Status Applications (2 Apr 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: All applications for refugee status are processed by the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner (ORAC) in accordance with the Refugee Act 1996 (as amended). I am informed by the Commissioner that each application is decided on its own individual merits and the elements considered during the determination process include the facts and circumstances of the application (including...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Resources (2 Apr 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 125 and 141 together. Under the Garda Síochána Act, 2005 the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution of available Garda resources. This includes personnel, Garda vehicles and the various technologies utilised to support frontline Gardaí and intelligence led operations against organised crime. This process takes account of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Organised Crime (2 Apr 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I can assure the Deputy that the operation of organised crime groups is closely monitored on an ongoing basis by An Garda Síochána and that tackling these groups remains a key ongoing priority for both the Government and An Garda Síochána. This priority is clearly reflected in the Garda Síochána Policing Plan for 2015. In this regard, An Garda...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Community Policing (2 Apr 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy will appreciate that the deployment of Garda resources and the implementation of policing strategies are matters in the first instance for the Garda Commissioner. An Garda Síochána places great emphasis on the importance of the partnership between An Garda Síochána and the community in preventing and detecting crime, and maintaining a safe environment for...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Bail Law (2 Apr 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 128 and 130 together. The Deputy will be aware that a decision to grant bail in a particular case is a matter for the court, which is, subject only to the Constitution and the law, independent in the exercise of its judicial functions. There is a constitutional presumption in favour of bail because, in the eyes of the law, a person is innocent until proven...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legal Aid Service (2 Apr 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Criminal Justice (Legal Aid) Act 1962 provides that free legal aid may be granted in certain circumstances for the defence of persons of insufficient means in criminal proceedings. Under the 1962 Act, the courts, through the judiciary, are responsible for the granting of legal aid. An applicant must establish to the satisfaction of the court that their means are insufficient to enable...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Missing Persons (2 Apr 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I have sought an up to date report from An Garda Síochána in relation to the statistical information sought by the Deputy and I will be in contact directly when the information is available.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Accommodation Provision (2 Apr 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I can advise the Deputy that 2013 saw the first significant decrease in prison numbers since 2007. There were 15,735 committals to prison in 2013 which was a decrease of 7.6% on the 2012 figure. Huge improvements have been made in prison conditions in recent years. Overcrowding has been eliminated in Mountjoy Prison and priority has been given to reducing overcrowding in Cork, Limerick...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Investigations (2 Apr 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am informed by the Garda authorities that the function of the Serious Crime Review Team (SCRT) is to assist Senior Investigating Officers assigned to the case in question in bringing investigations to a successful conclusion by identifying further investigative opportunities and ensuring that investigations conform to approved best practice guidelines. At the conclusion of each review a...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Education Service (2 Apr 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I can inform the Deputy that the Irish Prison Service provides to those in custody a wide range of rehabilitative programmes that include education, vocational training, healthcare, psychiatric, psychological, counselling, welfare and spiritual services which have the dual purpose of providing prisoners with purposeful activity while serving their sentences and encouraging them to lead law...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Asylum Applications (2 Apr 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I refer the Deputy to my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 307 of 10 March 2015 which is set out as follows: I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that details of the number of persons who applied for asylum for the years 2002 to 2013 are published in the annual reports of the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner which are...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Deployment (2 Apr 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution of personnel, among the Garda Regions, Divisions, and Districts. Garda management keep this distribution under continuing review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities so as to ensure that the best possible use is made of these resources. I have been informed by the Garda...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Deployment (2 Apr 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution of personnel, among the Garda Regions, Divisions, and Districts. Garda management keep this distribution under continuing review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities so as to ensure that the best possible use is made of these resources. The An Garda Síochána Policing Plan for...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Firearms Licences (2 Apr 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: In light of public safety concerns highlighted by An Garda Síochána, a joint Department of Justice and Equality/ An Garda Síochána Working Group was established by the Department of Justice and Equality to review firearms licensing. The report of this Working Group was published on 13 November 2014 and submissions on the report were sought from stakeholders and the public...