Results 10,281-10,300 of 16,849 for speaker:Dermot Ahern

Written Answers — Sexual Offences: Sexual Offences (16 Sep 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to answer Questions Nos. 593 and 600 together. The Sex Offenders Act 2001 contains a comprehensive series of provisions aimed at protecting children and other persons. The Act makes persons convicted of a range of sexual offences subject to notification requirements under Part 2 of the Act. The provisions of the Act also extend to any offenders convicted abroad of the same range...

Written Answers — Victims Commission: Victims Commission (16 Sep 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The Commission for the Support of Victims of Crime submitted its Framework Document - Recommendations for Future Structures and Services for Victims of Crime to me in April, 2008. I accepted and implemented in full the recommendations made by the Commission in their Framework Document. These included: The establishment of the Victims of Crime Office, in September, 2008. This is an...

Written Answers — Crime Prevention: Crime Prevention (16 Sep 2009)

Dermot Ahern: Cosc, the National Office for the Prevention of Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence, an executive office of my Department, is well advanced in the preparation of a National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence. A wide range of State and non-governmental organisations dealing with such violence is assisting with the development of the national strategy. Those...

Written Answers — Sex Offender Treatment Programme: Sex Offender Treatment Programme (16 Sep 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to answer Questions Nos. 596, 598 and 599 together. As the Deputy will be aware, on 22 April 2009 I announced a new policy on the management of sex offenders in prison. The policy document is available on the website of the Irish Prison Service (www.irishprisons.ie). The policy is aimed at bringing about changes in offenders' lives that reduce risk of re-offending and enhance...

Written Answers — Sexual Offences: Sexual Offences (16 Sep 2009)

Dermot Ahern: Whilst the granting of post release supervision orders is entirely a matter for the Courts the supervision of those orders is the responsibility of the Probation Service of my Department. In that regard I can advise the Deputy that: Section 28 of the Sex Offender Act, 2001 requires a Court to consider the inclusion of a period of post release supervision when sentencing an offender on...

Written Answers — Sexual Offences: Sexual Offences (16 Sep 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I published a detailed Discussion Document on the management of convicted sex offenders last January which, inter alia, puts forward the possibility of using GPS electronic monitoring technology to monitor higher risk convicted sex offenders for the first 6 months following the completion of their prison sentences and their release back to the community. There was a consultative process...

Written Answers — Garda Deployment: Garda Deployment (16 Sep 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I am informed by the Garda authorities that the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Investigation Unit is a section under the remit of D/Chief Superintendent, National Bureau of Criminal Investigations within National Support Services. At present thirteen members of An Garda Síochána, with three civilian support personnel, are allocated to the DVSAIU to offer expert guidance and support to...

Written Answers — Juvenile Offenders: Juvenile Offenders (16 Sep 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I wish to advise the Deputy that, on 14 September 2009, there were 9 young offenders under 18 years accommodated on the D Division in St. Patrick's Institution. St Patrick's Institution is the designated detention centre for young male offenders aged between 16 and 21 years of age. In the long term the Irish Youth Justice Service will take responsibility for the detention facilities for all...

Written Answers — Sexual Offences: Sexual Offences (16 Sep 2009)

Dermot Ahern: My Department does not keep records of recidivism rates of persons convicted of offences. Recidivism rates are typically established through one-off studies of samples of offenders based on individual records of imprisonment, conviction or offending. The Irish Prison Service keeps records of periods in custody for every prisoner which allow calculation of re-imprisonment rates by type of...

Written Answers — Sexual Offences: Sexual Offences (16 Sep 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I can inform the Deputy that the Probation Service Protocols for the management of sex offenders on supervision in the community (2004) set out procedures for effective supervision of sex offenders following their release from custody. Assessment is an aspect of that practice. The procedures include a notification of release to the relevant Child Care Manager within the HSE. Contained in...

Written Answers — Sexual Offences: Sexual Offences (16 Sep 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to answer Questions Nos. 606 and 755 together. I am informed by the Garda authorities that, given the need for sensitivity and confidentiality surrounding sexual crimes, there is a clear advantage from an investigative perspective both for An Garda Síochána and victims of such crimes in conducting interviews away from Garda stations. Dedicated victim interview suites have been...

Written Answers — Sex Offender Treatment Programme: Sex Offender Treatment Programme (16 Sep 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I can inform the Deputy that the Probation Service deals with sex offenders referred by the Court following a guilty finding or plea to a specific sex offence or offences. To assist in its supervision of sex offenders the Probation Service, in partnership with the Granada Institute, runs the Lighthouse treatment programmes for sex offenders under its supervision. Currently there are three...

Written Answers — Sexual Offences: Sexual Offences (16 Sep 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I can inform the Deputy that under the Intergovernmental Agreement on North South Co-operation on Criminal Justice Matters of 2005, a cross border justice committee, the Public Protection Advisory Group, has been established to promote public safety on an all island basis. The committee is jointly chaired by the Directors of the Probation Services of the two jurisdictions. One of the...

Written Answers — Sexual Offences: Sexual Offences (16 Sep 2009)

Dermot Ahern: In light of the commitments in the Programme for Government, 2007 - 2012, to introduce legislation in relation to various aspects of the criminal law, the question of introducing a specific legislative provision covering the issue of 'date rape' continues to be examined. It should be pointed out that the administering of substances which have certain effects, by one person to another against...

Written Answers — Judicial Appointments: Judicial Appointments (16 Sep 2009)

Dermot Ahern: Since 1995, Governments have been advised on the suitability of candidates for judicial office by the Judicial Appointments Advisory Board (JAAB) which was established for that purpose under the provisions of the Court and Court Officers Act 1995. The Board consists of the Chief Justice, the President of the High Court, the President of the Circuit Court, the President of the District Court,...

Written Answers — Asylum Support Services: Asylum Support Services (16 Sep 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The Reception and Integration Agency (RIA) of my Department is responsible for the accommodation of asylum seekers in accordance with the Government policy of direct provision and dispersal. At the end of August 2009, RIA was accommodating 6,815 in 55 centres across 21 counties, including the accommodation centre at Clare Lodge, Ennis, Co. Clare. RIA's current contract with Clare Lodge ends...

Written Answers — Asylum Support Services: Asylum Support Services (16 Sep 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The Reception and Integration Agency (RIA) of my Department is responsible for the accommodation of asylum seekers in accordance with the Government policy of direct provision and dispersal. At the end of August 2009, RIA was accommodating 6,815 in 55 centres across 21 counties. Since April 2000, the RIA has provided accommodation for over 53,000 asylum seekers. The 55 centres in the RIA...

Written Answers — Liquor Licensing Laws: Liquor Licensing Laws (16 Sep 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The Minister for Social Development in Northern Ireland has responded positively to my request for a meeting to discuss a possible joint North-South initiative to tackle alcohol promotions and arrangements for such a meeting are being made at present.

Written Answers — Liquor Licensing Laws: Liquor Licensing Laws (16 Sep 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to answer Questions Nos. 614 and 615 together. The position is that a new body - Responsible Retailing of Alcohol in Ireland (RRAI) - has been established by the mixed trading sector to oversee implementation and verification of compliance with the Code of Practice on the sale and display of alcohol products in mixed trading outlets. The sector has appointed Mr Padraig White as...

Written Answers — Asylum Applications: Asylum Applications (16 Sep 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I refer the Deputy to my answer to his previous Parliamentary Question. I am informed by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) that a letter has recently issued to the person in question requesting him to provide additional documentation. The application of the person in question will be considered further on receipt of the requested documentation.