Results 10,641-10,660 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Witness Protection Programme (26 May 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Garda Síochána has operated a witness security programme since 1997 to respond to attempts by criminal and other groups to prevent the normal functioning of the criminal justice system, including threats of violence and systematic intimidation of witnesses. Given the highly confidential nature of the programme and the need to maintain the protection of persons who receive...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Witness Protection Programme (26 May 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: If the Deputy has any particular information he would like to forward to my Department, he should do so. It is not appropriate for me to go into the details of individual situations in the Dáil. Any intimidation of witnesses is an offence under section 41 of the Act, which specifies the offence as harming, threatening or menacing or in any other way intimidating or putting in fear...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Human Rights Issues (26 May 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: Ireland takes very seriously its obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights. In particular, we are concerned to ensure the right to life, as stated in Article 2, when read in conjunction with Article 1, is respected and vindicated. As Minister for Justice and Equality, I am conscious of the responsibility which this brings, in particular because of my functions as they relate...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Human Rights Issues (26 May 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I will ask my officials to study the transcripts of the committee hearings to determine the issues arising. I acknowledge that the 1962 Act needs to be revisited and that that process commenced seven years ago under a previous Government. I have had a number of meetings about that piece of work. The Coroners Bill 2007, to which I referred, proposes to extend the matters which can be...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Human Rights Issues (26 May 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: Just last week, I held a meeting with about 50 representatives from a variety of victims' groups. I also held a meeting of criminal justice agencies to discuss the implications of the victims' directive, which has to be legislated for later this year. The implementation of that legislation will have a strong impact on some of the points the Deputy has raised, including the relationship...

Other Questions: Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (26 May 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy will be aware that on 15 May, my Department placed an advertisement seeking expressions of interest from suitably qualified individuals for appointment as chairperson of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission. The advertisement can be viewed on the Department's website and the website of the Public Appointments Service. The closing date for the receipt of expressions...

Other Questions: Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (26 May 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: As I recently told the Deputy, GSOC received an extra €1 million in funding and it has also been exempted from the moratorium that applies to recruitment. It has now taken on extra staff and a small number of vacancies are currently being filled. The annual report was published fairly recently and it is clearly dealing with a large volume of work. I am in regular contact with GSOC...

Other Questions: Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (26 May 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I will repeat the fact that extra resources and staffing have been made available. Clearly, hardly a body in the country would not say "Yes" when asked if it needed more resources. I have to be satisfied that GSOC, with the resources and staff that it has, can do the work being referred to it. As I have said, I have met with GSOC a number of times since I became Minister and have been...

Other Questions: Garda Misconduct Allegations (26 May 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Government agreed to establish the independent review mechanism to deal with a variety of cases of complaints, not all of which, it turns out, relate to the An Garda Síochána, though a substantial number do. A number are about other bodies and experiences in court. Some of the complaints relate to property issues. There is a range of issues within the complaints which have...

Other Questions: Garda Misconduct Allegations (26 May 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: In quite a number of cases more information has come into the Department through the review mechanism which has had to go to counsel for further analysis. In any circumstance where under the review mechanism extra written information is needed, for example, from GSOC or An Garda Siochána, it has been possible to get that information. It is an analysis of all of the data available. I...

Other Questions: Garda Misconduct Allegations (26 May 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: To clarify, I said that where the independent panel decided that it needed further information based on its review of cases, it asked for it. I also said quite a lot of information had come in on an ongoing basis from members of the public - the complainants in the cases - and that information, even where a recommendation had already been made, had been sent back to the panel to be analysed...

Other Questions: Garda Misconduct Allegations (26 May 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: -----which, in many cases, as I said, has been around since 1969. The initial timeframe was incorrect and I have said that from the outset.

Other Questions: Garda Misconduct Allegations (26 May 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: Once I realised the volume of cases I knew that it would take time. It is an independent process and to continue that independence I have now asked a judicial figure to be involved in the robust communication of the outcome of the investigation to the people concerned. Certainly I stand over that process as independent and robust.

Other Questions: Garda Misconduct Allegations (26 May 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: It is a review. If we were to interview people individually we would be talking about a different initiative completely to the one announced.

Other Questions: Insolvency Service of Ireland Application Numbers (26 May 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: As published in the Insolvency Service of Ireland's quarter 1 statistics, the ISI has received 2,013 applications since its launch on 1 March 2013. A total of 996 protective certificates have been granted and 821 arrangements have been put in place. In terms of the ISI's indirect impact it is worth remembering that prior to its establishment insolvent debtors were not obtaining informal...

Other Questions: Insolvency Service of Ireland Application Numbers (26 May 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: Deputy Collins asked a question on bankruptcy. Those responsible for dealing with these issues in some modern economies believe that a three-year bankruptcy term is the appropriate one and that is what they have. Others have shorter terms. I have asked both the Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality, on which the Deputy serves, and the Joint Committee on Finance to examine the...

Other Questions: Immigration Policy (26 May 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: This obviously is a very big issue for Europe and every country therein. We are all very conscious of the huge humanitarian crisis owing to people attempting to cross over from Libya and Syria. I had discussions on this issue yesterday with the Secretary General of the United Nations who praised Irish initiatives on resettlement. I announced recently that Ireland would take 300 additional...

Other Questions: Immigration Policy (26 May 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: Clearly, there must be a very intense focus on dealing with traffickers. This relates to the current humanitarian crisis but, of course, it is also an ongoing issue in Ireland and elsewhere in respect of the trafficking of women and children.

Other Questions: Immigration Policy (26 May 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: Dealing with it is a priority for the Garda Commissioner and An Garda Síochána. There are ongoing discussions at European level about the legal mechanisms and the legal authority under which this work will be done but it is certainly a priority. It is very important because there is no question that people are being abused by unscrupulous traffickers and this has led to the deaths...

Other Questions: Garda Deployment (26 May 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy is aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution of personnel among the Garda regions, divisions, and districts. This is kept under continuing review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities to ensure that the best possible use is made of these resources. The Deputy will be aware that the Garda Commissioner has taken a number of decisions...