Results 11,101-11,120 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Numbers (30 Jun 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: A breakdown of the number of Irish visa applications granted for the years 2010 to 2014 is provided below. I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that it is not possible to distinguish between tourist visit visas and visas to visit family or friends. The 'visit' visa category includes short-term visas for those who wish to visit family or...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Visiting Committees Appointments (30 Jun 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy will appreciate, vacancies arise and fall to be filled on Visiting Committees on an ongoing basis. While dates of appointment vary, members of Committees are appointed by the Minister for Justice and Equality for a term not exceeding three years. At the end of their term, their membership of the Committee automatically lapses but they may be either re-appointed for a further...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Language Schools Closures (30 Jun 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy will be aware the first concern of my Department in the case of genuine students affected by sudden college closures has been to reassure them about their immigration status. In that regard the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service will honour all existing immigration permissions of students in recently closed colleges and the students will be entitled to work in...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Migration Data (30 Jun 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in conjunction with the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department offers voluntary assisted return and reintegration programmes for asylum seekers, failed asylum seekers and other illegally present migrants. Asylum seekers or failed asylum seekers who have not had a Deportation Order made against them are returned...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Investigations (30 Jun 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 374 and 375 together. I have no role in the investigation, prosecution or trial of alleged offences. This is a long standing principle of our system of justice. The role of An Garda Síochána is to investigate alleged offences, to gather whatever evidence may be available and to submit a report to the DPP. As the Deputy is aware I cannot...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Community Policing (30 Jun 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution of personnel, including community Gardaí, 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...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Crime Data (30 Jun 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy will be aware the Central Statistics Office (CSO), as the national statistical agency, is responsible for the publication of recorded crime statistics. I have requested the CSO to provide the available statistics in relation to recorded instances of threats along the lines referred to by the Deputy directly to him.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Courts Service Data (30 Jun 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I wish to inform the Deputy that, under the provisions of the Courts Service Act 1998, management of the courts is the responsibility of the Courts Service which is independent in exercising its functions, which include the provision of information on the courts system. The Courts Service has advised me that statistics are not maintained in relation to the non-payment of management fees.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Resources (30 Jun 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 379 and 380 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Naturalisation Applications (30 Jun 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the application for a certificate of naturalisation from the person referred to by the Deputy is currently being processed with a view to establishing whether the applicant meets the statutory conditions for the granting of naturalisation, such as good character and lawful residence, and will be...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Crime Data (30 Jun 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I have requested a report from the Garda authorities in relation to the matters referred to and I will contact the Deputy directly when the report is to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Recruitment (1 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy will be aware that I have received sanction from the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform for two further intakes of 125 Garda recruits later this year. The Public Appointments Service (PAS) is managing the recruitment process for the Garda Commissioner and I have no direct involvement in the matter. The position in relation to the current competition is as follows....

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Expenditure (1 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy will appreciate that the problem of drug misuse has significant implications for the criminal justice system and the agencies that work therein. Services such as the Prison, Courts and Probation Services all deal with drug related matters as part of their core daily services involving costs which would be difficult to quantify. Having said that certain data is collated for EU data...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Drugs Dealing (1 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy will appreciate that the illicit nature of such markets make it difficult to quantify their value. Having said that I have referred the Deputy's question to An Garda Síochána to provide any available information in this regard. I will be in further contact with the Deputy when that information is to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Ministerial Meetings (1 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy will be aware, the National Drugs Strategy 2009-2016 adopts a comprehensive and pillar based approach to the problem of drug misuse, across the five pillars of drug supply reduction, prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and research. The Strategy is founded on a partnership approach with Government Departments, State Agencies and the Community and Voluntary sectors working...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Penalty Points System Data (1 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am informed by the Garda authorities that safety camera vans are capable of detecting motorbikes. I am further informed that the number of Fixed Charge Notices issued by An Garda Síochána in respect of individual categories of vehicles, including motorbikes, is not available.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Migration Data (1 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I assume the Deputy is referring to the increase in asylum applications in 2015 to date compared with the same period last year. 1,147 new asylum applications were received to the end of May this year compared with 492 for this period in 2014. On average 230 applications have been received per month in 2015. The top five source countries for applications in 2015 are Pakistan, Bangladesh,...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Firearms Licences (1 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: As part of the consultation process for the ongoing review of firearms licensing I have given a commitment that I would not make any decisions until I had met the key stakeholders, including the organisations who represent those who use firearms for sporting purposes. I had a useful meeting with the key stakeholders on 29 April 2015. Consideration of the issues involved, including the Sports...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Measures (1 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: Before the Spent Convictions Bill could be enacted, a 2013 UK Court of Appeal judgment necessitated a review of the disclosure provisions in both the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012 and the Spent Convictions Bill. That review has been completed and amendments to the Vetting Act and consequential amendments to the Spent Convictions Bill are currently being...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Resources (1 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy will appreciate that the deployment of Garda resources is a matter for the Garda Commissioner in the first instance. However, I am informed by the Garda authorities that Operation Irene is a policing plan designed to address issues along the lines referred to, which commenced on 1 June 2015 and will run until 30 August 2015. I am further informed that Operation Irene will...