Results 11,201-11,220 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Proposed Legislation (7 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: This is a complex matter and I would like to point out some of the issues which arise. To that end, I assume what we are discussing is decriminalising those who offer their services as prostitutes and not the buyers, brothel keepers and pimps who would also fall under the category of 'those in prostitution'. Firstly, I would like to remind the House that the General Scheme to the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission Reports (7 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission is an independent statutory body established under the Garda Síochána Act 2005. The objectives, functions and powers of GSOC are governed by the 2005 Act. The Annual Report of GSOC for the year ending 31 December 2014 is the seventh full calendar year report of the Commission’s operations. As documented in the Annual...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Direct Provision System (7 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I can confirm that a training course for staff from 7 centres, along with staff from the Reception & Integration Agency (RIA) was held over 2 days, namely 2 and 3 June, 2015 at Knockalisheen accommodation centre. There were 18 people in attendance including trainers. This training has been organised as part of the roll-out of RIA's policy in respect of Domestic, Sexual and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Asylum Applications (7 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I assume the Deputy is referring to a recent newspaper article which reported on increased asylum volumes and referred to 700 applicants arriving in the space of a month. The factual position is as follows. A total of 1,481 new asylum applications were received to the end of June this year compared with 597 for the same period in 2014. This is a year on year increase of 884 applicants or...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Anti-Social Behaviour (7 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I can assure the Deputy that I am in ongoing contact with the Garda Commissioner in relation to the measures which are being taken to combat crime and enhance public safety in the city centre area. I am advised that Gardaí make full use of the extensive range of legislation which is in place to address street crime and anti-social behaviour, including knife crime and drug related crime....

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Tribunals of Inquiry Reports (7 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy will be aware, the report of the Moriarty Tribunal made a number of recommendations which related to the responsibilities of different Government Departments. In this regard I understand that there have been relevant developments in the fields of financial regulation, company law, and electoral law. As Minister for Justice and Equality, I can only respond in relation to the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Asylum Support Services (7 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: Section 9(4)(b) of the Refugee Act 1996 provides that applicants for international protection shall not seek or enter employment or carry on any business, trade or profession during the period before the final determination of their application. The Report of the Working Group on the Protection Process which was published on 30 June, 2015 includes a recommendation on access to the labour...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Naturalisation Certificates (7 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The fees to be paid by an applicant for a certificate of naturalisation are governed by the provisions of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Regulations 2011 (SI 569 of 2011). The standard certification fee is stipulated as €950, while a reduced fee of €200 applies in the case of an application made on behalf of a minor or in certain cases where the application is made by a...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Inspectorate Reports (7 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Inspectorate Report on Crime Investigation forms an important component in the overall justice reform programme which is currently underway and in respect of which significant progress has already been made. Implementation of this programme, including the reforms recommended by the Inspectorate, is being overseen by the Cabinet Committee on Justice...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Child Abuse (7 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am informed by the Garda authorities that the Commissioner has appointed a Detective Superintendent to conduct an in-depth review of Garda files and records in order to ascertain the facts surrounding the information referred to by the Deputy. This review is currently ongoing. Insofar as the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry is concerned, the Deputy will appreciate, of course,...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Family Reunification Policy (7 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: Paragraph 8:3 of the Family Reunification document states "...it is not proposed that family reunification determinations should become purely financial assessments. Nevertheless the State cannot be regarded as having an obligation to subsidise the family concerned and the sponsor must be seen to fulfil the responsibility to provide for his/her family members if they are to be permitted...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Investigations (7 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The murder of the person referred to by the Deputy, a Sinn Féin Councillor, was an utterly unjustifiable act of violence and I would like to express my sympathies to the victim's family. The murder was claimed by a loyalist paramilitary group. While it is a matter of regret that no person has been convicted of this murder, the Garda investigation remains open and I can assure the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Misconduct Allegations (7 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy is referring to a person whose case is being considered by the mechanism established for the independent review of certain allegations of Garda misconduct, or inadequacies in the investigation of certain allegations, which have been made to me as Minister for Justice and Equality, or the Taoiseach, with a view to determining to what extent and in what manner further action may be...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Deployment (7 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: One of the primary functions of the Garda Commissioner under the Garda Síochána Acts is to direct and control An Garda Síochána and as such, the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution of resources, including personnel, among the Garda Regions, Divisions, and Districts. I have no direct role in this function. I can inform the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Constitutional Amendments (7 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The law setting out the procedures for seeking leave to petition a referendum result is set out in the Referendum Acts. Section 42 of the Referendum Act 1994 provides that the validity of a provisional referendum certificate may only be questioned by a petition to the High Court, that a petition may not be presented unless the High Court has given leave to do so and that a person seeking...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Inspectorate Reports (7 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: Following the publication of the Garda Inspectorate Report on Crime Investigation last November, the Central Statistics Office temporarily suspended its publication of recorded crime statistics, while it carried out a detailed analysis of issues raised by the Garda Inspectorate in relation to the recording, classification and reclassification of crime. The timing and management of this...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Deployment (7 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy will be aware that the first intake since 2009 of 100 new recruits entered training at the Garda College, Templemore, on 15 September 2014.As part of Budget 2015, a further intake of 200 recruits in two batches was announced.On 15 December 2014, the first 100 of these batches commenced their training. The remaining 100 entered the college in February this year. The September...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Holiday Visa Applications (7 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I refer the Deputy to my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 150 of 26 May, 2015. The position remains unchanged. The Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department is constantly seeking ways in which the visa system may be developed to facilitate legitimate travel to the State for the purpose of tourism and business. In doing so, officials in INIS maintain regular...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Investigations (7 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The callous and brutal murder of the person to whom the Deputy refers in his question was a terrible tragedy for his family. It was an affront also to this State as the person was killed in the course of his duty as a Garda. As I have previously advised, the Serious Crime Review Team at the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation has undertaken a review of the investigation of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Staff (7 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The health and safety of Irish Prison Service staff is a matter which is taken very seriously by me and the Director General of the Irish Prison Service. Every assault on a member of staff is treated as serious and appropriate action is taken by the Prison Service, including the reporting of such assaults to an Garda Síochána for the purposes of investigation and criminal...