Results 11,641-11,660 of 16,849 for speaker:Dermot Ahern
- Written Answers — Commissions of Investigation: Commissions of Investigation (10 Dec 2009)
Dermot Ahern: I refer the Deputy to my answer to Question No. 16 of today's date.
- Written Answers — Criminal Prosecutions: Criminal Prosecutions (10 Dec 2009)
Dermot Ahern: The Criminal Justice [Amendment] Act 2009 became law on 23 July 2009 and all sections of the Act are in operation. Section 8 of the Act schedules the organised crime offences specified for the purpose of the provisions under the Offences Against the State Act 1939 relating to the use of the Special Criminal Court. This is a new piece of legislation aimed at tackling serious crimes and I can...
- Written Answers — Garda Investigations: Garda Investigations (10 Dec 2009)
Dermot Ahern: The investigation, which commenced following a complaint from the Financial Regulator to the Garda authorities, is ongoing and involves a number of financial institutions. This investigation is particularly complex, involving a vast amount of documentation and a large number of witnesses. Significant resources are being devoted to the investigation, including members of An Garda SÃochána...
- Written Answers — Prisoner Releases: Prisoner Releases (10 Dec 2009)
Dermot Ahern: I wish to inform the Deputy that on 7 December 2009 there were 747 prisoners on temporary release. This represented 15.5% of the overall prisoner population for that day. In contrast, the equivalent percentage of prisoners on temporary release for the years 1994 to 1997 was as follows: 1994 - 22.2%, 1995 - 20.2%, 1996 - 17.9% and 1997 - 19.2%. The figure for 7 December represents the...
- Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (10 Dec 2009)
Dermot Ahern: I refer the Deputy to my press release of 9th December, 2009 in relation to the Estimates for 2010 for the Justice Sector. I do not propose outlining again all of the different elements of the estimates package. However for the benefit of the Deputy I will set out the main points. Despite the difficult economic backdrop to the framing of the estimates for 2010, the Justice Sector still has a...
- Written Answers — Garda Investigations: Garda Investigations (10 Dec 2009)
Dermot Ahern: Following publication of the report, the Garda Commissioner asked Assistant Commissioner John O'Mahoney to examine its findings relating to the handling of complaints and investigations by both Church and State authorities, to carry out such investigations and inquiries as he deems appropriate and to make a report to him with his recommendations. The Commissioner will then consult with the...
- Written Answers — Garda Deployment: Garda Deployment (10 Dec 2009)
Dermot Ahern: An effective police civilianisation programme should never be confined to pure "one for one" replacement of individual Gardaà with civilians - it must necessarily take a number of forms. Firstly, there is the replacement of sworn members, who are engaged in exclusively clerical, administrative or technical duties, with civilian staff. Secondly, and very importantly, there is the use of...
- Written Answers — Drug Seizures: Drug Seizures (10 Dec 2009)
Dermot Ahern: I set out below a tabular statement giving the latest available information in relation to drug seizures for 2007, 2008 and this year to date (up to 6th December 2009). Due to the covert nature of the activity, it is not possible to give a reliable estimate of the proportion of drugs coming into the country that these figures represent. Drugs and organised crime have been prioritised by An...
- Written Answers — Asylum Applications: Asylum Applications (10 Dec 2009)
Dermot Ahern: The Immigration Act 2003, which was commenced on the 15th September 2003, contained a number of key changes to the Refugee Act, 1996 which enabled the processing of asylum applications to be speeded up and enhanced our ability to deal with abusive applications. These changes included the imposition on applicants of a clear statutory duty to actively pursue their asylum applications and...
- Written Answers — Prison Building Programme: Prison Building Programme (10 Dec 2009)
Dermot Ahern: The new prison campus at Thornton Hall, Kilsallaghan, County Dublin is proceeding on a phased basis with phase one comprising essential preliminary works required for the prison development. These preliminary works include the dedicated access route, the perimeter wall and related services. The preparation of the tender documentation as well as the detailed scope of work for the phase one...
- Written Answers — Garda Equipment: Garda Equipment (10 Dec 2009)
Dermot Ahern: On 29th April 2002, the Irish and British Governments signed an Agreement on Police Co-operation providing a framework for the implementation of certain Patten recommendations including the establishment and enhancing of fast, effective and reliable communication links between the Garda SÃochána and the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) through improved radio communications and...
- Written Answers — Personal Debt: Personal Debt (10 Dec 2009)
Dermot Ahern: The Government is committed to implementing substantial reform of the system, legal and administrative, as it affects those in personal debt. The reform commitment is based on the work of the Law Reform Commission who having published its Consultation Paper entitled "Personal Debt Management and Debt Enforcement", intends to finalise its recommendations as a matter of priority. To date, the...
- Written Answers — Joint Policing Committees: Joint Policing Committees (10 Dec 2009)
Dermot Ahern: Joint Policing Committees are provided for in the Garda SÃochána Act 2005. Their purpose is to provide a forum where An Garda SÃochána and the local authority - the two organisations which make the most significant contribution to preventing and tackling crime in a specific area - can come together, with the participation of members of the Oireachtas and community and voluntary...
- Written Answers — Mobile Phones In Prisons: Mobile Phones In Prisons (10 Dec 2009)
Dermot Ahern: In a prisons context, mobile phones are viewed as highly valuable commodities which can assist in illegal activity and eliminating their supply is one of the major challenges facing prisons worldwide. The Irish Prison Service is dealing with this problem through a multifaceted approach which incorporates measures to prevent the smuggling of mobile phones into prisons, search and find...
- Written Answers — Security of the Elderly: Security of the Elderly (10 Dec 2009)
Dermot Ahern: The Community Alert Programme is a community-based initiative in rural communities, set up in 1985 by Muintir na TÃre in association with the Garda authorities. The Programme is dedicated in particular to improving the quality of life of vulnerable people in rural communities, especially the elderly, by: crime prevention neighbourliness and self-reliance general community safety and...
- Written Answers — Personal Debt: Personal Debt (10 Dec 2009)
Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 108, 109 and 118. The Government is committed to implementing substantial reform of the system, legal and administrative, as it affects those in personal debt. The reform commitment is based on the work of the Law Reform Commission who having published its Consultation Paper entitled "Personal Debt Management and Debt Enforcement", intends to finalise its...
- Written Answers — Road Safety: Road Safety (10 Dec 2009)
Dermot Ahern: Following a tender and evaluation process, the contract for an outsourced safety camera network was signed by the Garda Commissioner and me with the preferred service provider on 20 November. As this is the first contract of its kind where enforcement activity currently carried out by An Garda SÃochána is to be outsourced to a service provider, the discussions were detailed and took some...
- Written Answers — Firearams Licences: Firearams Licences (10 Dec 2009)
Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 111 and 116 together. As the Deputy is aware, the Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, which was commenced on 1st August 2009, introduced changes to the procedures for the certification of firearms - including Restricted Firearms. The remaining sections of the Criminal Justice Act, 2006, relating to firearms licensing were also commenced on...
- Written Answers — Garda Deployment: Garda Deployment (10 Dec 2009)
Dermot Ahern: I am informed by the Garda authorities that the area referred to is in the Santry Garda District. Local Garda management is aware of difficulties being experienced by residents in the area as a result of anti-social behaviour and a District strategy targeting this type of activity has been introduced. I am also informed that an active Neighbourhood Watch Scheme is in place and that the...
- Written Answers — Legal Aid Service: Legal Aid Service (10 Dec 2009)
Dermot Ahern: I wish to inform the Deputy that in respect of queries concerning the provision of legal services to any person, the solicitor/client relationship is protected by privilege in accordance with the terms of Section 32 of the Civil Legal Aid Act, 1995. The Legal Aid Board cannot therefore provide information to third parties regarding a person who may or may not be a client of the Board. I am...