Results 13,261-13,280 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Surveillance Operations (27 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I think the Deputy is confusing the statistics under the various pieces of legislation if he is quoting that figure. Those who would seek to commit serious offences or threaten the security of this State have not been slow to embrace the opportunities offered by modern technology at a national and international level. It is, therefore, to be entirely expected that if we want An Garda...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Surveillance Operations (27 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: We do have judicial oversight. Judicial oversight is very important. This particular area is not one in respect of which, for obvious reasons, we would have a huge amount of detail, but the seriousness with which judges take their role in terms of the oversight they must have in place should not be underestimated. There is no question, as the Deputy appeared to be implying in his remarks,...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Surveillance Operations (27 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy is making statements in respect of which there is no evidence. In regard to his statement that the public is being subject to surveillance, there is no evidence that-----

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Surveillance Operations (27 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: -----the public is being subject to widespread or unsupervised mass surveillance. We have laws in this regard in place and which were discussed in and by this Oireachtas. For example, if the Deputy reads the 2011 records, he will see that the then Minister, former Deputy Dermot Ahern, at that time discussed in detail the important issue of balancing rights. While he was concerned about the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Surveillance Operations (27 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: Access to telephone records can be an important tool. There is no question of that. The Deputy will be well aware of what is happening internationally. The internal systems within, for example, the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, in terms of the methodology used for access to records, require the consent of the Garda Commissioner. The same applies to An Garda...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Garda Inspectorate Reports (27 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy will have heard my earlier response on this issue, I do not propose to repeat what has been already implemented. In regard to investment in An Garda Síochána, including new supports for information and communications technology, which, as the Deputy rightly said, are long-standing problems, owing to the change in our economic circumstances, we are now in a position to...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Garda Inspectorate Reports (27 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I will try to respond to all of the Deputy's questions. First, I have had discussions with the Garda Commissioner on the most recent report. I also arranged for the Garda Commissioner, the chairperson of the police authority and members of the Garda Inspectorate to appear before the Cabinet sub-committee on justice three weeks ago for a frank and detailed discussion on the recommendations...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Garda Inspectorate Reports (27 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: Any decisions about when the authority holds public meetings will be in the first instance a matter for Josephine Feehily, who is the chair of the police authority. I have no doubt there will be a public element to the meeting on Friday in terms of communicating with the public about the work. The work programme is entirely a matter for the authority. In regard to resistance to change,...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: White Collar Crime (27 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: Early in its term of office the Government enacted new legislation in the Criminal Justice Act 2011 which was an important step forward in our response to this form of criminality. Its main purpose is to address delays in the prosecution and investigation of complex white collar crime, about which there was much concern, by improving certain important procedural matters and strengthening...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: White Collar Crime (27 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: Deputy Mac Lochlainn will appreciate that the allocation of resources to particular investigations or specialist units such as the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation mentioned by him is a matter for the Garda Commissioner. The truth is there has been underinvestment - there is no doubt about that - because the country was bankrupt. We are now in a different situation and we must continue...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: White Collar Crime (27 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I do not accept what Deputy Mac Lochlainn said. In fact, it is clear the Government has put more resources into the more efficient management and ability of An Garda Síochána to tackle criminal activity than other Governments in recent years. At the height of the Celtic tiger, we did not have the kind of investment in ICT that was clearly needed and, as I have said, it was...

Other Questions: Criminal Law Review (27 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: As I have said, the 1993 legislation provides that an authorisation for interception may only be granted by ministerial warrant on application from the Garda Commissioner, the Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces or the chairperson of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, and only for the purposes of the investigation of serious crime or protecting the security of the State as...

Other Questions: Criminal Law Review (27 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I have a detailed report before me on the review of the operation of the Criminal Justice (Surveillance) Act, which was presented to the Taoiseach by Mr. Justice Robert Eagar. That is available and I believe the Deputy has referenced it. It contains considerable detail. By its very nature, there will not be the level of detail because of particular issues relating to the serious crime that...

Other Questions: Criminal Law Review (27 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy has made an important point about privacy. In this House in 2014 she asked me to carry out an inquiry into the leaking of information to the media regarding the Roma children. At that time she said, "the Minister could do some work about sources in An Garda Síochána leaking information to the media". She made that point quite strongly.

Other Questions: Criminal Law Review (27 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: She also said that GSOC should have the kinds of the powers I have said today are important. The Garda is under strong legal obligations under the 2005 Act regarding the privacy of individuals. Let us ensure that is also on the table. It is about a balance of interests, as she has said. The Deputy said that Ireland is out of kilter with other countries. I have very clearly asked Mr....

Other Questions: Sexual Offences Data (27 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I observe that the recorded crime statistics published by the Central Statistics Office, CSO, for quarter 3 of 2015 show some encouraging trends across a number of crime categories. Everyone in the House will welcome the latest official figures which show a notable decrease of 47.4% in the number of murders recorded as well as reductions in other important crime categories such as robbery...

Other Questions: Sexual Offences Data (27 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I would like to see the sexual offences legislation enacted. It has arrived to us rather late from the Seanad. The Deputy could propose cross-party agreement on the floor of the House. It would mean there would not be time for amendments from the Opposition if all Stages were taken tomorrow. There would need to be cross-party agreement on this. If it is the wish of the Opposition, I have...

Other Questions: Refugee Numbers (27 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: To take up the phrase the Deputy used, that Europe has done very little, I attended the meeting of Justice and Home Affairs Ministers on Monday, and if the Deputy heard my Swedish, French, Belgian, Croatian and many other colleagues, he would not say this. I understand the perspective he is using to state it has to do with the relocation programme. The reason I state he would not say what...

Other Questions: Refugee Numbers (27 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: To take up the Deputy's last point, if one attends the citizenship ceremonies, one can see that on any one occasion, 1,000 or 2,000 people are getting Irish citizenship. Of course, that arises from people following legal routes and being welcomed into Ireland and other countries. Well over 1 million people have now arrived in Europe from the various countries. One of the features of the...

Other Questions: Refugee Numbers (27 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I agree with the Deputy regarding standing up to racist voices. However, I do not agree that there has been a "fortress Europe" response. I do not think that is accurate when one sees what is actually happening and the major initiatives and responses to the tens of thousands of refugees arriving into communities across European countries. We were not under any legal obligation to respond...