Results 13,401-13,420 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Family Support Services (27 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am pleased to have the opportunity today to outline the Government's policy on support for the marital family and on provision for divorce and separation in the context of family breakdown. The Senator is aware that there are very substantial legal protections and recognition for the family based on marriage at both constitutional and statutory level. These are recognised not only in our...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Family Support Services (27 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: We need to continue to increase the supports available to families and counselling services. The development of high quality universal services in child care can and will be extremely supportive of families. Anything that reduces the pressures on individuals and families will be of benefit to the lives of children. We must do all we can to improve people's economic circumstanes, but that...

Joint Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Statements (28 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I thank and congratulate the Leas-Cheann Comhairle on a job well done and a terrific electoral record.

Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2015 [Seanad]: Second Stage (28 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am pleased to present this Bill. Many Members on all sides of the Houses have been following its progress since its publication in September, as have many groups and organisations, some of which are joining us in the Gallery. Not only have they an interest in the Bill, but they worked with the justice committee and made substantial...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Schengen Agreement (28 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I understand the Deputy is referring to Regulation (EU) No 604/2013 which establishes the criteria and mechanisms for determining the Member State responsible for examining an application for international protection lodged in one of the Member States and which is commonly referred to as the Dublin III Regulation. I consider a well functioning Dublin System to be essential to the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Misconduct Allegations (28 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The particular case to which the Deputy refers is amongst those considered under 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...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Policy (28 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the notification placed on the INIS website www.inis.gov.ie in March of 2015 was aimed at clarifying and standardising the terms and conditions in respect of applications from retired foreign nationals seeking to come and live in Ireland. Prior to that more ad hoc arrangements were applied in this...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Funding (28 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I can inform the Deputy that a contract for a Courts Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Project was signed recently in December 2015 which will see the construction or redevelopment of seven regional Courthouses at a total project cost of around €135 million. This Courts PPP Bundle includes a courthouse to be built inDrogheda. The intention is that construction will start early in 2016...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Direct Provision System (28 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Reception & Integration Agency (RIA) of my Department is responsible for the provision of accommodation and related services for asylum seekers who avail of those services while their protection application is being processed. On 17/01/2016, there were 4,650 persons accommodated by RIA in accommodation centres located in 17 counties throughout the State. The contract for the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prisoner Data (28 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I can inform the Deputy that a total of 6 life sentenced prisoners were released into the community in 2015. The average length of sentence served in custody by these six prisoners prior to release was approximately 17 and a half years. No life sentenced prisoner was recalled to prison in 2015. Life sentenced prisoners who are released into the community continue to serve their sentences...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (28 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the processing of the application for a certificate of naturalisation from the person referred to by the Deputy is ongoing and the case will be submitted to me for decision as expeditiously as possible. As the Deputy will appreciate, the granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is a...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Residency Permits (28 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am informed by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the persons referred to are the subject of Deportation Orders and therefore have no entitlement to residency in the State. Representations were received from the persons concerned pursuant to Section 3 (11) of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended), to revoke the Deportation Orders. The Deputy...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Station Closures (28 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Commissioner that the Garda Station in Santry is a fully functional station which is in use and there are no plans to alter its status. The formulation of proposals in relation to the opening and closing of Garda Stations is a matter, in the first instance, for the Garda Commissioner in conjunction with the newly established Policing Authority, in the context of annual...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Crime Data (28 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I might clarify that the figures for trends in burglary crime to which I referred recently, including in response to Parliamentary Question No. 8 of yesterday's date, were provided to me on a provisional basis by the Garda authorities, in the context of an overall update on the progress being made under Operation Thor. As the Deputy is aware the Central Statistics Office (CSO), as the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Residency Permits (28 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that, the person concerned has not made contact with INIS and that the last contact was during 2012. However, INIS will now contact the person in question at the address supplied by the Deputy to assess the up-to-date position on their circumstances in the State. Queries in relation to the status of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Asylum Applications (28 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that detailed annual statistics in respect of the information requested by the Deputy for 2014 is published in the annual report of the Office of the Refugee Information Commissioner (ORAC). This information is available on the ORAC website www.orac.ie. While the data for 2015 is not yet finalised,...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Deportation Orders Data (28 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that a Deportation Order requires a person to remove themselves from the State and it is only where they fail to do so that the State is forced to remove them and enforce the rule of law. The process leading to deportation is extensive with many avenues of appeal, including judicial review in the High...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Policy (28 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy may be aware, the original policy intention announced in September 2014 by the Minister for Education and Skills and myself was to confine the granting of immigration permission to those English language students who were attending schools which had been recognised through the process known as the Accreditation and Coordination of English Language Services (ACELS), operated by...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Tribunals of Inquiry Reports (28 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am informed by the Garda authorities that the investigation of certain matters arising from the report of the Moriarty Tribunal and Mahon Tribunal, referred to the Garda Commissioner, is continuing at this time. I trust the Deputy will appreciate that as this process is ongoing it would not be appropriate for me to comment further at this time.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Commissions of Investigation (28 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: Mr Justice Kevin O'Higgins is the Sole Member of the Commission of Investigation which was established to investigate and report on certain matters relative to the Cavan/Monaghan Division of the Garda Síochána. The Commission arose from the report of Mr Sean Guerin, SC, to An Taoiseach concerning allegations made by Sergeant Maurice McCabe. The Government accepted Mr Guerin's...