Results 13,941-13,960 of 16,849 for speaker:Dermot Ahern

Written Answers — Drugs in Prisons: Drugs in Prisons (13 May 2010)

Dermot Ahern: I am aware of the call by the Prison Officers' Association for more sniffer dogs. In June 2007, the Government approved the resources necessary to introduce a range of security measures to target the routes whereby contraband such as drugs, weapons and mobile phones are trafficked into our prisons. One such measure was the establishment of a Drug Detection Dog Service comprising 25 teams...

Written Answers — Legal Code: Legal Code (13 May 2010)

Dermot Ahern: The common law provides that a privilege not to disclose "confidential" communications in the course of legal proceedings may be claimed in certain circumstances. One such set of circumstances includes sacerdotal privilege which may apply to a confidential communication between a priest and parishioners. I have no immediate plans to introduce legislation on the question of privilege.

Written Answers — Garda Transport: Garda Transport (13 May 2010)

Dermot Ahern: I have been informed by the Garda Commissioner that there are 56 members of An Garda Síochána permanently assigned duties as Garda Protection Officers to 27 designated persons including current Office holders and former Taoisigh. Included in the duties of the Protection Officer is a requirement to drive the Protected Person. There are no protection officers assigned to former Ministers....

Written Answers — Departmental Reports: Departmental Reports (13 May 2010)

Dermot Ahern: The position in relation to this matter is as outlined in my reply to Question No. 228 of 11 May, 2010.

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (13 May 2010)

Dermot Ahern: There are a number of provisions in the law for ensuring that payments continue to be made by spouses in support of their dependent spouses and children. They include enabling powers for the courts to order attachment of the earnings of a debtor spouse, to order the securing of payments to the maintenance creditor, to order the payment of lump sums and to order arrears of maintenance to be...

Written Answers — Inquiries into Garda Activities: Inquiries into Garda Activities (13 May 2010)

Dermot Ahern: The report in question is a contribution to the debate on all the issues surrounding the opposition by some to the Gas Project in North Mayo. While the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission has not been asked to carry out a policy and practices review, it is the case that GSOC has investigated a large number of complaints related to policing of the protests. In the vast majority of these...

Written Answers — Crime Levels: Crime Levels (13 May 2010)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 38, 46, 88 and 156 together. I am informed by the Garda authorities that during the period 1998 to 2010 (to 7 May) 194 murders involving a firearm were recorded. To date proceedings have commenced in 58 of these cases, and 24 convictions secured. In 2008, 21 such murders took place. Proceedings commenced in seven of these, and one conviction secured. I am...

Written Answers — Prison Committals: Prison Committals (13 May 2010)

Dermot Ahern: The average cost of an available, staffed prison space during the calendar year 2009 will be published in the Irish Prison Service Annual Report for 2009 which is due to be published shortly. However, provisional figures indicate that the average cost of an available, staffed prison space during the calendar year 2009 was €77,222 compared to €92,717 in 2008, a decrease on the 2008 cost of...

Written Answers — Crime Statistics: Crime Statistics (13 May 2010)

Dermot Ahern: The Garda Síochána Act 2005 makes provision for the compilation and publication of crime statistics by the Central Statistics Office, as the national statistical agency, and the CSO has established a dedicated unit for this purpose. I have requested the CSO to provide statistics directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Garda Equipment: Garda Equipment (13 May 2010)

Dermot Ahern: My Department and the Garda Síochána, in consultation with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Office of the Attorney General, are considering proposals for a new system which would allow the taking of contemporaneous written notes to cease where interviews are electronically recorded. There is however a complex range of training, technological and legal issues to be...

Written Answers — Drug Seizures: Drug Seizures (13 May 2010)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 42, 49, 58 and 90 together. I am including with my reply a tabular statement giving the latest available information in relation to drug seizures for 2007, 2008 and 2009 and to date in 2010. Due to the covert nature of the activity, it is obviously not possible to give a reliable estimate of the proportion of drugs coming into the country that these figures...

Written Answers — Detention Centres: Detention Centres (13 May 2010)

Dermot Ahern: Following consideration of the report of the interdepartmental Expert Group on Children Detention Schools, in March 2008 the Government approved the development of new national children detention facilities at Oberstown, Lusk, Co. Dublin. The estimate by the Expert Group of the likely future capacity demand of 167 places was based on an analysis of trends in juvenile detention along with data...

Written Answers — Guardianship of Children: Guardianship of Children (13 May 2010)

Dermot Ahern: The code of law contained in the Guardianship of Children Acts 1964 to 1997 already provides comprehensive provisions on guardianship with significant updating. Under the law as it stands - section 6A of the 1964 Act, as inserted by section 12 of the Status of Children Act 1987 - an unmarried father may apply to the court to be appointed a guardian of his child. Alternatively, where there...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (13 May 2010)

Dermot Ahern: Misprision of felony is one of a number of offences which address the question of withholding information about serious offences. It was a misdemeanour under the common law. It was committed by a person who knew that a felony had been committed and who could have given information which might have lead to the felon's arrest, but refrained from reporting it to the relevant authorities. Some...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (13 May 2010)

Dermot Ahern: The internet is a worldwide phenomenon with no borders and no single organisation controlling it. Efforts to combat illegal and harmful materials and activities on it can be hampered by the multiplicity of jurisdictions, differing legal systems and differing societal norms. Tackling internet downside issues is a complex business and continues to set new challenges and commitments for all...

Written Answers — Prison Building Programme: Prison Building Programme (13 May 2010)

Dermot Ahern: The development of the new prison campus at Thornton Hall, County Dublin is proceeding on a phased basis. Phase one comprises essential enabling works required for the prison development. These works include the construction of the dedicated access road, perimeter security wall and various off-site services. Phase two of the project comprises the various prisoner accommodation blocks,...

Written Answers — Criminal Justice (Amendment) Act 2009: Criminal Justice (Amendment) Act 2009 (13 May 2010)

Dermot Ahern: I refer the Deputy to my reply to Parliamentary Question 18 of 13th May 2010.

Written Answers — Crime Levels: Crime Levels (13 May 2010)

Dermot Ahern: To date in 2010 two so-called 'tiger' kidnappings have taken place and the following table shows the number of similar incidents recorded in the period 2005-2009. It is the policy of An Garda Síochána not to disclose the amount of money taken during such crimes. Year: No. of incidents recorded: 2009 6 2008 1 2007 3 2006 2 2005 1 The Deputy will be aware that the Garda Commissioner...

Written Answers — Prison Accommodation: Prison Accommodation (13 May 2010)

Dermot Ahern: The breakdown of cell capacity for Mountjoy is outlined in the following table. Prison/Place of Detention Single cells Double Cells Treble Cells Quadruple Cells More than 4 persons in cell Total occupied cells Mountjoy Prison (male) 329 118 8 5 3 463 Overcrowding in prisons is an international problem, not just unique to Ireland. As the Deputy is aware Mountjoy Prison is a Victorian...

Written Answers — Garda Deployment: Garda Deployment (13 May 2010)

Dermot Ahern: At the latest date for which comprehensive figures are readily available, there were 14,523 fully attested members of An Garda Síochána with a further 229 recruits in training. For operational reasons it is not the practice to comment on specific anti-terrorism measures relating to the security of the State. However, intelligence-led operations targeting the activities of dissident...