Results 14,481-14,500 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Parole Boards (21 Jun 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: Details of the membership of the Parole Board is set out each year in the Board's Annual Report which is published on my Department's website www.justice.ie. Details of members of the Parole Board since 1 January, 2011 are set out in a table. Current Members Name Date of Appointment / Reappointment Date of expiry of term Mr. John Costello (Chairman) 26th July 2014 25th July 2017 Ms....

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Equality Legislation (21 Jun 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: Equality legislation prohibits discrimination in employment and in the provision of goods and services on the basis of nine grounds, including that of religion. Public servants are obliged to operate within the law regardless of their own religious beliefs or moral convictions and may not discriminate on grounds prohibited in the legislation. There is no exemption which enables a public...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Voluntary Euthanasia (21 Jun 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: It is an offence, under section 2(2) of the Criminal Law (Suicide) Act 1993, to assist another person in taking his or her life. The term euthanasia generally implies the intentional termination of a life by another at the request of a person wishing to die and could, therefore, be considered a form of assisted suicide. The 1993 Act provides for a maximum penalty of 14 years imprisonment on...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Resources (21 Jun 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution of personnel, including civilians, among the Garda Regions, Divisions, and Districts. I am assured by the Garda Commissioner that personnel assignments throughout the country, together with overall policing arrangements and operational strategy, are continually monitored and reviewed and are determined...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Home Repossessions (21 Jun 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The position is that the Oireachtas Committee on Housing and Homelessness has recommended in its recently-published report that, subject to the advices of the Attorney General, the Government should introduce legislation for a moratorium on home repossessions until such time as the Government’s proposals in relation to housing and homelessness are in place. I can confirm that this...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Training (21 Jun 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am informed by the Garda Commissioner that all Gardaí recruited since the reopening of the Garda College in September 2014 undertake the new 2 year training programme which leads to a Bachelor of Arts in Applied Policing and is accredited by the University of Limerick. The programme is the outcome of a comprehensive review of foundation training for entrants to An Garda...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Transport Data (21 Jun 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy will appreciate, decisions in relation to the provision and allocation of Garda vehicles are a matter for the Garda Commissioner in the light of her identified operational demands and the availability of resources and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter. The tables supplied provide an overview in relation to the number of Garda vehicles assigned to the Waterford...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Community Policing (21 Jun 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy will appreciate, it is the Garda Commissioner who is responsible for the distribution of resources, including Community Gardaí, among the various Garda Divisions and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter. I am assured by the Garda Commissioner that the allocation of Gardaí is continually monitored and reviewed taking into account all relevant factors...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Anti-Social Behaviour (21 Jun 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am, of course, conscious of the impact which anti-social behaviour and the types of crime referred to have on the quality of life for residents in local communities. An Garda Síochána continues to tackle public disorder and anti-social behaviour by working with communities to reduce this type of behaviour and enhance community safety. The Garda approach includes a strong focus on...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Status (21 Jun 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 101 and 103 together. I have no plans to introduce a general regularisation scheme for those who are currently undocumented in the State as a proposal of this nature could give rise to very large, unpredictable and potentially very costly impacts across the full range of public and social services. Also any possible implication for the operation of the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Refugee Data (21 Jun 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the statistics are being compiled and will be provided to the Deputy in due course.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (21 Jun 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the persons referred to are of a nationality required to hold a valid visa in order to travel to Ireland. I am also advised that an official from INIS was in touch with their family member to advise on the procedure for making visa applications. However, it appears that the persons involved do not...

Leaders' Questions (22 Jun 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The programme for a partnership Government strongly reasserts the central role of education. Indeed, the very first line is, "Education is the key to giving every child an equal opportunity in life." There are plans to commit a huge amount of extra investment in our education system at every level. I recognise what Deputy Micheál Martin says about the importance of guidance...

Leaders' Questions (22 Jun 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: Obviously, the former Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, made some provision for a 50% restoration of the cut that had been made in this area, which schools will have from 1 September.

Leaders' Questions (22 Jun 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: There is provision there for schools to examine how they want to approach this.

Leaders' Questions (22 Jun 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: In respect of the Deputy's point about dedicated provision, clearly that will form part of the Estimates discussion. The Minister will examine the precise costings relating to that. There is a commitment in the programme for a partnership Government to reintroduce guidance counselling in secondary schools, but the Minister will discuss that with all members of the education committee and it...

Leaders' Questions (22 Jun 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I accept that the whole area of mental health needs ongoing investment which we need to prioritise. I hope the health committee will prioritise a discussion of the full implementation of A Vision for Change, which also needs a review. The report that Deputy Adams referenced, the Mental Health Commission annual report of 2015, reflects the very widely accepted need to develop further a...

Leaders' Questions (22 Jun 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: Regarding the compliance issue, six approved mental health centres achieved full compliance with all the regulatory requirements in 2015. While what Deputy Adams says is true that other centres were non-compliant to varying degrees, I am advised that, given the nature of the requirements where centres were non-compliant, the potential for full compliance is strong. Certainly, the Minister...

Leaders' Questions (22 Jun 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I spoke about the importance of compliance and I certainly accept what the Deputy says about it. I did not mean to suggest in any way that the issues of the other centres which have not met full compliance were in any way insignificant. The point I made is that the potential for full compliance is certainly there. That is what the Minister of State will be pursuing with respect to the...

Leaders' Questions (22 Jun 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I have made very clear in my reply to the Deputy that this is a priority issue for Government. I recognise her passion for this issue and it is shared by all of us. It is a priority issue, we are investing in this area and I will ask the Minister of State to communicate with the Deputy directly in respect of the specific points she raised about the timeframe for the review and why the...