Results 14,681-14,700 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Leaders' Questions (28 Jun 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: On the commitment to deal with the housing crisis, I remind the Deputy that the Cabinet made a decision today to support people to stay in their homes at a cost of €12 million this year and €50 million in a full year. This commitment made in the programme for Government is being delivered on today. This is very important. We have a priority focus on putting more resources...

Questions on Proposed Legislation (28 Jun 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I expect the first Bill the Deputy mentioned to be before the Cabinet next week. The legislation on the Criminal Assets Bureau was before the Cabinet this morning and will be published within the next day or so when the Bills Office has finalised its work on it. Of course, if the justice committee is in a position to engage in pre-legislative scrutiny on it, that will be done. However,...

Questions on Proposed Legislation (28 Jun 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy will know, the Taoiseach has outlined the importance of the citizens' assembly as an opportunity to have a broadly based discussion on the eighth amendment. It is intended that it will be put together as quickly as possible and that the first topic for discussion will be the eighth amendment. The composition has been made known, as the Deputy said. It is a citizens' assembly,...

Questions on Proposed Legislation (28 Jun 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: On the Deputy's first question, I understand the scheme will commence next year.

Questions on Proposed Legislation (28 Jun 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: So I am informed, but I will communicate directly with the Deputy on the matter.

Questions on Proposed Legislation (28 Jun 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I will ask the Minister, Deputy Coveney, to communicate directly with the Deputy on this matter. The Deputy also asked about an inquiry. There was a detailed review of over 300 cases in which complaints were made. In a number of cases, it was recommended that there should be further investigations. We have been in discussions with the Attorney General about the precise format of those...

Questions on Proposed Legislation (28 Jun 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I would expect that it will go ahead fairly quickly.

Questions on Proposed Legislation (28 Jun 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I can say in response to the Deputy's first question that there are no plans for such legislation at present. It seems to me that the business committee might be the best place for the Deputy to take forward the second point he made. The Ceann Comhairle has also made a suggestion in that regard.

Questions on Proposed Legislation (28 Jun 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I will answer the first part of the Deputy's question and ask the Minister, Deputy Varadkar, to answer the second part of it in accordance with the new procedures. It is absolutely the Government's intention that by the end of this year, it will be able to adhere fully to all the conditions of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and thereby be in a position to sign...

Questions on Proposed Legislation (28 Jun 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I understand 18 Leader programmes were announced last week. This was an important statement on them. The Government certainly recognises the importance of the Leader programmes.

Questions on Proposed Legislation (28 Jun 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: At the Cabinet sub-committee working on the range of issues concerning housing, there has been a strong focus and emphasis on ensuring the very situation described by the Deputy is dealt with. The increased funding to local authorities makes it more feasible in order that they can turn around these houses for suitable occupation much more quickly than they have done in the past. The number...

Questions on Proposed Legislation (28 Jun 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The adoption (tracing and information) Bill is important legislation and much work has been done on it, as the Deputy is aware. It is expected to be in the House in the next term. The heads of the broadcasting (amendment) Bill are being worked on.

Questions on Proposed Legislation (28 Jun 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I suggest the Deputy takes that up with the line Minister.

Questions on Proposed Legislation (28 Jun 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The legislation that will be brought to the House, similar to the legislation that was brought before it when the convention was being set up, will concern the selection of citizens from the electoral register. The points made by the Deputy are certainly interesting, in particular the first point about who is included in the electoral register. The intention is that it is people on the...

Questions on Proposed Legislation (28 Jun 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: If the Deputy attends the citizenship ceremonies, as I do, she will know about the wide range of people from all over the world who have applied for and gained Irish citizenship in the past ten years and who are now on the electoral register. On the Deputy's point about protecting people from undue influence, that issue was managed very successfully during the convention and I believe it...

Questions on Proposed Legislation (28 Jun 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: It was agreed to by the Cabinet this morning. I do not yet have a date for when it will be brought to the House.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Commencement of Legislation (28 Jun 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 was signed into law by the President on 30 December 2015 but has not yet been commenced. It was indicated during the debates on the Bill in the Oireachtas that commencement of the Act is planned for the latter half of 2016 and this remains the position. Deputies will appreciate that careful planning and groundwork, and not just funding,...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Programme (28 Jun 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: In my capacity as Minister for Justice and Equality, I have responsibility for equality legislation, which provides for retirement ages in line with the relevant EU Directive provision that differences of treatment on the grounds of age are permissible if, within the context of national law, they are objectively and reasonably justified by a legitimate aim including legitimate employment...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Operations (28 Jun 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Garda authorities that the Communications Centre in the Dublin Metropolitan Region is responsible for the management of all emergency calls received to the emergency line-999 within that Region. The number of incidents recorded in the Communications Centre for the Tallaght and Rathfarnham areas between 1 January 2016 and 31 May 2016 is as follows: Tallaght and Rathfarnham...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Court Sittings (28 Jun 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy will be aware, under the provisions of the Courts Service Act 1998, management of the courts, including the provision of accommodation for court sittings, is the responsibility of the Courts Service which is independent in exercising its functions. However, in order to be of assistance, I have had enquiries made and I am informed that the District Court in Tallaght court...