Results 1,461-1,480 of 7,777 for speaker:Joe Costello

Census of Population. (8 Mar 2006)

Joe Costello: I live in a constituency where there are far more people on the electoral register than are entitled to be. I understand this number will increase with the coming general election. I agree wholeheartedly with Deputy Quinn and believe something practical should be done along the lines he suggested. The census enumerators will go out on 23 April 2006. As the Minister of State said, they will...

Social Welfare Code. (8 Mar 2006)

Joe Costello: The issue I am raising is peculiar to Dublin inner city communities. It relates to that scourge of disadvantaged areas, heroin, a killer in every sense of the word that has caused devastation. Death, sometimes by suicide, is the by-product of overdosing or overuse of the drug and many young children are orphaned as a result of the drug's heavy toll on the lives of young people. Many of those...

Social Welfare Code. (8 Mar 2006)

Joe Costello: That is not true.

Garda Reserve Force. (9 Mar 2006)

Joe Costello: Question 2: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the progress that has been made in recruiting a volunteer Garda reserve force; and if the Garda representative bodies have been consulted on the proposal. [9984/06]

Garda Reserve Force. (9 Mar 2006)

Joe Costello: The Bill that went through the Dáil contained one section dealing with the volunteer reserve force consisting of 15 or 16 lines. It was very sparse in detail. On various Stages I queried the lack of detail on protections, safeguards and training and asked for some specific details but very few specifics were forthcoming. This is part of the problem when one is introducing something as major...

Garda Reserve Force. (9 Mar 2006)

Joe Costello: If it will take over six years to get 2,000 full-time trained gardaí in place but 900 reserve gardaí will be in place by September of this year it is no wonder the Garda Síochána considers this a yellow pack reserve force. Gardaí have complained they have only one pair of summer trousers, one pair of winter trousers, and that they have to provide their own torch batteries, use their own...

Garda Reserve Force. (9 Mar 2006)

Joe Costello: They used another term — hobby bobbies.

Garda Reserve Force. (9 Mar 2006)

Joe Costello: Before the Minister replies, I reiterate——

Garda Reserve Force. (9 Mar 2006)

Joe Costello: Is the Minister now prepared, considering all the controversy, to consult and put a pilot programme in place instead of rushing this?

Garda Reserve Force. (9 Mar 2006)

Joe Costello: It has taken six years to recruit 2,000 extra gardaí.

Garda Deployment. (9 Mar 2006)

Joe Costello: The Minister is confusing Deputy Gormley's supporters with the Taoiseach's followers.

North-South Co-operation. (9 Mar 2006)

Joe Costello: Question 5: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his response to the policy document recently published by the SDLP entitled North-South Makes Sense; his views on an all-Ireland agency to combat crime and terrorism, an all-Ireland criminal assets bureau and an all-Ireland sex offenders register; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9985/06]

North-South Co-operation. (9 Mar 2006)

Joe Costello: While I am glad the Minister welcomes the proposals, can we make progress in implementing them? For example, the Criminal Assets Bureau has admitted that about 35% of its investigations into money laundering, smuggling and drugs are conducted on both sides of the Border and that its powers are different to those of the Assets Recovery Agency. The ARA can only investigate matters when the PSNI...

North-South Co-operation. (9 Mar 2006)

Joe Costello: As it is a unique event that the Minister and I are at one on an issue, I wish to ask one more question.

North-South Co-operation. (9 Mar 2006)

Joe Costello: Will the Minister examine the proposals made in this document on justice and policing to determine whether progress can be made through the establishment of a combined agency? Steps could be taken by his Department and the authorities on the other side of the island towards——

Departmental Funding. (9 Mar 2006)

Joe Costello: I am glad to see provision being made in all those areas. It is strange that approximately €10 million is being provided for the ombudsman commission but it will not be operational this year. I do not know where that money will go. Only €1.28 million is being provided for the Garda reserve force and 900 of these members will be operating this year. It appears disproportionate.

Departmental Funding. (9 Mar 2006)

Joe Costello: In terms of the most important element of the Garda Síochána Bill, the joint policing committees and the community policing section, the Minister appears to indicate that this will be a private arrangement. Is he indicating that it will be privately funded? It seems this will be the core of the legislation, and if it is to be successful, it will require resources for the local authority and...

Departmental Funding. (9 Mar 2006)

Joe Costello: With regard to the Garda and employment of extra gardaí, there will be much movement internally in various communities to get this operating effectively. There appears to be adequate provisions for other areas, but there seems to be a shortage of the provisions made for community policing.

Departmental Funding. (9 Mar 2006)

Joe Costello: Some gardaí have only one pair of trousers apiece.

Departmental Funding. (9 Mar 2006)

Joe Costello: Gardaí would need a change of trousers if we had a water cannon.