Results 14,941-14,960 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Expenditure (12 Jul 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I wish to advice the Deputy that my Department and the Agencies under its remit use the services of the State's independent recruitment office, the Public Appointments Service, to the maximum extent possible. However, in order to deliver the business of the organisation, it is necessary for my Department and its Agencies to occasionally engage the services of external recruitment or...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Websites (12 Jul 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The design of my Department's website is accessible, having been reviewed by the National Disability Authority, which is the advisory authority in this regard. My Department will continue to engage with the NDA in maintaining the accessibility of the website and in reviewing any future change to its design, whether to adapt it to new technologies or for any other reason.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Measures (13 Jul 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2015, which completed all stages in the Seanad in January 2016, provides for two new offences of purchasing sexual services, in the context of prostitution. The purpose of these offences is to target the demand for prostitution. The first is a general offence of paying to engage in sexual activity with a prostitute which carries a penalty of a fine of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Sexual Offences Data (13 Jul 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: There is an acknowledged difficulty in accessing comprehensive data in relation to prostitution, not only in Ireland, but in other countries also. This is owing, at least in part, to the covert nature of the activity and the understandable reluctance on the part of individuals to identify themselves as sellers or buyers of sex. Reliable research is also hampered by the involvement of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Sexual Offences Data (13 Jul 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Central Statistics Office (CSO), as the national statistical agency, is responsible for the compilation and publication of the official recorded crime statistics, and the CSO has established a dedicated unit for this purpose. I have asked the CSO to forward the available statistics in relation to the information requested directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Data (13 Jul 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: Section 9 of the Immigration Act 2004 places an obligation on non-Irish nationals, subject to the exemptions listed below, who have entered the State to present at their local registration office for the purpose of being placed on a register of non-nationals who have permission to reside in the State. It is important to note that European Economic Area nationals who are the subject of the EU...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Data (13 Jul 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that as of 11/07/2016, there are approximately 3,200 people awaiting processing of their representations under section 3 of the Immigration Act, 1999 (as amended). This includes both failed asylum seekers and anyone who entered the section 3 process by any other means, for example, those whose immigration...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Deportation Orders Data (13 Jul 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: Voluntary Repatriation Schemes (13 Jul 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department, in conjunction with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), offers voluntary assisted return and reintegration programmes for asylum seekers, failed asylum seekers and other illegally present migrants. Asylum seekers or failed asylum seekers who have not had a Deportation Order made against them are...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Commencement of Legislation (13 Jul 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: As previously conveyed to the House, preparations for the phased commencement of the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015 are already underway. A necessary first step in preparation for these commencements is the appointment of the Legal Services Regulatory Authority after which the Authority will appoint its own Chief Executive. I can confirm that nominations to the new Legal Services...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Equipment (13 Jul 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy will appreciate that the provision and allocation of resources for An Garda Síochána is a matter for the Garda Commissioner and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter. I am advised by the Garda authorities that a Uniform Committee, comprising representatives of all of the Representative Associations, Garda Human Resources and People Development, the Finance...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Equipment (13 Jul 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the day to day management of Garda resources, including the Garda fleet, and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter. I am informed by the Garda authorities that, in 2008, An Garda Síochána commissioned review by Capital Eye, a fleet transport consultancy company, of the operation of the Transport...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Station Opening Hours (13 Jul 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy will appreciate that decisions in relation to Garda station opening hours are a matter for the Garda Commissioner and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter. I am advised by the Garda authorities that there are thirteen Garda stations in the Dublin Metropolitan Region which are currently not open to the public 24-hours a day, however Garda personnel allocated to those...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Operations (13 Jul 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy will be aware, from my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 245 of 22 March 2016, that I have no role in relation to the setting or collection of fees charged for abstracts of Garda reports, copies of witness statements and sketches or maps of the scene in respect of road traffic collisions. I understand that the fee regime was last revised in October 2011, when the fee for an...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Charitable and Voluntary Organisations (13 Jul 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Charities Regulatory Authority ('Charities Regulator') was established as an independent agency on 16 October 2014 and is responsible for the registration and regulation of all the charities active in the country. The Regulator's initial priority has been the compilation of the statutory Register of Charities, with a view to underpinning and supporting its investigatory and enforcement...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Staff Data (13 Jul 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I understand that the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform are providing a reply covering recruitment across government Departments and that reply will include any recruits within the Department of Justice & Equality for the period in question. In respect of recruitment to other areas of the Justice sector I am informed that there has been no recruitment to An Garda...

Leaders' Questions (14 Jul 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy raises a very important topic. I agree with him that early intervention services are critical, particularly for children with special needs who require either intellectual or physical supports. The programme for Government commits to supporting children in these circumstances. For the first time, children with a disability who are attending preschool education will receive...

Leaders' Questions (14 Jul 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: Parents of children with special needs, whether intellectual or physical, should not have to fight the system in the way Deputy Moynihan describes. Our intention is to improve the services. Let me give an example of what is happening. Under the Health Service Executive 2016 national service plan, the priority is to protect the level of services provided in 2015 and to provide 1.3 million...

Leaders' Questions (14 Jul 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Government appointed a Minister of State with particular responsibility for people with disabilities, which was the right thing to do. We are all aware of the poor standards that historically have prevailed in many residential institutions. I welcome the work HIQA is doing which the Government wants to support. Many of these facilities remained hidden and there was bad management...

Leaders' Questions (14 Jul 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: It is important to ensure the various residential institutions reach the standards laid out. They have not been granted an extension of time by HIQA to reach them. What is most important is that they be independently inspected, that the work being done is independently examined by HIQA. That is where our focus should be to ensure the services being provided and the care being given are of...