Results 15,681-15,700 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Dental Services (11 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Irish Prison Service that the range of dental services available to prisoners is consistent with that available under the GMS Dental Treatment Service Scheme (DTSS) and in line with the objective of the IPS to provide equivalence of care in relation to the provision of healthcare services comparable to that available to medical card holders in the community. Emergency...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prisoner Data (11 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Irish Prison Service that it deals with individual prisoners who present with a disability on a case by case basis, and makes every effort to ensure that the therapeutic needs of the individual patient are catered for in an effective and appropriate manner. I am further advised by the Irish Prison Service that it does not record data in the format requested in this...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Recidivism Rate (11 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: To date three Recidivism Studies involving the Probation Service have been carried out by the Central Statistics Office and are available on www.cso.ie. Each is a detailed study of recidivism among offenders placed under Probation Supervision or given Community Service as an alternative to a custodial sentence. The third study, which was published in December 2015, is a detailed study...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Accommodation (11 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I wish to inform the Deputy that the number of prison places available in each prison is set out in the following table for each year 2016, 2006 and 1996. - 11th October 2016 11th October 2006 11th October 1996 Mountjoy Male 554 480 597 Mountjoy Female 105 85 40 Training Unit 96 96 90 St. Patrick's 34 217 188 Cloverhill 431 433 N/A Wheatfield 550 378 320 Midlands 870 447 N/A...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (11 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Irish Prison Service that the total gross allocation for the provision of the Prison Service in 2015 was €332,182,000. The equivalent figure in 2005 was €344,239,000 and in 1995 was €142,868,000 (£112,518,000)

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prisoners Temporary Release (11 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Irish Prison Service that the legislative basis for making decisions on temporary release is fully set out in the Criminal Justice Act 1960, as amended by the Criminal Justice (Temporary Release of Prisoners) Act 2003. Temporary release is an important vehicle for re-integrating an offender into the community in a planned way. Each application is considered on its...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prisoner Data (11 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Irish Prison Service that all prisoners who are sentenced to a term of imprisonment, with the exception of life sentence prisoners, qualify for one quarter remission on the basis of good behaviour. In addition, prisoners who have engaged in authorised structured activity may apply to receive enhanced remission of greater than one quarter but not exceeding one third of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Irish Prison Service (11 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The budgetary allocation for the Irish Prison Service for the years referred to by the Deputy were as follows: 2016 - €332,058,000 2011 - €349,583,000 2006 - €389,572,000 The Irish Prison Service operates as an executive agency within the Department of Justice and Equality. It is headed by a Director General supported by five Directors (two of these posts are...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Irish Prison Service (11 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I can advise the Deputy that the Irish Prison Service operates within the parameters set out in Irish, European and international human rights law and promotes equality and human rights through its policies and practices. Separation of male and female prisoners is provided for under Section 52 of the Consolidated Prison Rules 2007-2014. Female prisoners are accommodated in the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Medical Service (11 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Irish Prison Service that the level of maternity care provided to women in custody, including both pre and ante-natal care, is comparable to that available to women in the community.  It is provided on a shared care arrangement between the maternity hospital to which the patient is referred, and the Healthcare Team in the Dóchas Centre. Pregnant women...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Education Service (11 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Irish Prison Service that it provides a wide range of rehabilitative programmes to persons in custody that include education, vocational training, healthcare, psychiatric, psychological, counselling, welfare, and spiritual services. These programmes offer purposeful activity to those serving their sentences and encourage them to lead law abiding lives on release. These...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Drug Treatment Services (11 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Irish Prison Service that the total expenditure on pharmaceuticals (including all medicines, and methadone) in 2015 was €2,697,163. Professional General Pharmacy Services are provided in all prisons on the basis of a contract with a local community pharmacy, and both the technical (supply) and professional (pharmaceutical care) elements of pharmacy service...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prisoner Data (11 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Irish Prison Service that on 30 September 2016 there were 347 prisoners in custody serving life sentences. I can also advise the Deputy that there were a further 82 prisoners serving life sentences in the community on reviewable temporary release, who continue to serve a life sentence under the supervision of the Probation Service. The average time these prisoners served...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Inspector of Prisons Remit (11 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The report of the Inspector of Prisons on the prisoner complaints system “Review, Evaluation and Analysis of the Operation of the present Irish Prison Service Complaints Procedure” was published on 8 June, 2016 and is available on my Department's website - www.justice.ie.This identified a number of concerns in the implementation of the current complaints procedure. Arising from...

Financial Resolutions 2017 - Financial Resolution No. 2: General (Resumed) (12 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am sharing time with the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Shane Ross. The budget is another stepping stone in our plan to build a strong economy and one that will work primarily to create a fair and compassionate society in which everyone is given the opportunity to succeed and nobody is left behind. It continues the prudent management of the public finances,...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (12 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that there is no current application for a certificate of naturalisation from the person referred to by the Deputy. Previous applications have been refused for reasons provided to the person concerned, the most recent in a letter issued on 7 October 2013 advising of the decision. It is open to any...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Peace Commissioners (12 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: Peace Commissioners are appointed by the Minister for Justice and Equality under Section 88 of the Courts of Justice Act, 1924. It is an honorary position and a Peace Commissioner receives no remuneration or compensation from public funds. Before appointment applicants are informed that they are not entitled to charge or receive for their own benefit, any fee for performing the duties...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments and Threatened Industrial Action by An Garda Síochána: Statements (12 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I thank Senators for making time available to address these important matters in the House. As Senators are aware, there is a commitment in the current programme for Government to reform the judicial appointments process and to introduce legislation for the establishment of a new judicial appointments commission. The judicial appointments Bill involves complex legal and constitutional...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments and Threatened Industrial Action by An Garda Síochána: Statements (12 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I thank Senators for their contributions to this debate. I will address the issue of Garda pay, on which the House focused, first. We want to negotiate and use every opportunity possible to deal with the concerns that have been raised by the GRA and AGSI. In a ballot of AGSI members several weeks ago, the ratio was 70:30 in favour of accepting the work done by officials on the Lansdowne...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legal Services Regulation (13 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: Preparations for the phased commencement of the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015, including the setting up of the new Legal Services Regulatory Authority, are already underway. On 19 July, under S.I. No. 383 of 2016, I commenced those provisions of Part 1 and Part 2 of the Legal Services Regulation Act as necessary to get the new Regulatory Authority up and running, particularly in terms...