Results 16,241-16,260 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Vetting of Personnel (17 Nov 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The primary purpose of the Garda National Vetting Bureau is to seek to ensure the safety of children and vulnerable adults. Vetting checks are conducted by the Garda vetting bureau for each new vetting application received to ensure that the most recent data available are taken into account. This is because once there has been any significant lapse of time between one employment and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Deportation Orders (17 Nov 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: In accordance with Section 19(1) of the Refugee Act, 1996 (as amended) I am specifically required to take all practicable steps to ensure that the identity of applicants is kept confidential. Accordingly, I am limited in what I can say in relation to individual cases. On a general note, deportation orders are not made in respect of applicants who are in the protection process, whether...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Deployment (17 Nov 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution of resources, including personnel, among the various Garda Divisions and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter. Garda management keeps this distribution of resources under continual review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities so as to ensure that the optimum use is made of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Deployment (17 Nov 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution of resources, including Community Gardaí, among the various Garda Divisions and Districts and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter. Garda management keeps this distribution of resources under continual review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities so as to ensure that the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Deployment (17 Nov 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution of resources, including Community Gardaí, among the various Garda Divisions and Districts and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter. Garda management keeps this distribution of resources under continual review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities so as to ensure that the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Expenditure (17 Nov 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy will appreciate that the Garda Commissioner, as accounting officer for An Garda Síochána, has responsibility for the allocation of Garda finances and resources, and I, as Minister, have no direct role in these matters. I am advised by the Garda authorities that the total expenditure in each of the three districts, over the period requested by the Deputy, is set out in the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Crime Data (17 Nov 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: Policing Authority (17 Nov 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy will be aware, the Policing Authority is an independent statutory body established on 1 January 2016 for the purpose of overseeing the performance by An Garda Síochána of its functions relating to policing services. Since its inception, the Policing Authority has been focussing, as a matter of priority, on its functions which have statutory deadlines and reform...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (22 Nov 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: Considerable progress has already been made to overcome the remaining legislative barriers to Ireland's ratification of the Convention. The Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 was signed into law on 30 December 2015 and is a comprehensive reform of the law on decision-making capacity. The Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2015 commenced its second stage reading in the Dáil...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Valuation Office (22 Nov 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I can inform the Deputy that the Commissioner of Valuation is independent in the exercise of his duties under the Valuation Acts 2001- 2015 and the making of valuations for rating purposes is his sole responsibility. I, as Minister for Justice and Equality, have no function in decisions in this regard. Under the valuation legislation, the Commissioner has overall responsibility for the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Courts Service (22 Nov 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy will be aware that the Courts are, subject to the Constitution and the law, independent in the exercise of their judicial functions. Section 36(2) of the Courts (Supplemental Provisions) Act, 1961 provides that, for ensuring the prompt and efficient discharge of the business of the District Court in the several districts thereof, where it appears to the President of the District...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Operations (22 Nov 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy will appreciate, investigations in relation to criminal acts are properly dealt with by An Garda Síochána in the first instance and I, as Minister, have no role in relation to the conduct of particular Garda investigations. Similarly, the decision on whether or not to prosecute in a particular case rests solely with the Director of Public Prosecutions, and it is not...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Station Closures (22 Nov 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy will be aware that the Government has, in the Programme for a Partnership Government, recognised community policing as the embodiment of An Garda Síochána, providing a means of recognising that every community, both urban and rural, has its own concerns and expectations. It commits the Government to ensuring visible, effective and responsive policing in every community,...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Measures (22 Nov 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: Since the International Protection Act was enacted detailed work has been taking place in my Department to prepare for the commencement of the principal provision in the Act - the introduction of the single application procedure for international protection. This will replace the current sequential processing system and is the single biggest reform in this area for the past twenty years....

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Personal Insolvency Arrangements (22 Nov 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: Under the Government's Action Plan on Housing and Homelessness last July, I committed to examining the need for legislation to provide for further possible measures arising from the Programme for a Partnership Government commitments on mortgage arrears, subject to legal advice on certain issues arising. The possible measures mentioned included simplifying personal insolvency legislation to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Programme (22 Nov 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: While I have not yet made a final decision in relation to all of those matters to be given priority for inclusion in the Courts and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill, I can say that it will include provisions relating to electronic courts services and a range of other measures such as the amendment of existing legislation dealing with land and conveyancing and amendments of a...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Proposed Legislation (22 Nov 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I can confirm to the Deputy that the preparation of the Mortgages Special Court Bill/Courts (Mortgage Arrears) Bill is under way. My Department is in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General, having regard to the constitutional and legal aspects arising, as indicated in the Government's Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness published last July. As the Deputy will be...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Private Security Industry Regulation (22 Nov 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I wish to inform the Deputy that the necessary arrangements are currently being finalised to appoint a new Board. Expressions of interest were invited from suitably qualified candidates for appointment to the Private Security Appeals Board via the stateboards.ie webpage, in accordance with the process outlined in the approved Guidelines on Appointments to State Boards, published in November...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Courts Staff (22 Nov 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The information requested by the Deputy is not available. As the Deputy may be aware, every person appointed a judge under the Constitution makes and subscribes to the following declaration: In the presence of Almighty God I,....., do solemnly swear and sincerely promise and declare that I will duly and faithfully and to the best of my knowledge and power execute the office of ..... of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Courts Service Data (22 Nov 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 127, 131 and 132 together. As the Deputy is aware, under the provisions of the Courts Service Act 1998, management of the courts is the responsibility of the Courts Service which is independent in exercising its functions, which include the provision of information on the courts system. However, in order to be of assistance to the Deputy, I have had enquiries...