Results 1,621-1,640 of 6,188 for speaker:Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Resources (12 Jun 2018)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 558. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the estimated full-year cost of employing five forensic accountants. [25708/18]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Electronic Tagging (12 Jun 2018)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 559. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the estimated full-year cost of electronic tagging and monitoring thereafter of those convicted of rape, child sexual abuse and similar violent offences that are resident here. [25709/18]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Direct Provision Payments (12 Jun 2018)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 1203. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated full year cost of doubling the payments made to those that are resident in direct provision. [25706/18]

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Tenant Purchase Scheme Eligibility (12 Jun 2018)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 1288. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his plans to expand the local authority tenant purchase scheme beyond three bedroom houses; if two bedroom properties and larger houses will be included; and if there is discretion allowed for local authorities. [24538/18]

Offences against the State (Amendment) Act 1998 and Criminal Justice (Amendment) Act 2009: Motions (13 Jun 2018)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Gang crime has become an increasingly worrying and frightening aspect of life in this State in recent years. Violent, serious organised crime, has become increasingly prominent, and continues to claim many lives, with many more under threat. Since the killing of David Byrne at the Regency Hotel, gardaí believe that they have foiled 52 threats to life related to gang activity. However,...

Offences against the State (Amendment) Act 1998 and Criminal Justice (Amendment) Act 2009: Motions (13 Jun 2018)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: It operates with a standard operating procedure of non-jury trials. We should protect the right to a jury trial and implement the protections I outlined a moment ago to ensure a fair trial and to ensure those guilty can be convicted. Under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement, the Irish and British Governments have a responsibility to work towards the normalisation of policing and...

Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages [Private Members] (13 Jun 2018)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: If the sponsors of the Bill are satisfied with these amendments, I am also satisfied as they seem largely to be a tidying-up exercise. This is a vital matter and I have received much lobbying on it. Both parental leave and parental benefit are important and they must be dealt with equally. It is clearly more difficult for an Opposition party to bring forward proposals on parental benefit,...

Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2017: Report and Final Stages [Private Members] (13 Jun 2018)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I will be brief. I will be opposing the Government's amendment and the related amendments. I do not see the logic behind it. Even if there was an argument for phasing in the extension, the period we are talking about - four years - is scarcely logical considering that we are only talking about a matter of weeks over the course of 12 years. Businesses would be in a position to facilitate...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Síochána Oversight and Accountability: Minister for Justice and Equality (13 Jun 2018)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: As Senator Conway said, many questions have already been asked. I note - other people have a contrary view on this - that with regard to the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland report, due to be published in September, an opposite approach is being taken to that taken with the Secretary General. We are awaiting a report to see what recommendations are made before deciding to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Síochána Oversight and Accountability: Minister for Justice and Equality (13 Jun 2018)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I do not want to comment on the high-profile court case in Belfast, or to comment on the outcome of it, but subsequent to it, I wrote to the Minister on the need to reconsider our legislation on sexual assault and sexual crimes. Given the speed of his response, I am sure he had arrived at that conclusion himself. As he said, he announced a review of same and I have a number of questions on...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Síochána Oversight and Accountability: Minister for Justice and Equality (13 Jun 2018)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I am aware of that and that not all the procedures would be the same but there are issues of concern that exist here and in the North. I am not totally satisfied with that response because we can have debate around the Executive and the Assembly ad infinitumbut there is a process happening. I think it is being chaired by Sir John Gillen. There is no reason the Department of Justice and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Síochána Oversight and Accountability: Minister for Justice and Equality (13 Jun 2018)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I want to move on to policing issues. Could I have a indication from the Chairman as to a conclusion time?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Síochána Oversight and Accountability: Minister for Justice and Equality (13 Jun 2018)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Yes, Chairman, that is why I am asking. I want to move on to policing issues. There have been reports recently and parliamentary questions have been tabled to which I do not believe direct responses has been received. Parliamentary questions have been tabled by Deputy Broughan and others on the capacity of front-line gardaí to give chase. That is a very serious issue in rural...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Síochána Oversight and Accountability: Minister for Justice and Equality (13 Jun 2018)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Does the Minister have the figures for release?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Síochána Oversight and Accountability: Minister for Justice and Equality (13 Jun 2018)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Garda visibility, which I raised with the Minister previously through parliamentary questions, is a problem all over the State, but I will refer to the stations in my constituency. Every Garda station in and around Cork city district has had its numerical strength reduced since 2010. This is a fact. Some of the stations have had their numbers reduced substantially. Mayfield Garda station...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Síochána Oversight and Accountability: Minister for Justice and Equality (13 Jun 2018)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Yes, that is what we want but I am flagging the issue because the Minister referred to targets and so on. I understand the Garda is not far off reaching the current target and when that target is reached, the Minister still will have a situation where sergeants and superintendents will be crying out for core unit gardaí. I believe this is very likely to be the case. I have a few...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Síochána Oversight and Accountability: Minister for Justice and Equality (13 Jun 2018)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: The Minister appears to have referred to the wrong convention. I asked about the optional protocol to the UN convention against torture.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Síochána Oversight and Accountability: Minister for Justice and Equality (13 Jun 2018)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Very well. It would be appropriate to communicate with the committee as whole on the ongoing process because other Deputies also have an interest in this. On the issue of the reception conditions directive, other speakers have touched on it and I am under no illusion about it. As the Minister said, there has been some confusion regarding people presenting the interim solution as the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Síochána Oversight and Accountability: Minister for Justice and Equality (13 Jun 2018)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I corresponded with the Minister recently about a number of queries I have regarding the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, GSOC. One of those queries related to a report prepared for the GSOC directorate regarding work practices and case management in the Longford office. Did the Minister read that report? Is he satisfied that the issues raised in it have been resolved? Is he...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Síochána Oversight and Accountability: Minister for Justice and Equality (13 Jun 2018)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Briefly, has the Minister confidence in the work and output of that office and of GSOC generally over the period to which I referred?