Results 17,661-17,680 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: EU Directives (21 Feb 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: On 18 November 2015, the European Commission proposed a revision of the Firearms Directive (Directive 91/477/EEC as amended by Directive 2008/51/EC). Political agreement was reached on the draft Directive in December 2016. The text was endorsed by the European Parliament’s Internal Market Committee on 26 January 2017 and is due to be voted by the full Parliament in March, and if...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Strength (21 Feb 2017)

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 (21 Feb 2017)

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 Operations (21 Feb 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I have sought a report from the Garda authorities in relation to the matter in question and I will respond directly to the Deputy when the report is to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Family Law Cases (21 Feb 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: Section 3 of the Guardianship of Infants Act 1964 provides that the best interests of the child shall be the paramount consideration for the court in any proceedings where access to a child is in question. The best interests of a child are to be determined in accordance with Part V of the Guardianship of Infants Act 1964, inserted by section 63 of the Children and Family Relationships...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Sentencing Policy (21 Feb 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The laws in place in relation to burglary provide for stringent penalties, including provision for imprisonment for life for those convicted of aggravated burglary and also presumptive minimum sentences. As the Deputy will be aware, as Minister for Justice and Equality, I have introduced targeted legislative measures dealing with the issue of burglary. The Criminal Justice (Burglary of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Court Judgments (21 Feb 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy is aware, the courts are subject only to the Constitution and the law, independent in the exercise of their judicial functions. It is therefore not open to me to comment or intervene in any way on the conduct or decision of a particular court case which is a matter entirely for the presiding judge.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Family Law Cases (21 Feb 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: Section 11 of the Guardianship of Infants Act 1964 provides that either parent of a child, whether or not he or she is also a guardian of the child, may apply to court for a direction regarding access to the child. A court may also make an order under section 11 when granting a judicial separation or divorce. Section 3 of the 1964 Act provides that the best interests of the child shall be...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Information and Communications Technology (21 Feb 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: There was no additional cost in upgrading ICT systems and databases in my Department to facilitate the use of Eircodes. The work was carried out by staff in my Department's ICT Division as part of routine updates.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Closed-Circuit Television Systems Provision (21 Feb 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am very conscious of the value that communities, especially rural communities, place on CCTV as a means of deterring crime and assisting in the detection of offenders. The Deputy will be aware that the Programme for a Partnership Government commits to providing investment in CCTV systems and that I have secured €1 million in Budget 2017 to begin a new round of community CCTV...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Property Services Regulatory Authority (21 Feb 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Property Services Regulatory Authority (PSRA) was formally established on 3 April 2012, pursuant to the provisions of the Property Services (Regulation) Act 2011. Details of the income and expenditure figures of the Authority per annum for the categories requested by the Deputy are set out in the following table. The Property Services Compensation Fund, which exists in order to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Refugee Status Applications (21 Feb 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 112 and 113 together. As the Deputy will be aware, the International Protection Act 2015 was commenced on 31 December 2016. The Act provides for the introduction of a single procedure which enables all grounds for seeking international protection and permission to remain in the State for other reasons to be examined and determined in one process. The new...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Road Traffic Offences Data (21 Feb 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I have requested a report from the Garda authorities in relation to the statistics requested by the Deputy and I will contact the Deputy directly upon receipt of the relevant information.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: EU Funding (21 Feb 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I can advise the Deputy that my Department accesses EU funds under a range of headings including the Internal Security Fund, the Asylum Migration and Integration Fund and the European Social Fund. The Deputy will appreciate that of each of the funding streams in question has an agreed set of priorities, objectives and parameters. Plans to access EU funding opportunities is being kept under...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Funding (21 Feb 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I can inform the Deputy that no public funding was provided from my Department's Vote to trade unions or representative bodies during the period referred to by him.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Misconduct Allegations (22 Feb 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy is aware that a complaint made by the person referred to in the question was referred to the Independent Review Mechanism (IRM). The IRM was established for the independent review of certain allegations of Garda misconduct, or inadequacies in the investigation of certain allegations which have been made to me as Minister for Justice and Equality or the Taoiseach or other public...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Child and Family Agency (22 Feb 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 68 and 69 together. I understand that the details supplied with this question refer to guidelines contained in a Tusla document entitled - Policy & Procedures for Responding to Allegations of Child Abuse and Neglect, dating from September 2014. While An Garda Síochána has a role in relation to certain aspects of these procedures, the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Investigations (22 Feb 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Garda authorities that it is not possible, on the basis of the information provided, to make any substantive comment on the matters referred to by the Deputy. However, I am assured that any information provided to An Garda Síochána in relation to possible criminal actions, including suspected fraud, is thoroughly investigated.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Road Traffic Offences (22 Feb 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 71 and 72 together. The statistics referred to by the Deputy in the 'Details Supplied' with these parliamentary questions were published in June 2016 by the Road Safety Authority (RSA) in its 'Fatal Collisions 2008 - 2012: Alcohol as a Factor'. I have been advised by the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport that, under the Road Safety Authority Act...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Data (22 Feb 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 73 to 76, inclusive, together. In general, a person may be refused leave to land on one, or more, of the grounds set out in Section 4(3) of the Immigration Act 2004 (as amended). Every person refused leave to land in the State is served with a notice in which the reason, or reasons, for refusing an application for permission to enter the State is set out....