Results 18,081-18,100 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald
- An Garda Síochána: Statements (28 Mar 2017)
Frances Fitzgerald: Yes.
- An Garda Síochána: Statements (28 Mar 2017)
Frances Fitzgerald: I apologise; I understood the procedure was different so the Deputy might repeat his question.
- An Garda Síochána: Statements (28 Mar 2017)
Frances Fitzgerald: The answer to that is the letter the Department received in June 2016 from John Twomey outlining that the Garda was concerned about some issues. No figure was mentioned, so I was not aware of the 14,700 cases. Neither do I believe was the Garda aware of it at that point because that was an earlier stage. The audit was not completed. Some procedures had been put in place by the Garda to...
- An Garda Síochána: Statements (28 Mar 2017)
Frances Fitzgerald: At that point in the letter, as the Garda had also put some solutions in place regarding what had happened to different individuals, it was clear the Garda was concerned that there would be a number but it had no idea that there were 14,700 at that point. The Garda was concerned that some people were summoned to court who should not have been. Some solutions had been put in place and the...
- An Garda Síochána: Statements (28 Mar 2017)
Frances Fitzgerald: At that point, the full scale of this issue was being examined to see precisely what the implications of this were. I was aware that action had been taken, so no further such mistakes could be made. I was awaiting the result of the full audit. My Department was in contact with An Garda Síochána on a regular basis to ensure we would get the full audit.
- An Garda Síochána: Statements (28 Mar 2017)
Frances Fitzgerald: Clearly, as I said in my opening statement, these issues have to be addressed comprehensively. The plan, as the Garda Commissioner outlined and what we want to see implemented as soon as possible, is that letters will issue on 3 April to all those who have been affected by this. In the first instance, every one of these 14,700 cases will have to go into the District Court and then be...
- An Garda Síochána: Statements (28 Mar 2017)
Frances Fitzgerald: I have put it on the public record that I received a letter in June 2016, outlining that some issues had arisen that the Garda was examining what it needed to do and it was doing a full audit that would be completed in the second quarter of this year. That was the information I had. My Department continued to be in contact with the Garda on when the final audit would be available. Of...
- An Garda Síochána: Statements (28 Mar 2017)
Frances Fitzgerald: At that time I was Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. He wrote a letter to the then Minister, Alan Shatter, who referred it to the Garda Commissioner. I was looking in detail at the file today. It was an anonymous complaint with a series of allegations which had been forwarded. It was referred to the Garda Commissioner. In the timeline published the other day, the Garda...
- An Garda Síochána: Statements (28 Mar 2017)
Frances Fitzgerald: It came from-----
- An Garda Síochána: Statements (28 Mar 2017)
Frances Fitzgerald: Both referred it. The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport referred it and when we got a copy of the letter, we sent it on as well. Both Departments sent it.
- An Garda Síochána: Statements (28 Mar 2017)
Frances Fitzgerald: Both did so.
- An Garda Síochána: Statements (28 Mar 2017)
Frances Fitzgerald: This was primarily dealt with by the traffic division. The head of it at the time was, I think, Assistant Commissioner Twomey, now it is Assistant Commissioner Finn and previously it was Assistant Commissioner O'Mahony, and they were doing a number of different jobs in An Garda Síochána. The main people I had an opportunity to discuss this with were at the ministerial meetings we...
- An Garda Síochána: Statements (28 Mar 2017)
Frances Fitzgerald: I want to be clear about a number of the points the Deputy has raised. When I said that no issues stemmed from this audit with regard to the performance of mandatory alcohol testing, MAT, checkpoints or prosecutions emanating from same, and this was contained in the letter of June 2016, I am talking about the breath tests because obviously a different issue emerged in regard to that. Where...
- An Garda Síochána: Statements (28 Mar 2017)
Frances Fitzgerald: No, not at that time they did not.
- An Garda Síochána: Statements (28 Mar 2017)
Frances Fitzgerald: I had the report and I was waiting for the further report.
- An Garda Síochána: Statements (28 Mar 2017)
Frances Fitzgerald: As I said, we went back on a number of occasions and asked for further information. We were constantly waiting to get the complete national audit because that had been subsumed into a national audit that was more thorough and that was due in June of this year.
- An Garda Síochána: Statements (28 Mar 2017)
Frances Fitzgerald: My Department was in contact with An Garda Síochána over the period-----
- An Garda Síochána: Statements (28 Mar 2017)
Frances Fitzgerald: At that point I was not given that figure. I received that figure in March this year.
- An Garda Síochána: Statements (28 Mar 2017)
Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy is asking about two different things.
- An Garda Síochána: Statements (28 Mar 2017)
Frances Fitzgerald: Yes.