Results 18,141-18,160 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

An Garda Síochána: Statements (28 Mar 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: Well, that is my information.

An Garda Síochána: Statements (28 Mar 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am informed by An Garda Síochána, indeed the public has been informed by An Garda Síochána, that the scale of the problem only became clear when they had the full figures of their own audit, just a few weeks ago, and these figures were compared with the database. The database had always been available, and one of the points I would make is that there should have been...

An Garda Síochána: Statements (28 Mar 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: No. At that point, no. They identified it as an issue that needed a national audit.

An Garda Síochána: Statements (28 Mar 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: Which review is the Deputy speaking about? I just missed that.

An Garda Síochána: Statements (28 Mar 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: Just to make the point, although I have already said this, there is a difference between MAT checkpoints and doing the breathalyser tests. The Garda authorities are satisfied that the figures in respect of the checkpoints are robust because, from a legal point of view, under legislation, they have to be authorised. They could only be wrong if somebody was taken off a checkpoint and the...

An Garda Síochána: Statements (28 Mar 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: It said there were concerns about a whole range of issues. There were many, many issues.

An Garda Síochána: Statements (28 Mar 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am not sure that it mentioned figures but it probably said it was concerned about the accuracy. In respect of the Medical Bureau of Road Safety, the letter from it to An Garda Síochána was provided to me by the Commissioner at our meeting on 27 March. The letter did not set out any figures, nor did it raise any concerns about statistics. However, it referred to the ordering...

An Garda Síochána: Statements (28 Mar 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: When the Commissioner wrote to me in respect of that original May 2014 issue, she outlined the range of actions that had been taken at that point. That issue was dealt with at that time. Subsequently, the medical bureau wrote the letter, as I have outlined. If one reads the letter, which I have, the bureau just refers to the ordering of testing equipment and notes that An Garda...

An Garda Síochána: Statements (28 Mar 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am being very clear that it is completely unacceptable that this situation arose. That is the first point I would make. We absolutely have to find out the answers to the very question the Deputy is asking. I am disappointed they are not in the public arena already and that I have not got a full report on how it happened from An Garda Síochána but I have not. I do not have the...

An Garda Síochána: Statements (28 Mar 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: To make the point again for the record, the Garda Commissioner was appointed by an independent process that was advertised publicly and internationally for the first time. It is important to say that and to say she came through that process and was deemed to be the best person to lead the reform and to lead An Garda Síochána so that we had and have policing for the 21st century....

An Garda Síochána: Statements (28 Mar 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: In terms of the Department's work in this regard, I want to say-----

An Garda Síochána: Statements (28 Mar 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: Can I just say-----

An Garda Síochána: Statements (28 Mar 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I need to say that the Department pursued these issues very diligently-----

An Garda Síochána: Statements (28 Mar 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: In regard to the point the Deputy makes about alcohol, if anything, what has emerged raises more serious issues about our approach to alcohol, how robust the legislation needs to be and how we need to get on with the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill. Effectively, and this is very upsetting, what has emerged from the statistics on the number of cases is the fact that the number of those who are...

An Garda Síochána: Statements (28 Mar 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: No, but it is a very important point in regard to the Deputy's point. In regard to the fixed point penalty notices, the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport would have been copied with the information that had been given to my Department in June 2016. The other point raised by the Deputy in regard to alcohol would have been on the agenda of the transport and justice committee meetings...

An Garda Síochána: Statements (28 Mar 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: These are the reasons I and the Government believe an independent investigation is necessary. Of course, the point I would make to the Deputy is that the scale of it only emerged when the comparison was made with the Medical Bureau of Road Safety, so the internal records, as such, will need to be examined to see if, at the time they did the internal audits, it was actually a 17% discrepancy....

An Garda Síochána: Statements (28 Mar 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: This is why we need to have an independent investigation. It is quite clear the audit function in An Garda Síochána took too long. Again, I want to make the point that we were talking about paper-based records that had to be collected from every part of the country. Assistant Commissioner Finn took up office in December and he is the person who has now come and put all of this...

An Garda Síochána: Statements (28 Mar 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy makes an extremely relevant point about the chain of command. It is one of the more disturbing aspects of this entire affair. Why did the chain of command not work more effectively? What was the chain of command doing about these issues? As other Deputies said, there are procedures for reporting back on breath tests. There are people who have responsibility for these issues...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Naturalisation Applications (28 Mar 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that Section 17 of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended, provides that an application for a certificate of naturalisation shall be in the prescribed form and accompanied by the prescribed fee. Both the application form and the required fee are prescribed by the Irish Nationality and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Valuation Office (28 Mar 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Valuation Acts 2001 to 2015 provide for the valuation of all commercial and industrial property for rating purposes. The Commissioner of Valuation is independent in the performance of his functions under the Acts and the making of valuations for rating is his sole responsibility. I, as Minister for Justice and Equality, have no role in decisions in this regard. Under Irish law there is...