Results 18,821-18,840 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Inquiries into Garda Activities (9 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The inquiry to which the Deputy refers is to be established following my acceptance of a recommendation by the panel of the Independent Review Mechanism. The role of the Independent Review Mechanism was to review complaints of Garda misconduct. Officials in my Department have consulted with the Office of the Attorney General with regard to matters concerning the establishment of this...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Facilities (9 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I can advise the Deputy that the Irish Prison Service has commenced the repurposing of the Training Unit Place of Detention (on the Mountjoy Prison Campus) to a dedicated Unit for older prisoners. A key action of the current Irish Prison Service Strategic Plan (Action 2.5) is to ensure that older prisoners are identified as a specific group who have particular needs within the prison...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Programme (9 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Garda Síochána are exploring options for the expansion and enhancement of the Automatic Number Plate Recognition System (ANPR) and as part of that process sought advices from the Office of the Attorney General. Those advices, which were copied to my Department, raised the issue of legislating for ANPR. Arising from this, my Department is currently in consultation with the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Support Services (9 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the person mentioned by the Deputy entered the State in March 2012 and registered directly at the GNIB Office towards the end of March 2012 for permission to remain in the State as the spouse of an Irish National. This permission expired on 28 December 2016. The person concerned should write to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Deployment (9 May 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 Investigations (9 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: My Department has sought information from the Garda authorities in relation to the matters raised and I will communicate further with the Deputy when a Garda report is to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Commercial Rates (10 May 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...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Deployment (10 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I have requested a Garda report on the matter referred to in the Deputy's question and will contact the Deputy directly on receipt of a Garda report.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prisoner Data (10 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am informed by the Irish Prison Service that as of Monday 8 May 2017, there were a total of 39 subversive prisoners in custody in Portlaoise. There are 8 subversive prisoners awaiting trial. The table below outlines the length of time each of these 8 prisoners have been in custody rounded to the nearest year and months. Case Date committed Length of time in custody 1 24.05.2016...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Policy (10 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am on record in the House many times previously, most recently on 30 March 2017, when I said that I have no plans to introduce a general regularisation scheme for those who are currently illegally in the State. Any such proposal could give rise to very large, unpredictable and potentially very costly impacts across the full range of public and social services, particularly as there may...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Migrant Integration (10 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: It is recognised that an essential tool to facilitate integration into host communities and to enable access to various State and other services is through a basic working knowledge of the language in everyday use. As the Deputy may be aware, the Migrant Integration Strategy, published by my Department earlier this year, includes a commitment that the introduction of civic and language tests...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Human Rights (10 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 96 and 97 together. As the European co-operation group to which the Deputy refers is an informal mechanism for police co-operation it is not an international arrangement by its very nature to which the State could be a party. Any involvement in a mechanism such as that would be an operational matter for police services. I am advised by the Garda...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (10 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the processing times referred to relate to a separate type of visa application which is to join a family member who is a citizen of or registered to reside in Ireland. The particular application referred to by the Deputy is however one made under the terms of 2004/38/EC Directive (Free Movement) on...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: UN Committees (10 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The procedure attached to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination asks State Parties to submit a bi-annual report. There are 178 Parties to the Convention. As a result, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) has invited a number of State Parties to submit combined reports covering two and three reporting periods to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Education Policy (10 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I intend to jointly announce, with my colleague the Minister for Education and Skills, the details for an approved updated Third Level Graduate Programme in the coming weeks. This Programme will update the provisions that enables legally resident non-EEA third level graduates to remain on in Ireland for the purposes of seeking employment and applying for a critical skills permit or a...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Deployment (10 May 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. I am assured by the Commissioner that the allocation of Gardaí is continually monitored and reviewed taking into account all relevant factors including crime trends,...

Leaders' Questions (11 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I agree with the point that the Deputy makes regarding the work of the members of An Garda Síochána day in, day out throughout the country tackling crime. We should do everything in this House to support the work they do, which is extremely challenging at this time. We should do everything possible to restore morale in An Garda Síochána. That has been my goal and aim...

Leaders' Questions (11 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: We cannot do that. There is a process in place. We need to get to the end of that process. I got an interim report. There was further work to be done by the auditors. When I got the final report in March, I published it shortly afterwards and immediately referred it to the Policing Authority.

Leaders' Questions (11 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I take that responsibility very seriously and I am very happy for anyone to examine my record. The reality is that we now have a Policing Authority-----

Leaders' Questions (11 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: -----and a strengthened GSOC. These issues are emerging. They did not emerge before under any previous Administration.