Results 201-220 of 667 for garda speaker:James Browne

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Antisocial Behaviour (6 Dec 2022)

James Browne: ...of almost €200,000 is being provided to eight community-based projects to work with young people involved in the anti-social use of scramblers and quad bikes and related crime.  I am advised by the Garda authorities that there were 178 incidents in 2021 and 80 in 2022 where a scrambler bike was seized or detained nationally.  I am advised that, over a 2 year...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Crime Data (6 Dec 2022)

James Browne: As the Deputy may appreciate, assault is not one crime but covers a broad range of offences up to and including murder. I have been advised by An Garda Síochána that consequently details on the number of knife assaults are not collated on the PULSE system, as the range of possible incidents is too broad.  The Deputy may be aware that I established and am pleased to chair the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Antisocial Behaviour (6 Dec 2022)

James Browne: As the Deputy will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the administration and management of An Garda Síochána, including the training of Garda members. As Minister, I have no role in such matters.  I have been informed by An Garda Síochána that they are aware of the Road Traffic and Roads...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Crime Prevention (6 Dec 2022)

James Browne: ...supporting victims of crime, and organisations that share the Department of Justice’s aim of advancing the safety of our people. Some of the objectives set out in the Plan, such as the launch of An Garda Síochána's new property recording app, have already been achieved. Others will be progressed through the lifetime of the Plan and beyond. I want to recognise the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Youth Services (6 Dec 2022)

James Browne: ...organisations that work with young people at risk of crime and anti-social behaviour in an effort to divert them from criminal behaviour towards better life outcomes. They are a key support to An Garda Síochána in the operation of the statutory Garda Youth Diversion Programme under the Children's Act 2001. Having visited many Youth Diversion Projects across the country...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (6 Dec 2022)

James Browne: I regret to inform the Deputy that An Garda Síochána have advised my Department that it is not possible to collate the number of semi-automatic centre fire rifles for each of the years since 2015 to date as it would necessitate a manual trawl of PULSE, which would take an inordinate expenditure of Garda resources and time. However, my Department has been monitoring the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Measures (1 Dec 2022)

James Browne: ...undertaken between 2014 and 2015; this included consultation with the public, stakeholders and the relevant Oireachtas Committee. This measure has also been a long standing recommendation of An Garda Síochána. I acknowledge the dedication and responsibility of the owners of legally held firearms in the State, however, I share the concerns of An Garda Síochána in...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 20 - An Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (29 Nov 2022)

James Browne: I thank the Chairman and committee members for making time available to consider Supplementary Estimates for the Garda and prison Votes and technical Supplementary Estimates for the courts and justice Votes. I am joined by my officials from the Department, Mr. Seamus Clifford, acting director of finance, and Mr. Aonghus O'Connor, principal officer. A net Supplementary Estimate requirement...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 20 - An Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (29 Nov 2022)

James Browne: ...Greentown and some other specialised projects. This was the base the funding was coming off, so it has increased significantly. It is contained in the justice Vote rather than that for An Garda Síochána.

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 20 - An Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (29 Nov 2022)

James Browne: I will have to see why those reports are not being published. My understanding is that they come through via An Garda Síochána, as opposed to the youth diversion projects themselves. The Department just-----

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 20 - An Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (29 Nov 2022)

James Browne: ...000 expressions of interest. The first intake started yesterday, with 92 trainees. We expect to take in 200 every eight weeks, beginning in February 2023, to bring a total of 1,000 people into An Garda Síochána through the current recruitment process. The recruitment process has been successful in the sense we will get 1,000 gardaí from it. There have been delays in...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 20 - An Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (29 Nov 2022)

James Browne: ...successes relating to organised crime, including both drugs and criminals themselves. Much extra work was put into those types of programmes and into Operation Citizen, which tries to increase Garda visibility. We have seen challenges such as the incidents in Ballyfermot and Cherry Orchard too. That all leads to increases in Garda overtime. The lack of recruitment has resulted in...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 20 - An Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (29 Nov 2022)

James Browne: In the last Garda recruitment process, we got more than 11,000 applications, which showed significant interest by the public in becoming members of An Garda Síochána. The initial application was significantly simplified and could be more described as an expression of interest rather than a complicated application. That was partly to expand interest so that people who would not...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 20 - An Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (29 Nov 2022)

James Browne: ...to retain. Operations in terms of rostering are a matter for the Commissioner who has a very difficult job to ensure there is work-life balance while taking into account the critical role of An Garda Síochána in security and protecting communities. He has to find the balance between ensuring members of An Garda Síochána have a work-life balance and ensuring there are...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 20 - An Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (29 Nov 2022)

James Browne: Yes. When it goes wrong, it can go badly wrong. I would certainly encourage anyone to stay in An Garda Síochána. It is a life well lived.

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 20 - An Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (29 Nov 2022)

James Browne: There have been challenges. CCTV was originally for An Garda Síochána to detect crime. The challenge was often for local authorities using them for environmental crimes that were being committed, how they were being monitored and whether they were using them within the terms of the scheme. That is probably a good example of the importance of ensuring we have robust legislation...