Results 2,461-2,480 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Crime Levels (21 Mar 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I can assure the Deputy that Operation Thor is a nationwide initiative to tackle burglary and related criminal activity. It was designed and launched after I initiated a broad review of our response to burglary and it represents a major step-up in our response to criminals who have sought to target householders in many areas of the country. An Garda Síochána carefully monitors the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Private Security Authority Administration (21 Mar 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Private Security Authority, established under the Private Security Services Act 2004, as amended, is the regulatory body with responsibility for regulating and licensing the private security industry in the State. The Authority licenses both contractors and individual service providers. As the Deputy will be aware it is an independent body. The 2004 Act sets out the relevant...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Vetting of Personnel (21 Mar 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy will appreciate that the primary purpose of Garda vetting is to seek to ensure the safety of children and vulnerable adults and it is carried out by An Garda Síochána primarily in accordance with the provisions of the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Acts 2012 to 2016. The Acts provide for a degree of flexibility which may lessen the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Property Registration Authority Administration (21 Mar 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised that the Deputy has been in contact with the Waterford office of the Property Registration Authority (PRA) in relation to an application for registration of property. The processing of this application and two other related applications were delayed as a result of a registration issue relating specifically to the folio concerned. I am informed that this issue was identified on...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Courts Service (21 Mar 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: S.I. No. 519 of 2009, District Court (Small Claims) Rules 2009, provides the foundation for the small claims procedure which is governed by Rules of Court. The monetary limit for small claims is fixed by Rules of Court with concurrence by myself as Minister for Justice and Equality. Any amendment to Rules of Court is a matter for the relevant Court Rules Committee. The Deputy may be...

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

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that an application for a certificate of naturalisation from the person referred to by the Deputy was refused, for reasons provided to the person concerned, in a letter issued on 6 February 2017 advising of the decision. It is open to any individual to lodge an application for a certificate of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Naturalisation Applications (21 Mar 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the processing of the application for a certificate of naturalisation from the person referred to by the Deputy is ongoing and will be submitted to me for decision as expeditiously as possible. As the Deputy will appreciate, the granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is a privilege...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Naturalisation Eligibility (21 Mar 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is governed by the provisions of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended. All applications for a certificate of naturalisation are processed and assessed individually in accordance with the provisions of the Act. Section 15 of the Act provides that the Minister may, in her absolute discretion, grant an application...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Residency Permits (21 Mar 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the applications, which were received on 2 November 2016, are currently receiving attention and that the persons in question will be contacted in the coming weeks. Might I remind the Deputy that queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to INIS by...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Naturalisation Applications (21 Mar 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the processing of the application for a certificate of naturalisation from the person referred to by the Deputy is ongoing and will be submitted to me for decision as expeditiously as possible. The records have now been updated to reflect the new address of the person concerned. As the Deputy...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Naturalisation Applications (21 Mar 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that there is no record of a current application for a certificate of naturalisation from the person referred to by the Deputy. An application for naturalisation was received from the person concerned in July 2016, however, the application was returned as it did not include the statutory application fee...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Coroners Service (21 Mar 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I have no role with regard to the conduct of death investigations, including inquests held by coroners. The coroner, as an independent quasi-judicial officer, is solely responsible in that regard. While I am assured that coroners endeavour to hold inquests as expeditiously as possible, a variety of factors and circumstances - often outside the coroner's control - may sometimes cause delay....

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legal Aid Service Reform (21 Mar 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy will be aware, the Criminal Justice (Legal Aid) Act 1962 provides that free legal aid may be granted in certain circumstances for the defence of persons of insufficient means in criminal proceedings. The grant of legal aid entitles the applicant to the services of a solicitor and, in certain circumstances, up to two counsel, in the preparation and conduct of his or her defence...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Courts Service Administration (21 Mar 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Programme for a Partnership Government contains a commitment to commission an annual study on court efficiency and sitting times as outlined by the Deputy and my Department has examined options to develop the most effective approach to implementing this commitment. It is intended that this study will be incorporated into a wider review of the administration of civil justice which has...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Family Reunification Applications (21 Mar 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am informed by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the application for family reunification in respect of the person concerned was received in May 2016 and referred to the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner (ORAC) for investigation as required under Section 18 of the Refugee Act, 1996 (as amended). The investigation is currently...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Status (21 Mar 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am informed by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the person referred to is the subject of a Deportation Order made on 17th May 2012 and therefore has no entitlement to residency in the State. Representations were received from the personconcerned pursuant to Section 3 (11) of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended), to revoke the Deportation Order....

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Naturalisation Applications (21 Mar 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the processing of the application for a certificate of naturalisation from the person referred to by the Deputy is under consideration and has not yet reached a conclusion. As the Deputy will appreciate, the granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is a privilege and an honour which...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Family Reunification Applications (21 Mar 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that there is no record of an application as described by the Deputy from the person concerned. The Deputy may wish to note that queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to INIS by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been established...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Crime Data (21 Mar 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Central Statistics Office (CSO), as the national statistical agency, is responsible for the compilation and publication of the official recorded crime statistics, and the CSO has established a dedicated unit for this purpose. I have asked the CSO to forward the available statistics in relation to the information requested directly to the Deputy.