Results 2,781-2,800 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (22 Feb 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I refer the Deputy to my response to Parliamentary Question No. 116 of 31 January, 2017. I am also advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) that they will get in touch with the person concerned. The Deputy may wish to note that queries may be made directly to INIS by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose....

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Magdalen Laundries (22 Feb 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: An Inter-Departmental Committee was set up in 2011 to establish the facts of the State's involvement with the Magdalen Laundries. It was chaired by then Senator Martin McAleese and it is commonly referred to as the McAleese report. The material in the Report relates to 10 different institutions which were run by 4 different Orders of nuns over a period of 70 years. Chapter 3 of the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Magdalen Laundries (22 Feb 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: An Inter-Departmental Committee was set up in 2011 to establish the facts of the State's involvement with the Magdalen Laundries. It was chaired by then Senator Martin McAleese and it is commonly referred to as the McAleese report. The material in the Report relates to 10 different institutions which were run by 4 different Orders of nuns over a period of 70 years. Chapter 3 of the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Ministerial Advisers Appointments (22 Feb 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: Mr. David Stanton TD is Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality with special responsibility for Equality, Immigration and Integration. Minister Stanton does not have a programme manager or advisor among his staff. In addition to Minister Stanton, Mr. Dara Murphy TD is the Minister of State for Data Protection at my Department and the Department of the Taoiseach. He is...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Court Accommodation Provision (21 Feb 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 82 and 94 together. As the Deputy will be aware, under the provisions of the Courts Service Act 1998, management of the courts, including the provision of accommodation for court sittings, is the responsibility of the Courts Service which is independent in exercising its functions. However, in order to be of assistance to the Deputy, I have had enquiries...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Court Accommodation Provision (21 Feb 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 83 and 109 together. As the Deputy will be aware, under the provisions of the Courts Service Act 1998, management of the courts, including the provision of accommodation for court sittings, is the responsibility of the Courts Service which is independent in exercising its functions. However, in order to be of assistance to the Deputy, I have had...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Road Safety (21 Feb 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy will be aware that a new contract for the provision and operation of the safety camera network on Irish roads was concluded on 17 August 2016. The contract for the safety camera service, which was awarded following a public procurement competition, is with Road Safety Operations Ireland, trading as GoSafe. The new safety camera contract is an agreement between the Minister for...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Recruitment (21 Feb 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy will be aware, recruitment to An Garda Síochána is governed by the Garda Síochána (Admissions and Appointments) Regulations 2013. The Public Appointments Service (PAS), on behalf of the Garda Commissioner, manages the initial recruitment stages for selection of Garda Trainees with the final stages of the recruitment process being managed by the Garda...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Complaints Procedures (21 Feb 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: In the absence of any specific details of the matters referred to in the Deputy's question I cannot say if these have been notified to me or my Department. Nonetheless, I can inform the Deputy that the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) was established as a statutory independent body, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005, to provide independent oversight of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Complaints Procedures (21 Feb 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The tragic case to which the Deputy refers was considered under the Independent Review Mechanism - IRM - established to review certain allegations of Garda misconduct, or inadequacies in the investigation of certain allegations, which were made to me as Minister for Justice and Equality, or the Taoiseach. The recommendation made by the IRM in this particular case was that I should take no...

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

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the two requests from the persons concerned for permission to remain in the State are currently receiving attention and a decision will issue shortly in relation to both cases. May I remind the Deputy that queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Staff (21 Feb 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 90 to 93, inclusive, together. I am advised by the Irish Prison Service that the procedures for implementing disciplinary matters for Prison Officers is set out in the Statutory Instrument Prison (Disciplinary Code for Officers) Rules, 1996 as amended by Prison (Disciplinary Code for Officers) (Amendment) Rules 2009. There is currently no officer suspended...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Commencement of Legislation (21 Feb 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Domestic Violence Bill 2017 was published on 3 February and I understand it is due to start Second Stage in the Seanad next week. The Deputy will understand that it is not possible for me to predict the outcome of the legislative process with regard to this or any other Bill. However, my aim is that the Bill will be enacted as soon as possible this year.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: EU Directives (21 Feb 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: On 18 November 2015, the European Commission proposed a revision of the Firearms Directive (Directive 91/477/EEC as amended by Directive 2008/51/EC). Political agreement was reached on the draft Directive in December 2016. The text was endorsed by the European Parliament’s Internal Market Committee on 26 January 2017 and is due to be voted by the full Parliament in March, and if...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Strength (21 Feb 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 Deployment (21 Feb 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 Operations (21 Feb 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I have sought a report from the Garda authorities in relation to the matter in question and I will respond directly to the Deputy when the report is to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Family Law Cases (21 Feb 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: Section 3 of the Guardianship of Infants Act 1964 provides that the best interests of the child shall be the paramount consideration for the court in any proceedings where access to a child is in question. The best interests of a child are to be determined in accordance with Part V of the Guardianship of Infants Act 1964, inserted by section 63 of the Children and Family Relationships...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Sentencing Policy (21 Feb 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The laws in place in relation to burglary provide for stringent penalties, including provision for imprisonment for life for those convicted of aggravated burglary and also presumptive minimum sentences. As the Deputy will be aware, as Minister for Justice and Equality, I have introduced targeted legislative measures dealing with the issue of burglary. The Criminal Justice (Burglary of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Court Judgments (21 Feb 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy is aware, the courts are subject only to the Constitution and the law, independent in the exercise of their judicial functions. It is therefore not open to me to comment or intervene in any way on the conduct or decision of a particular court case which is a matter entirely for the presiding judge.