Results 3,021-3,040 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Clarification of Statements made by the Taoiseach and Ministers: Statements (Resumed) (14 Feb 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: Anybody who has looked at the details of this case and how it was handled by Tusla would be very concerned - absolutely very concerned. It is a relatively new organisation, which was set up to get more focus on child sexual abuse cases and on all the issues relating to children in care, in foster care, adoptions and so on. It is extremely disappointing that there was a delay of a year and a...

Clarification of Statements made by the Taoiseach and Ministers: Statements (Resumed) (14 Feb 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: No.

Clarification of Statements made by the Taoiseach and Ministers: Statements (Resumed) (14 Feb 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: First of all, let me correct Deputy Coppinger. It would be illegal for me to read the transcripts of the O'Higgins commission. They are meant to be under lock and key for 30 years except that GSOC went to court a few weeks ago to have access to them because I had asked GSOC to investigate and the court decided it could access those records. Just be very clear, I would have no right to read...

Clarification of Statements made by the Taoiseach and Ministers: Statements (Resumed) (14 Feb 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: Let me clarify this. With regard to Sergeant Maurice McCabe and the various issues he has unearthed, I must agree with the Deputy. I have already spoken in the Dáil about the changes he has brought about, for example, with regard to penalty points and the issues that arose subsequent to the O'Higgins commission where a huge amount of action has followed given the points he raised...

Clarification of Statements made by the Taoiseach and Ministers: Statements (Resumed) (14 Feb 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: No, I am not aware of that. Since yesterday I have a copy of the HSE file, but I am not aware of any because I do not have any of that information. I have nothing in relation to that because, as I said, I did not know about the false allegation. I did not know a referral had been made like that to Tusla. I had no information on that or any of the interactions around it because I did not...

Clarification of Statements made by the Taoiseach and Ministers: Statements (Resumed) (14 Feb 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: As I have said consistently, in terms of the facts as they emerged on the programme regarding false allegations, the first time that I heard of those details was when I went home and saw the "Prime Time" programme. I had never been briefed on a Tusla file. I did not know whether there was any Garda involvement, for example, with Tusla in regard to Maurice McCabe. I never knew there was a...

Clarification of Statements made by the Taoiseach and Ministers: Statements (Resumed) (14 Feb 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: Many whistleblower cases come to my attention. I cannot investigate them myself but I have the responsibility to pass those on to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, GSOC. It has been noted publicly, and I can confirm, that in one of those cases there was a mention of Tusla and that was passed on to GSOC for investigation.

Clarification of Statements made by the Taoiseach and Ministers: Statements (Resumed) (14 Feb 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: Deputy O'Callaghan made an extremely strong case that he felt the way the terms of reference were formulated as the judge presented them - because they were the judge's words - regarding the allegation of a smear campaign in Superintendent Taylor's protected disclosure was too narrow. The Deputy spent most of the time talking to me about how it circumscribed the investigation too much and...

Clarification of Statements made by the Taoiseach and Ministers: Statements (Resumed) (14 Feb 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The first point I would make to Deputy O'Callaghan is that if he was so concerned about Tusla being included in the terms of reference, why did he not raise it himself? Why did he not raise it in his speech? I came in here last Thursday and asked for statements so I could take on board the point of view of everybody here. I was completely flexible in terms of what I wanted to include in...

Clarification of Statements made by the Taoiseach and Ministers: Statements (Resumed) (14 Feb 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I was not aware of what was in the Tusla file prior to the programme being broadcast and neither were my officials. Nobody had brought it to my attention.

Clarification of Statements made by the Taoiseach and Ministers: Statements (Resumed) (14 Feb 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I got a phone call from Deputy O'Callaghan at about 6.30 p.m. last Wednesday. He asked me if I would meet him and I left the parliamentary party meeting and went to meet him. We had a discussion for about 12 minutes. Deputy O'Callaghan informed me that there was a "Prime Time" programme the next evening. He used the word "documentary" in relation to Maurice McCabe and the allegations. He...

Clarification of Statements made by the Taoiseach and Ministers: Statements (14 Feb 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I welcome this opportunity to put on the record of the House certain matters. I want to deal with the events of last week. Last Tuesday, I brought a memorandum to Government to seek approval for the establishment of a commission of investigation under Supreme Court judge, Mr. Justice Peter Charleton. That memorandum arose in the context of protected disclosures which had been made to me by...

Clarification of Statements made by the Taoiseach and Ministers: Statements (14 Feb 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: Yes, they will be circulated.

Order of Business (14 Feb 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: One will scupper it.

Order of Business (14 Feb 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The spokespeople.

Leaders' Questions (14 Feb 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I did not.

Leaders' Questions (14 Feb 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: That is outrageous.

Leaders' Questions (14 Feb 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: Hear, hear.

Leaders' Questions (14 Feb 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: He wants to convict before he hears the evidence.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Data Protection (14 Feb 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The position is that the Data Protection Act 1988, as amended by the Data Protection (Amendment) Act 2003, which gives effect to the 1995 EU Data Protection Directive, contains provisions which govern the transfer of personal data to third countries, including the US. Section 11 of the 1988 Act, which gives effect to Chapter 4 (Transfer of Personal Data to Third Countries) of the Directive,...