Results 3,221-3,240 of 16,849 for speaker:Dermot Ahern

Irish Prison Service. (27 Apr 2010)

Dermot Ahern: I have examined prisoner numbers over recent times. It may benefit the Deputy and the House if I give some sample figures. On 6 February 1997, when Deputy Flanagan's party was in Government and the prisons were starved of resources because not one prison cell was being built, there were 2,334 people in custody.

Irish Prison Service. (27 Apr 2010)

Dermot Ahern: If we move forward a decade to 6 February 2007, we find that there were 3,262 people in custody. Yesterday, there were 4,197 people in custody. It behoves all of us in this House to speak on the basis of an understanding of the pressure on the Prison Service to deal with this increase in numbers.

Irish Prison Service. (27 Apr 2010)

Dermot Ahern: We have responded to the increase in the prisoner population by providing for a significant increase in prison places. I have given the figures to the Deputy on numerous occasions in the past. It bears repeating that over 1,720 new prison spaces have been provided since 1997. A further 200 spaces are being provided in the short term through a current project - a new block that is ready to...

Written Answers — Vetting of Personnel: Vetting of Personnel (27 Apr 2010)

Dermot Ahern: The Garda Central Vetting Unit (GCVU) provides employment vetting for a large number of organisations in Ireland registered with the Gardaí for this purpose and which employ persons in a full-time, part-time, voluntary or training capacity to positions where they would have substantial, unsupervised access to children and/or vulnerable adults. I should clarify for the Deputy that it is not...

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (27 Apr 2010)

Dermot Ahern: My Department processes visas for non-EEA nationals who are visa required. All types of visa applications are typically processed in the country where the visa applicant resides rather than in their country of citizenship. Also, it is not possible to distinguish between visas granted for holiday purposes as opposed to other short stay visas such as visits to family and friends. Regarding...

Written Answers — Prison Service Staff: Prison Service Staff (27 Apr 2010)

Dermot Ahern: In the most recent recruitment campaign for appointment as a Recruit Prison Officer in the Irish Prison Service, to be eligible for selection it was required that candidates have obtained, (a) a minimum of five subjects in the Leaving Certificate Established examination or Irish Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme, or (b) the Merit Grade in the Applied Leaving Certificate programme, or...

Written Answers — Employment Rights: Employment Rights (27 Apr 2010)

Dermot Ahern: The question of the introduction of a statutory entitlement to paternity leave was examined in 2002 by a Working Group, membership of which included Government Departments and the Social Partners. The Working Group could not reach consensus on the issue. However, my Department has continued to examine the issue as part of an overall review of maternity, parental and paternity leave and has...

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (27 Apr 2010)

Dermot Ahern: A valid application for a certificate of naturalisation from the person referred to in the Deputy's Question was received in the Citizenship Division of my Department in August 2007 and I decided in my absolute discretion to grant a certificate of naturalisation. The person in question was informed of this decision in a letter issued to him on 4 March, 2010. A certificate of naturalisation...

Written Answers — Court Procedures: Court Procedures (27 Apr 2010)

Dermot Ahern: As the Deputy may be aware, as part of its Third Programme of Law Reform 2008 - 2014, the Law Reform Commission recently published a Consultation Paper on Jury Service. The Commission has invited submissions on the paper and its provisional recommendations from interested parties by 31st May 2010. I look forward to the outcome of the public consultation process and will consider the matter...

Written Answers — Prison Staff: Prison Staff (27 Apr 2010)

Dermot Ahern: I am informed by the Director General of the Irish Prison Service that precise details of the cost of prisoner escorts for the purposes of court appearances are not readily available. Due to the volume of escorts which took place over the periods in question, including court escorts, inter prison transfers, hospital escorts, etc., it would not be possible to calculate the costs requested...

Written Answers — Internet Security: Internet Security (27 Apr 2010)

Dermot Ahern: I should advise the Deputy that the Office for Internet Safety (OIS) is an Executive Office within the Department of Justice and has responsibility for promoting internet safety, with a particular focus on combating child abuse imagery, more commonly known as child pornography. The OIS is advised by an Internet Safety Advisory Council, comprised of key stakeholders in the statutory, industry...

Written Answers — Closed Circuit Television Systems: Closed Circuit Television Systems (27 Apr 2010)

Dermot Ahern: Section 38 of the Garda Síochána Act, 2005 provides a legislative basis for the operation of closed circuit television in public places. Detailed guidelines and a Code of Practice for Community Based CCTV Systems are available on my Department's website - www.justice.ie.

Written Answers — Departmental Communications: Departmental Communications (27 Apr 2010)

Dermot Ahern: I am informed by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) that the Email address referred to by the Deputy continues to be operational for the receipt of queries from Members of the Oireachtas. However, due to the ongoing industrial dispute it is not possible to respond to such requests for the present. As soon as the dispute is resolved, it is planned that the full service...

Written Answers — Vetting of Personnel: Vetting of Personnel (27 Apr 2010)

Dermot Ahern: The Garda Central Vetting Unit (GCVU) provides employment vetting for a large number of organisations in Ireland registered with the Gardaí for this purpose and which employ persons in a full-time, part-time, voluntary or training capacity to positions where they would have substantial, unsupervised access to children and/or vulnerable adults. The vetting service is also conducted for...

Written Answers — Children in Care: Children in Care (27 Apr 2010)

Dermot Ahern: A joint protocol between An Garda Síochána and the Health Service Executive on missing children was signed by the Garda Commissioner and the Chief Executive of the HSE on 22 April 2009. The joint protocol sets out the roles and responsibilities of both agencies in relation to children missing from care. I am informed by the Garda authorities that an important feature of the protocol is...

Written Answers — Residency Permits: Residency Permits (27 Apr 2010)

Dermot Ahern: I refer the Deputy to my detailed Reply to his earlier Parliamentary Question, No. 704 of Tuesday, 3 November 2009, and the written Reply to that Question. The position in the State of the person concerned now falls to be considered for Subsidiary Protection in accordance with the European Communities (Eligibility for Protection) Regulations 2006 (S.I. No. 518 of 2006) and this application...

Written Answers — Residency Permits: Residency Permits (27 Apr 2010)

Dermot Ahern: The first named person concerned applied for asylum on 2 February 2005. In accordance with Section 9 of the Refugee Act 1996 (as amended), he was entitled to remain in the State until his application for asylum was decided. His asylum application was refused following consideration of his case by the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner and, on appeal, the Refugee Appeals...

Written Answers — Residency Permits: Residency Permits (27 Apr 2010)

Dermot Ahern: Long Term Residency is granted on the basis that a non-EEA national has completed five years legal residency in the State on work permit / work authorisation / working visa conditions. Residency is calculated from the corresponding Stamp 1 or Stamp 4 endorsements in an applicant's passport and not by the dates of commencement and expiry of each work permit. Periods of time where a person has...

Written Answers — Misuse of Drugs: Misuse of Drugs (27 Apr 2010)

Dermot Ahern: I intend to bring proposals to Government shortly for its consideration to make it a criminal offence to supply unregulated psychotropic substances for human use. I am also examining how appropriate powers could be given to the Gardaí and the courts to prevent head shops and other such outlets from selling these products by way of appropriate prohibition orders. My proposals are in addition...

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (27 Apr 2010)

Dermot Ahern: Officials in the Citizenship Division of my Department inform me that there is no record of an application for a certificate of naturalisation from the person concerned.