Results 3,601-3,620 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Paramilitary Groups (16 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I support what Deputy O'Callaghan has said on the importance of maintaining the peace, as well as the importance of the Good Friday Agreement and the Fresh Start agreement. I bring the House's attention to the report published recently by the joint agency task force established under the Fresh Start agreement on its North-South work. The report is available on the web. The PSNI and An...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Paramilitary Groups (16 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I can only agree with the Deputy. Clearly, the intention of An Garda Síochána and the Government was shown in June when the House approved my proposal to review the provisions of the Offences Against the State (Amendment) Act. This is key legislation giving the Garda powers to deal with terrorism. I also have got approval from the Government for my proposal to update the law with...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Protected Disclosures (16 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I want to make it absolutely clear that no finding of wrongdoing of any kind has been made against the Garda Commissioner. In those circumstances, she is entitled to our full confidence and support. It is right to recognise that the Garda has done some excellent policing operations and continues to work keeping our communities safe. We have just talked about the threats from...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Protected Disclosures (16 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: It would be wrong for me, as Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality, to step across the procedures put in place to deal with the range of issues he has raised. That is the reality. We have processes in place. People spent years in the House talking about having objective processes in place so that, for example, whistleblowing could be dealt with properly in various...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Protected Disclosures (16 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: Not to me.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Garda Promotions (16 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: Another relevant consideration will be the plan, which the Commissioner has in preparation in conjunction with the Policing Authority regarding the identification of administrative and technical posts occupied by sworn officers that could be filled by suitably qualified civilians. That plan is due to be submitted to my Department before the end of the year. The Deputy will recall that the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: UN Conventions Ratification (16 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I will take this question and I thank the Deputy for raising it. Obviously, we are totally committed to tackling domestic violence. I will be bringing legislation to the Cabinet this Tuesday in regard to the domestic violence Bill and to the full implementation of the Istanbul Convention. Many of the actions required by provisions in the Istanbul Convention are being implemented on a daily...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: UN Conventions Ratification (16 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: At going well at Cabinet next Tuesday, when I will bring these two items of legislation forward, and obviously this is up to the Business Committee of the House, I would hope that we could progress them in the first half of next year. If we can then deal with any other outstanding actions, including some of the ones I mentioned, we could bring forward the ratification. However, right now...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Paramilitary Groups (16 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I thank the Deputy for his question which arises in the context of a recent shooting in Cork city in which a man lost his life. I have no doubt that everybody in this House will join me in condemning such brutal and unjustified violence which can have no place in our society. I am aware there has been speculation that there may have been paramilitary involvement in the killing. The Deputy...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Garda Promotions (16 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: On 22 November, at the request of the Garda Commissioner, the Government made 11 appointments to the senior ranks of an Garda Síochána as follows: one to the rank of assistant commissioner, three to the rank of chief superintendent and seven to the rank of superintendent. These appointment were to fill vacancies we had been notified about in the senior ranks, mainly as a result of...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Garda Promotions (16 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I wish to make two points clear. The first is that all vacancies under the employment control framework, which operates across all Departments and bodies, are filled at present. Of course, as the economy improves and the ECF is examined, clearly the question of what is the appropriate ongoing ECF will be raised, be it in the Department of Health, the Garda Síochána or in other...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Remuneration (16 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I welcome the decision by Garda Representative Association and Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors members to accept the independent recommendation of the Labour Court which sought to address the concerns that have been articulated in relation to their pay and conditions, the pay and conditions of new recruits, and their access to the statutory dispute resolution bodies. Arising...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Deployment (16 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: This Government is committed to ensuring visible, effective and responsive policing throughout the country in order to strengthen community engagement, provide reassurance to citizens and prevent crime. To make this a reality for all, the Government has in place a plan to achieve an overall Garda workforce of 21,000 personnel by 2021 comprising 15,000 Garda members, 2,000 Reserve members and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Reform (16 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: My Department has implemented significant reform through a Programme for Change following the report of the Independent Review Group which recommended a range of organisational and cultural changes. Some actions involve strengthening structural and governance processes while others focused on changing organisational behaviour. It should be noted that many of the changes overlap with the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Crime Levels (16 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I understand that the Deputy is referring to detection rates highlighted in the 'Garda Recorded Crime Statistics 2010-2014', which was published by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) last week. The first thing that needs to be said is that this publication provides an analysis of data up to the end of 2014 only, and it would be entirely incorrect to suggest that it represents an assessment...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Crime Levels (16 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I understand that the Deputy is referring to detection rates highlighted in the 'Garda Recorded Crime Statistics 2010-2014', which was published by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) last week. The first thing that needs to be said is that this publication provides an analysis of data up to the end of 2014 only, and it would be entirely incorrect to suggest that it represents an assessment...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Deployment (16 Dec 2016)

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: Crime Levels (16 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I understand that the Deputy is referring to detection rates highlighted in the 'Garda Recorded Crime Statistics 2010-2014', which was published by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) last week. The first thing that needs to be said is that this publication provides an analysis of data up to the end of 2014 only, and it would be entirely incorrect to suggest that it represents an assessment...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Protected Disclosures (16 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy is aware, following advice received from the Attorney General, I appointed Mr Justice Iarfhlaith O’Neill to undertake a review of certain protected disclosures which were made to me. In essence, Judge O’Neill was asked to review allegations of wrongdoing contained in the disclosures; to make whatever inquiries he considered appropriate in relation to the review...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Measures (16 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: Section 9(4)(b) of the Refugee Act 1996, provides that applicants for international protection shall not seek or enter employment or carry on any business, trade or profession during the period before the final determination of their application. This legislation is being replaced by the International Protection Act 2015, which is expected to be commenced on 31 December, 2016. There has...