Results 3,681-3,700 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prisoner Rehabilitation Programmes (16 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I can advise the Deputy that all committals to the prison service are dealt with in a manner which ensures the safety of the prisoner themselves, the staff and the entire prisoner population. Each prisoner is placed in accommodation deemed appropriate to the individual based on the information made available to the prison staff on committal, which would include health, offence, criminal...

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

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy will be aware, the provision and allocation of Garda resources is a matter for the Garda Commissioner in the light of identified operational demands. In this regard I am informed that the Serious Crime Review Team (SCRT) continues to review serious cases that remain unsolved and continues to identify evidence and witnesses to assist in the development of these cases. At the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Accommodation (16 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Irish Prison Service that there is a standard operational procedure in place to ensure that upon committal, all offenders are assessed and accommodated appropriately according to their needs and specific security status. Dedicated committal units have been established in all committal prisons for this purpose. The Irish Prison Service provides a wide range of...

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

Frances Fitzgerald: I can advise the Deputy that the Policing Plan of An Garda Síochána sets out the continued commitment of An Garda Síochána to pro-actively target groups and individuals engaged in drug crime. In this regard An Garda Síochána's National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau continues to lead out the policing strategy for tackling drugs by both demand reduction and...

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

Frances Fitzgerald: Appointments to the ranks of Sergeant and Inspector are a matter for the Garda Commissioner under section 14 of Garda Síochána Act 2005. I am informed by the Commissioner that in the period 1 January 2015 to 25 November 2016, 275 Garda were promoted to the rank of Garda Sergeant and 102 Sergeants were promoted to the rank of Inspector. These appointments were made in accordance with...

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

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy will be aware that the Office of Public Works (OPW) has primary responsibility for the provision and maintenance of Garda accommodation and works closely with the Garda authorities in this regard. As Minister, I have no role in these matters. As I indicated in my response to Parliamentary Question No. 129 of 29 November 2016, the OPW is progressing legal matters relating to the...

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

Frances Fitzgerald: The bombing at Belturbet in December 1972 took two young lives in a dreadful act of violence. Our deepest sympathies are with the families who were bereaved by this atrocity. They, like the families of so many others killed over course of the troubles in unjustified and callous acts, bear the pain of loss to this day. I am informed by the Garda Authorities that the bombing at Belturbet...

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

Frances Fitzgerald: I am pleased to inform that Deputy that at present, 80% of overall vetting applications are being processed by the National Vetting Bureau in five working days. In circumstances where there is such a sustained reduction in processing times, the issue of vetting “transferability” is very largely obviated. This efficiency in the Garda vetting systems has been achieved by the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (16 Dec 2016)

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 a decision is expected to issue in the near future. As the Deputy will appreciate, the granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is a privilege...

Anti-Evictions Bill 2016: First Stage (15 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: No.

Questions on Proposed Legislation (15 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: There is dedicated funding for the development of the maternity strategy in the HSE service plan which was announced yesterday. The original strategy, when it was announced, envisaged a programme of investment over a number of years.

Questions on Proposed Legislation (15 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: It will be the responsibility of the various local authorities to work for those people where accommodation becomes a problem and if it is a problem over the Christmas period. As the Deputy knows, every effort is made by local authorities to ensure housing, whether it is in hotels or elsewhere, is permanent. Where there is a change in that, every effort is made to work with a person to find...

Questions on Proposed Legislation (15 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Bill is expected early next year.

Questions on Proposed Legislation (15 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The legislation that is necessary, which is the disability and inequality legislation, was considered by the Committee on Justice and Equality this morning and it did its legislative scrutiny on it. We are very close to finalising the legislation. I hope to have it published before the end of the year.

Questions on Proposed Legislation (15 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: We had a report on direct provision. What is really important for the families in direct provision is that the recommendations in that report are implemented, such as those on self-catering. Work is being done on that. More important, the big issue that was identified was the fact that families were spending long periods in direct provision. In the course of the past year, the cases of...

Questions on Proposed Legislation (15 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The report will be available early in the new year.

Questions on Proposed Legislation (15 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: A very happy Christmas to you, Deputy. I hope that was not an afterthought. I met the French Minister on the motion passed in the Dáil. A group of officials will be travelling to France shortly to have discussions on the programme. It is possible under the Refugee Act to designate a special programme to make sure there is a legal mechanism for unaccompanied minors to come into...

Questions on Proposed Legislation (15 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The regulations will go to Cabinet next Tuesday.

Questions on Proposed Legislation (15 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: There were a lot of legal issues which needed to be dealt with and they turned out to be more complex than originally envisaged. The regulations will go to Cabinet next Tuesday and the power will transfer, as was always envisaged, on 1 January.

Questions on Proposed Legislation (15 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I already clarified the goal of the legislation in question. It is to protect tenants and to provide a stable rental market. These initiatives are targeted at doing this. I hope they can be agreed later today.