Results 3,761-3,780 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Stations (13 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy will be aware that the Government has, in the Programme for a Partnership Government, recognised community policing as the embodiment of An Garda Síochána, providing a means of recognising that every community, both urban and rural, has its own concerns and expectations. It commits the Government to ensuring visible, effective and responsive policing in every community,...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Joint Policing Committees (13 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: It is important to note that the JPCs were established to act as a forum to improve collaboration and engagement rather than a new administrative function with corresponding budgets and other resources. There are already substantial resources deployed to addressing local policing and community safety issues and the JPCs are intended to enhance how these resources are deployed, not to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Strength (13 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: Garda Data (13 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I have requested a report from the Garda authorities in relation to the matter referred to by the Deputy. I will contact the Deputy directly when the report is to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Courts Service (13 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy may be aware, at its meeting of 6 December 2016, the Government decided to reassign, by appointment, three specialist judges of the Circuit Court as ordinary judges of the Circuit Court. These judges will fill the three existing vacancies in the Circuit Court and so, following their appointment, there will be no vacancies in the Circuit Court. As the Deputy will be aware,...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Probation and Welfare Service (13 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: Prolific offenders may be subject to a range of supervision measures. It is open to the Courts to impose a Post Release Supervision Order under the Sex offender Act 2001 or a Part Suspended Sentence Supervision Order under the Criminal Justice Act 2006. The supervision of offenders in the community post release is based on the outcome of a formal risk assessment process conducted by the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Courts Service Administration (13 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Programme for a Partnership Government contains a commitment to commission an annual study on court efficiency and sitting times as outlined by the Deputy and my Department is currently examining options to develop the most effective approach to implementing this commitment. As the Deputy will be aware, the Courts Service Act 1998 provides that management of the courts is the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Court Sittings (13 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: A Criminal Procedure Bill is currently being drafted by the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel. The primary aim of the Bill is to reduce delays and increase efficiency and fairness in the criminal trial process. The Bill will in particular provide for new Preliminary Trial Hearings to allow for procedural arguments which arise during trials at present to be dealt with before a jury is...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Coroners Service (13 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I can assure the Deputy that I am aware of the various concerns which have been raised about the case referred to. I am advised that the Garda investigation in relation to this case is ongoing and that the Garda Commissioner has requested the Serious Crime Review Team (SCRT) to examine the case, as a matter of priority, ensuring that all avenues of enquiry are fully explored and addressed....

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Suicide Prevention (13 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy will appreciate, it is the Garda Commissioner who is responsible for carrying on and managing and controlling generally the administration and business of An Garda Síochána, including by arranging for the training of its members and civilian staff and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter. I have requested the information sought from the Garda...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Suicide Prevention (13 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am informed by the Irish Prison Service that it developed an updated Mental Health Awareness Programme for staff in 2014. The development of this programme was overseen, and approved, by the Mental Health Training Oversight Group, comprising representatives of the healthcare, psychiatry, psychology services, staff support services and the Irish Prison Service College. The programme...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Funding (13 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: My Department is currently considering applications for funding for victims of crime for 2017. I am aware of the organisation's application, and it is my intention that all organisations who have applied for funding will be notified of the decision on their application before the end of the year.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Court Judgments (13 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Chief State Solicitors Office (CSSO) may, in appropriate cases, enter settlement agreements with the legal representatives of individuals who have applied for a Judicial Review of an executive decision. Such a letter will propose terms of settlement and will generally include a clause setting out that the applicant and their legal representatives will, as part of the agreement, jointly...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (13 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: Ireland is a dualist State, Article 29.6 of the Constitution providing that international agreements have the force of law to the extent determined by the Oireachtas . It is essential therefore that the State is in a position to meet the obligations it assumes under the terms of an international agreement from the moment of its entry into force for Ireland. Before the State can ratify the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Charitable and Voluntary Organisations (13 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Charities Regulatory Authority ('Charities Regulator') was established in October 2014 to regulate all charitable organisations in Ireland in accordance with the provisions of the Charities Act 2009. On establishment date, all charities with a valid CHY number, i.e. those with tax exemption status from the Revenue Commissioners, were automatically entered on the statutory Register of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legal Services Regulation (13 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The allegations to which the Deputy refers relate to the respective conduct of business by the body concerned under its general constitution, disciplinary code and code of conduct and in relation to the body's making available of certain statutory forms and like matters. As I have previously conveyed to the Deputy in my Written Reply of 1 December 2016 to which she has referred, it remains...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Suicide Incidence (13 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Irish Prison Service that there have been 16 deaths in custody which have been determined as death by suicide in the period from 2006 to 2016 inclusive. The Irish Prison Service has also advised that there are 25 inquests pending; no cause of death has been determined in those cases as the coroners inquest has not been completed. The Irish Prison Service has confirmed...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Suicide Prevention (13 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Irish Prison Service has advised me that the circumstances of each death in custody and incident of self-harm are examined by a suicide prevention group in each institution. The groups are chaired by a Prison Governor, and include representatives from the various services, which can include the Prison Doctor, Psychiatry, Psychology, Chaplaincy, Probation, Education, and Prison staff....

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Inspectorate Reports (13 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: In line with a commitment in the Programme for Government 2007, the Garda Síochána Inspectorate examined Garda practice with regard to missing persons. The Inspectorate found overall that Garda systems for handling missing persons cases are in line with international best practice. The Inspectorate's Report contained 18 recommendations on how these systems could be further...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Missing Children (13 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The website in question is hosted by the Global Missing Children Network (GMCN) and while An Garda Síochána contribute to the site, neither my Department nor An Garda Síochána have a direct role in its administration. I am advised by the Garda authorities that a new GMCN website was launched in May 2015. The cases from www.missingkids.ie have been moved to this new...