Results 3,981-4,000 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Status (6 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: Entitlement to Irish citizenship is governed by the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended. Following a Referendum of the Irish people, the 27th amendment to the Constitution changed the situation in relation to entitlement to Irish Citizenship. As a result, Section 6 of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956 was amended by the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act,...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Deployment (6 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution of resources, including personnel, and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter. An Garda Síochána maintains close liaison with other law enforcement agencies internationally and the work of Garda liaison officers who are permanently based in other jurisdictions and in international...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Districts (6 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...

Questions on Proposed Legislation (1 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: Neither I nor the people on this side would be able to stand over a situation whereby people who did the right thing and quietly paid their charges would be disadvantaged in any way by their decision to obey the law. Let me make that clear. We would not stand over a situation whereby people who disobeyed the law benefit over those who obeyed. That is the reason this is one of the issues to...

Questions on Proposed Legislation (1 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: Clearly, what the chief executive of the HSE was presenting yesterday was the best possible approach to the management structures within the HSE and how they should be taken forward.

Questions on Proposed Legislation (1 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: Let us be clear: the Government is absolutely committed to the implementation of A Vision for Change. As Members are aware, extensive recruitment has taken place but difficulties remain in terms of recruiting certain specialist staff in order that the community care teams and mental health teams can be built up. There has been a sea-change in respect of those teams. There are still gaps...

Questions on Proposed Legislation (1 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: It was hoped to have pre-legislative scrutiny on this Bill in December. I am not quite sure if that will happen in December; it may be early next year.

Questions on Proposed Legislation (1 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I understand it is being worked on at present. I do not have a timetable for it right now.

Questions on Proposed Legislation (1 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I will ask the Minister to respond.

Questions on Proposed Legislation (1 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2016 has been passed by the Seanad and is on Committee Stage in this House. It will be taken next week by the justice committee. Everything depends on how much time is needed by the committee. Potentially the Bill could be passed by the end of the year but that depends entirely on the work of the committee. I am pleased it is at this point. I...

Leaders' Questions (1 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: We all know women suffered some horrendous consequences as a result of having a symphysiotomy. That is why the Government wanted to take as humane and dignified an approach as we possibly could to help these women. As I said, every effort was made in the report by Ms Justice Harding Clarke to do just that. I believe 185 women applied to the scheme who could not establish that they had a...

Questions on Proposed Legislation (1 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: It is a priority for this session.

Leaders' Questions (1 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: We have all been touched by the individual stories of women who had horrendous experiences with symphysiotomy. That is the reason the previous Government made a decision in July 2014 that we should not just listen to these stories but do something about them. A very distinguished judge, Ms Justice Maureen Harding Clark, was asked to carry out this report. It was agreed by the Government to...

Leaders' Questions (1 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: It is a fairly general question, and the Deputy knows well how these decisions work in Cabinet. The decision we took earlier this year when there was extra revenue was clear. A substantial sum of money was put into the health services and a number of other areas, including justice and education. The Deputy is well aware of how these processes work. It is important to recognise, and to...

Leaders' Questions (1 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The overall point is to welcome the continued growth in the economy which gives those choices. If we did not have that growth, we would not have the choices. There were no choices for many years in this country-----

Leaders' Questions (1 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: -----when we began to deal with this crisis in 2011, as the Deputy well knows.

Leaders' Questions (1 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I thank the Deputy for his acknowledgement of the improvements in the economy, which are being sustained at this point. The Deputy's point is that if the economy continues to improve we will have more choice regarding the very difficult decisions that still have to be taken. We made clear in the budget that we wanted to sustain the economy to invest in public services. It is very important...

Leaders' Questions (1 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: We are taking the issue seriously but unlike Deputy McDonald, we must have a detailed reply to the range of questions that arise from extending the franchise.

Leaders' Questions (1 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: Detailed information is required and a detailed analysis must be carried out. The Deputy is calling for this at a principled level, but the Government must examine it in detail and look at the implications. One recommendation of the Constitutional Convention, for example, was that only those who had lived in Ireland should qualify for the franchise. Obviously that must be examined because...

Leaders' Questions (1 Dec 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: That needs to be done. Does Sinn Féin have the answers? Has it presented a paper with all of these answers? I do not think it has-----