Results 4,581-4,600 of 9,126 for speaker:James Browne

Criminal Justice (Smuggling of Persons) Bill 2021 [Seanad]: Committee Stage (Resumed) (1 Dec 2021)

James Browne: It gives an exemption if the prosecution has reached the criteria to prove the elements of the defence beyond reasonable doubt. One does not need an exemption until that arises. That is when the exemption comes in.

Criminal Justice (Smuggling of Persons) Bill 2021 [Seanad]: Committee Stage (Resumed) (1 Dec 2021)

James Browne: Can I just finish on this point? France has been raised several times here. France provides for a humanitarian assistance exemption under the offence of facilitation of unauthorised residents only. While France has an exemption, it is in exceptionally limited circumstances. I do not want it left out there that France has a broad exemption.

Criminal Justice (Smuggling of Persons) Bill 2021 [Seanad]: Committee Stage (Resumed) (1 Dec 2021)

James Browne: The person would be entitled to use that as a defence and be entitled to an acquittal. What the Deputy is proposing is that the status quoremains. While the Bill provides not even a risk of someone who may be acting for humanitarian reasons being prosecuted, the Deputy's amendment would maintain the situation where there is no risk to smugglers being prosecuted. Our priority here is not...

Criminal Justice (Smuggling of Persons) Bill 2021 [Seanad]: Committee Stage (Resumed) (1 Dec 2021)

James Browne: I agree with Deputy Howlin. What we are looking at here is a net issue. As I have said, this matter has been carefully considered in the Seanad. We are carefully considering it in the Dáil today. This is the second time we have considered it, and if we have to come back again, we will consider it again. This is Committee Stage and the issue is being given detailed consideration....

Criminal Justice (Smuggling of Persons) Bill 2021 [Seanad]: Committee Stage (Resumed) (1 Dec 2021)

James Browne: That is not what I implied-----

Criminal Justice (Smuggling of Persons) Bill 2021 [Seanad]: Committee Stage (Resumed) (1 Dec 2021)

James Browne: I should not need to clarify that. I did not use any language that even implied anything like that.

Criminal Justice (Smuggling of Persons) Bill 2021 [Seanad]: Committee Stage (Resumed) (1 Dec 2021)

James Browne: The Deputy should not be disingenuous

Criminal Justice (Smuggling of Persons) Bill 2021 [Seanad]: Committee Stage (Resumed) (1 Dec 2021)

James Browne: Everybody in this House is coming from the same perspective, which is that of trying to protect the lives of those people who are so desperate for a better life that they are prepared to pay somebody to smuggle them into another country, a country they see as providing a better opportunity. We have seen that those people have lost their lives. We saw it only last week, and we saw it in my...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Antisocial Behaviour (1 Dec 2021)

James Browne: I thank Senator Crowe for raising this very important matter relating to antisocial behaviour throughout Ireland but specifically in Eyre Square. Senator Crowe has been raising concerns not only here in the Chamber but also behind the scenes with the Department of Justice and An Garda Síochána. I understand how important it is to him to ensure members of the public and his local...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Antisocial Behaviour (1 Dec 2021)

James Browne: Community safety is a core priority of the Department of Justice and for the Government in terms of the different programmes it is bringing forward. The deployment of gardaí throughout the country is an operational matter for the Garda Commissioner. Once gardaí are deployed to the various divisions, it is a matter for the chief superintendents whether they are deployed as...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Amendment) Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (1 Dec 2021)

James Browne: I thank Senator Ruane for putting forward very cogent amendments. I certainly heard her very strong arguments in regard to the purpose of the amendments. I will not be accepting the amendments and I will set out why. I note amendments Nos. 1 to 8, inclusive, have been taken together. Amendments Nos. 1 to 8, inclusive, provide for the further amendment of sentencing provisions in the...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Amendment) Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (1 Dec 2021)

James Browne: I do not have the rationale to hand for the Senator but all the aspects of minimum sentencing could be examined when the review is being carried out.

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 20 - An Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Department of Justice (Supplementary) (1 Dec 2021)

James Browne: I thank the Chairman and members for making time available to consider these Supplementary Estimates for An Garda Síochána, the Courts Service and a technical Supplementary Estimate for the Department of Justice Vote. I am joined by officials from my Department, Mr. Seamus Clifford, principal officer, and Ms Martina Colville, assistant secretary. A net Supplementary Estimate...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 20 - An Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Department of Justice (Supplementary) (1 Dec 2021)

James Browne: There is nothing specific to the dropped 999 calls. About this time last year, the AGS wrote to the Secretary General regarding examination of computer-aided dispatch priority 1 incidents specifically relating to cancellation of those 999 calls. In an update on 14 October this year the Policing Authority indicated that Mr. Penman's review is taking longer than envisaged due to legal issues....

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 20 - An Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Department of Justice (Supplementary) (1 Dec 2021)

James Browne: I do not have the information to hand as to how it is handled, but I will get it for the Chairman.

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 20 - An Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Department of Justice (Supplementary) (1 Dec 2021)

James Browne: Much of the money that is being used this year for ICT capital is money that was intended to be spent next year, but was brought forward to this year. This is to allow the Garda Síochána to get a head start on plans to deal with the likes of cybercrime next year. As I said, €2 million of the IT allocation was brought forward from 2022 to put the Garda Síochána...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 20 - An Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Department of Justice (Supplementary) (1 Dec 2021)

James Browne: My understanding is that where members of the Garda have that skill set, it is being used. This particular hardware - I got a good briefing on the type of technology that is needed, some of which comes from the United States of America, in my Garda station in Wexford - is state-of-the-art technology. Where that training is needed it will be brought in from the outside, but in a secure...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 20 - An Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Department of Justice (Supplementary) (1 Dec 2021)

James Browne: We are allowed to carry over up to 10% of an unspent capital fund from a particular year into the following year. Due to the Covid pandemic, a number of building projects probably faced challenging situations when it came to spending money, which we have seen across the construction sector. In that context, it would be expected that funding would be carried over. As we know, there is an...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 20 - An Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Department of Justice (Supplementary) (1 Dec 2021)

James Browne: I thank Deputy Daly for his comments. I certainly hear what he is saying and I will take his comments back to Government. Obviously, the location is not a decision for me but the Deputy makes a strong argument for keeping that courthouse in the town centre. I come from a town that lost its courthouse ten years ago and I saw the impact of that in my town centre. A number of factors need to...