Results 4,861-4,880 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legal Services Regulation (6 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 75 and 76 together. Formal Notice was issued by the European Commission in November 2013 to the Minister for Justice and Equality, as Government notice party, drawing attention to "a potential breach of Article 24" of the Services Directive. This also sought the Government's observations including by reference to the ongoing development of the Legal Services...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Funding (6 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Department does not have a defined rule in relation to this matter. Rather, the funding to agencies, under the remit of the Department, is provided through the annual estimates process and is subject to the standard Government accounting arrangements which provides for the surrender to the exchequer of unspent monies at year end. However, through prudent use of resources and using the...

Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2015: Second Stage (5 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I know that many Deputies on all sides of this House have been following this Bill since its publication in September of last year and are anxious to see it progress, so it is good that the Bill is before the House today. I have also been determined to see this Bill progressed and I am determined to see it enacted. Everything I have...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Minister for Justice and Equality (5 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I welcome the opportunity to engage with the joint committee on the Estimates in the justice Vote group. The upcoming budget is another stepping stone in our plan to build a strong economy that sets out to create a fair and compassionate society in which everybody will have the chance to succeed and nobody will be left behind and where we will measure ourselves by our national well-being...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Minister for Justice and Equality (5 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I addressed the crime statistics question. I have a keen interest in them myself because I want the public to have as much confidence as possible in the statistics that are published. I said that when the first Garda Inspectorate report on crime statistics was delivered, I initiated contact with the CSO, which is an independent body and which had an interest in doing this anyway, and I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Minister for Justice and Equality (5 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: It might be helpful if I made the point that the judges are not paid from this Estimate; they are paid from the Central Fund.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Minister for Justice and Equality (5 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I can answer that question.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Minister for Justice and Equality (5 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The preference of Government is that new appointments to the Judiciary would take place under new legislation. I note the Deputy has published a Bill on the process of appointment. It is an issue Government will keep under review, but the preference would be-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Minister for Justice and Equality (5 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: There is no formal Cabinet decision.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Minister for Justice and Equality (5 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I have to revert to the Deputy on that but I have taken up the issue, and I have answered parliamentary questions on the reliability of the figures. I will revert to the Deputy on the detail of the issue he raised with me.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Minister for Justice and Equality (5 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The first question from Deputy Chambers was on the role of the Policing Authority and its work with An Garda Síochána. This is a new Vote in 2016. The Policing Authority is newly established. It is an independent agency under the aegis of my Department. It was established on 1 January this year, following the enactment of the new Garda Síochána Policing Authority Act...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Minister for Justice and Equality (5 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: Deputy Brophy asked about the deployment of those who were being recruited. Let me stress that deployment is an operational matter for the Garda Commissioner. I do not interfere in any way whatsoever in the deployment of members of An Garda Síochána. That may have happened many years ago but it certainly did not happen under the previous Government and it will not happen under...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Minister for Justice and Equality (5 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: Yes. The first issue that Deputy Daly raised was in regard to the statistics, and a number of Deputies continued to raise that. I will summarise the important issues that were noted in the CSO report this year. Compared with the CSO report that was published last year, the amount of non-recording of crime onto PULSE fell very slightly. The previous issue of the degree of misclassification...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Minister for Justice and Equality (5 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: It is a priority for me to bring forward the family mediation legislation. We need to put it in place. I will revert to the Deputy on the detail of the initiatives. It is a joint project between the Legal Aid Board and the Courts Service.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Minister for Justice and Equality (5 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I will get those for the Deputy and revert to him. In terms of the use of the old Cork Prison, a decision has not been made. Various suggestions have been made - I am sure the Deputy might have some himself - about how best it might be used and as to whether it should remain as a facility. From what I remember from my visit there, the issue is that the level of investment required to make...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Minister for Justice and Equality (5 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I want to take up the questions asked by Deputy Daly on the Policing Authority and the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, GSOC. Of course I take note of what the new chairperson of GSOC had to say when she appeared before the committee. I will meet her, and the Department is in contact with GSOC. She has been in position for approximately a year. She is a very effective and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Minister for Justice and Equality (5 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: In relation to the criminal legal aid system, that would be my view. In relation to the point that the Senator made about contributions, they were increased. The impact was monitored carefully by the Legal Aid Board. They did make a recommendation to the former Minister and I do not intend, at this point, to reduce funding. The money that was gained from it has been used to reduce the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Minister for Justice and Equality (5 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Minister for Justice and Equality (5 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I shall return to Senator Clifford-Lee's question. I invite her to correspond with me in detail on the points that she raised. I will bring them to the attention of the Legal Aid Board. I will ask for their comments and see whether follow-up action is necessary. Deputy Farrell asked about Brexit. Everybody has said that they want a soft Border. Precisely what that means and how it...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2016: Minister for Justice and Equality (5 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: To answer Senator Ó Donnhgaile, the impact assessment is being done in both Departments. With regard to the analysis of the implications of Brexit, I was informed by officials from the Northern office at the North-South meeting I attended in Enniskillen that they were doing their own analysis, as we would expect. All Departments are doing that here, as well as in the UK. There are...