Results 4,881-4,900 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

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

Frances Fitzgerald: The point I was making is that there is a clear commitment to maintain the level of North-South engagement on policing and security. That has been stated at ministerial and policing levels in all my recent contacts with Ministers from both jurisdictions and the Chief constable and the Commissioner. The Chairman asked about Operation Thor, capital expenditure and station closures and...

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

Frances Fitzgerald: I am sorry I did not answer Senator Black's question. I was going to suggest that I would ask Mr. Michael Donnellan, head of the Irish Prison Service, to do a report for the committee on drug treatment in prisons and to outline the numbers needing drug treatment and what is available. There is a great deal of interest among members about this and it might be helpful.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: UN Summit on Refugees and Migrants: Discussion (5 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I attended the UN Summit on Refugees and Migrants on 19 September 2016 and the Leaders’ Summit on Refugees on 20 September 2016 on behalf of the Government. Both summits have highlighted the need for international co-operation to address the growing refugee and migration crisis and I share the concern at the scale of this crisis. A total of 65 million people are estimated to be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: UN Summit on Refugees and Migrants: Discussion (5 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: Okay. We have ongoing meetings at which we review progress with the stakeholders involved in the McMahon report. The up-to-date position is that 91 of the recommendations have been implemented and 47 of them are in progress. We are conducting update on the audit now. I want to correct the Senator on one point. There was no question of an automatic entitlement to stay here. Obviously,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: UN Summit on Refugees and Migrants: Discussion (5 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I could not possibly say to anyone to drop a judicial review application. It is entirely a decision for the person involved. However, one of the main recommendations in the McMahon report relates to people who have been here more than five years. Issues in respect of security or other information that emerges during the assessment are obviously a separate matter. However, the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: UN Summit on Refugees and Migrants: Discussion (5 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: We have expedited the assessment of those cases and each is decided on its merits.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: UN Summit on Refugees and Migrants: Discussion (5 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: That is a key consideration, as one would expect, but there is a full assessment and all of the factors involved are considered. One would be hard pushed to find someone in direct provision who has been there more than five years where there is not some outstanding legal or, perhaps, security reason. More likely it will be a legal reason. If, however, the Senator knows of someone in that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: UN Summit on Refugees and Migrants: Discussion (5 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I will not say that definitively because every case is assessed. However, an applicant in that situation, for the reasons I have outlined, is very likely to be granted leave to remain. Senator Clifford-Lee also asked about subsidiary protection and the implementation of the International Protection Act. There is a huge amount of work ongoing on the Act so that we arrive at a point where...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: UN Summit on Refugees and Migrants: Discussion (5 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: An Garda Síochána has strong evidence relating to sham marriages in the country. I was very concerned for the women being brought into the country, some of them from other member states. We focused on this issue as it can be closely connected to the trafficking of women. We had huge co-operation from registrars and the Department of Social Protection. Operation Vantage has been...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: UN Summit on Refugees and Migrants: Discussion (5 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The first issue raised by Deputy Farrell relates to the discussions taking place at EU level on asylum policy generally. There are divided views on the question of a mandatory quota and it is difficult to see where agreement will emerge. Effectively, under the relocation scheme a mandatory quota was not agreed but rather a quota for each country. Clear criteria were set out on how that was...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: UN Summit on Refugees and Migrants: Discussion (5 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy is questioning the commitment of Ireland to respond to refugees but she must understand that we are part of the international response. We are working with an international and European response and we have given a commitment to bring in refugees. The Deputy is not alone in her feelings and every one of us who sees the work our Naval Service is doing and the plight of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: UN Summit on Refugees and Migrants: Discussion (5 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: It raises hugely complex issues. According to Greek figures and in terms of numbers taken for resettlement up to 28 September 2016, Lichtenstein is ahead of us, as are Norway, Luxembourg, Austria, Finland, Iceland and Malta. However, we are not a front-line country with people arriving on our shores. However, we are absolutely committed to taking the numbers I have outlined within the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: UN Summit on Refugees and Migrants: Discussion (5 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: There is a reason, as I have explained.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: UN Summit on Refugees and Migrants: Discussion (5 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: There is one correction I want to make. There are 383 currently active accommodation offers which include 280 shared accommodation properties. The balance consists of self-contained properties. This is on the Irish Red Cross side. Deputy Daly claims there are barriers. Some of these are international. No country can take people in without some vetting. There are issues with vetting...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: UN Summit on Refugees and Migrants: Discussion (5 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: Both the Chairman and other Deputies are pointing out the huge vulnerability of unaccompanied minors caught up in the refugee crisis and who disappear in the system. I know this is a significant concern internationally. They are difficult to identify in the first place and clearly are not being registered. Accordingly, it is difficult to reach out to them and ensure we can take them in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Proposal on Matrimonial Matters, Parental Responsibility and Child Abduction: Motion (5 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: This is a relatively straightforward motion. The Dáil and Seanad have referred it to the joint committee to seek the approval of both Houses to opt into the proposal for a recast of the Brussels IIa regulation to allow judicial co-operation in the EU in respect of cross-border matrimonial and parental responsibility and child abduction cases. It is a good regulation and contains...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Proposal on Matrimonial Matters, Parental Responsibility and Child Abduction: Motion (5 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: This is a proposal for an EU regulation on jurisdiction and recognition of decisions in matrimonial matters. We are deciding to opt into the discussions. Brexit is in its early stages. The implications for criminal justice and family civil law will need to be subjected to analysis on both sides of the Border. Here is another EU regulation and Northern officials will have to examine it in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Proposal on Matrimonial Matters, Parental Responsibility and Child Abduction: Motion (5 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: There is a point to be made that international treaties remain in place. As far as children are concerned, we will still have the 1980 Hague Convention, to which the UK is a contracting party. There will be many areas where the UK will remain committed. There is no intention to change this relationship. This sets the parameters for many issues regarding children and it remains unchanged.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Legal Services Regulatory Authority: Motion (5 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The resolution for consideration today is a key step towards completing the nomination and appointment of the members of the new Legal Services Regulatory Authority, which is being established under the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015 by way of structural reform to the legal services sector and by way of enhancing legal costs transparency and an independent complaints system for the legal...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Business of Joint Committee (5 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I thank the Chairman.