Results 5,001-5,020 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Other Questions: Inner City Initiatives (28 Sep 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The country went through a disastrous period in terms of the economy and recruitment to Templemore was stopped by the previous Government. We have reopened Templemore but one cannot magic up figures overnight. One has to recruit and to invest. We are making sure recruits are going through Templemore now and that will be accelerated with a commitment in the programme for Government for...

Other Questions: Inner City Initiatives (28 Sep 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The north inner city is saturated with police at present. They are involved in patrols, in community policing, in preventative work and intelligence work. If he was to add up the hours of overtime that have been given to the north inner city, the Deputy would appreciate that it is a very substantial figure. Hopefully, we will move on from this situation as the threat recedes and as we deal...

Other Questions: Garda Recruitment (28 Sep 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I have been informed that the number of gardaí assigned to the Westmeath Garda division on 31 August 2016, the latest date for which figures are readily available, was 248 with 17 reserves and 20 civilians. As I have said in response to a number of questions put tonight on Garda reserves and community policing, the work of gardaí and reserves is supported, where appropriate, by the...

Other Questions: Garda Deployment (28 Sep 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I can only join with the Deputy in acknowledging both the loss of life of gardaí undertaking their duties, including Garda Golden in recent months. I was in Templemore earlier this week when the Scott medal was given to Caroline, the wife of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe who lost his life. The number of gardaí assigned to any one place is an operational matter for the Garda...

Other Questions: Garda Deployment (28 Sep 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: Everybody is concerned about his or her own area and will make a case for it, which I appreciate, but the allocation of gardaí, particularly the 534 newly attested gardaí, is important. A total of 19 of them have been deployed in the Meath division. As recruitment is accelerated following the reopening of Templemore College, the areas where the need is greatest will benefit....

Other Questions: Garda Reserve (28 Sep 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I confirm that 25 reservists are assigned to the division in the Deputy's area. The allocation of reservists is an operational decision by the Commissioner. One of the initiatives being examined in the review of the role of the reservists is the possibility of recruiting locally rather than centrally. This may well be very worthwhile in terms of local interest and people can be encouraged...

Other Questions: Garda Reserve (28 Sep 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: We must ensure the roles are properly outlined and consistent. In recent years, the Garda Commissioner has conferred further powers on members of the Garda Reserve under the Criminal Justice Public Order Act 1994 and the Road Traffic Act 1961. She also decided they should carry out more duties, including serving summonses and issuing fixed charge penalty notices where offences are detected....

Other Questions: Ministerial Meetings (28 Sep 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: Various statements have been made, including that to which Deputy O'Loughlin refers, in regard to the customs union but it is not the stated position of the UK Government at this point. The common travel area is central to the relationships across these islands. There is no question of that, with very clear benefits enjoyed by both communities. That arrangement is valued equally, North and...

Other Questions: Community Policing (28 Sep 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The latest date for which figures are readily available, which is 31 August 2016, indicate that there were 780 community gardaí assigned to Garda divisions throughout the country, 74 of which were assigned to the Tipperary division. It is the case - the Garda Commissioner makes this point continuously - that all gardaí have a role to play in addressing community policing issues as...

Other Questions: Community Policing (28 Sep 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: We are committed to prioritising community crime prevention schemes. Last week, at the National Ploughing Championships, I announced a double of funding for the community alert programme to €350,000. That funding will go directly to local groups. This is a tangible expression of our commitment to supporting the partnership approach. Communities have a big role to play, as does...

Other Questions: Community Policing (28 Sep 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: We did have an economic crisis. Templemore College was closed. Thankfully, with the economic situation improved it has been re-opened and we can invest further in the type of resources the Garda Síochána need. We have seen the success of Operation Thor. The 26% success rate in that regard was officially confirmed in the CSO figures released today. As the Deputy has...

Other Questions: Garda Reserve (28 Sep 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: Following the inspectorate reports we have seen this new approach by An Garda Síochána to extend the powers of the reserve. A superintendent has been appointed and I have met him to discuss the audit that is being carried out. I agree with the Deputy that it is extremely important to double the numbers of the reserves, as we intend to do. We have more reserves now than we had,...

Other Questions: Garda Reserve (28 Sep 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The audit is expected to be completed early in the new year. It is expected that the recruitment of the 300 extra reserves will begin in the middle of the year and that will be accelerated in the following years to ensure we double the number. It is an important role. Some people want to do it as a role in itself, but others see it as a route into An Garda Síochána. Now that we...

Other Questions: Ministerial Meetings (28 Sep 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: This is a critical in the new scenario we face where the UK voted to leave the EU. Of course enormous issues arise from that, not least the consequences for the common travel area. I spent a good part of today in Enniskillen at a North-South conference on organised crime. I met the Northern Ireland, Minister for Justice, Ms Sugden, MLA, and we discussed in detail the implications of the...

Other Questions: Ministerial Meetings (28 Sep 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: Any statements made to date by the UK make it clear that it wishes to maintain the common travel area. The common travel area arrangements do not just cover travel without a passport, but also cover, for example, the right of a citizen of the country concerned to travel and work or go to a university. It is the job of the Government to ensure that our EU partners understand the particular...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (28 Sep 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: As I have said in the House previously, robust procedures are increasingly being put in place within An Garda Síochána to make sure that the concerns raised by Garda whistleblowers are dealt with appropriately, and the Deputy has heard the Garda Commissioner herself talk about them. We have passed the Protected Disclosures Act, which is a very robust statutory framework within...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (28 Sep 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: What this Government and the last Government have done is put in place a new Policing Authority with an important role in this country to hold the police to account in a public way. It has started that work, as the country knows, and it is getting on with it. It is examining a whole range of issues regarding the management of the Garda Síochána and having ongoing private and...

Other Questions: Garda Reserve (28 Sep 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: Has the Leas-Cheann Comhairle skipped Question No. 15?

Other Questions: Garda Reserve (28 Sep 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The programme for a partnership Government includes a commitment to double the Garda Reserve to act in a supportive role, undertaking local patrols and crime reduction measures. The Reserve members have undergone training in many of the skills required to be effective full-time members of An Garda Síochána. Indeed, many have now applied to be members of the Garda. Quite a number...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Departmental Reports (28 Sep 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: We have not had a second SAVI report but the overall cost of a second report has been investigated. I held meetings with the researchers who were involved in the original SAVI report. The cost would be approximately €1 million, although that would be subject to tender. The previous SAVI report cost more than €600,000. It is a question of whether we can find the funding of...