Results 5,081-5,100 of 8,986 for speaker:Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Aggressive Begging from a Public Order Perspective: Discussion (3 Dec 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Like everybody here today I find the issue of begging deeply troubling. On the way to the hotel where I stay when I am in Dublin on Dáil duty, I come across a plethora of people who are begging, some of whom are aggressive and others who are passive. Every now and again I feel obliged to help because that is what a person would want for their brother or sister if in that situation. At...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Proposed Legislation (3 Dec 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: 73. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality when the children and family relationships Bill will be published. [46416/14]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Misconduct Allegations (3 Dec 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: 76. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality her plans to hold a public inquiry into the murder of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46463/14]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Process (2 Dec 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: 334. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the current status of the spent convictions Bill; and when it will be enacted. [46076/14]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Process (2 Dec 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: 335. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if a person (details supplied) in County Mayo who has previous convictions dating from the 1970s, will qualify under the spent convictions legislation. [46077/14]

Finance Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (26 Nov 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: On a point of order, are there ways, under Standing Orders, by which the Ceann Comhairle could establish whether there were enough Deputies to call a vote before we would be called from all over the House for a vote?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (26 Nov 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: We have had a chance today to deliberate on the four petitions before us and we will now deal with the decisions we have made. The first petition, No. 33/13 submitted by Mr. Henry Gaynor, relates to equality and fairness regarding the raising of the State pension age to 66 and beyond. The petitioner has an issue with having to sign on for jobseeker's allowance between the age of 65 and 66,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (26 Nov 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Is that agreed? Agreed. Our final petition today is No. 21/14, submitted by Mr. John Breslin, in regard to motor taxation reform. The petitioner seeks the introduction of pay-as-you-use type of motor taxation for haulage drivers as opposed to the current system where hauliers must tax their vehicles for a minimum of three months. Research by the committee secretariat has identified that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (26 Nov 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: We should also ask the interdepartmental group to report back to us on the specific petition. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary) (26 Nov 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: That is very welcome and in fairness to the Minister, she gave me that commitment at the time. The Minister need not give me a substantive response to these issues, which I simply am flagging today but I refer to white collar crime, the computer crime unit's ability to deal with these sophisticated threats and the issue of upgrading technology within the Garda Inspectorate. I ask the...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary) (26 Nov 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: It is hard not to comment.

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary) (26 Nov 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I apologise to the Chairman but I must leave the meeting to chair the Joint Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions. I will submit written questions and I thank the Minister.

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary) (26 Nov 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I wish to ask about costings in the relevant subhead. The Minister will deal with the Garda Reserve later. Why was the original Estimate out by €65 million?

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary) (26 Nov 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I welcome this investment. In order to deal with computer crime, the force requires an upgrade of equipment. I refer, for example, to equipment for the units that deal with white collar crime and obviously the Garda Inspectorate focused on the need to upgrade the IT systems and to consider new approaches in this regard. In fairness to the Minister, she has acknowledged this and...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary) (26 Nov 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: On the threshold of 13,000, what is the latest report on Garda numbers? What are the numbers likely to be in 2015?

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary) (26 Nov 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: We are still below the 13,000 threshold.

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary) (26 Nov 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: What are the indications for next year in terms of retirements? If 100 recruits will join the force in January, that will take the figure to 13,050. If one deducts the number who will retire next year, where will that leave us?

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary) (26 Nov 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: The newly appointed Garda Commissioner, Ms Nóirín O’Sullivan, is on record as saying she will be very worried if the numbers fall below 13,000. Her predecessor said the same. The Garda Inspectorate's report referred to resource issues. It will be of profound concern to the committee if the numbers appointed do not ensure the force remains above the figure of 13,000.

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary) (26 Nov 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Will the Minister consider giving the new independent policing board control over the budget, as is the position in the case of other policing boards?

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2014
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary) (26 Nov 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: That was not the question I asked. I asked whether the Minister would consider giving the new independent policing authority control over the budget for these matters, including staff and so, as is the position in the case of other policing authorities.