Results 5,081-5,100 of 8,978 for speaker:Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

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.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Judicial Appointments: Discussion (26 Nov 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I thank the delegates. Their contributions have been superb.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Judicial Appointments: Discussion (26 Nov 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I apologise for being a little late. I have had a chance to read all the presentations and I have to say they are excellent. There is a diversity of advice, but all very helpful, and it will be very helpful to the Government's review process. The issue of appointments is one of perception. Whether justified or not, there has been a perception that some judges have been politically...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Judicial Appointments: Discussion (26 Nov 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Our committee had the opportunity to meet with one of the members of the Judiciary who worked with the sentencing council in England and Wales. I have to say I am a fan of the model in that there is a consultation process with the public. It does not narrow the sentence too tightly, as no two cases are the same, but it clearly gives the Judiciary the parameters under which the public expect...

Water Sector Reforms: Motion (19 Nov 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Suspend the House.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training: Motion (19 Nov 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: My concern is that the Government would continue to monitor CEPOL in terms of the various legal frameworks that operate in different jurisdictions. I welcome the co-operation outlined by the Minister.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training: Motion (19 Nov 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: On the theme of cyber threats, I wish to take the opportunity to raise the Darknet. The UK police service has been pursuing it. The Darknet was originally a benign enough concept that was used by activists in areas where the Arab spring was prevalent and by journalists, but unfortunately in recent times it is being used by people to view images of child abuse on the Internet. We must...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training: Motion (19 Nov 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I apologise for being a little late to hear the Minister's presentation.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training: Motion (19 Nov 2014)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: The principle of police services across Europe and internationally co-operating is welcome to combat the dangers posed by trafficking, drugs, security threats and so on. There is a range of areas in which it is necessary to have co-operation. The only issues that arise revole around the civil liberty aspect. Different data protection laws apply in different states. There are different...