Results 5,201-5,220 of 6,728 for speaker:John Curran

Written Answers — Security of the Elderly: Security of the Elderly (17 Nov 2009)

John Curran: Primary responsibility for the matters raised rest with the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform and the Garda Commissioner. Both the Neighbourhood Watch and Community Alert Programmes operate under the aegis of that Department and the Garda Síochána with the aim supporting community responses to crime prevention. My Department provides funding to community groups to supply...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (17 Nov 2009)

John Curran: The table provides details of funding allocated to the Drugs Task Forces (DTFs) to support projects in their respective areas in 2009 and expenditure to date in 2009. The Deputy should note that, with regard to 2009, the original current funding sum allocated to the DTFs following the April 2009 Budget was €32.5m. When carryover from 2008 is taken into account, the net amount required in...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (17 Nov 2009)

John Curran: A total of 14 Local Drugs Task Forces (LDTFs) are currently in operation, of which 12 are located in Dublin while the others are in Bray and Cork. The rest of the country is covered by 10 Regional Drugs Task Forces (RDTFs). I have no proposals at present to change the number of Local and Regional Drugs Task Forces. Action 62 of the National Drugs Strategy 2009-16 provides for a review of...

Written Answers — Community Development: Community Development (17 Nov 2009)

John Curran: The Deputy will appreciate that there are a number of initiatives in hand which have direct import for the Community Development Programme. Programme Redesign and Structural reform For some time now my Department has seen the need to redesign its community development/social inclusion programmes, particularly the Local Development Social Inclusion and Community Development Programmes, drawing...

Written Answers — Residency Permits: Residency Permits (17 Nov 2009)

John Curran: The person concerned applied for asylum on 6 March 2006. In accordance with Section 9 of the Refugee Act 1996 (as amended), the person concerned was entitled to remain in the State until her application for asylum was decided. Her asylum application was refused following consideration of her case by the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner and, on appeal, the Refugee Appeals...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (17 Nov 2009)

John Curran: I propose taking Questions Nos. 324, 328 and 340 together. I am very aware of the growth in the number of headshops and I have voiced concerns in regard to their activities on numerous occasions. My concerns in relation to their selling of substances that are represented as being "legal highs" or "herbal highs" centre on the potential health hazard arising and the fear that use of these...

Written Answers — Community Development: Community Development (17 Nov 2009)

John Curran: I refer the Deputy to Question No. 104 answered today, 17th November.

Written Answers — Charities Regulation: Charities Regulation (17 Nov 2009)

John Curran: There are two issues of public concern raised in the Deputy's Question, and I fully share the Deputy's concerns. Firstly, there is the practice of non-charities representing themselves as charities when collecting from the public. Secondly, there is the public nuisance and annoyance that can be caused by undertaking such collections at anti-social hours. Of particular concern and relevance to...

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (17 Nov 2009)

John Curran: I propose to take Questions Nos. 350, 351 and 353 together. The majority of funding provided by my Department in combating drugs is channelled through the Local and Regional Drugs Task Forces. The amount for each of the past three years and 2009 is as follows: 2006 €41.308m 2007 €51.518m 2008 €65.207m 2009 to-date €36.456m* I am not in a position to say at this stage what...

International Human Trafficking: Motion (17 Nov 2009)

John Curran: I am pleased to have an opportunity to speak about this important issue. The debate on human trafficking and on prostitution tends to be clouded by emotive argument often based on preconceived opinion rather than on evidence or practice on the ground. I will seek to expand on some of the points made by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy Dermot Ahern, and base my...

International Human Trafficking: Motion (17 Nov 2009)

John Curran: I believe this example gives some indication of the complexities in the work done by the Garda Síochána in the context of trafficking. In order to address issues such as these, I have been informed by the Garda Síochána that a thorough and internationally recognised system of victim identification is in place. All information that is available to the Garda Síochána at the time the case...

Community Supports for Older People. (17 Nov 2009)

John Curran: I propose to take Questions Nos. 61, 71 and 325 together. Deputies will be aware that I suspended funding for the scheme of community supports for older people earlier this year pending the completion of a comprehensive review of its operations by my Department. That review is now completed and is being considered. Pending the establishment of new arrangements, I lifted the suspension at...

Community Supports for Older People. (17 Nov 2009)

John Curran: I will try to give Deputy Ring straight answers. First, the scheme is open. Second, 4,500 people have availed of it to date. Third, I have applications on hand, received prior to 21 October in respect of approximately 1,800 people. As I said at the time, it is my intention that all these will be dealt with before Christmas. There were 840 pre-registered groups and 20 additional ones,...

Community Supports for Older People. (17 Nov 2009)

John Curran: Regarding the 1,800 people I mentioned, there is funding. Next year's budget will bring a figure, whatever it may be. That is part of the budgetary process as the Deputies know well. It is intended that the scheme will run next year. We have done a report and there are various recommendations and so on to consider. I have just received them. While the scheme is generally working well,...

Community Supports for Older People. (17 Nov 2009)

John Curran: I have no problem making the report available in any format. I ask the Deputy to give me an opportunity to deal with the matter for a week or so first.

National Drugs Strategy. (17 Nov 2009)

John Curran: A total of 17 actions, Nos. 2 to 18, inclusive, of the National Drugs Strategy 2009-20016 are included under the supply reduction pillar. The objectives of this pillar are to significantly reduce the volume of illicit drugs; to prevent the emergence of new markets for illicit drugs; to disrupt the activities of organised criminal networks; to target the income generated through illicit drug...

National Drugs Strategy. (17 Nov 2009)

John Curran: The specific question asked by the Deputy regarding private airfields and so on perhaps should not be directed towards the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. I understand it falls more properly under the remit of the Revenue Commissioners. I have met the Revenue Commissioners who have advised me that the traffic coming through such airports is profiled and that the Revenue...

National Drugs Strategy. (17 Nov 2009)

John Curran: I disagree with the Deputy when he states that nothing is being done. As I noted, every flight into a private airport is regulated and monitored. The customs service, based on its information, decides on whether to perform a check. This is a small island nation and the risk is as great from the sea. I note that seizures made in this regard have been made at sea rather than at airports....

National Drugs Strategy. (17 Nov 2009)

John Curran: The drug prevalence statistics contained in the recently published report of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction were compiled from the latest figures available for individual countries. In the case of Ireland, they reflect the outcome of the all-island drug prevalence survey 2006 to 2007, which provides the best estimate of the drug prevalence. One of the findings...

National Drugs Strategy. (17 Nov 2009)

John Curran: In reply to Deputy Byrne I wish to be clear that this EMCDDA report ranked Ireland fourth in terms of cocaine use. However, the report is specific in stating that cocaine use is primarily seen in western Europe, in Denmark, Spain, Ireland, Italy and the United Kingdom. I am not trying to diminish the significance of the problem but other countries which do not have a cocaine problem tend to...