Results 6,161-6,180 of 21,096 for speaker:Charles Flanagan

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Jan 2019)

Charles Flanagan: No, I have dealt with this issue.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Jan 2019)

Charles Flanagan: I refer to sections 27 and 28 because I do not believe we can read the amendments, in particular amendment number 86d, without reference to the confidential information and the duty of confidentiality of certain proceedings and matters, as evidenced by the sections 27 and 28 of the Bill that have already been passed. From listening to Senator McDowell, it seems this is about the role and...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Jan 2019)

Charles Flanagan: I thought I had made that clear. A reading of sections 27 and 28 makes it clear that members of the commission shall be bound by confidentiality. A member of the commission is the Attorney General. Therefore, the Attorney General will be bound by a similar stricture.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Jan 2019)

Charles Flanagan: He would be on the commission if it were not for the amendment-----

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Witness Protection Programme (30 Jan 2019)

Charles Flanagan: As the Deputy will be aware,  I recently responded to correspondence from her on this matter and I would like to thank her for raising this issue. I wish to emphasise to the Deputy at the outset that the security of persons who may be or who may have been witnesses in the criminal process is a matter for An Garda Síochána. However, I can assure the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Sex Offenders Treatment Programme (30 Jan 2019)

Charles Flanagan: I have been advised by the Irish Prison Service that there are between 400 and 450 individuals convicted of sexual violence in custody at any one time. A National Programme to reduce the risk of re-offending and enhance public protection to the greatest possible extent, known as the Building Better Lives programme, has operated in the Prison Service since 2009 and is based on...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Illicit Trade (30 Jan 2019)

Charles Flanagan: I can assure the Deputy that tackling cross-border crime is a high priority for this Government, the Gardaí and our other law enforcement authorities. There is close cooperation between law enforcement agencies north and south of the border and the two police services work very closely together on a broad range of policing responsibilities. Considerable operational activity takes...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Firearms Seizures (30 Jan 2019)

Charles Flanagan: I can assure the Deputy that the Government is fully committed to ensuring that An Garda Síochána has the necessary resources to continue to successfully disrupt the operation of criminal groups who carry out gun crimes and who endanger the safety of our communities.  The Deputy will have noted the significant progress made by Gardaí in tackling...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Road Safety (30 Jan 2019)

Charles Flanagan: I would like to thank the Deputy for his continued interest in this important public safety issue. The Deputy will recall, on the occasion of his previous oral parliamentary question, that I undertook to update the Deputy in relation to the ongoing consultations conducted by my officials and I welcome the opportunity to do this now. My Department's main focus in the intervening...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Expenditure (30 Jan 2019)

Charles Flanagan: As the Deputy will be aware, there has been unprecedented investment in An Garda Síochána in recent years, in support of the Government’s commitment to ensuring a strong and visible police presence throughout the country in order to maintain and strengthen community engagement and provide reassurance to citizens and deter crime. The resources provided by Government to An...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Brexit Issues (30 Jan 2019)

Charles Flanagan: I want to assure the Deputy at the outset that it is the firm intention of the Government and the British Government that there will be no diminution in North-South security co-operation in the context of the planned departure of the UK from the EU.  While it is the case that Britain will no longer be part of many EU-wide police information systems, as the Deputy will be aware, national...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Crime Prevention (30 Jan 2019)

Charles Flanagan: I can assure the Deputy that I am conscious of the value placed on CCTV as a means of deterring crime and assisting in the detection of offenders. The main purpose of CCTV cameras located on motorways is monitoring traffic conditions on the national road network, and assisting in the management of traffic on our roads. However, when progressing a criminal investigation An Garda...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Stations (30 Jan 2019)

Charles Flanagan: As the Deputy will be aware, there has been unprecedented investment in An Garda Síochána in recent years, in support of the Government’s commitment to ensuring a strong and visible police presence throughout the country in order to maintain and strengthen community engagement and provide reassurance to citizens and deter crime. The resources provided by Government to An...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Programme (30 Jan 2019)

Charles Flanagan: The Judicial Council Bill 2017 is currently progressing through the Houses of the Oireachtas.  The Bill will establish a Judicial Council to promote excellence in the exercise by judges of their judicial functions and high standards of conduct among judges.  A Judicial Conduct Committee established under the Bill will have a central role in considering complaints against judges and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Crime Levels (30 Jan 2019)

Charles Flanagan: On 20 December 2018, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) published the latest annualised crime statistics which are for Q3 2018.  While I am pleased that, nationally, burglary and theft-related offences were down, I am concerned that offences relating to robbery increased over the 12-month period to the end of Q3 2018, when compared to the end of Q3 2017.  This trend must be...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: International Terrorism (30 Jan 2019)

Charles Flanagan: Protecting the State and the people from terrorism and supporting international peace and security are amongst the highest priorities for the Government.  Ireland, like many other open and democratic states, faces a threat from international terrorism, money laundering and terrorist financing activity.  Legal, regulatory and operational measures are in place to target...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Resources (30 Jan 2019)

Charles Flanagan: The Deputy will be aware that the resources provided by Government to An Garda Síochána have reached unprecedented levels, with an allocation for 2019 of €1.76 billion.  This represents an increase of over 6% over the initial allocation for 2018. In terms of capital investment, €342 million is being invested in Garda ICT infrastructure between 2016 and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Measures (30 Jan 2019)

Charles Flanagan: The Government is totally committed to preventing and addressing domestic violence and the recently commenced Domestic Violence Act 2018 significantly strengthens the civil and legal protections available to victims. It is important that frontline Gardaí understand the nature of this legislation in order to effectively respond to victims. Training is crucial in this regard. As you...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legal Services Regulation (30 Jan 2019)

Charles Flanagan: The regulatory reform of the legal services sector has been taking place since the enactment of the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015 and the establishment of the Legal Services Regulatory Authority, which is independent in the performance of its functions, on 1 October 2016.  The Act is the vehicle for the relevant reforms which include, under Part 6, the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Protected Disclosures (30 Jan 2019)

Charles Flanagan: Under the Protected Disclosures Act introduced by the then Government in 2014, members of An Garda Síochána may communicate their concerns to the Garda Commissioner, as their employer if they so choose, or they may make a disclosure to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC), which is a statutorily independent body, for investigation.  The legislation...