Results 601-620 of 16,849 for speaker:Dermot Ahern

Criminal Legal Aid (17 Nov 2010)

Dermot Ahern: At least there will be better checks and balances in administration.

Criminal Legal Aid (17 Nov 2010)

Dermot Ahern: A number of staff in my Department will be seconded to the Legal Aid Board.

Criminal Legal Aid (17 Nov 2010)

Dermot Ahern: I was trying to reply to Deputy Shatter. It is anticipated that a number of existing staff in my Department will be moved to the Legal Aid Board. The board may have additional requirements contracted in but I do not anticipate a significant increase in staff because of the way in which we intend to administer the scheme through the Legal Aid Board. We are somewhat constrained by the...

Juvenile Offenders (17 Nov 2010)

Dermot Ahern: The Deputy may be aware that the ten community sanctions listed in section 115 of the Children Act 2001, as amended, include a range of measures which would normally involve a level of supervision of the young person by a probation officer. These may include, for example, involvement of the young person's parents or attendance by the young person at a specified training course, residential...

Juvenile Offenders (17 Nov 2010)

Dermot Ahern: Every piece of legislation is reviewed. If the Garda Síochána bring to my attention some unease with regard to any piece of legislation we will have a look at it with the Attorney General. In this regard, there are approximately ten community sanctions, including the community service order, day centre order, probation order, training or activity programme order, intensive supervision...

Juvenile Offenders (17 Nov 2010)

Dermot Ahern: To suggest that ASBO legislation is the only implement used by the Garda Síochána to prevent people being interfered with in their homes or in regard to anti-social behaviour is not correct as there are other means. The question put down by the Deputy in regard to the ten community sanctions clearly indicates that this is another modus operandi in regard to intervening with young people...

Garda Operations (17 Nov 2010)

Dermot Ahern: In the policing of demonstrations, the Garda Síochána, while respecting the right of legitimate protest, has a duty to ensure as far as possible that peace is preserved and public order maintained, and that lives and property are protected. The safety of the gardaí involved is also an important consideration. In preparing for demonstrations, the Garda Síochána must take into account a...

Garda Operations (17 Nov 2010)

Dermot Ahern: I concur with Deputy Shatter in his views regarding the duties and responsibility of the Garda Síochána to police events such as this in a reasonable way. I also concur that they represent the greater good in maintaining order in marches such as this. I concur with the point that the majority of students were well behaved. The President of the Union of Students in Ireland, Mr. Gary...

Garda Operations (17 Nov 2010)

Dermot Ahern: There is ongoing training of Garda personnel, normal personnel and specialised units with regard to public order. The Garda Síochána reviews and learns from the situation every time an event such as this takes place. Each situation dictates the type of response from the moment it occurs. Due to a number of incidents, the Garda Síochána had to engage with those causing trouble but it...

Garda Operations (17 Nov 2010)

Dermot Ahern: Yes.

Juvenile Offenders (17 Nov 2010)

Dermot Ahern: The Children Act 2001 was amended by Part 13 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006 to provide for civil proceedings regarding anti-social behaviour by children. These provisions, which were commenced on 1 March 2007, set out an incremental procedure for addressing anti-social behaviour by children. They are just one element of the Government's policy on youth crime, which is set out in detail in...

Juvenile Offenders (17 Nov 2010)

Dermot Ahern: I do not believe they are. We have had this discussion already. A hallmark of the success of the anti-social behaviour orders is that so few children have been brought to court. The idea behind the system is to divert children away from the courts and to engage with them in an incremental way. As the Deputy can see from the figures, that is the strong advice from the experts in this...

Juvenile Offenders (17 Nov 2010)

Dermot Ahern: Deputy Rabbitte seems to think the more anti-social behaviour orders are made the more successful is the system. I disagree on the basis that the concept of this procedure is that it is used in an incremental way. Fewer orders and a reduction in the number of occasions the Garda Síochána brings young people before the courts is a hallmark of the success of the system. Deputy Rabbitte is...

Juvenile Offenders (17 Nov 2010)

Dermot Ahern: As the Deputy should know we have funded a number of very successful restorative justice projects that are up and running. Over time I would like to see more use of them across the various courts. Equally so, since I became Minister I introduced significant reform in terms of trying to use community service orders as an alternative to prison in order to allow pay-back to communities. I...

Garda Investigations (17 Nov 2010)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 39 and 40 together. The incident to which the Deputies refer was the subject of investigation by the Garda Síochána, which resulted in the submission of an investigation file to the law officers, who directed that a person be charged with manslaughter and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. At the subsequent trial, directions to acquit were given by the...

Garda Investigations (17 Nov 2010)

Dermot Ahern: I am not aware of when the discussions with the two people will be held, but I understand one has already been interviewed and the other, who is a third party and a relative of some of the people involved in the incident, will be interviewed in due course. There was serious concern in and around the time of the trial and subsequent to it. There were also suggestions that it be re-opened. If...

Garda Investigations (17 Nov 2010)

Dermot Ahern: The issue goes back as far as 1985 or 1986. At this remove and due to the separation of powers, it would not be appropriate for the Minister for Justice and Law Reform to comment on the holding of and procedure followed in the trial by the judge in question. In the aftermath of the acquittal and the closing of the criminal trial, significant efforts were made to re-open it. On 9 December...

Garda Investigations (17 Nov 2010)

Dermot Ahern: It would be entirely a matter for the Garda to decide. It has received representations from two people. The Garda Commissioner has appointed a detective superintendent to prepare a report and interview the people concerned. If the detective superintendent believes other people should be interviewed as a result, I have no doubt he will do so. Deputy Shatter is correct regarding the...

Written Answers — Road Fatalities: Road Fatalities (16 Nov 2010)

Dermot Ahern: I am aware that October 2010, with 35 road fatalities, has been the worst month for road fatalities since December 2007. It is worth bearing in mind, however, that even with the dreadful events of October, the total number of road fatalities for the year so far - 197 as of 11 November 2010 - is still below the number for the same period in 2009. The core objective of the current Road Safety...

Written Answers — Road Safety: Road Safety (16 Nov 2010)

Dermot Ahern: I am informed by the Garda authorities that an additional 22 intoxilyser devices have been requested from the Medical Bureau of Road Safety for installation in the following Garda Divisions: Division No of Intoxilysers DMR West 2 DMR North 1 Laois/Offaly 1 Meath 1 Kildare 3 Clare 1 Cork City 1 Kerry 1 Cork North 1 Sligo/Leitrim 2 Donegal 1 Cavan/Monaghan 2 Wexford 2 Tipperary 3