Results 6,721-6,740 of 16,849 for speaker:Dermot Ahern

Written Answers — Closed Circuit Television Systems: Closed Circuit Television Systems (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I am advised by the Garda authorities that significant progress has been made on the installation of the Garda town centre CCTV system in the area referred to by the Deputy. This system is expected to become operational in the coming months.

Written Answers — Drug Seizures: Drug Seizures (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: As the Deputy will be aware, Revenue's Customs Service has primary responsibility for the prevention, detection, interception and seizure of controlled drugs at ports of entry into the State. I am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that Customs continually assesses the risk along the Sligo and Donegal coast for the illegal importation of drugs and patrol the coastline on an ongoing basis....

Written Answers — Drug Seizures: Drug Seizures (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I am advised by the Garda authorities that the total number of full-time staff assigned to drug detection and surveillance in Counties Donegal, Sligo and Mayo in 2007, 2008 and to date in 2009 is as set out in the following table: Division 2007 2008 2009 (to date) Donegal 4 8 10 Sligo/Leitrim 5 (3 part time) 5 (3 part time) 5 (3 part time) Mayo 4 6 6 Garda personnel assigned throughout...

Written Answers — Drug Seizures: Drug Seizures (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: In the time available it has not been possible to provide the information requested by the Deputy. I will communicate further with the Deputy when the information sought is to hand.

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The Department's Probation Service has regional offices in Dundalk and Drogheda. In the Dundalk office there are nine staff, of which four are full time and five are part-time. Of these, eight are permanent, established civil servants and one is a State industrial employee on a permanent contract. With regard to the Drogheda office, there are six staff, of which two are full time and four...

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The visa application referred to by the Deputy was received in the Visa Office, Dublin on 17 February 2009. Following consideration by a Visa Officer it was refused on 23 February 2009 for the following reasons: 1. The evidence of finances provided was deemed insufficient; 2. It is not the general policy of the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service to allow family members of people...

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: An application for a certificate of naturalisation from the person referred to in the Deputy's Question was received in the Citizenship Division of my Department in June 2006. The average processing time from application to decision is now at 23 months. More complicated cases can at times take more than the current average while an element of straightforward cases are now being dealt with in...

Written Answers — Public Service Review: Public Service Review (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: At the commencement of its work, the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes requested all Departments to prepare evaluation papers outlining potential areas for savings in staff numbers and expenditure. The Special Group met the Secretary General of my Department, Accounting Officers in the Vote Group and other senior officials in the course of its deliberations....

Written Answers — Crime Levels: Crime Levels (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The Garda Síochána Act 2005 makes provision for the compilation and publication of crime statistics by the Central Statistics Office, as the national statistical agency, and the CSO has established a dedicated unit for this purpose. I have requested the CSO to provide the statistics sought by the Deputy directly to him.

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act, 1956, as amended, provides that the Minister may, in his absolute discretion, grant an application for a certificate of naturalisation. In accordance with the legislation, I make decisions on naturalisation applications based on all of the information available to me. I have adopted a general policy that I will normally require an applicant for...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I would refer the Deputy to my replies to his previous questions in this regard, in particular my reply to his question on 8 July 2008, which remains the position. The only additional point I would make is that the Immigration area of my Department along with all other areas is required to comply with the terms of the Budget Day announcement to yield up pay savings. This requirement is...

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) is an inter-governmental organisation that assists governments to manage migration programmes. INIS have contracted IOM since 2001 to manage its Voluntary Assistance Return and Reintegration Programme (VARRP). The VARRP programme aims to assess and return non-EU nationals to their country of origin on a voluntary basis. Although the VARRP...

Written Answers — Deportation Orders: Deportation Orders (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The deportation costs provided in the following table refer to the removal from the State of illegal immigrants and persons whose asylum applications were refused. The vast majority of the removals involved persons whose asylum applications were refused. Set out as follows are the costs for 2008 and until 31 May 2009 of the removal of persons subject to Deportation Orders, by...

Written Answers — Deportation Orders: Deportation Orders (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The total number of persons who were issued with Deportation Orders and who were subsequently deported to date in 2009 and the corresponding figures for 2008 are as follows: Year Number of Deportation Orders signed Number of Deportation Orders effected 2009 (until 30 June) 460 143 2008 634 161 Total 1094 304 The enforcement of Deportation Orders is and remains an operational matter for...

Written Answers — Asylum Applications: Asylum Applications (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The Immigration Act 2003, which commenced on the 15th September, 2003, contained a number of key changes to the Refugee Act, 1996 which enabled the processing of asylum applications to be speeded up and enhanced our ability to deal with abusive applications. These changes included the imposition on applicants of a clear statutory duty to actively pursue their asylum applications and...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The European Directive 2004/38/EC was transposed into Irish law by the European Communities (Free Movement of Persons) Regulations 2006 (S.I. 226 of 2006) which took effect on 28 April 2006. The Regulations were amended in December 2006 by the European Communities (Free Movement of Persons) (No.2) Regulations (S.I. 656 of 2006) in the light of the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the EU...

Written Answers — Asylum Support Services: Asylum Support Services (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The Reception and Integration Agency (RIA) of my Department is responsible, in accordance with Government policy, for the accommodation of those seeking international protection in Ireland. It operates a Direct Provision system which provides protection applicants with full board accommodation, free of utility or other cost. I would refer the Deputy to my reply to Dáil Question numbers 563...

Written Answers — Asylum Support Services: Asylum Support Services (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I would refer the Deputy to my reply to his Dáil Question of 24 March 2009 (ref: 565) in this matter. The length of contracts engaged in by the Reception and Integration Agency (RIA) of my Department for the provision of full board accommodation and ancillary services to persons who apply for international protection can vary depending on the type, function and location of the centre in...

Written Answers — Asylum Applications: Asylum Applications (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: As the Deputy is aware the processing of asylum applications is done within the framework of the Refugee Act, 1996 (as amended) under which every asylum applicant is guaranteed an investigation and determination of his or her claim at first instance by the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner (ORAC). I presume the Deputy is referring in his question to the language analysis testing...

Written Answers — Asylum Applications: Asylum Applications (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: As the Deputy is aware, the processing of asylum applications is carried out within the framework of the Refugee Act, 1996 (as amended) under which every asylum applicant is guaranteed an investigation and determination of his or her claim at first instance by the Refugee Applications Commissioner (ORAC). There are a variety of reasons resulting in the need to cancel the scheduled interviews...