Results 7,301-7,320 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Status (19 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the person referred to is the subject of a Deportation Order signed on 26 January 2011 and therefore has no entitlement to residency in the State. Representations were received from the person's legal representative pursuant to Section 3 (11) of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended), to revoke...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Staff Promotions (19 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The most recent internal competitions in my Department for appointment to the position of Higher Executive Officer and Assistant Principal Officer were completed in 2015. These competitions were held in accordance with the provisions regarding cross-streaming and revised eligibility criteria for promotion arising from General Council Report 1526. I wish to inform the Deputy that 53...

Seanad: Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2015: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I thank the Senator for her comments. Following a number of judgments in the High Court which struck out offences relating to public indecency and exposure, section 39 will replace section 18 of the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act 1935. It provides for new offences to address certain behaviours. These are very clearly spelled out in the section. We have taken extensive legal advice and have...

Seanad: Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2015: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I thank Senators Zappone and Bacik for their contributions. It is obvious from their comments that there has been much discussion with the Department on the issue over a protracted period and I thank them and other Senators for putting forward their views. On foot of the responses to the discussion paper mentioned by the Senators, a number of concerns raised are being addressed in the...

Seanad: Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2015: Committee Stage (Resumed) (14 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I just want to mention that we will be introducing amendments to the harassment order under section 40 to clarify that such orders will take effect as soon as the offender is notified. I take this opportunity to thank Members for their contributions today and on the previous occasion. As Senators are aware, it is a wide-ranging Bill addressing child protection, including emerging threats,...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Penalty Points System Offences (14 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: In relation to the matter referred to I have requested a report from the Garda authorities and I will contact the Deputy directly when the report is to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: State Properties (14 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: Garda accommodation comes under the portfolio of State property, the management and maintenance of which is the responsibility of the Office of Public Works (OPW). The current and future use of Garda accommodation is, accordingly, a matter for the Commissioner and the OPW. In that context, I have been informed that the following Garda residences were disposed of during the period 2000 to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Coroners Service (14 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy refers to the Coroners Bill 2015, a Private Members Bill that in effect reproduces the whole of the Coroners Bill 2007 and introduces a small number of provisions for a mandatory post-mortem and inquest into any ‘maternal death’. The Deputy will be familiar with the history of the Coroners Bill 2007, which proposed a major overhaul and restructuring of the coroner...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Crime Data (14 Jan 2016)

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

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Misconduct Allegations (14 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 176 to 178, inclusive, together. The particular case to which the Deputies refers was amongst those considered under the mechanism established for the independent review of certain allegations of Garda misconduct, or inadequacies in the investigation of certain allegations, which have been made to me as Minister for Justice and Equality, or the Taoiseach...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Irish Prison Service (14 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I wish to advise the Deputy that the Irish Prison Service does not detain persons under house arrest as there is no legal provision to do so. I can also inform the Deputy that it would not be appropriate for me to comment in detail on an individual's sentence management plan.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Divorce Process (14 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Fifteenth Amendment of the Constitution Act, approved by the people in 1995, set out the constitutional basis for the grant of a dissolution of a marriage. Under Article 41.3.2 of the constitution, a court may grant a dissolution of marriage "where, but only where, it is satisfied that - i. at the date of institution of proceedings, the spouses have lived apart from one another for a...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Data (14 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy will be aware the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution of personnel, among the Garda Regions, Divisions, and Districts. Garda management keep this distribution under continuing review taking into account crime trends and policing priorities so as to ensure that the best possible use is made of these resources. I have been informed by the Garda Commissioner that...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Data (14 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy is aware the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution of personnel among the Garda Regions, Divisions, and Districts. Garda management keep this distribution under continuing review taking into account crime trends, security assessments, and policing priorities so as to ensure that the best possible use is made of Garda resources. I have been informed by the Garda...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Sentencing Policy (14 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The position in relation to the recommendations contained in the Law Reform Commission Report on Mandatory Sentences is summarised in a tabular form below. However, I would also like to draw the Deputy's attention to the Report of the Penal Policy Review Group which was tasked with carrying out a strategic review of penal policy. That report, which I published in September 2014, made a...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Warrants (14 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I have recently received the report requested from the Garda authorities and am informed that, as of 25 November, 2015, there were a total of 29,233 bench warrants awaiting execution. The House will appreciate that at any given time there will inevitably be a significant number of warrants outstanding as indicated by the fact that the House was informed in May 2010 that at the time 37,394...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Status (14 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the persons mentioned by the Deputy who entered the State as students in 2006 have now exhausted the time allowed for students in the State. As an exceptional measure they were issued with permission on 12 November 2014 for one year to afford them the opportunity to apply to the for an employment...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Asylum Seeker Accommodation (14 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: Following earlier requests from this person to move her family from their current accommodation, an offer of accommodation at an alternative centre has been issued by the Reception and Integration Agency and has been accepted by the person in question. I understand that the move will occur in the coming days.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Status (14 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that, in response to a notification pursuant to the provisions of Section 3 of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended), written representations have been submitted on behalf of the person concerned. These representations, together with all other information and documentation on file, will be fully...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Status (14 Jan 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the person concerned wrote to INIS on 8 June 2015 requesting permission to register permission to reside in the State, which was granted in June, 2011, with the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) in the absence of his EU Citizen spouse. I understand that INIS wrote to the person's legal...