Results 7,321-7,340 of 21,096 for speaker:Charles Flanagan

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (6 Nov 2018)

Charles Flanagan: We have already had considerable discussions on this section and on these amendments. I assure Senator McDowell that there is no unseemly correspondence from the current Minister for Justice and Equality to the Judiciary or vice versa.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (6 Nov 2018)

Charles Flanagan: I do not expect that there will be such correspondence. I cannot comment on the situation under previous Administrations. I want to acknowledge what the Senator has said about the Bill's confidentiality requirements. He has queried whether those requirements imply that the Attorney General cannot disclose to the Cabinet the names of people who have not been recommended by the commission....

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) (6 Nov 2018)

Charles Flanagan: The real difficulty here is that Senator McDowell approaches this matter in a most adversarial way. He sees a shoot-out in the commission and controversy, differences of opinion, rows and votes at every remove. He sees the Attorney General being outvoted and a showdown happening, with the Attorney General being led in handcuffs from a Cabinet meeting. We have been treated to this type of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legal Aid Service Data (6 Nov 2018)

Charles Flanagan: I wish to inform the Deputy that the provision of legal aid falls in two categories, that is, civil legal aid and criminal legal aid. Details in respect of each are outlined below. Civil Legal Aid The provision of civil legal aid in the State is delivered by the Legal Aid Board pursuant to the Civil Legal Aid Act 1995 and the Civil Legal Aid Regulations 1996 to 2017. The Board operates 30...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Properties (6 Nov 2018)

Charles Flanagan: The Thornton Hall site was purchased in 2005 with the intention of constructing a large scale prison campus to replace the 19th century complex at Mountjoy Prison which the then Government planned to sell to fund the development. Due to the downturn in the economy, the scale of the project could not be accommodated within the capital allocation available and the project did not proceed. In...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (6 Nov 2018)

Charles Flanagan: I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that it is open to any visa required national to apply for a visa for any purpose. Each application is considered on its individual merits, with the Visa Officer having regard to all of the information available. The onus rests at all times with the applicant to satisfy the Visa Officer that the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service Administration (6 Nov 2018)

Charles Flanagan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 378, 420 and 442 together. As outlined in responses to previous parliamentary questions, the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department became aware in September of customers experiencing difficulties booking registration appointments. Some of these difficulties had arisen because third party agents had been able to secure...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Deportation Orders Data (6 Nov 2018)

Charles Flanagan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 379 and 380 together. I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that persons who are liable to deportation are non-EEA nationals who are without an immigration permission to be in the State. This usually follows a failed application for some form of immigration permission, where an application for...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Residency Permits (6 Nov 2018)

Charles Flanagan: I have been informed by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the person concerned applied on 27 April 2017 for a residence card as a family member of an EU citizen under the provisions of the European Communities (Free Movement of Persons) Regulations 2015 and Directive 2004/38/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council. They stated at that time...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Naturalisation Applications (6 Nov 2018)

Charles Flanagan: I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that, in line with my response to his question in July of this year, the processing of the application for a certificate of naturalisation, received in February 2018 from the person referred to by the Deputy, is ongoing. A letter issued to the person concerned on 24 October 2018 requesting certain...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Data (6 Nov 2018)

Charles Flanagan: As the Deputy will appreciate, it is the Garda Commissioner who is responsible for the distribution of resources, including personnel, among the various Garda Divisions and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter. Garda management keeps this distribution of resources under continual review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities so as to ensure that the optimum use is...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service Staff (6 Nov 2018)

Charles Flanagan: I am advised by the Irish Prison Service that the full year cost of employing 180 new Recruit Prison Officers in 2019 would be €8.5m. However given that recruitment in 2019 will be staggered over the course of the year the actual cost will be somewhat less than this figure and will depend on the varying start dates of new recruits. The recruitment of Recruit Prison Officers by the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Stations (6 Nov 2018)

Charles Flanagan: As the Deputy will appreciate, decisions in relation to the provision and allocation of Garda resources across the various Garda divisions are a matter for the Garda Commissioner in the light of his identified operational demands and the availability of resources. As Minister I have no role in that matter. I am informed by the Garda authorities that the unit capital cost for a...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Equipment (6 Nov 2018)

Charles Flanagan: The Deputy will appreciate that the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the provision of equipment for An Garda Síochána, including specialist equipment such as body worn cameras. I have to date not received a request from the Garda authorities for funding for body cameras for issue to operational members of An Garda Síochána. I have, however, been informed by...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Information and Communications Technology (6 Nov 2018)

Charles Flanagan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 387 and 432 to 434, inclusive, together. The Deputy has asked a number of questions in relation to Garda Síochána capital expenditure. The Deputy will be aware that under the Garda Síochána Act 2005, the Commissioner is the Accounting Officer for the Garda Vote and as such is responsible for the effective and efficient use of the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Accommodation (6 Nov 2018)

Charles Flanagan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 388 and 429 to 431, inclusive, together. As the Deputy will be aware, under the Modernisation and Renewal Programme for An Garda Síochána 2016-2021, Divisional units of Garda National Protective Services Bureau are being rolled-out in two phases, supported by the Garda National Protective Services Bureau. Phase One has now been completed, with...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Meetings (6 Nov 2018)

Charles Flanagan: In respect of the Deputy’s question I can confirm that neither I nor my officials have met with the company and organisation in question nor with representatives who have identified themselves as such, in the past 3 years. I am not in a position to confirm the position on behalf of my predecessors.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Community Alert Programme (6 Nov 2018)

Charles Flanagan: The Community Text Alert Groups rebate scheme is operated by Muintir na Tire and I have requested the information sought by the Deputy from Muintir na Tire and I will contact him directly when the information is to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Reviews (6 Nov 2018)

Charles Flanagan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 391 and 396 together. The position is that the Multi-Unit Developments Act 2011 was enacted with the primary purpose of reforming the law relating to the ownership and management of common areas of multi-unit developments and facilitating the fair, efficient and effective management of owners' management companies (OMCs). These are companies registered...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Consultations (6 Nov 2018)

Charles Flanagan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 392 and 393 together. Please find attached a table outlining public consultations undertaken and information related to the associated submissions, including the availability of submissions where they have been published. The Deputy will be aware that a new Public Consultations Portal was launched on Gov.ie last September. This new portal is an easily...