Results 7,421-7,440 of 9,252 for speaker:Jim O'Callaghan

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Homicide Statistics: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Mar 2018)

Jim O'Callaghan: Let me outline what appears to me to be the problem period. Between 1 December and the time of the Policing Authority meeting on 27 April 2017, Ms West's work seems to have been ignored and she seems to have been excluded from deliberations. Would that be a fair assessment of what occurred?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Homicide Statistics: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Mar 2018)

Jim O'Callaghan: On one level, there are the issues about the work of Ms West's service not being taken seriously. On the other hand, in terms of the major public issue, why were the issues Ms West raised and highlighted not countenanced in the report? Why was there an attempt not to give credence to them?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Homicide Statistics: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Mar 2018)

Jim O'Callaghan: Let us put ourselves back into the early part of last year in An Garda Síochána. There were major issues developing in respect of Garda breath-testing, as referred to by Deputy Chambers. Might it have been a factor that the Garda did not want to put into the public domain further negative information in respect of Garda data?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Homicide Statistics: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Mar 2018)

Jim O'Callaghan: I refer Ms West to the Policing Authority meeting of 27 April 2017. Does she believe the authority was given an accurate account of the state of the homicide review in An Garda Síochána at that time?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Homicide Statistics: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Mar 2018)

Jim O'Callaghan: I asked Dr. Singh about this three weeks ago. The impression appears to have been communicated clearly to the Policing Authority that the analysis and investigative sides of the House were satisfied. Was that correct at the time?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Homicide Statistics: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Mar 2018)

Jim O'Callaghan: Did Ms West see the Policing Authority meeting as it was taking place? Did she see it subsequently?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Homicide Statistics: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Mar 2018)

Jim O'Callaghan: What was Ms West's reaction to it?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Homicide Statistics: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Mar 2018)

Jim O'Callaghan: The report that was referred to the Policing Authority meeting was not really the product of work conducted by the analysis service and the investigative service; it was purely work produced by the latter.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Homicide Statistics: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Mar 2018)

Jim O'Callaghan: When Ms West got to see the 59-page report that was being referred to at the meeting of the Policing Authority, what was her response?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Homicide Statistics: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Mar 2018)

Jim O'Callaghan: Was Ms West put under pressure to sign off on the 59-page report that had been referred to the Policing Authority?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Homicide Statistics: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Mar 2018)

Jim O'Callaghan: Do I take it from that that there was pressure put on Ms West to get her agreement to sign off on the report?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Homicide Statistics: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Mar 2018)

Jim O'Callaghan: There was another Policing Authority meeting on 29 June 2017. Was Ms West happy with what was presented to the authority on that occasion?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Homicide Statistics: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Mar 2018)

Jim O'Callaghan: What made Ms West unhappy with that presentation?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Homicide Statistics: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Mar 2018)

Jim O'Callaghan: There was a further Policing Authority meeting on 28 September 2017. I watched it and there was a brief reference to the homicide review and report. It was confirmed to the chairwoman of the authority that the investigative side of the house and the analysis side of the house had signed off on it. Was that correct at that stage?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Homicide Statistics: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Mar 2018)

Jim O'Callaghan: Ultimately, although between December 2016 and September 2017, as Ms West said earlier, PDIM and the investigative side of the house were not adoptive of the findings of Ms Galligan and Ms West, they changed their mind and said the analysis service was right. Is that correct?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Homicide Statistics: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Mar 2018)

Jim O'Callaghan: How stands the homicide review from the point of view of the public? When will it be completed? Is the analysis service's methodology being adopted for the purpose of the review?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Homicide Statistics: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Mar 2018)

Jim O'Callaghan: While senior management has come full circle and recognised that the analysis service's methodology is correct, significant time has been lost conducting the review. Is it correct that this is the upset of it all?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Homicide Statistics: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Mar 2018)

Jim O'Callaghan: Ms Galligan conducted the empirical research. In her statement, she raised an incident of serious concern upon discovering the partner of a deceased person was in a new domestic violent relationship. Does that illustrate the danger of not having up-to-date and accurate data, given one cannot follow the history of an individual who may be engaged in domestic violence?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Homicide Statistics: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Mar 2018)

Jim O'Callaghan: It is damaging for victims that the information is available. In fairness to members of An Garda Síochána, it makes their lives much more difficult when it comes to investigating potential crimes because they do not have the raw data.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigrant Investor Programme Data (6 Mar 2018)

Jim O'Callaghan: 91. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the details of the operation of the Irish diaspora loan fund; the number of applications since 2012; the number of successful applications to the fund since 2012; the number of residency applications from those successful applicants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10516/18]