Results 7,741-7,760 of 16,849 for speaker:Dermot Ahern

Written Answers — Child Abuse: Child Abuse (26 May 2009)

Dermot Ahern: As the Deputy is no doubt aware, the Internet is an international and worldwide phenomenon, it has no borders and no single organisation controlling it. Therefore efforts to combat illegal and harmful materials and activities on it can often be hampered by the multiplicity of jurisdictions, differing legal systems and differing societal norms. In this particular instance many of the major...

Written Answers — Voluntary Work: Voluntary Work (26 May 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The Law Reform Commission published its Consultation Paper on the Civil Liability of "Good Samaritans" and Volunteers in November 2007. The Consultation Paper included provisional recommendations in relation to the standard of conduct to be expected of Good Samaritans, voluntary rescuers and other volunteers and defences against civil liability claims for such people. I understand that the...

Written Answers — Road Traffic Regulations: Road Traffic Regulations (26 May 2009)

Dermot Ahern: One of the strategic goals set out in the Garda Síochána Corporate Strategy 2007-2009 is to significantly reduce the incidence of fatal and serious injuries on the roads and improve road safety. I am informed by the Garda authorities that there has been no reduction in the efforts of members of An Garda Síochána in the enforcement of road traffic legislation. While members of the Garda...

Written Answers — Garda Deployment: Garda Deployment (26 May 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I am advised by An Garda Síochána that there are four Garda Assets Profilers allocated to the Limerick Garda Division. Their remit is to identify assets believed to be the proceeds of crime derived by persons suspected of involvement in crime and organised criminal activity. While there has been no increase in the number of Asset Profilers allocated to this Division since January 2009, the...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (26 May 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The Deputy will appreciate that it can be difficult to arrive at an accurate estimate of costs within the criminal justice system associated specifically with drug misuse as services such as An Garda Síochána, the Prisons, the Courts and Probation Service all deal with drugs issues as a part of their wider daily remit, as indeed do a number of officials of this Department as a feature of...

Written Answers — Witness Intimidation: Witness Intimidation (26 May 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 254 and 255 together. There is a specific statutory offence of intimidation of witnesses or jurors. Section 41 of the Criminal Justice Act 1999 makes it an offence to harm or threaten or in any other way intimidate or put in fear another person who is assisting in the investigation by the Garda Síochána of an offence or is a witness or potential witness or...

Written Answers — Residency Permits: Residency Permits (26 May 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I wish to inform the Deputy that a letter of intention to revoke the permission granted on 17 September 2008 issued to the person referred to by the Deputy on 21 May 2009. The person concerned has been given 10 days from the date of this letter in which to respond to the issues raised.

Written Answers — Garda Reserve: Garda Reserve (26 May 2009)

Dermot Ahern: Recruitment to the Garda Reserve is on-going. It is proposed that a new group of Reserve trainees will commence their training next month.

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (26 May 2009)

Dermot Ahern: Certificates of naturalisation are issued on payment of the prescribed fee at the time of certification as set out in the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended. Certification fees for Citizenship were last changed in 1993. The regulations that came into force on 1st August 2008 were the result of a review of citizenship fees that began some time prior to that date and merely...

Written Answers — Crime Levels: Crime Levels (26 May 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I am advised that the information being sought by the Deputy is not recorded by my Department. As the Deputy will be aware, following the submission of a report and recommendations by an expert group on crime statistics, it was decided that the compilation and publication of crime statistics should be taken over by the Central Statistics Office, as the national statistical agency. The Garda...

Written Answers — Crime Levels: Crime Levels (26 May 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I am advised that the information being sought by the Deputy is not recorded by my Department. As the Deputy will be aware, following the submission of a report and recommendations by an expert group on crime statistics, it was decided that the compilation and publication of crime statistics should be taken over by the Central Statistics Office, as the national statistical agency. The Garda...

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (26 May 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The visa application referred to by the Deputy was received in the Visa Office, Beijing on 27 March 2009. It was refused by the Visa Officer on 11 May 2009 for the following reason: 1. Obligations to return to the home country not shown - e.g. no social, economic or professional ties in home country shown. The applicant subsequently lodged an appeal and the decision of the Visa Officer was...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (26 May 2009)

Dermot Ahern: My Department is required to operate in accordance with Government policy on civil and public service numbers. Having said that, I have no plans to cut the number of staff working on naturalisation in the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service. In fact, following the decentralisation of the Citizenship Division to Tipperary Town in April 2008, there are now more staff working on...

Written Answers — Road Traffic Offences: Road Traffic Offences (26 May 2009)

Dermot Ahern: Applications for certificates of naturalisation from the persons referred to in the Deputy's Question were received in the Citizenship Division of my Department in January 2007. Officials in the Citizenship Division of my Department prepared submissions in respect of the applications and it was clear that a driving offence had been recorded by An Gárda Síochána against the second named...

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (26 May 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 February 2008. On examination of the application submitted it was determined that the person in question did not have one year's continuous reckonable residence in the State immediately preceding the date of application. The...

Written Answers — Noise Pollution: Noise Pollution (26 May 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The legislation in relation to noise pollution is a matter for my colleague the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. In line with the commitment in the Programme for Government and following a public consultation process the Government has recently approved the Minister's proposals for the drafting of a Noise Nuisance Bill. While there is already a wide range of...

Written Answers — Garda Operations: Garda Operations (26 May 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I am informed by the Garda Authorities that the Confidential Line Service was established in 1992. The Superintendent, DMR Communications Centre, Harcourt Square, has responsibility for the monitoring and management of the country-wide service. Based on an extrapolation of data over a 6 month period from August, 2008 to January, 2009, the Freefone line, 1 800 666 111, receives on average...

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (26 May 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 section of my Department on 18 October 2006. Officials in that section inform me that processing of this application is ongoing and the file will be forwarded to me for a decision in the coming months.

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (26 May 2009)

Dermot Ahern: Matters in relation to all countries which are visa required are reviewed on an ongoing basis. My Department is currently conducting a review of the requirements for Taiwanese nationals to obtain a visa prior to entry into the State. The decision of the British authorities to make changes in relation to Taiwan will be considered as part of this review. A decision in relation to any changes...

Written Answers — Drugs in Prisons: Drugs in Prisons (26 May 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The Irish Prison Service continues to work to implement its Drugs Policy & Strategy, entitled Keeping Drugs Out of Prison, which was launched in May 2006. Working to fulfil the commitments contained in the Policy and Strategy involves the implementation of stringent measures to prevent drugs from getting into prisons while, at the same time, continuing to invest in services within prisons to...