Results 7,761-7,780 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Accommodation Standards (2 Dec 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I can inform the Deputy that the Irish Prison Service Strategy Statement 2012/2015 identified the elimination of slopping out in the prison estate as a priority. When the current Government assumed office in March of 2011 the practice of “slopping out” was still happening in Cork, Mountjoy, Limerick and Portlaoise prisons. As the Deputy will be aware, this Government has...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Status (2 Dec 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the person concerned is the subject of a Deportation Order made on 30 January 2006. Representations were received from the person's legal representative, to request the Minister to use her discretion, pursuant to Section 3 (11) of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended), to revoke the Deportation...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Inspectorate Reports (2 Dec 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I received the report from the Garda Inspectorate of its part of the review of An Garda Síochána to be completed under the Haddington Road Agreement on 13 November last. In accordance with the terms of reference set for the Inspectorate the report examines all aspects of the administration and operation of An Garda Síochána, including its structure, organisation, staffing...

Other Questions: Garda Resources (1 Dec 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Garda is heavily involved with Interpol and Europol in information exchange. Following the Paris attacks on the Friday, I was briefed on the Saturday by the national response unit which was dealing with the information that was coming through. It was already in contact with Interpol and Europol. Interpol had asked for information from Ireland but no specific information emerged on a...

Other Questions: Garda Operations (1 Dec 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: Operation Thor is a multi-strand national operation which builds on previous and current Garda operations to tackle crime, particularly burglaries. It builds on the substantial investment, restarted by the Government, in recruiting new gardaí and vehicles. All of these resources are available to the Garda Commissioner to delegate, as she sees appropriate. This year the Clare...

Other Questions: Garda Operations (1 Dec 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: Nonsense.

Other Questions: Garda Operations (1 Dec 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: It was the previous Fianna Fáil Government which stopped investment in An Garda Síochána.

Other Questions: Garda Operations (1 Dec 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: It was because of the economic crisis the Fianna Fáil Government left us that it was not possible to have the investment which should have been happening in the past five years. The Government has, however, started to invest again in recruitment and support vehicles.

Other Questions: Garda Operations (1 Dec 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The strategy is clear.

Other Questions: Garda Operations (1 Dec 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: It is articulated under Operation Thor which has five strands, all of which are being implemented. It includes additional high visibility patrols which people will have seen in operation across the country.

Other Questions: Garda Operations (1 Dec 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: There is no correlation between station closures and increases in the numbers of burglaries. Burglary hot spots have been identified. There has been an increased use of checkpoints to tackle the criminal gangs using the national road network.

Other Questions: Garda Operations (1 Dec 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: There are the new high powered vehicles. The last year Fianna Fáil was in power it bought 45 Garda vehicles. This year alone 650 vehicles have been invested in.

Other Questions: Garda Operations (1 Dec 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy needs to face up to the fact that he Government stopped investment in An Garda Síochána.

Other Questions: Garda Operations (1 Dec 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Government has restarted investment and this is what will keep communities safe. We are doubling the investment in Muintir na Tíre for the text alert scheme.

Other Questions: Garda Operations (1 Dec 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: We are recruiting new gardaí with advertisements in the newspapers this week for 600 new places. If one wants to tackle crime and keep communities safe, one has to invest in front-line policing, as the Government is doing.

Other Questions: Garda Operations (1 Dec 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: One has to give the Garda the resources it needs to deal with mobile gangs. One also has to bring forward strong legislation, which we are doing with the burglary Bill, and to ensure criminals will find it more difficult to get bail and will serve consecutive, rather than concurrent, sentences. These are the initiatives we are taking. The previous Fianna Fáil Government stopped investment

Other Questions: Garda Resources (1 Dec 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: Recent events have brought into focus the potential threats that democratic societies face from international threats. It must be recalled that the primary security threat facing the State is from so-called dissident republican paramilitary groups. These groups are inextricably linked to organised crime in order to fund their activities. At present, over 40 people are before the Special...

Other Questions: Garda Resources (1 Dec 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: This is a key issue, heightened all the more by recent events in Paris, and was discussed at the meeting of the justice and home affairs Ministers. There will be further meetings this week. It was made clear that international co-operation is key to dealing with this issue. Exchange of intelligence information, identification of the travel routes of suspects, the use of Interpol and...

Other Questions: Sentencing Policy (1 Dec 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: Work is ongoing on a judicial council Bill and one of the elements will be to provide a statutory basis for the work I have outlined that is being done by the Irish sentencing information system along these lines. We have not walked away from the Bill on which work is ongoing. I take the Deputy's point that it is an important Bill. I do not agree with his comments on my reply which shows...

Other Questions: Sentencing Policy (1 Dec 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I reiterate that judges are independent. The Deputy has said they must be held accountable, but they are independent; that is the reality. We bring forward legislation that outlines the sentencing we think is appropriate to a variety of crimes. All of the expert information available to me indicates that mandatory sentencing is not the way forward because of that very point. What does...