Results 7,981-8,000 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Crime Data (1 Dec 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 347 and 348 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Organised Crime (1 Dec 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I can assure the Deputy that the operation of organised crime groups is closely monitored on an ongoing basis by An Garda Síochána and that tackling these groups remains a key ongoing priority for both the Government and An Garda Síochána. This priority is clearly reflected in the Garda Policing Plan for 2015. In tackling organised crime activity, An Garda...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Drugs Crime (1 Dec 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: Drug trafficking has long been recognised as one of the most profitable of criminal activities. Targeting drug trafficking and supply has therefore remained a priority for law enforcement authorities worldwide. The Policing Plan of An Garda Síochána sets out the continued commitment of An Garda Síochána to pro-actively target groups and individuals engaged in...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Organised Crime (1 Dec 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I can assure the Deputy that the operation of organised crime groups is closely monitored on an ongoing basis by An Garda Síochána and that tackling these groups remains a key ongoing priority for both the Government and An Garda Síochána. This priority is clearly reflected in the Garda Síochána Policing Plan for 2015. In targeting such activity An Garda...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Stations (1 Dec 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The formulation of proposals in relation to the opening and closing of Garda stations is a matter, in the first instance, for the Garda Commissioner in the context of annual policing plans, as provided for in section 22 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005. The Garda District and Station Rationalisation Programme was implemented in An Garda Síochána during 2012 and 2013. The...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Accommodation Provision (1 Dec 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Irish Prison Service that as of 27th November 2015 there were 3,785 prisoners in custody with a bed capacity of 4,116 which allows for the safe and secure custody for all categories of prisoner. This equates to an occupancy rate of 92%. As the Deputy will be aware there is a standard operational procedure in place to ensure that upon committal, all offenders are...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prisoner Rehabilitation Programmes (1 Dec 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the the Irish Prison Service that it provides a wide range of rehabilitative programmes to those in custody that include education, vocational training, healthcare, psychiatric, psychological, counselling, welfare and spiritual services. These programmes offer purposeful activity to those in custody while serving their sentences and encouraging them to lead law abiding lives...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legal Aid (1 Dec 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I wish to advise the Deputy that there is no waiting period associated with the granting of criminal legal aid under the Criminal Justice (Legal Aid) Act 1962; the Courts, through the judiciary, are responsible for the granting of legal aid upon the applicant's appearance in Court. A new Criminal Justice (Legal Aid) Bill is currently being drafted which will update and strengthen the system...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Resources (1 Dec 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution of personnel, among the Garda Regions, Divisions, and Districts. I have been informed by the Garda Commissioner that the personnel strength of Gardai assigned to County Louth Garda Division on the 31 October 2015, the latest dates for which figures are readily available are 281 of which 104 are assigned...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Crime Prevention (1 Dec 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: Section 38 of the Garda Síochána Act, 2005 lays down the conditions governing the operation of CCTV schemes in public areas. This includes the need for all such CCTV schemes to be authorised in writing by the Garda Commissioner. CCTV systems installed for the purposes of crime prevention, and as aids to policing in areas to which the general public routinely have access such as town...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Staff Data (1 Dec 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The information sought by the Deputy in respect of staff of my Department is as follows. There are some 11 staff who are classified under contracts of indefinite duration. All of these staff members are receiving incremental salary payments.

Seanad: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Report Stage (26 Nov 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: May I explain? As Senators are aware it is a complex Bill. Obviously at this point in the development of the Bill we are taking a legal overview of it as a whole. It is primarily technical fixes, given the changes to various sections. As the Senators will see when they go through the amendments, many are grouped which are about technical changes. There is a mix of simple corrections to...

Seanad: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Report Stage (26 Nov 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: No. There is months of work gone into it.

Seanad: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Report Stage (26 Nov 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: No.

Seanad: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Report Stage (26 Nov 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: On the amendments we accepted the last day, the only new amendments submitted today are ones that are tidying up the Bill. I would say there is no policy change. Where there is any key point on policy, I am noting that, with the main one today being that concerning the pre-action protocols. I have to say to Senator Norris that there is no question of the work that has been put into this....

Seanad: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Report Stage (26 Nov 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am very pleased to begin this afternoon’s proceedings with a group of amendments that provide the statutory basis for the introduction of what is termed a “pre-action protocol”, which will take the form of ministerial regulations. The pre-action protocol will set out the steps to be followed and the obligations on all relevant parties to the handling of inquiries into...

Seanad: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Report Stage (26 Nov 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Senator said, it is an important section, which provides that an apology by a medical practitioner is not to constitute an admission of liability or invalidation of insurance. It is a key plank of this innovation and was very strongly recommended by the working group report on this issue.It is also mirrored in several other common law jurisdictions. For obvious reasons, the Minister...

Seanad: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Report Stage (26 Nov 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: Amendments Nos. 2 and 3 set out the date of coming into operation of the new legal partnerships model being introduced under the Bill, which is to be within six months of the completion of the relevant public consultations. This will allow for the new legal partnerships, barrister-barrister or barrister-solicitor, to be introduced within a year of the establishment of the new regulatory...

Seanad: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Report Stage (26 Nov 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I do not agree with the Senator's analysis. It is about offering different models of legal services to the public. It is about choice. The 2006 Competition Authority report, the vast majority of the recommendations of which we are implementing, highlights the need for a choice of different legal models. Sinn Féin is staying with the status quo. The Government is proposing to...

Seanad: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Report Stage (26 Nov 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: There is no policy difference. It is just a technical amendment to changed sections in the Bill. There is no policy difference versus what we agreed last week.