Results 8,141-8,160 of 16,849 for speaker:Dermot Ahern

Written Answers — Closed Circuit Television Systems: Closed Circuit Television Systems (23 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I refer the Deputy to the response to Parliamentary Question No 65 of 9th April 2009. The position is as stated in that reply.

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (23 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I have been informed by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service that they have been in correspondence with the person referred to by the Deputy. Upon receipt of the documents requested from the applicant, the application will receive further consideration.

Written Answers — Closed Circuit Television Systems: Closed Circuit Television Systems (23 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The Community-based CCTV Scheme is designed to provide financial assistance to qualifying local organisations towards meeting the capital costs associated with the establishment of local community CCTV systems. I am advised that the scheme for the provision of CCTV in the estate referred to by the Deputy is ready to proceed to contract stage and accordingly, a request for drawdown of funds...

Written Answers — Asylum Applications: Asylum Applications (23 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The person concerned applied for asylum on 9 February 2005. His application was refused following consideration of his case by the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner and, on appeal, the Refugee Appeals Tribunal. In accordance with the provisions of Section 3 of the Immigration Act, 1999 (as amended), the person concerned was informed, by letter dated 8 June 2006, that the...

Written Answers — Deportation Orders: Deportation Orders (23 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The total number of persons who opted to voluntarily repatriate during 2008 and up to the end of the last complete calendar month in 2009 is provided in Table A: Table A - Voluntary returns effected - 2008 to 2009 (end of March) Year Number ofself-managedvoluntary returns Number of voluntary returns - International Organisation for Migration assisted Total 2008 74 452 526 2009 (until end...

Written Answers — Prison Committals: Prison Committals (23 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: Statistics on the number of committals to prison custody as a result of failure to comply with a court order in relation to the non-payment of a civil debt are set out in the following table. The table covers the years from 2004 to 2008. Year Number of Persons 2004 200 2005 223 2006 194 2007 201 2008 276 I can advise the Deputy that the number of persons held in custody at any one...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (23 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: Legislation to address the Law Reform Commission's recommendations on multi-unit developments is in the course of being drafted by the Parliamentary Counsel as a matter of priority. The intention is to publish the Bill in this Session. The principal focus of the new Bill will be on ensuring good governance of property management companies and similar bodies which comprise the owners of units...

Written Answers — Garda Recruitment: Garda Recruitment (23 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I am informed by the Garda Commissioner that approximately 100 Garda trainees will commence training in early May, after which the moratorium on recruitment will apply.

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (23 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: My Department does not provide so-called expense account credit cards to staff members. However, six senior members of staff are supplied with credit cards of the type where outstanding balances are paid directly by the Department to enable them to procure some goods and services as part of their official responsibilities. The expenditure limit of these cards is approximately €8,000....

Written Answers — Equal Opportunities Employment: Equal Opportunities Employment (23 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The percentage of people employed in my Department who have a disability is 3.8%.

Written Answers — Garda Reserve: Garda Reserve (22 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 73 and 136 together. At 31 March 2009, there were 322 attested Reserve Gardaí and 152 Reserve trainees. Details of the stations to which Reserve members are currently assigned are set out in the table below. The Agreed Programme for Government has set a target strength for the Reserve at 10% of the full-time strength of the force. As the Garda Reserve...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (22 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I refer the Deputy to my reply to Questions No. 56 and 110 of 25 February, 2009. Since then and in advance of the publication of the Revised Estimates Volume, my Department has introduced a number of measures to achieve the general administrative cost reductions which are required. All expenditure in my Department's Vote Group is reviewed every month by the Department's Financial Management...

Written Answers — Prisoner Deaths: Prisoner Deaths (22 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I have been informed by the Irish Prison Service that there have been six deaths in custody in 2007, eleven deaths in 2008 and three deaths to date in 2009. All deaths in custody are the subject of a Garda investigation and an inquest held in a Coroner's Court. The cause of death is determined by a jury on the basis of the information presented to the Court. Of the twenty deaths in custody...

Written Answers — Guardianship Rights: Guardianship Rights (22 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: Existing legislation makes extensive provision for unmarried fathers with respect to their children. Under the law as it stands - section 6A of the Guardianship of Infants Act 1964, as inserted by section 12 of the Status of Children Act 1987 - an unmarried father may apply to the court to be appointed a guardian of his child. Alternatively, where there is agreement between the parents,...

Written Answers — Prison Building Programme: Prison Building Programme (22 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The 2009 prisons capital programme includes a number of important projects. Thornton Hall A preferred bidder for the design, construction, finance and maintenance of the new prison development at Thornton Hall, County Dublin has been selected. While negotiations on the contract are at an advanced stage they have not yet been completed to the point that the Project Agreement can be signed....

Written Answers — Departmental Reports: Departmental Reports (22 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: As indicated in my responses to Parliamentary Questions Number 62 of 18 December 2008 and Number 90 of 25 February 2009, the findings of the Hartnett Report have been accepted. The Inquest into the death of the person in question has been concluded and civil proceedings instituted by the person's family have been settled. A Chief Superintendent was appointed under the Garda Síochána...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (22 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: Though legislation on the use of knives and similar weapons is already very strong and heavy penalties are already in place, I am moving to strengthen the law in this area. In that context, I sought and received proposals from the Garda Commissioner on strengthening the law on knife crime. These include: • increasing the maximum prison sentence for possessing a knife in a public place...

Written Answers — Prison Drug Treatment Services: Prison Drug Treatment Services (22 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The statement referred to by the Deputy has recently been made available by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Amongst various matters raised in the statement there is comment expressing reservation that needle and syringe exchange programmes are available to prisoners in only eight countries throughout the world and opiate substitution therapy in only...

Written Answers — Legislative Programme: Legislative Programme (22 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The Criminal Justice (Surveillance) Bill 2009 was published on 17th April 2009. The Bill provides a statutory framework for surveillance by an Garda Síochána, the Defence Forces and the Revenue Commissioners in their respective roles in combatting serious crime and protecting the State from subversive and terrorist threats. Up to now surveillance has been used primarily as an intelligence...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (22 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: Legislation to address the Law Reform Commission's recommendations on multi-unit developments is in the course of being drafted by the Parliamentary Counsel as a matter of priority. The intention is to publish the Bill in this Session. The principal focus of the new Bill will be on ensuring good governance of property management companies and similar bodies which comprise the owners of units...