Results 8,321-8,340 of 16,849 for speaker:Dermot Ahern

Garda Investigations. (22 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: Regarding the Deputy's allegations about people being informers or gardaí being complicit in any wrongdoing, I strongly suggest that he leave the matter to the independent Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, which was rightly established and given powers by the House in the aftermath of the Morris tribunal, to determine whether there has been any wrongdoing. It should be done by an...

Garda Investigations. (22 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: Yes. I have been informed by the Garda Commissioner that the Garda is co-operating fully despite what has been reported in the media.

Crime Prevention. (22 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: Persons involved in organised criminal activities are being targeted by An Garda Síochána in a number of ways, including uniform and plain clothes personnel overtly and covertly disrupting known criminals in the course of criminal activities. Such criminals, their operating methods, criminal interests and financial assets are proactively targeted through intelligence-led operations, for...

Crime Prevention. (22 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I am satisfied with the co-operation. While I was the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs from 1997 to 2002, I instigated multi-agency checkpoints, which were criticised by parts of the House. The checkpoints comprised gardaí, social welfare officers and officials from the Departments of Transport and the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, customs and Revenue. Over...

Crime Prevention. (22 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: Absolutely. If one considers the social welfare Vote, in which there have been savings of €476 million through fraud controls in 2008, this is a wider issue. There is a concentrated issue that pertains in particular to those involved in gangland crime. Such people are profiled through the CAB profilers, of whom there are 102 and who operate in every Garda district nationwide, to ensure...

Garda Recruitment. (22 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: As the Minister for Finance has made clear, the moratorium on recruitment and promotions in the public service applies to the Garda Síochána, both members and civilian support staff. By its nature, it has no application to the Garda Reserve, whose members are unpaid volunteers who do not occupy public service posts. The Minister for Finance also made clear that this measure is not an...

Garda Recruitment. (22 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I do not have those figures in respect of each quarter but somewhere in the region of 200 or 250 gardaí, the same number as have come through until recently, have continued to flow through the system until the end of the year. A smaller intake, 100 per quarter, was taken on over the past two quarters. In 2010 the number of attested gardaí qualifying will be reduced. Regarding the figure...

Garda Recruitment. (22 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I did not, I was going to be thrown out.

Garda Recruitment. (22 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I know it is a long time ago but, when the rainbow coalition was in office, it froze the number of gardaí throughout its period in government.

Garda Recruitment. (22 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I have given the figures, which have increased by thousands since this Government came to office, particularly since 1997, when the rainbow coalition was last in government.

Garda Recruitment. (22 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: It must be said that, at the last election in 2007 this party promised that we would reach 15,000 by 2010. In fact we will be next or near that-----

Garda Recruitment. (22 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: -----with 14,900. Regarding the numbers for this year, 1,100 gardaí will come out spread over the four quarters of this year. At the last passing out in Templemore 263 gardaí passed out. That will continue for most of 2010. Ultimately, the figures will die down because of the lower intake, which we must do in the context of the budgetary situation. I stand on my record. When Deputy...

Garda Recruitment. (22 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: Deputy Rabbitte did not listen to the answer. I said the moratorium applies to all levels of the public sector, including the Garda Síochána-----

Garda Recruitment. (22 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: -----but a case will be made from the Garda Commissioner through me to the Department of Finance in respect of senior managerial posts because we fully accept that if people are retiring at a higher level there must be a replacement.

Asylum Applications. (22 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I attach a high level of priority to ensuring that asylum applications are dealt with fairly and as quickly as possible, so as to minimise the cost to the State. Processing times and scheduling arrangements are kept under ongoing review by the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner, ORAC, and the Refugee Appeals Tribunal, RAT, with a view to limiting the amount of time applicants...

Asylum Applications. (22 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: It is not for me to dictate to the President of the High Court the allocation of judicial resources, which is a matter for him.

Asylum Applications. (22 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The President of the High Court has allocated two additional judges since the start of 2009 to the asylum list, so there are four judges now dealing with these cases. I welcome the Deputy's complimentary words regarding ORAC and the Refugee Appeals Tribunal. Some 90% of asylum applications are ultimately seen to be unfounded and a third of those people claiming asylum reveal an immigration...

Asylum Applications. (22 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: Substantial resources have been already allocated in respect of this area.

Asylum Applications. (22 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The main reason behind the delays in people's applications being processed is because there are many hurdles which must be must traversed before finality is achieved. As soon as the relevant Bill, Committee Stage of which is complete and which, I hope, will soon reach Report Stage, is passed, there will be a much more streamlined application process in place.

Asylum Applications. (22 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: Under the new process, there will be less scope for people to go before the courts seeking judicial reviews. A major difficulty is that review after review can take place and obviously people must be accommodated. The representative of the UNHCR in Ireland has indicated that the legislation to which I refer is model legislation. The representative also stated that our existing system is a...