Results 8,821-8,840 of 16,849 for speaker:Dermot Ahern

Appointment of Chairperson to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission: Motion (5 Mar 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I move: That Dáil Éireann, noting that the Government on 3 February 2009 nominated Mr. Dermot Gallagher for appointment by the President to be a member of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission and to be its Chairperson, recommends, pursuant to section 65(1)(b) of the Garda Síochána Act 2005, that he be appointed by the President to be a member and to be Chairperson of the Commission....

Written Answers — Garda Stations: Garda Stations (4 Mar 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The position with regard to the matter raised by the Deputy remains as outlined in my response to Parliamentary Question No. 388 (ref.: 32363/08) of 30th September last.

Written Answers — Criminal Prosecutions: Criminal Prosecutions (4 Mar 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The Garda Síochána Act 2005 makes provision for the compilation and publication of crime statistics by the Central Statistics Office, as the national statistical agency, and the CSO has established a dedicated unit for this purpose. I have requested the CSO to provide the statistics sought by the Deputy directly to him.

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (4 Mar 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I refer the Deputy to my response to Parliamentary Question Number 70, of 25th February, 2009 which inter alia sets out the position in relation to the implementation of the Kopp Report on the State Forensic Laboratory.

Written Answers — Garda Deployment: Garda Deployment (4 Mar 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I have been informed by the Garda Commissioner that the personnel strength of the Garda National Drugs Unit on 31 January 2009, the latest date for which figures are readily available, was 60. The GNDU is based in Dublin Castle and deployed nationally to support Divisional Drugs Units as and when required. The personnel strength of the Drugs Unit in each Division on 31 January 2009 was as...

Written Answers — Prisoner Transfers: Prisoner Transfers (4 Mar 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The person referred to by the Deputy has made six separate applications for transfer to a prison in this jurisdiction under the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons. All of these have been refused and the person concerned has been notified of the reasons for these refusals. As the Deputy is aware, the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced...

Written Answers — Residency Permits: Residency Permits (4 Mar 2009)

Dermot Ahern: A general policy has been in place for a number of years to the effect that religious and volunteer workers in the State should remain for a maximum of 3 years. However, this policy, while remaining in force, has not been rigorously applied and such volunteer workers have on a case by case basis been facilitated with further renewals, although it is not intended that such permissions be...

Leaders' Questions (4 Mar 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The Deputy should be serious. This is a serious situation.

Garda Operations. (3 Mar 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I accept that Deputy Flanagan must make noise and look busy in the aftermath of this incident.

Garda Operations. (3 Mar 2009)

Dermot Ahern: However, I am more than happy to reply to this Adjournment debate and to give the Deputy the figures he requested. Last year, there were six so-called tiger kidnappings, six in the previous year and nine in the year before that.

Garda Operations. (3 Mar 2009)

Dermot Ahern: Consequently, the Government's record is of a reduction in such activities. First, I wish to extend my sympathy to the victims caught up in this crime. I am sure I speak for all sides of the House when I express my hope that they will soon recover from this awful trauma. Members will also appreciate that it is incumbent upon me to remind the House that the robbery last Friday is the subject...

Garda Operations. (3 Mar 2009)

Dermot Ahern: That is a fact.

Garda Operations. (3 Mar 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The Deputy is not correct in this regard. The Government is devoting enormous resources to the fight against crime. I have made it clear that it has absolute priority in the allocation of resources within my Department. That will remain the case, even though I am criticised by Deputies opposite for the consequences of that approach. The Government has also approved my proposals to...

Garda Operations. (3 Mar 2009)

Dermot Ahern: Perhaps I will be allowed to continue, with the consent of the House.

Garda Operations. (3 Mar 2009)

Dermot Ahern: However, Members should not forget that the banks and other institutions have their part to play in this regard. If tried and trusted protocols are put in place to defeat criminal attempts to rob cash, it is imperative that these are followed to the letter. That is the important lesson from last Friday. I echo the words of the chief executive officer of Bank of Ireland that the objective...

Garda Operations. (3 Mar 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The protocols are there, first and foremost, to protect employees. It is only by rendering these so-called tiger kidnappings unsuccessful that we will stop them happening, thereby protecting innocent employees in future.

Written Answers — Garda Stations: Garda Stations (3 Mar 2009)

Dermot Ahern: A budget of €7.521m has been provided for the maintenance of Garda premises in 2009. It is a matter for the Garda authorities to determine priorities including the type of refurbishments indicated by the Deputy.

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (3 Mar 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 August 2006. Officials in that Section inform me that processing of the application has commenced and the file will be submitted to me for a decision in due course. The average processing time from application to decision is now...

Written Answers — Refugee Appeals Tribunal: Refugee Appeals Tribunal (3 Mar 2009)

Dermot Ahern: A competition was conducted in 2008 to select suitable candidates for placement on a panel of legally qualified persons to represent the Refugee Applications Commissioner at appeal hearings before the Refugee Appeals Tribunal. The competition was advertised in The Irish Independent on 2 October, 2008 and in The Irish Times and The Irish Examiner on 3 October, 2008. In addition, details of the...

Written Answers — Garda Transport: Garda Transport (3 Mar 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I am advised by the Garda authorities that no significant age-related problems have been experienced with the fixed wing aircraft since it entered service and it is assessed to be in good condition. Accordingly, the Garda authorities are not considering replacing the aircraft at this time.