Results 9,001-9,020 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Penal Policy Review Group Report (16 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Penal Policy Review Group was established in 2012, in line with the recommendations of the Thornton Hall Project Review Group, to conduct a wide ranging strategic review of penal policy taking into account relevant work already carried out in this jurisdiction and elsewhere, the rights of those convicted of crimes, the perspective of those who are victims of crime, and the interests of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Direct Provision Data (16 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Reception and Integration Agency (RIA) of my Department is responsible for the accommodation of asylum seekers in accordance with the Government policy of direct provision and dispersal. Currently, there are over 4,566 residents in 34 centres across the State under contract to RIA. The information sought by the Deputy is normally published on the monthly statistical reports published by...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Data (16 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am informed by the Garda authorities that there were 115,772 warrants outstanding at 30 June 2015. The Deputy will appreciate that at any one time there will inevitably be a number of warrants awaiting execution. I might mention that in May 2008 there were approximately 117,000 warrants outstanding ; in January 2014 122,000. As the Deputy is aware, difficulties in relation to the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Measures (16 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: Drafting of the Criminal Justice (Corruption) Bill is at a very advanced stage. It is expected that the Bill will be submitted for Government approval and publication early in the autumn session.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Measures (16 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: As recently set out in my Written Reply to Question No. 479 of 16th June, the issue of multi-party or of "class action" litigation was the subject of a Report and recommendations made by the Law Reform Commission in 2005 (LRC 76-2005). The Report was not carried forward by the Government of the day which took a cautious approach. The implementation of the Report at this remove, and the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Personal Insolvency Act (16 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy is aware, the Insolvency Service of Ireland (ISI) began accepting cases in September 2013. The ISI releases its statistics on a quarterly basis and the most up to date figures reflecting Quarter 2 of 2015 (up to 30 June 2015) were published on 15 July 2015 on its website . I am advised by the ISI that in the case of Debt Relief Notices (DRNs), 100% of applications made were...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Deployment (16 Jul 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. Garda management keep this distribution under continuing review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities so as to ensure that the best possible use is made of these resources. The Deputy will be aware that the first intake...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Asylum Applications (16 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The person concerned lodged an application for asylum at the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner on 19th November 2014. Following investigation by that office, it was established that the person concerned had been in possession of a valid visa issued by the United Kingdom authorities at the time of his asylum application in this state. Arising from their previous visa history...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Ministerial Meetings (16 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy may be aware, the person referred to has been in correspondence with my Department over a number of years. Most recently, his complaint was referred to the mechanism established for the independent review of certain allegations of Garda misconduct, or inadequacies in the investigation of certain allegations, which have been made to me as Minister for Justice and Equality, or...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Stations (16 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: Decisions in relation to Garda station opening hours are a matter for the Garda Commissioner and I as Minister have no direct role in the matter. However, I am advised by the Garda authorities that Howth Garda Station is open, subject to available manpower, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week. Outside of these hours, there is a public access call box (P.A.C.B.) with calls diverted to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Naturalisation Applications (16 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the application for a certificate of naturalisation from the person referred to by the Deputy is at an advanced stage of processing and will be submitted to me for decision in due course. As the Deputy will appreciate, the granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is a privilege and an...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Naturalisation Applications (16 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that processing of the application for a certificate of naturalisation from the person referred to by the Deputy is ongoing and the case will be re-submitted to me for decision as expeditiously as possible. As the Deputy will appreciate, as well as being a significant event for the recipient, the granting...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Deportation Orders Re-examination (16 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I wish to inform the Deputy that the person referred to has no entitlement to residency. I am informed by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the person concerned is the subject of a Deportation Order made following a comprehensive and thorough examination of their asylum claim and a detailed examination of the representations they submitted for...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Naturalisation Applications (16 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the processing of the application for a certificate of naturalisation from the person referred to by the Deputy is ongoing and the case will be submitted to me for decision as expeditiously as possible. As the Deputy will appreciate, the granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is a...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: National Identity Card (16 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy may wish to note that I have no plans at this time to introduce a national identity card system.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Advertising Expenditure (16 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I wish to advise the Deputy that the total cost of advertising, statutory and non-statutory, incurred by my Department in 2013 was €228,821 and 2014 was €346,490. A large proportion of this funding in 2013 and 2014 was in respect of funding to non-governmental organisations in raising awareness of domestic, sexual and gender based violence and services for victims. The...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Expenditure (16 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I wish to advise the Deputy that the costs incurred by my Department for printing reports in 2013 was €4,711. In 2014 no cost was incurred. The corresponding figure for the agencies under the remit of my Department in 2013 was €8,474 (of which €7,736 relates to annual reports) and 2014 was €11,471 (of which €11,107 relates to annual reports). In most cases...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Expenditure (16 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The estimated cost (excluding staff time) of issuing hard copy payslips to staff or retired staff in 2013 and 2014 was €347,000 and €116,000 respectively. The decrease in cost in 2014 reflects the fact the Payroll Shared Services Centre (PSSC) in the National Shared Services Office was responsible for the operation of the Garda Force and Prisons payrolls in 2014 and the costs...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Expenditure (16 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: There was no expenditure by my Department on private travel for myself or my private office staff during the year to 30 June 2015. In terms of legal costs incurred by my Department, I can inform the Deputy that this totalled €6,108,150 and consultancy costs were €70,077. (See table for details) Table of Costs July to Dec 2014 Jan to June 2015 Total Legal Legal Expenses...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Appointments to State Boards (16 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I wish to advise the Deputy that I have overall responsibility for all appointments to State Boards where such power is vested in me by statute. Neither the person referred to by the Deputy nor any other politically-appointed State employee outside of my Department is involved in decision-making concerning board appointments vested in me by statute, nor has any correspondence been engaged in...