Results 9,141-9,160 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Asylum Applications (14 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service of my Department (INIS) that the person referred to by the Deputy applied for asylum on 26 January 2004. This person's asylum application was refused following consideration of their case by the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner on the 3 May 2005 and this decision was upheld by the Refugee Appeals Tribunal on the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Residency Permits (14 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I have been informed by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) that an application was received, for permission to remain in the State, from the person mentioned on 24 June 2015. A request for further information issued to this person on 9 July 2015. When the documents requested on 9 July 2015 are received, this application will then be assessed on its merits. Queries in...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Measures (14 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: On 27 November, I published the General Scheme of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill. The Bill will provide for new offences of purchasing, in the context of prostitution, sexual services. It also includes wide ranging provisions to enhance the protection of children and vulnerable persons from sexual abuse and exploitation. When enacted, the Bill will facilitate full compliance with...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Oversight (14 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy is referring to cases considered by the panel of 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 the Taoiseach, with a view to determining to what extent and in what manner further action may be required in...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prisoner Rehabilitation Programmes (14 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by Irish Prison Service that in Wheatfield Place of Detention the following work training activities are available to all prisoners aged 18 years and over - laundry, catering, horticulture or gardening, industrial cleaning, construction, print, joinery/woodwork, metalwork, computers, painting/decorating, embroidery, hurley repairs and picture framing. All prisoners aged 18 years...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Staff (14 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The average age of staff employed in my Department and the agencies under my remit rose by between three and six years in the period between 2008 and 2015. The moratorium on recruitment over that period will have contributed to the rise in the average age. The details of the changes in age profile by organisation are set out in the table. Current Average Age 2011 Average Age 2008 Average...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Court Accommodation Provision (9 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy will be aware that, under the provisions of the Courts Service Act 1998, management of the courts is the responsibility of the Courts Service which is independent in exercising its functions, including in regard to the provision of accommodation for court sittings. However, in order to be of assistance I have had enquiries made and the Courts Service has informed me that there...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Investigations (9 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am informed by the Garda authorities that a new system to assist An Garda Síochána in visually identifying suspects was deployed earlier this year. The system, known as Evo-Fit, uses a store of images of individual facial features and shapes (e.g. noses, eyes, mouths, hairstyles etc.) held within the system to assemble a full electronic facial likeness based on the recollections...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Station Closures (9 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The programme of replacement and refurbishment of Garda accommodation around the country is progressed by the Garda Authorities working in close co-operation with the Office of Public Works, who have the responsibility for the provision and maintenance of Garda accommodation. I have been informed by the Garda authorities that following OPW advice regarding the condition of the station it...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Status (9 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am informed by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the person concerned was granted temporary permission to remain in the State for one year in 2000 under the arrangements then in place for the non-EEA national parents of Irish born citizen children. This permission has been regularly renewed and is currently valid until 22 November, 2016. The...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Communications (9 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 151 to 153, inclusive, together. As an organisation the Garda Síochána takes its responsibility for the control of the information it possesses about individuals very seriously. Unauthorised disclosure of information can impede the investigation of an offence and the apprehension or prosecution of suspected offenders and can seriously undermine...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Firearms Licences (9 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: As part of the consultation process for the on-going review of firearms licensing I have given a commitment that I would not make any decisions until I had met the key stakeholders, including the organisations who represent those who use firearms for sporting purposes. I had a useful meeting with the key stakeholders on 29 April 2015. Consideration of the issues involved, including the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Sexual Offences Legislation (9 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: On 27 November, I published the General Scheme of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill. The General Scheme includes wide ranging provisions to enhance the protection of children and vulnerable persons from sexual abuse and exploitation. In addition, the Bill will provide for new offences of purchasing, in the context of prostitution, sexual services. The first is a general offence of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Residency Permits (9 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: As stated in my replies to Parliamentary Question No. 255 of 7 July, 2015 and to Questions No. 138 and 139 of 25 June, 2015 in the case of the persons whose details were supplied, and in accordance with Section 19 of the Refugee Act 1996 (as amended) which provides for the protection of the identity of asylum applicants, it is not the practice to comment on asylum or subsidiary protection...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Residency Permits (9 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the person concerned and their dependant child have been granted leave to remain in this State. This decision was conveyed to the person concerned by letter dated 24 February, 2015. The Deputy will be aware that queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Residency Permits (9 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Irish Naturalisation & Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department advises me that following receipt of an application for a Reactivation Employment Permit Permission, a temporary residence permission was granted to the person concerned effective from 19th March, 2015 to allow for them to then apply to the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation for the new Employment Permit...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Courts Service Data (9 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy will be aware that, under the provisions of the Courts Service Act 1998, management of the courts, which includes the provision of information on the courts system, is the responsibility of the Courts Service. However, in order to be of assistance to the Deputy, I have had enquiries made and the Courts Service has informed me that in 2014 there were 3,831 applications for divorce...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Gambling Legislation (9 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The General Scheme of the Gambling Control Bill was approved by Government in July 2013 and published on my Department's website. As the Deputy may be aware, it was also referred to the Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality which held hearings in October 2013 on the General Scheme. Fixed Odds Betting Terminals (FOBT) are defined in the Scheme of the Bill which includes...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Recruitment (9 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy will be aware that I have received sanction from the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform for two further intakes of 125 Garda recruits later this year. The Public Appointments Service (PAS) is managing the recruitment process for the Garda Commissioner and I have no direct involvement in the matter. The position in relation to the current competition is as follows:...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Personal Insolvency Act (8 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy will recall, a very substantial change to Ireland's bankruptcy regime was made by the Personal Insolvency Act 2012, which reduced automatic discharge from bankruptcy from 12 years to 3 years. This Government has also substantially reduced the costs of bankruptcy - from around €1400 in total in 2012, to just €270 euro from 1 January 2015. While bankruptcy used to...