Results 9,181-9,200 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Order of Business (7 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputies are quiet.

Other Questions: Garda Oversight (7 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: An independent process was established whereby all of the material available on particular cases was reviewed by independent counsel. The 300 cases varied considerably. Some were about property, some had been before the Supreme Court, some were historical cases from 20 years ago or more and some were more recent. In every case the panel examined the material independently and objectively....

Other Questions: Garda Oversight (7 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I have given the Deputy information which stated further information was supplied by complainants in more than 200 cases. That is the fact of the matter. I do not know with which complainants the Deputy is in touch. I accept her bona fides but I am telling her more than 200 gave further information. The process of the independent review is not a commission of investigation or an inquiry...

Other Questions: Garda Resources (7 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The deployment of gardaí in particular areas is an operational issue for the Garda Commissioner, but I bring to her attention concerns that are highlighted to me about particular areas. I understand the Deputy's point on rural communities. The change in policing in terms of more focus on mobile units is in no way intended to detract from community policing, which is essential in urban...

Other Questions: Garda Oversight (7 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: We have discussed the number of cases which were referred several times. The criteria were wide and the timeframe turned out to be quite different from what I indicated at the beginning, given the scale of the cases that were referred and the mechanism I set up. It is the first time a government has taken steps to examine a range of cases of concern to a variety of people, including...

Other Questions: Organised Crime (7 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy is proposing that we provide for an offence of membership of a criminal gang in a manner similar to the approach taken from time to time by way of Offences Against the State legislation with regard to membership of proscribed organisations. It is important to understand the issues which arise in seeking simply to outlaw membership of a criminal gang in such a manner. Chief among...

Other Questions: Organised Crime (7 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I have been to Limerick, where I met with and thanked front-line gardaí for the work they are doing with communities. I commend the people of Limerick who have co-operated with An Garda Síochána. That engagement helped to ensure the imprisonment of those responsible for the heinous crimes, including murder, that were committed there. An investigation is under way into the...

Other Questions: Garda Resources (7 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Government has invested nearly €29 million in new Garda vehicles since 2012, marking a massive increase on the €4.8 million provided by the previous Government. We have had 370 new Garda vehicles come on stream since the start of this year. In addition, I recently secured sanction for a further €700,000 for the purchase of new specialised response vehicles to...

Other Questions: Organised Crime (7 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: Tackling organised crime in all its guises is a key ongoing priority for the Government and An Garda Síochána. This is reflected in the Policing Plan 2015. Effective action has been taken in the past and in recent times against many of the criminal gangs operating in this country, not least by the development of the Criminal Assets Bureau but also good quality Garda...

Other Questions: Organised Crime (7 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Garda Síochána recently indicated that drug seizures provisionally valued at in the region of €60 million were made by it during 2014. There have been many significant drugs seizures here and abroad, including the seizure off the south west coast of Ireland last September of cocaine which had a street value of €358 million and the seizure off the Spanish coast of...

Other Questions: Stardust Fire (7 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: Yes. As I said, we are taking the material that has been given to us seriously. There is an individual officer assigned to it who has put a huge amount of time and effort into going through the material and responding to many telephone calls and contact from the committee. That contact will be made, and we will revert to the members of the committee asking for comment on a variety of...

Other Questions: Stardust Fire (7 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I remind Deputies of the facts of the situation of the independent legal examination, which reported in 2009 and was accepted by the Government of the day, and an apology given, and the view that at this point another inquiry would not be possible. To quote, "the most another inquiry could achieve would be another set of hypothetical findings, which would not be in the public interest."...

Other Questions: Stardust Fire (7 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am very conscious of the deep impact the fire at the Stardust in 1981 has had on individuals and families concerned, and on the wider community. I met with the Stardust Victims and Relatives Committee last year and that meeting provided me with an opportunity to hear at first hand the ongoing concerns of the committee in regard to this tragic event. The Deputy will be aware that these...

Other Questions: Stardust Fire (7 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy is aware, the evidence that was given to my Department was withdrawn. We made every effort to have the evidence presented to us again so that we could examine it in good faith. We did that and that has happened. It is complex material. It is partly composed of, and makes reference to, among other things, a report of the tribunal of inquiry, transcripts of evidence to the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: European Border Controls (7 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: As I have said, all countries across Europe expressed serious concern about the situation that has faced and continues to face all member states. Responding in the best possible way was on everyone's mind. Clearly, there were humanitarian issues. No one wants to see even one person lost at sea in these circumstances. How does one deal effectively with people traffickers and smugglers who...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: European Border Controls (7 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy is right that the conditions in those countries have to be improved. The vast majority of migrants coming through now come from quite a range of countries but many come from Syria and Eritrea. Clearly, the breakdown of governance - the conflict situations - are the root causes of the problem. The Deputy is absolutely right that greater global work needs to be done to deal with...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Garda Investigations (7 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I welcome the Deputy's point regarding the importance of the relationship between the Garda Síochána and Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission. Both sides have work to do regarding complaints, and they must work together. On the Deputy's question concerning the point at which persons under investigation should be informed of the outcome of the investigation, this is a...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: European Border Controls (7 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I will deal first with the Deputy's second point. Ireland has never voiced opposition to search and rescue missions at European Union level, nor was I or any other Minister ever advised to do so. Internal briefing pointed to one of the unintended consequences of such operations, namely, the risk of more smuggling activity in even more dangerous and unseaworthy vessels. There was no...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Garda Investigations (7 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy's first question was about peer review. Once this tragic death occurred and the case came under scrutiny, GSOC immediately initiated a peer review and had taken the first steps in that. That was the right thing to do. The peer review system regarding Garda complaints is well established, whereby somebody from outside GSOC staff and from another system is brought in to conduct an...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Direct Provision System (7 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The accommodation that is used across Europe for asylum seekers varies considerably. I accept that the accommodation varies in Ireland too. There are issues for children and families in relation to accommodation. The biggest problem is the length of time that children and families are spending in the system. That was the point my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Ó...