Results 9,201-9,220 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

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

Frances Fitzgerald: I have to say I do not accept the Deputy's characterisation of these facilities as open prisons. The children attend local primary and secondary schools, are entitled to medical services and are supported within the centres. I have some concerns. My primary concern and main effort right now is to make sure people are not in the system for lengthy periods. As the report recognises, many of...

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

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy has referred to the tragic death of a serving Garda member in County Donegal on 28 May 2015. Before I deal with the substance of his question, I would like to join him in expressing my deepest sympathies to the family, friends and many colleagues of the late Garda member, who have been so traumatised by this tragic death. Like the Deputy, I think it is important that I should not...

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

Frances Fitzgerald: I welcome the publication of the report but do not agree with the Deputy's assessment of it. This is the first time that any Government has examined the direct provision system in 15 years. The Minister of State, Deputy Ó Ríordáin, and I set up the working group. All agencies working in this area were represented on it. It has made 173 recommendations. The report is broad...

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

Frances Fitzgerald: An Garda Síochána is currently looking at this policy area and developing a policy document formulating in more detail how the policing at certain events should be approached. As I stated, they have charges for these major commercial public events. Being commercial, clearly, these are for profit. On the question of community events, these will take Garda time and there is a...

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

Frances Fitzgerald: I suggest the best way to deal with this would be to await the policy document currently under consideration by the Garda Commissioner and senior management. There will be further refinements to the policy in that regard. If, at that point, there is still a concern, I will discuss the issue with the Garda Commissioner to see whether any change to the legislation is necessary. I do not...

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

Frances Fitzgerald: There were about seven questions there. I will try to get through them.

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

Frances Fitzgerald: I want to see us continuing the rate of recruitment of at least 500 a year. In discussions with Templemore and the Garda Commissioner, it is very clear that this is the maximum Templemore can take per year. It has been higher in the past, but there have been issues about supervision when those recruits go out into the community and we want to do it to the highest professional standards, as...

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

Frances Fitzgerald: Perhaps we can return to it, then. I wanted to give a reply on that.

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

Frances Fitzgerald: Yes.

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

Frances Fitzgerald: An open competition to fill the two vacancies at deputy commissioner level was held by the Public Appointments Service. An application for an interlocutory injunction in respect of that competition is currently being considered by the High Court. In those circumstances, the Deputy will understand that I cannot make any further comment on it. It is before the High Court. As regards the...

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

Frances Fitzgerald: Not at this point.

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

Frances Fitzgerald: Section 30 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 provides a statutory basis for the Garda Commissioner, as Accounting Officer for the Garda Vote, to charge for the policing of certain events such as sports fixtures, concerts and festivals. I am informed by the Garda authorities that the cost to the event-holder is determined by the number of Garda personnel deployed. The operational plan...

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

Frances Fitzgerald: The personnel strength of An Garda Síochána on 31 May was 12,772. The first intake since 2009, consisting of 100 recruits, entered training in Templemore on 15 September 2014. As part of the 2015 budget, I announced a further intake of 200 recruits, and on 15 December, the first 100 of those started. The remaining 100 entered the college in February this year. The September...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Penalty Points System (7 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy will be aware, there are a number of measures in place in relation to the association of driving licence details with penalty points. The primary purpose of Section 63 of the Road Traffic Act 2010 is to ensure that the driver licence number of individual offenders is recorded, to enable the application of the appropriate penalty points to the licence on conviction by the Court....

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Domestic Violence Policy (7 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: A second national strategy to address domestic and sexual violence is currently being prepared by my Department. The strategy will contain an action plan towards ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (the Istanbul Convention), elements of the implementation of the transposition of the EU Victims Directive into...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Proposed Legislation (7 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: This is a complex matter and I would like to point out some of the issues which arise. To that end, I assume what we are discussing is decriminalising those who offer their services as prostitutes and not the buyers, brothel keepers and pimps who would also fall under the category of 'those in prostitution'. Firstly, I would like to remind the House that the General Scheme to the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission Reports (7 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission is an independent statutory body established under the Garda Síochána Act 2005. The objectives, functions and powers of GSOC are governed by the 2005 Act. The Annual Report of GSOC for the year ending 31 December 2014 is the seventh full calendar year report of the Commission’s operations. As documented in the Annual...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Direct Provision System (7 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I can confirm that a training course for staff from 7 centres, along with staff from the Reception & Integration Agency (RIA) was held over 2 days, namely 2 and 3 June, 2015 at Knockalisheen accommodation centre. There were 18 people in attendance including trainers. This training has been organised as part of the roll-out of RIA's policy in respect of Domestic, Sexual and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Asylum Applications (7 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I assume the Deputy is referring to a recent newspaper article which reported on increased asylum volumes and referred to 700 applicants arriving in the space of a month. The factual position is as follows. A total of 1,481 new asylum applications were received to the end of June this year compared with 597 for the same period in 2014. This is a year on year increase of 884 applicants or...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Anti-Social Behaviour (7 Jul 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I can assure the Deputy that I am in ongoing contact with the Garda Commissioner in relation to the measures which are being taken to combat crime and enhance public safety in the city centre area. I am advised that Gardaí make full use of the extensive range of legislation which is in place to address street crime and anti-social behaviour, including knife crime and drug related crime....