Results 9,461-9,480 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Deployment (18 Jun 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution of personnel, including the new recruits, 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. I have been...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Parliamentary Questions (18 Jun 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I wish to refer the Deputy to the response to his parliamentary question on this matter of 18 September 2013, in which the then Minister informed the Deputy that the Garda authorities had advised that the investigation into the criminal complaint referred to formed part of a Garda investigation into a number of alleged incidents at a particular educational institution. The response further...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Child Abduction (18 Jun 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The taking of a child from his or her habitual residence without appropriate permission is dealt with through international and EU law. The 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction provides for the return of children who have been removed from one contracting state to another - usually by a parent against the wishes of the other parent. The European...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Child Abduction (18 Jun 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: Decisions to return a child under the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction and, within the EU, the Brussels II Regulation are matters for the relevant judicial authority in the jurisdiction where the child has been taken to. It is a matter for such judicial authorities to consider whether or not to return a child to Ireland given the specific...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Child Care Proceedings (18 Jun 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Guardianship of Infants Act 1964 as it stands already mandates a court, as it thinks appropriate and practicable having regard to the age and understanding of a child, to take the child's wishes into account in proceedings related to guardianship and custody or access to the child, or otherwise in relation to the child's upbringing. Once the relevant parts of the Children and Family...

Criminal Justice (Amendment) Act 2009: Motion (17 Jun 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I move:That Dáil Éireann resolves that section 8 of the Criminal Justice (Amendment) Act 2009 (No. 32 of 2009) shall continue in operation for the period beginning on 30th June, 2015 and ending on 29th June, 2016.

Offences against the State (Amendment) Act 1998: Motion (17 Jun 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I thank the Deputies who contributed to the debate. In particular, I thank Deputy Niall Collins for supporting the motions. I remind colleagues that the only parties that are attacking democracy are the criminals and terrorists who would seek to undermine it. I remind the House, too, that we have independent courts in this country which have served the State well and whose integrity is...

Offences against the State (Amendment) Act 1998: Motion (17 Jun 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I move:That Dáil Éireann resolves that sections 2 to 4, 6 to 12, 14 and 17 of the Offences against the State (Amendment) Act 1998 (No. 39 of 1998) shall continue in operation for the period beginning on 30th June, 2015 and ending on 29th June, 2016.The House will be aware that the Offences Against the State (Amendment) Act 1998 was enacted by the Oireachtas in the wake of the murder...

Seanad: Garda Síochána (Policing Authority and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2015: Committee Stage (17 Jun 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: Amendments Nos. 1 and 2 have been proposed by the Office of the Attorney General for inclusion in the Bill in order to make it clear in statute what is, in practice, a constitutional protection. The amendments provide that a statement or admission made by a person pursuant to a direction during an inquiry under section 12 and proposed section 13A of the principal Act, in relation to a...

Seanad: Garda Síochána (Policing Authority and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2015: Committee Stage (17 Jun 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The purpose of this amendment, which is essentially technical in nature, is to reflect more accurately the role undertaken by the Garda Síochána audit committee, the functions of which are dealt with under section 45 of the principal Act. In practice, the committee provides advice to the Garda Commissioner on governance matters in addition to financial matters. The amendment...

Seanad: Garda Síochána (Policing Authority and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2015: Committee Stage (17 Jun 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The principal purpose of amendments Nos. 6, 10, 11, 19 and 20, which are purely technical and have been provided by the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel, is to insert the correct collective citation for the Tribunals of Inquiry (Evidence) Acts into the principal Act. The amendments also give effect to some grammatical changes which do not alter the substance of the relevant provisions....

Seanad: Garda Síochána (Policing Authority and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2015: Committee Stage (17 Jun 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: These are technical amendments to take account of the recent enactment of the Companies Act 2014 and to update the reference to the Companies Act at proposed section 62F of the principal Act, which is being inserted under section 44 of the Bill.

Seanad: Garda Síochána (Policing Authority and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2015: Committee Stage (17 Jun 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: This amendment is being tabled on foot of a request from the chairperson designate of the authority and changes the requirement for public meetings with the Garda Commissioner to no fewer than four per annum. The current text requires the authority to hold no fewer than one public meeting with the Garda Commissioner in each period of three months in each year. The chairperson designate has...

Seanad: Garda Síochána (Policing Authority and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2015: Committee Stage (17 Jun 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: Amendment No. 12 is intended to provide clarity as to the position of the chief executive officer of the authority. On foot of the amendment, he or she will be a civil servant of the State, not the Minister. This is in line with the arrangements that have been put in place for the chief executive officers of other State agencies. Instead of being contracted, this amendment clarifies that...

Seanad: Garda Síochána (Policing Authority and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2015: Committee Stage (17 Jun 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: These amendments will bring the authority within the scope of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Amendment) Act 1993. In that context, they have been cleared with the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General. The effect of the amendments is that, in practice, the authority will be subject to the same requirements as a Department in terms of the preparation of and accountability for...

Seanad: Garda Síochána (Policing Authority and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2015: Committee Stage (17 Jun 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The purpose of this amendment is to amend sections 90(1) and 90(7) of the principal Act to require that the Garda Commissioner be consulted on any revision of the guidelines relating to mediation or informal resolution of complaints that have been issued in accordance with section 90(1). Currently, section 90 does not make any provision for consultation with the Commissioner in respect of...

Seanad: Garda Síochána (Policing Authority and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2015: Committee Stage (17 Jun 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The purpose of this amendment is to amend proposed section 117A of the principal Act to make it clear that the authority will be able to monitor and assess measures taken by the Garda Síochána in respect of any Garda Síochána Inspectorate recommendation. While this function could be taken to fall within the general supervisory remit of the authority, I have decided that...

Seanad: Garda Síochána (Policing Authority and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2015: Committee Stage (17 Jun 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: May I comment, please?

Seanad: Garda Síochána (Policing Authority and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2015: Committee Stage (17 Jun 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I wish to inform the House that I will bring forward a limited number of amendments which will repeal existing legislation relating to the Garda Síochána and make some technical amendments to sections 8, 9 and 44 of the Bill, in particular.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Coroners Service (17 Jun 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The details in respect of the number of cases dealt with annually by coroners are available on the website www.coroners.ie under "Publications". The number of cases dealt with by coroners in 2014 are set out in the following Table: Area Report Report and Post Mortem Report/Post Mortem and Inquest Carlow 103 31 31 Cavan 159 30 33 Clare 314 59 37 Cork Co Borough 566 159 192 Cork North...