Results 9,701-9,720 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Human Rights Issues (26 May 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I will ask my officials to study the transcripts of the committee hearings to determine the issues arising. I acknowledge that the 1962 Act needs to be revisited and that that process commenced seven years ago under a previous Government. I have had a number of meetings about that piece of work. The Coroners Bill 2007, to which I referred, proposes to extend the matters which can be...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Witness Protection Programme (26 May 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: If the Deputy has any particular information he would like to forward to my Department, he should do so. It is not appropriate for me to go into the details of individual situations in the Dáil. Any intimidation of witnesses is an offence under section 41 of the Act, which specifies the offence as harming, threatening or menacing or in any other way intimidating or putting in fear...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Garda Complaints Procedures (26 May 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I repeat for the Deputy that the new protected disclosures legislation, which became operational in July 2014, is intended to provide precisely the sort of robust framework that is necessary and under which workers can raise concerns, and that includes members of An Garda Síochána. An Garda Síochána is committed to that and has informed all members of the force of it. In...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Witness Protection Programme (26 May 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Garda Síochána has operated a witness security programme since 1997 to respond to attempts by criminal and other groups to prevent the normal functioning of the criminal justice system, including threats of violence and systematic intimidation of witnesses. Given the highly confidential nature of the programme and the need to maintain the protection of persons who receive...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Garda Complaints Procedures (26 May 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: There is a serious allegation there.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Garda Complaints Procedures (26 May 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I note the Deputy has raised allegations about these cases on at least two occasions with the Taoiseach, on 28 January and on 31 March and on both occasions the Deputy was asked to provide information in writing if he has it.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Garda Complaints Procedures (26 May 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy has made some serious allegations. There are independent processes available to members of An Garda Síochána and the Deputy is aware the Government has introduced new legislation under the Protected Disclosures Act. I have told the Deputy there is a criminal investigation under way. If there is information available, such as the Deputy has put forward in the House...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Policing Authority (26 May 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy is getting into the detail of the Bill. No doubt, we will have a robust discussion on these issues when the Bill is brought before the House. It is extremely important that the Garda Commissioner has operational responsibility and is independent in dealing with operational issues. Obviously, a particular number of appointments come within the internal process within An Garda...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Garda Complaints Procedures (26 May 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: By way of background, as the Deputy is well aware, prior to the Protected Disclosures Act 2014 coming into operation, whistleblowing by members of An Garda Síochána was provided for under the Garda Síochána (Confidential Reporting of Corruption or Malpractice) Regulations 2007 which provided for the appointment of an independent confidential recipient. The confidential...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Policing Authority (26 May 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy's question relates to submissions received. I am making arrangements for all submissions to be published in the next couple of days. I will put all the relevant material - there is a lot of it - on the Department's website, www.justice.ie. They were taken into account in the preparation of the Garda Síochána (Policing Authority and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2015,...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Policing Authority (26 May 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: Even at present there is misunderstanding about some of the appointments. The most senior appointments are subject to an independent process at present, with a lay chairperson and two lay members of the panel. Clearly what we are doing with the new policing authority represents a sea-change on appointments. The authority will now have responsibility for overseeing the process of those...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Garda Misconduct Allegations (26 May 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I welcome the Deputy's comments on wanting to get at the truth for the people concerned and to have the best process in place to examine their complaints. The complaints, in many instances, are about cases that have been in a variety of places, including before the Director of Public Prosecutions, through the courts systems or GSOC. The cases that have been referred to the process are...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Garda Misconduct Allegations (26 May 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The mechanism established for the independent review of certain allegations of Garda misconduct was an unprecedented step by this Government to bring independence and objectivity to bear on the examination of those allegations, some of which go back to 1969 and many of which pre-date 2000. A panel consisting of two senior and five junior counsel was established for this purpose with all...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Recruitment (26 May 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: In an answer to a previous question I explained how Garda recruitment recommenced in September 2014, for the first time since 2009. Since then, 300 Garda recruits have been taken into the Garda College and the first group have already attested and are now full members of the Garda Síochána. In addition I have secured sanction for the recruitment of a further 250 Garda recruits later...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Courts Service (26 May 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy may be aware, I have undertaken to consider the issue of Community Courts in Ireland. It will be important to learn from international experience, and I have asked my Department to evaluate how the Community Court model will work in the Irish context, drawing from best practice, with a view to setting up a Community Court on a pilot basis in the Dublin city centre area. I...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Misconduct Allegations (26 May 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: As I stated in the response to the priority PQ from Deputy Collins the mechanism established for the independent review of certain allegations of Garda misconduct was an unprecedented step by this Government to bring independence and objectivity to bear on the examination of those allegations. A panel consisting of two Senior and five Junior Counsel was established for this purpose, all...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Debt Collection (26 May 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: On 6 May 2015 the Government agreed to the drafting of the Civil Debt (Procedures) Bill. The proposed Bill will implement a number of recommendations of the Law Reform Commission (LRC) in relation to the enforcement of debt. TheLRC Report published in 2010 on Personal Debt Management and Debt Enforcementmade a number of recommendations for wide scale reform of the existing personal...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Proposed Legislation (26 May 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: Following its passage by both Houses of the Oireachtas and signature by the President, the Garda Síochána (Amendment) (No. 3) Bill 2014 has been enacted as the Garda Síochána (Amendment) Act 2015. As the Deputy will be aware, the new Act is a key element of the Government's programme of justice reform and it was commenced in its entirety on 27 April 2015.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Proposed Legislation (26 May 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy will be aware from replies to previous PQs that the Programme for Government undertakes to “legislate to establish a Judicial Council, with lay representation, to provide an effective mechanism for dealing with complaints against judges". This commitment is being pursued by way of the proposed Judicial Council Bill which will provide for the establishment of a Judicial...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Strength (26 May 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I have been informed by the Garda Commissioner that the personnel strength of An Garda Síochána on the 31 March 2015 the latest date for which figures are readily available was 12,734. The number of Gardaí who have retired for the years 2010 to 2014 are as set out in the table which I have circulated with this answer. Members of An Garda Síochána may retire on a...