Results 10,301-10,320 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Organised Crime (2 Apr 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I can assure the Deputy that the operation of organised crime groups is closely monitored on an ongoing basis by An Garda Síochána and that tackling these groups remains a key ongoing priority for both the Government and An Garda Síochána. This priority is clearly reflected in the Garda Síochána Policing Plan for 2015. In this regard, An Garda...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Community Policing (2 Apr 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy will appreciate that the deployment of Garda resources and the implementation of policing strategies are matters in the first instance for the Garda Commissioner. An Garda Síochána places great emphasis on the importance of the partnership between An Garda Síochána and the community in preventing and detecting crime, and maintaining a safe environment for...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Bail Law (2 Apr 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 128 and 130 together. The Deputy will be aware that a decision to grant bail in a particular case is a matter for the court, which is, subject only to the Constitution and the law, independent in the exercise of its judicial functions. There is a constitutional presumption in favour of bail because, in the eyes of the law, a person is innocent until proven...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legal Aid Service (2 Apr 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Criminal Justice (Legal Aid) Act 1962 provides that free legal aid may be granted in certain circumstances for the defence of persons of insufficient means in criminal proceedings. Under the 1962 Act, the courts, through the judiciary, are responsible for the granting of legal aid. An applicant must establish to the satisfaction of the court that their means are insufficient to enable...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Missing Persons (2 Apr 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I have sought an up to date report from An Garda Síochána in relation to the statistical information sought by the Deputy and I will be in contact directly when the information is available.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Accommodation Provision (2 Apr 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I can advise the Deputy that 2013 saw the first significant decrease in prison numbers since 2007. There were 15,735 committals to prison in 2013 which was a decrease of 7.6% on the 2012 figure. Huge improvements have been made in prison conditions in recent years. Overcrowding has been eliminated in Mountjoy Prison and priority has been given to reducing overcrowding in Cork, Limerick...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Investigations (2 Apr 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am informed by the Garda authorities that the function of the Serious Crime Review Team (SCRT) is to assist Senior Investigating Officers assigned to the case in question in bringing investigations to a successful conclusion by identifying further investigative opportunities and ensuring that investigations conform to approved best practice guidelines. At the conclusion of each review a...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Education Service (2 Apr 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I can inform the Deputy that the Irish Prison Service provides to those in custody a wide range of rehabilitative programmes that include education, vocational training, healthcare, psychiatric, psychological, counselling, welfare and spiritual services which have the dual purpose of providing prisoners with purposeful activity while serving their sentences and encouraging them to lead law...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Asylum Applications (2 Apr 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I refer the Deputy to my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 307 of 10 March 2015 which is set out as follows: I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that details of the number of persons who applied for asylum for the years 2002 to 2013 are published in the annual reports of the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner which are...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Deployment (2 Apr 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution of personnel, 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 informed by the Garda...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Deployment (2 Apr 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution of personnel, 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. The An Garda Síochána Policing Plan for...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Firearms Licences (2 Apr 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: In light of public safety concerns highlighted by An Garda Síochána, a joint Department of Justice and Equality/ An Garda Síochána Working Group was established by the Department of Justice and Equality to review firearms licensing. The report of this Working Group was published on 13 November 2014 and submissions on the report were sought from stakeholders and the public...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Crime Data (2 Apr 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I have asked the Garda Commissioner for a report in relation to this matter and will write to the Deputy when I have further information.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prisoner Data (2 Apr 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I can inform the Deputy that Irish Prison Service records indicate that for the period 1 January 2010 to 31 March 2015, 293 persons absconded from custody, of these 15 remain unlawfully at large. The table sets out the number of prisoners deemed to have absconded in this period and who remain at large, as of 31 March 2015: Year Number of absconders Number Still at large 2010 112 7 2011...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Family Reunification Applications (2 Apr 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service that the application of the person mentioned by the Deputy is currently receiving attention and that correspondence in this regard is due to issue in the coming days. Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to the INIS by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Work Permit Criteria (2 Apr 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: It is the responsibility of all non-EEA nationals who are resident in the State to ensure that they have an appropriate permission from my Department if they wish to remain. That said, in situations where the person concerned does not have such permission, it is open to him/her to make an application to the Residence Division of the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service setting out the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Naturalisation Applications (2 Apr 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that a valid application for a certificate of naturalisation has been received from the person referred to by the Deputy. As the Deputy will appreciate, the granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is a privilege and an honour which confers certain rights and entitlements not only within...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Status (2 Apr 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I wish to inform the Deputy that the person concerned is the subject of a Deportation Order signed on 20 August 2009 and therefore has no entitlement to residency in the State. Representations were received from the person's legal representative dated 24 August 2009, which were examined in accordance with the provisions of Section 3(11) of the Immigration Act, 1999 (as amended)....

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Status (2 Apr 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: If the person whose details were supplied has made an application for asylum or subsidiary protection, the Deputy will be aware that it is not the practice to comment on such applications until such time as they have fully completed the protection process. Protection applicants are issued with a temporary residence permission pending a final decision on their application. In the event that an...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Firearms and Ammunition Security (1 Apr 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 84 to 87, inclusive, together. I have asked the Garda Commissioner for a report in relation to this matter and will write to the Deputy when I have further information.