Results 10,321-10,340 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Education Service (1 Apr 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am informed by officials from the Irish Prison Service that there is no information to hand regarding any audit of the NCAD scheme in prisons. I am further informed that records of prisoner participation in National College of Art and Design courses are not maintained in such a way as to provide the specific information sought by the Deputy. The Irish Prison Service (IPS) is continuing to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Status (1 Apr 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the persons concerned have been in the State without permission since 30th December, 2006. Consequently, in accordance with the provisions of Section 3 of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended), the persons concerned were notified, by letter dated 19th June, 2009, that the then Minister proposed to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Residency Permits (1 Apr 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the person concerned has been granted permission to remain in the State for the three year period ending 21st August, 2017. This decision was conveyed in writing to the person concerned by letter dated 4th September, 2014. Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Proposed Legislation (1 Apr 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: On 27 November, I published the General Scheme of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2014 which includes two new offences of purchasing, in the context of prostitution, sexual services. The first is a general offence of purchasing sexual services which carries a penalty of a fine of up to €500 for a first offence and fines of up to €1000 for a second or subsequent...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Crime Data (1 Apr 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy will be aware, the CSO has previously indicated that it is carrying out a detailed analysis of certain issues raised by the Garda Inspectorate in relation to the recording, classification and reclassification of crime, to see whether and to what extent they may have implications for the crime statistics which that Office produces.This process is currently ongoing and the CSO has...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Student Visas Numbers (1 Apr 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 93 to 95, inclusive, together. The number of non-EEA nationals registered as per the latest snapshot of the Garda National Immigration Bureau registration system taken in February 2015 who have permission to remain in Ireland as students (on immigration permission stamp No. 2) is approximately 35,400. This figure does not include non-EEA students who are in...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Registration of Title (1 Apr 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I can inform the Deputy that under the Registration of Deeds and Title Act 2006, the Property Registration Authority (PRA) was established as and from 4 November 2006. The PRA replaces the Registrar of Deeds and Titles as the registering authority in relation to property registration in Ireland and, subject to the above Act, is independent in the performance of its functions. The Deputy will...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legal Aid (31 Mar 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy will be aware, it is not within my function as Minister for Justice and Equality to provide legal advice to persons charged with offences before the courts. Under the Criminal Justice (Legal Aid) Act, 1962 free legal aid may be granted, in certain circumstances, for the defence of persons of insufficient means in criminal proceedings. The courts, through the judiciary, are...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Passport Controls (31 Mar 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy will be aware that I formally announced a major programme of reform in September, 2014 to civilianise immigration functions currently undertaken by members of An Garda Síochána. When completed this programme will release 125 full-time Garda equivalents to core Garda duties. The programme includes the use of civilian immigration officers to undertake front line...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Sexual Offences Data (31 Mar 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 370 and 371 together. The prevention of domestic and sexual violence and the increase in reporting has been a fundamental aim of many actions in the National Strategy for the Prevention of Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence 2010-2014. One of the three headline indicators for the Strategy is "An increase in the level of disclosure and reporting, as...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Proposed Legislation (31 Mar 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: On 25 March 2015 I published the General Scheme of the International Protection Bill, which was approved by Government last week, and which proposes to establish a single applications procedure for international protection. This is the first step in delivering the Government's undertaking in the Statement of Government Priorities 2014 - 2016 to legislate to reduce the length of time...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Asylum Applications (31 Mar 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner, the independent body with responsibility for the processing of applications for refugee status, that applications originated from 67 countries in 2014. The top ten countries of origin were Pakistan, Nigeria, Albania, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, Algeria, DR Congo, Malawi, South Africa and Ukraine. These countries accounted for...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Deployment (31 Mar 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: Residency Permits (31 Mar 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the person concerned was granted temporary permission to remain in the State for one year in 2000 under the arrangements then in place for the non-EEA national parents of Irish born citizen children. The permission was renewed subsequently until 1 September, 2008, the expiry date on the passport of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Misconduct Allegations (31 Mar 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: Insofar as the allegations of misconduct by members of the Garda Síochána raised in the correspondence submitted by the Deputy are concerned, it is open to the person concerned to make a complaint to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission. As the Deputy is aware the Ombudsman Commission is an independent body which was set up under the Garda Síochána Act...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Station Closures (31 Mar 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The information sought by the Deputy has been requested from the Garda authorities and I will be in contact with the Deputy when the information is to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Status (31 Mar 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: As I have advised the Deputy previously, in my Replies to his Parliamentary Questions dated 10th July, 2014 (PQ No. 158), 18th September, 2014 (PQ No. 164), 4th November, 2014 (PQ No. 511) and 25th November, 2014 (PQ No. 265), I am informed by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the persons concerned were granted permission to remain in the State in...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Residency Permits (31 Mar 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the person concerned has applied for a right of residency in the State, accompanied by a right to work, based on her parentage of an Irish citizen child. This application is under consideration at present. I am further advised that there is no record of the person concerned having applied to INIS...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Courts Service Administration (31 Mar 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy is aware, the Courts Service Act 1998 provides that management of the courts is the responsibility of the Courts Service which is independent in exercising its functions, which includes the management of services in the Courts. However, in order to be of assistance I have had enquiries made and the Courts Service informs me that in terms of the delivery of family services,...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Funding (31 Mar 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy will be aware that my Department has responsibility for Community Programmes, Irish Youth Justice Service (IYJS) which funds 100 Garda Youth Diversion Projects (GYDP) nationwide. The organisation concerned has received funding from Community Programmes to manage a GYDP from 2008 to date as follows: 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 €79,500 €92,289...