Results 10,461-10,480 of 16,849 for speaker:Dermot Ahern

Written Answers — Garda Strength: Garda Strength (11 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The strength of the management ranks in An Garda Síochána as of 30th September 2007 and 30th September 2008, the latest date for which figures are readily available, is as follows: Rank Number in rank on 30th September 2007 Number in rank on 30th September 2008 Commissioner 1 1 Deputy Commissioner 3 2 Assistant Commissioner 12 9 Chief Superintendent 49 52 Superintendent 187 187...

Written Answers — Garda Deployment: Garda Deployment (11 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I have been informed by the Garda Commissioner that the personnel strength of An Garda Síochána on 30 September 2008, the latest date for which figures are readily available, was 14,284. Strong provisions are in place to combat anti-social behaviour and the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994 modernised the law in this regard. Furthermore, the Intoxicating Liquor Act 2003 contains...

Written Answers — Garda Charter: Garda Charter (11 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The Garda Inspectorate have been requested to provide advice on the development of a Garda Charter, specifically: To advise on the development and implementation of the Garda Charter proposed in the Programme for Government which will set out targeted response times and levels of service which the public can expect including frequency of high visibility patrols in urban and rural communities;...

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (11 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The centrality of human rights compliance to policing in Ireland is highlighted by section 7 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 which sets out for the first time the core functions of the Garda Siochana in a modern and unambiguous statutory format. Those objectives include (a) the protection of life and property and (b) vindicating the human rights of each individual. That said, it is...

Written Answers — Drug Court Programme: Drug Court Programme (11 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I can inform the Deputy that the Drug Treatment Court, which originally operated on a pilot basis in the North inner city of Dublin, has been placed on a permanent footing and extended to the Dublin 7 area. The Court uses a multi-disciplinary approach and involves a range of Government Departments and agencies charged with dealing with various aspects of the problem of drug misuse. The...

Written Answers — Prison Drug Treatment Services: Prison Drug Treatment Services (11 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The Irish Prison Service continues to work to implement its Drugs Policy & Strategy, entitled Keeping Drugs Out of Prisons, which was launched in May 2006. Working to fulfil the commitments contained in the Policy and Strategy involves the implementation of stringent measures to prevent drugs from getting into prisons while, at the same time, continuing to invest in services within prisons...

Written Answers — Criminal Prosecutions: Criminal Prosecutions (11 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The question of providing the DPP with a power to seek a review of unduly lenient sentences handed down in the District Court was examined by the Law Reform Commission in its report on prosecution appeals and pre-trial hearings (LRC 81-2006). The Report cited the lack of sentencing information in the District Court as a difficulty with regard to conferring such a power on the DPP. This...

Written Answers — Judicial Studies Institute: Judicial Studies Institute (11 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The Deputy will appreciate that it is for the Judicial Studies Institute itself to plan, organise and manage its business. My function as Minister under the Courts and Courts Officers Act 1995 is, with the consent of the Minister for Finance, to provide funds for the training and education of judges. The aim of the Institute is to facilitate the continuing education of judges in relation to...

Written Answers — Criminal Prosecutions: Criminal Prosecutions (11 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 395 and 398 together. The Deputy's Questions refer to Government commitments regarding the conduct of and procedures relating to criminal trials. The issues raised by these commitments were considered by the Balance in the Criminal Law Review Group, which reported in March 2007 to the then Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. In considering the...

Written Answers — Courts Service: Courts Service (11 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 396 and 397 together. In general, courts have discretion, subject to the requirements of the administration of justice, as to the directions they may give in a particular case to enable a trial to be conducted expeditiously, including directions for exchange of documents. Moreover, case management regimes, for example, have been in operation in the High Court...

Written Answers — Legal Costs: Legal Costs (11 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I assume the Deputy is referring to the Legal Costs Bill that is a commitment in the Government Legislation Programme. The details of my proposals for the Bill continue to be developed in my Department with a view to being completed as soon as possible. The Bill aims to reform the manner in which disputed legal costs are assessed with the allied objective of making the market for civil legal...

Written Answers — Garda Operations: Garda Operations (11 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The current procedure used by the Garda Síochána, which was introduced following advice from the Law Officers, involves each participant in an identity parade being assigned a number. In order to ensure that there is no doubt as to the person the victim or witness has identified, it is necessary that a clear identification is made. This may be done in a number of ways, including pointing...

Written Answers — Road Traffic Offences: Road Traffic Offences (11 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The table below shows the amount of court fines collected in respect of offences under the Road Traffic Acts in 2005, 2006 and 2007. 2005 2006 2007 â'¬7,500,000 â'¬13,400,000 â'¬12,800,000

Written Answers — Garda Disciplinary Proceedings: Garda Disciplinary Proceedings (11 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: Both the Garda Siochana (Discipline) Regulations 1989 and the new 2007 Regulations which replaced them on 1 June of that year empower a number of disciplinary actions in respect of breaches of discipline — including reductions in pay. These reductions are subject to maximum limits depending on the circumstances involved. The amounts of money deducted under the Regulations and the number of...

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (11 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The figures requested by the Deputy are contained in the table and they include costs incurred in respect of the provision of office equipment, training and I.C.T. The Deputy may wish to note that the expenditure involved has given rise to the transfer of five hundred and fifty posts under my Department's decentralisation programme. Location Office Non-Property Costs DJELR Head Office...

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (6 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: Based on the information provided, my Department has no record of a current visa application for the person in question.

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (6 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 151 and 152 together. I have 1 Personal (Dáil) Secretary (Dublin), salaries €30,566 — €50,410. I have 1 Personal Assistant (Louth), salaries €46,558 — 59,097. I have four Clerical Officers (3 in Dublin and 1 in Louth), salaries 3 @ €24,397 — € 39, 558 and 1 @ €24,225 — €38,397. The number, grade and salary range of staff employed in...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (6 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: In 2007 expenditure from the Garda Reserve subhead in the Garda Vote amounted to €45,000. The provision in this subhead for 2008 is €1.28 million and expenditure to the end of October amounts to €229,000. The estimates for 2009 provide €1.28 million for this subhead. There are also costs which are not separately assigned to the Garda Reserve. These include the salary costs of Garda...

Written Answers — Asylum Applications: Asylum Applications (6 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I refer the Deputy to the detailed Reply I gave to his recent Parliamentary Question, No. 863 of Wednesday, 24 September 2008, in this matter. The position in the State of the person concerned is as set out in that Reply.

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (6 Nov 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I can inform the Deputy that the Immigration Division of my Department has issued decision letters to the persons concerned in respect of their applications for permission to operate a business in the State.