Results 10,541-10,560 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Seanad: An Bille um an gCeathrú Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Comhionannas Pósta) 2015: An Dara Céim - Thirty-fourth Amendment of the Constitution (Marriage Equality) Bill 2015: Second Stage (25 Mar 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am honoured to introduce the Thirty-fourth Amendment of the Constitution (Marriage Equality) Bill 2015 into Seanad Éireann. The Bill sets out the proposed constitutional amendment on the issue of marriage equality to be put to the people in the referendum on 22 May 2015. If the referendum is approved by the people, couples will have a right to marry without distinction as to their...

Seanad: An Bille um an gCeathrú Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Comhionannas Pósta) 2015: An Dara Céim - Thirty-fourth Amendment of the Constitution (Marriage Equality) Bill 2015: Second Stage (25 Mar 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: What does the proposed constitutional amendment seek to achieve? What are the people being asked to decide in the referendum on 22 May? The people will be asked to decide upon a simple question, namely, who should have the right to marry in the eyes of the State. The answer to that question will determine whether or not the institution of marriage should be opened to same-sex couples on...

Seanad: An Bille um an gCeathrú Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Comhionannas Pósta) 2015: An Dara Céim - Thirty-fourth Amendment of the Constitution (Marriage Equality) Bill 2015: Second Stage (25 Mar 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I thank all Senators for this very constructive debate on this important topic. The eloquence and the power of the contributions from Senators here today speaks for itself. I hope it gets a wide audience through a variety of media. I am very struck by the personal nature of many of the contributions and the care of the language. I recognise, of course, the role that many people have...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Judicial Reviews (25 Mar 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I refer the Deputy to my reply to his Question No. 424 of 24 March 2015.As I have indicated to the Deputy previously, I met with family members of the victim to whom the Deputy refers and their legal representative to hear their concerns about aspects of the Garda investigation of the murder of their loved one and their call for an inquiry. I also committed to consider the family's request...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Road Traffic Offences (25 Mar 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The court poor box is a non-statutory system used mostly by the District Courts to impose a financial charge on a defendant to be used for a charitable purpose, usually instead of imposing a criminal conviction. Payments made to the court poor box are accounted for by the court office concerned and the accounting procedures are subject to audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General....

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Proposed Legislation (25 Mar 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: In February 2014, the Government approved the drafting of a Criminal Justice (Community Sanctions) Bill to replace the Probation of Offenders Act 1907 with modern provisions dealing with community sanctions and the role of the Probation Service in the criminal justice system. The General Scheme of the Bill was the subject of pre-legislative consideration by the Joint Oireachtas Committee...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Deployment (25 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 Commissioner...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Proposed Legislation (25 Mar 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: On 27 November, I published the General Scheme of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill. The General Scheme includes wide ranging provisions to enhance the protection of children and vulnerable persons from sexual abuse and exploitation. When enacted, the Bill will facilitate full compliance with the criminal law provisions of a number of EU, UN and Council of Europe legal instruments....

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (25 Mar 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: Insolvency Service of Ireland Staff (25 Mar 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Insolvency Service of Ireland that a total of 31 staff were employed in the Bankruptcy Division in both 2013 and 2014. The Bankruptcy Division is headed by the Official Assignee. The Office of the Official Assignee, an Office of the High Court was transferred to the ISI in accordance with the provisions of Part 7 of the Courts and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Insolvency Service of Ireland Data (25 Mar 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Insolvency Service of Ireland (ISI) has indicated that between 2011 and 2014 there were 567 bankruptcies of which 485 cases involved a family home. I have arranged for further details to be collated and issued to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Investigations (25 Mar 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy will appreciate that I have no role in the initiation of criminal investigations, which is a matter for the Garda authorities. I understand that the Garda authorities have carried out general local enquiries, including with respect to the reported discovery of remains in the 1970s, and this information was fed back into the interdepartmental process which was undertaken to examine...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Peace Commissioners Data (25 Mar 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: My officials are collating the information which will be forwarded to the Deputy in the coming days.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Data (25 Mar 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The information requested was forwarded to the Deputy on 30 January 2015.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Contracts (25 Mar 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I regret that it is not possible to answer the Deputy's question in the absence of some detail as to which companies he is referring to.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Bodies Data (25 Mar 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am interpreting the Deputy’s question as relating to chairpersons and non-executive directors of boards with a governance or oversight function of a state body. Moreover, I understand that a non-executive director is a person who sits on the Board of an organisation but does not work for that organisation. For example, the staff members that work for the Legal Aid Board and who sit...

Seanad: Children and Family Relationships Bill 2015: Second Stage (24 Mar 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am honoured to have the opportunity to introduce the Bill, which provides comprehensive reform of family law to bring it up to date with the realities of family life in Ireland. It is a child-centred Bill aimed at addressing the legal situation of children living in diverse families, which delivers on the programme for Government commitment to "modernise and reform outdated elements of...

Seanad: Children and Family Relationships Bill 2015: Second Stage (24 Mar 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I thank all the Senators who contributed. It has been a very interesting debate. We have heard many differing views from both sides of the debate, but there is also a broad consensus around many of the Bill’s provisions and a recognition that it is bringing family law up to date in respect of children in diverse forms of family. The Bill breaks new ground. Several Senators focused...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Money Laundering (24 Mar 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 419 and 437 together. I wish to inform the Deputy that a total of 298 entities are currently authorised to operate as Trust or Company Service Providers (TCSPs) under the provisions of the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Act 2010 as amended by the Criminal Justice Act 2013. Authorisation to operate as a TCSP, which is...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Child Maintenance Payments (24 Mar 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: Under the law as it stands, maintenance may be deducted from wages under an "attachment of earnings order". The court may make such an order at the same time as making a maintenance order. These orders are usually made where the court considers that there is otherwise a risk that the maintenance will not be paid.