Results 10,801-10,820 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Direct Provision System (10 Mar 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Independent Working Group on the Protection Process was established in October 2014 to recommend to the Government what improvements should be made to the protection process, including direct provision and supports to asylum seekers. The Group began its work in November last year under the chairmanship of retired High Court Judge, Bryan McMahon and its membership is drawn from a range of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Policy (10 Mar 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that development work on an on-line appointments system for applications for re-entry visas is at an advanced stage and it is planned to have the system operational shortly after Easter.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Status (10 Mar 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the person concerned was granted permission to remain in the State on 11th April, 2008, valid to 24th January, 2010, a position consistent with the permission held by the mother of the person concerned at that time. This permission was subsequently renewed with the latest permission expiring on 31st...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Driver Licences (10 Mar 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I have requested a report from the Garda authorities in relation to the matters referred to by the Deputy. I will contact the Deputy directly as soon as the report is to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Court Procedures (10 Mar 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: My Department is currently preparing draft legislation to provide for reform of the family courts. The Deputy will be aware that the Agreed Programme for Government contains a commitment to significant reform in this area. In conjunction with this, my Department is also currently developing a strategy to support the significant reform project which this proposal entails and this will...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Family Law Cases (10 Mar 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Dolphin House mediation initiative commenced on 21 March 2011 and so has been in operation for four years. The project was originally put in place as a pilot for a 12 month period and a comprehensive review of the service was undertaken in March 2012 incorporating an independent evaluation which was submitted to my predecessor. This review concluded that - There are clear cost...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Extradition Arrangements (10 Mar 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The decision to seek the extradition of a person charged with a criminal offence rests with the Director of Public Prosecutions and only arises where the Director has decided that a person should be prosecuted in the first instance. As the Deputy will appreciate, the Director is independent in the exercise of her functions and, as Minister for Justice and Equality, I have no function in...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Charter (10 Mar 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I have been informed by the Garda Commissioner that the Garda Charter {}outlines the commitment of An Garda Síochána to ensure that the services of An Garda Síochána meet the needs of all people regardless of Gender, Marital status, Family status, Age, Religion, Disability, Sexual orientation or membership of the Traveller community. During training, Recruit Gardaí...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Equipment (10 Mar 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: There seems to be an assumption in the Deputy's question that the EvoFIT system recently deployed by An Garda Síochána is a form of facial recognition software. This is not the case. I am informed by the Garda authorities that EvoFIT is in fact software which allows a member of the Garda Síochána to assemble a full electronic facial likeness based on the recollections of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Inspectorate Reports (10 Mar 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Garda Inspectorate Report on Crime Investigation forms an important component in the overall justice reform programme which is currently underway and in respect of which significant progress has already been made. Implementation of this programme, including the reforms recommended by the Inspectorate, is being overseen by the Cabinet Committee on Justice Reform, chaired by An Taoiseach.I...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Reports (10 Mar 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy will be aware, on 27 January, I published the Report of the Garda Professional Standards Unit Examination of the Procedures, Policy and Decision Making Processes in Relation to Cancellations on the Fixed Charge Processing System of Road Traffic Offences along with an Internal Audit Report which was forwarded to me by the Garda Commissioner. Following consultation with the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Oversight (10 Mar 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: This Government, as part of its response to the report by Seán Guerin SC, took the initiative to have an independent review carried out of the allegations of Garda misconduct which had been submitted to my Department, to the Office of the Taoiseach and a number of other public representatives. This unprecedented decision was taken with a view to getting an objective and independent legal...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Proposed Legislation (10 Mar 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: On 27 November, I published the General Scheme of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill 2014, which amongst other proposals, creates two new offences of purchasing, in the context of prostitution, sexual services. My primary concern, in introducing these provisions, is to vindicate the human rights of those trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation. Over 80% of women trafficked...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Deployment (10 Mar 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I have requested the information sought by the Deputy from the Garda authorities and I will arrange for the information to be forwarded to the Deputy upon receipt.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Closed Circuit Television Systems (10 Mar 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: CCTV systems installed for the purposes of crime prevention and as aids to policing in areas to which the general public routinely have access, such as town centres, fall into two distinct categories: Garda CCTV systems and community-based CCTV systems. Garda CCTV systems are planned and implemented on the basis of An Garda Síochána's identified operational needs and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Registration of Title (10 Mar 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...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Deployment (10 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 arranged to send detailed tables of the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Deportation Orders (10 Mar 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am informed by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the person concerned is the subject of a Deportation Order made on 12 November 2008. The person concerned has been evading deportation since 2 December 2008, and as such , is liable to arrest and detention. The person concerned should, therefore, 'present' to the Garda National Immigration Bureau...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Sexual Offences Data (10 Mar 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Garda Síochána Act 2005 makes provision for the compilation and publication of crime statistics by the Central Statistics Office (CSO), as the national statistical agency, and the CSO has established a dedicated unit for this purpose. I have asked the CSO to forward relevant statistics directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Data (10 Mar 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I can assure the Deputy that I am familiar with the Garda Inspectorate Report's analysis of the issues she refers to and welcomed its examination of these matters on publication. As the Inspectorate report recognises, these issues have been reported in other police services and the Inspectorate's recommendations draw from measures introduced in those jurisdictions. It is of course of great...