Results 11,221-11,240 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Deployment (17 Feb 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution of resources, including personnel and vehicles, among the Garda Regions, Divisions, and Districts. Garda management keeps 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...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Magdalen Laundries Report (17 Feb 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Government is committed to full implementation of the Quirke Report. Significant progress has been made on the implementation of the Magdalen Redress Scheme. To date, a decision has been made on 87% of the applications received and 503 applicants have been paid their lump sums at a cost of nearly €18.5m. Judge Quirke recommended that the women should have access to an enhanced...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Remuneration (17 Feb 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 303, 312 and 313 together. The current Garda recruit competition commenced in late 2013 and attracted over 20,000 applications. Details of the remuneration package, i.e. basic pay and other allowances including unsocial hours allowances, were made available to all applicants prior to their recruitment. These pay scales do not include any allowances. It...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Investigations (17 Feb 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The allocation of all Garda resources is a matter for the Garda Commissioner. In that context, I am advised by the Garda authorities that Garda personnel may be assigned to several investigations in response to operational requirements and, accordingly, it is not possible to provide costs associated with the investigation of specific incidents.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Proposed Legislation (17 Feb 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: Further to my response of 18 December, I wish to inform the Deputy that it remains my intention to publish this Regulatory Impact Assessment for consultation in the early part of this year.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Liquor Licensing Laws (17 Feb 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The position is that statutory restrictions on the sale of alcohol on Good Friday, which have historical origins, will be examined in the context of the forthcoming Sale of Alcohol Bill. This Bill will update the law relating to the sale, supply and consumption of alcohol in licensed premises and will provide an opportunity for reviewing statutory restrictions on alcohol sales. The Bill...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Stardust Fire (17 Feb 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I met with the Stardust Relatives' and Victims Committee in July of last year and this meeting provided an opportunity for me to hear their concerns at first hand. At that meeting representatives of the Committee set out, in some detail, their concerns in relation to the Inquiries into this matter that have been undertaken previously and some related financial issues that have arisen. ...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Stardust Fire (17 Feb 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy will be aware, following a long campaign on the part of the victims, Mr. Paul Coffey SC was appointed in 2008 by the then Government, with the agreement of the Victims Committee, to review the case made by the Committee for a new inquiry into the fire. His report was published in January 2009. He concluded that the original Tribunal finding of arson was a hypothetical one only...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Vetting of Personnel (17 Feb 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am informed by the Garda authorities that the average processing time for vetting applications since February 2014 is approximately 4 weeks from date of receipt. This compares to an average of 9 weeks to process cases in 2013. In the interest of fairness, Garda vetting applications are processed in chronological order based on the date of receipt in the Garda Central Vetting Unit and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Crime Levels (17 Feb 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I can assure the Deputy that I am very conscious of the concerns which exist in relation to burglary and am working closely with the Garda Commissioner and other relevant criminal justice agencies to ensure that an effective, whole of system response is in place. It is the case that, having fallen in 2013, an increase in the number of burglary offences was recorded during 2014, driven...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Issues Relating to Gambling Sector (17 Feb 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I can inform the Deputy that officials in my Department have met with the individual in question on a number of occasions in recent years. My officials have met, and continue to meet, individuals and organisations representing a wide range of interests in the gaming and gambling areas. My officials remain open to meeting with the individual in question on further occasions, as circumstances...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Criminal Prosecutions (17 Feb 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: In the time available it has not been possible to obtain the information sought by the Deputy. The information has been sought from the Garda Síochána and a reply will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as this information is to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Proposed Legislation (17 Feb 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Mediation Bill is being drafted in the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel. However, the Government has a demanding schedule of urgent legislation at present and for that reason it is not possible to give a specific date for publication of the Bill at this stage. However, it is my intention to proceed quickly with enactment of the Bill following publication later this year.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Status (17 Feb 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: Only Irish citizens are entitled to an Irish passport. Foreign nationals living in the State may apply for citizenship through naturalisation if and when they are in a position to meet the statutory requirements as prescribed in the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended. Section 15 of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended, provides that the Minister may,...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Referendum Campaigns (17 Feb 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy will be aware that the Government agreed last September to hold a referendum on removing the offence of blasphemy contained in Article 40.6.1.1 of the Constitution, in response to the 6th Report of the Convention on the Constitution. The Government's response was presented in the Dáil on 2nd October 2014. The work necessary to prepare a Referendum Bill and a Bill to amend...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Same-sex Marriage (17 Feb 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy will be aware, I have responsibility for the preparation of the legislation that will pave the way for the forthcoming referendum on marriage equality. The Thirty-fourth Amendment of the Constitution (Marriage Equality) Bill 2015 was published on 21 January of this year. The aim is that the Second Stage debate on the Bill will be held in this House shortly. My Department...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Magdalen Laundries Report (17 Feb 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy will be aware, the report of the Inter-Departmental Committee to establish the facts of State involvement with the Magdalen Laundries - The McAleese Report - was published on the 5th February 2013 and gave a fully comprehensive answer to the question posed by its terms of reference. The Report, a detailed, carefully researched document running to over 1,000 pages, has been...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Staff Data (17 Feb 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 320 and 321 together. The Office for Internet Safety, which is an executive office in my Department, was established in September 2007. There are currently 3 staff assigned to the Office whose roles relate to the provision of advice to the parents of young people on internet safety, the channelling of EU funding to partner bodies and the coordination of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Training (17 Feb 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I have been informed by the Garda Commissioner that Garda Recruits entering the Garda College, Templemore, complete a BA in Applied Policing. The issue of Online Bullying and Social Media issues are included in the programme and also form part of An Garda Síochána Continuous Professional Development training. Also on Phase II of the BA, a two day “Children First”...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Coroners Service (17 Feb 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy will appreciate that I have no role in relation to the conduct of individual inquests. The legislation governing coroner matters is the Coroners Act, 1962. Under this legislation, a coroner is a statutory officer exercising quasi-judicial functions in relation to which he or she is independent. The conduct of the inquest is solely a matter for the coroner. As regards the...