Results 11,361-11,380 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Irish Prison Service (5 Feb 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Irish Prison Service Strategy Statement 2015 - 2018 is currently being developed in consultation with our staff at headquarters, those based in prisons, and other stakeholders in the criminal justice system and will set out the overall high level objectives and key strategic actions the Irish Prison Service intends to take during the period 2015 - 2018. On 17 September 2014 published...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Staff Data (5 Feb 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy may note that there are currently 11 staff based in Government Buildings, Abbeyleix Road, Portlaoise. All of these staff work in the Probation Service.

Garda Síochána (Amendment) (No. 3) Bill 2014: Report Stage (4 Feb 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I believe change is underway and there are many signs of change in regard to what the Deputy calls de-politicisation, whether in regard to the issue of the independent people who are now involved in the promotions issue, for example, the setting up of the Garda authority and the many other changes that are underway. I would make the point that we are dealing here with how to strengthen...

Garda Síochána (Amendment) (No. 3) Bill 2014: Report Stage (4 Feb 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The impact of the amendments would be to remove from the Minister for Justice and Equality the function under section 96 of the Garda Síochána Act of determining whether certain information or material could be made available to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission where it has been claimed that matters of national security are involved. Having considered the...

Garda Síochána (Amendment) (No. 3) Bill 2014: Report Stage (4 Feb 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I will get some information for the Deputies who have been making contributions on the current timeframes, because it is important that this information is in the public arena. They have improved considerably in recent times. To reiterate, GSOC does have the ability to decide on how the cases are handled, depending on the type of case it is, the seriousness and the level of supervision. I...

Garda Síochána (Amendment) (No. 3) Bill 2014: Report Stage (4 Feb 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: Yes.

Garda Síochána (Amendment) (No. 3) Bill 2014: Report Stage (4 Feb 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The intention of the Deputy’s amendment is that GSOC and the Garda Inspectorate should have the capacity to recruit independent investigators. This amendment in some ways is based on a misunderstanding. GSOC already can recruit independent investigators while the inspectorate does not investigate individual cases. I have had no request from the inspectorate to recruit independent...

Garda Síochána (Amendment) (No. 3) Bill 2014: Report Stage (4 Feb 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: Section 10 of the Bill amends section 106. I was just referencing it.

Garda Síochána (Amendment) (No. 3) Bill 2014: Report Stage (4 Feb 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Government is committed to establishing a new police authority and to its being an independent body and having a strong oversight and supervisory role over the Garda Síochána. By any standard, it is a radical change in the accountability of the Garda Síochána. Deputy Wallace referred to a buffer. It is a new independent authority with strong powers to do its business...

Garda Síochána (Amendment) (No. 3) Bill 2014: Report Stage (4 Feb 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Sean Sherlock, for taking amendment No. 1. Acceptance of amendment No. 2 would mean the Garda Commissioner would become accountable to GSOC in respect of policing matters. This is the same recommendation that was made by the joint committee before I published the legislative proposals to establish a police authority. As the new legislation to establish...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Redress for Women Resident in Certain Institutions Bill 2014: Committee Stage (4 Feb 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I would like to move some amendments on Report Stage and will indicate the areas they cover. They arise from some points brought up in the course of discussion in the Dáil. Several Deputies were concerned that the Bill was trying to restrict the health benefits recommended by Mr. Justice Quirke, in particular concerns were expressed that we were trying to restrict the choice of general...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 23 - Property Registration Authority (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice and Equality (Revised)
Vote 25 - Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (Revised) (4 Feb 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I welcome the opportunity to meet the committee as it considers the 2015 Revised Estimates for my Department's group of Votes, which were published in December. Before going into some of the detail of the Estimate provision across the six Votes which come under the Department of Justice and Equality, I want to make a number of headline points at the outset. The gross Estimate provision...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 23 - Property Registration Authority (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice and Equality (Revised)
Vote 25 - Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (Revised) (4 Feb 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: There were a number of technical adjustments to the Estimate, including the transfer of more than €6 million to the new Vote for the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission. There was a further transfer of €2.5 million from the Department of Justice and Equality to the Vote for the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform for the migration of payroll services to its new...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 23 - Property Registration Authority (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice and Equality (Revised)
Vote 25 - Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (Revised) (4 Feb 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The exceptions are GSOC which received an increase and the Garda Inspectorate.

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 23 - Property Registration Authority (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice and Equality (Revised)
Vote 25 - Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (Revised) (4 Feb 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am in regular contact with GSOC. I have regular meetings with it and keep its budget under review. When it was asked to do extra work on penalty points there were budgetary implications in terms of recruiting extra staff and that is why we gave the increase. Let me go into detail with the Deputy. A sum of €1 million has been allowed for in this Estimate. I said I would keep the...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 23 - Property Registration Authority (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice and Equality (Revised)
Vote 25 - Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (Revised) (4 Feb 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: I will, yes.

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 23 - Property Registration Authority (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice and Equality (Revised)
Vote 25 - Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (Revised) (4 Feb 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The 300 recruits will make a difference and the first lot of recruits will pass out in May. I was delighted to open the recruitment programme again because it had not been opened since 2009. We have a very enthusiastic group of trainees and a huge number of people applied to join the Garda. As I have said, I want ongoing seamless recruitment because that is the best way of ensuring we...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 23 - Property Registration Authority (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice and Equality (Revised)
Vote 25 - Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (Revised) (4 Feb 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: Gardaí are paid a number of allowances on top of their basic salary, as the Deputy will know. The allowances amount to between 25% and 33% of gross pay and for the most part they have been in existence for a number of years. I shall give the background to the issue. In September 2012, following the review of public service allowances and premium payments, the Government decided to...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 23 - Property Registration Authority (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice and Equality (Revised)
Vote 25 - Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (Revised) (4 Feb 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: There are currently 1,100 attested reserve gardaí, with a further 46 at various stages of training. The Deputy posed an interesting question regarding the process. He asked whether it would be possible to stream the entry of members of the Garda Reserve into An Garda Síochána. I am sure their work in the reserve will be deemed good experience to have on their CV during the...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2015
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 23 - Property Registration Authority (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice and Equality (Revised)
Vote 25 - Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (Revised) (4 Feb 2015)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy asked earlier about the delays in respect of recruitment to the Garda Reserve. Reserves go through the public appointments system. The Public Appointments Service has been asked to fill many vacancies recently and the delay is the result of the volume of work the service has. A number of vacancies have been advertised while promotions have been dealt with, although that was done...