Results 12,501-12,520 of 16,849 for speaker:Dermot Ahern

Written Answers — Garda Compensation Tribunal: Garda Compensation Tribunal (28 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: Currently, Gardaí who sustain injuries maliciously inflicted upon them in the performance of their duties are entitled in accordance with the Garda Síochána (Compensation) Acts 1941 and 1945 to apply for an authorisation from my Department to seek compensation in the High Court. Those Acts oblige me, as the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, to refuse to authorise an...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (28 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: Proposals to transpose Directive 2006/24/EC of the European Parliament and Council on the retention of telephony and internet data are being drafted at present. Groups with an interest in the Directive have been given an opportunity to examine the draft Statutory Instrument that will transpose the Directive into Irish law and any views they have on it will form the basis for further discussions.

Written Answers — Crime Prevention: Crime Prevention (28 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The Garda Dog Unit performs a valuable service for the Garda Síochána in a range of different policing roles including drug detection and crowd control incidents. I refer the Deputy to a comprehensive reply to Question 91 on the matter also down for answer today.

Written Answers — State Bodies: State Bodies (28 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: My Department recognises the critical importance of maintaining a continuous focus on driving both efficiency and effectiveness from its expenditure and a key initiative in this regard is the Department's Value for Money (VFM) review programme. This programme has already completed VFM reviews in respect of the Asylum/Immigration field, Prisons Capital Projects and the Probation Service's...

Written Answers — Recidivism Rate: Recidivism Rate (28 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I wish to advise the Deputy that the Irish Prison Service facilitated a major study of prisoner re-offending by the UCD Institute of Criminology. The study found that 27.4% of released prisoners were serving a new prison sentence with one year. This rose to 39.2% after two years, 45.1% after three years, and 49.2% after four years. The fact that over 50% of prisoners do not re-offend...

Written Answers — Garda Complaints Procedures: Garda Complaints Procedures (28 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 144, 174 and 189 together. The Ombudsman Commission is an integral part of the new Garda regulatory system introduced by the Garda Síochána Act 2005. Not alone does the Act set out the role of the Garda Síochána in policing the State and the Garda Síochána Inspectorate in benchmarking performance by reference to standards internationally, it establishes...

Written Answers — Customs and Excise: Customs and Excise (28 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: Our drug law enforcement response remains a vital feature of our overall response in addressing the drugs issue under the Government's National Drugs Strategy. As the Deputy will appreciate, under the National Strategy it is the Customs Service which has primary responsibility for the prevention, detection, interception and seizure of controlled drugs at the point of importation. Given the...

Written Answers — Firearms Licences: Firearms Licences (28 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I can inform the House that Section 4, Firearms Act 1925 addresses conditions of grant of a firearm certificate and specifies that the Superintendent shall, before granting a firearm certificate, be satisfied that the applicant: (a) has a good reason for requiring the certificate, (b) can be permitted to have in his possession, use, and carry a firearm or ammunition without danger to the...

Written Answers — Inquiries into Garda Activities: Inquiries into Garda Activities (28 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 147 and 160 together. The work of the Morris Tribunal has greatly influenced the policy underpinning the Garda Síochána Act 2005 which constituted the most fundamental review of the Garda Síochána in the history of the State. The extent of those reforms and the speed with which they were implemented are indicative of the level of commitment the...

Written Answers — Crime Levels: Crime Levels (28 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I refer the Deputy to my answer to Priority Question No. 1 of today's date.

Written Answers — Crime Levels: Crime Levels (28 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I refer the Deputy to my answer to Question No. 90 of today's date.

Written Answers — Prison Building Programme: Prison Building Programme (28 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The Government decided to assign a site owned by the Department of Defence to the Irish Prison Service as the location for the development of a prison facility to replace Cork Prison and serve the Munster region. A preliminary site suitability report has been carried out on the site and this has confirmed that there are no significant constraints to the development of this site. I can...

Written Answers — Legal Aid Service: Legal Aid Service (28 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The Criminal Justice (Legal Aid) Act 1962 provides that free legal aid may be granted in certain circumstances for the defence of persons of insufficient means in criminal proceedings. Under the 1962 Act, the courts, through the judiciary, are responsible for the granting of legal aid. An applicant must establish to the satisfaction of the court that his/her means are insufficient to enable...

Written Answers — Inquiries into Garda Activities: Inquiries into Garda Activities (28 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The report of the Hartnett Inquiry constitutes a detailed examination of the circumstances surrounding the arrest and detention of Brian Rossiter. The Inquiry found that, while the arrest of Brian Rossiter was lawful, his detention was unlawful, notwithstanding that his father consented to it. The Inquiry found that there was a failure to observe properly certain procedural requirements of...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (28 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: The Government Legislative Programme published on 1 April 2008 provides for publication of the Property Services Regulatory Authority Bill during the current Dail session. The Authority is currently operating on a non-statutory basis but will be put on a statutory footing by the Bill. Property management agents will, together with auctioneers and estate agents, be covered by the licensing...

Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (28 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I understand from the Garda Authorities that they are aware that an application for planning permission for an underground firing range was received by Limerick County Council in March 2008. To date no application has been received by An Garda Síochána for authorisation of this range. As of now, neither I nor my Department has any role in the matter and I have not received any...

Written Answers — Garda Recruitment: Garda Recruitment (28 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I am informed by the Garda Commissioner that the number of persons from ethnic minorities recruited to An Garda Síochána is 4 with a further 21 members in training. I am also informed that there are 8 attested members of the Garda Reserve from ethnic minorities with a further 5 in training. There is an ongoing recruitment campaign in place for recruitment to An Garda Síochána and there...

Written Answers — Garda Operations: Garda Operations (28 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I am informed by the Garda authorities that the numbers of bench warrants, penal warrants and committal warrants which were recorded on the PULSE system as being on hand on 23 May, 2008 are set out in the following table. It is inevitable in any criminal justice system that at any given time there will be a significant number of warrants awaiting execution. It should be borne in mind too...

Written Answers — Garda Stations: Garda Stations (28 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: A total of €260 million has been provided in the National Development Plan for the provision of new and upgraded Garda accommodation. The Garda accommodation programme is based on agreed priorities established by An Garda Síochána and it is brought forward in close cooperation with the Office of Public Works (OPW), who have responsibility for the provision and maintenance of Garda...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (28 May 2008)

Dermot Ahern: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that earlier this year the Government accepted a proposal from my predecessor that it should take over the Spent Convictions Bill 2007, introduced into the Dáil in October 2007 as a Private Members Bill by (prior to his recent promotion) Minister of State Barry Andrews, TD, and adopt it as a Government Bill. Certain procedural requirements, as laid down in...