Results 1,261-1,280 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Criminal Justice Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (24 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I move amendment No. 1:In page 4, line 13, to delete “ ‘intoxication’ ” and substitute “ ‘intoxicated’ ”. This is a fairly straightforward technical amendment. It replaces the word "intoxication" with the word "intoxicated" in subsection (4) of the new section 4A of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act to be inserted by section 3 of...

Criminal Justice Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (24 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: Amendment No. 2 deletes the power for the Garda to arrest without warrant a person on bail who is about to contravene any of the conditions of his or her recognisance. However, consider the circumstances where a victim is in fear of violence from an accused person and that person is prohibited from contacting the victim as a condition of his or her bail. If the accused person pulls up...

Criminal Justice Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (24 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I will reiterate the kinds of circumstances about which we are talking. A condition of bail is imposed on the accused person. There are grounds to reasonably suspect that the person is about to breach that condition. Immediate arrest is necessary to prevent harm to, or interference with a victim or a witness. A condition is imposed in the first instance, there are grounds to suspect that...

Criminal Justice Bill 2016: Order for Report Stage (24 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I move: "That Report Stage be taken now."

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Parole Bill 2016: Committee Stage (24 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I thank Deputy Jim O'Callaghan for the work he has done on the Bill. The establishment of a parole board on a statutory basis has been an ongoing Government and Opposition policy objective. There is a need to provide for a more objective and streamlined parole process which, while, of course, being of benefit to the prisoner, has public safety at its core. It is of paramount concern, and...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Parole Bill 2016: Committee Stage (24 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I agree with the amendment.

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Parole Bill 2016: Committee Stage (24 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I do not propose to oppose the amendment. I agree we should define parole candidate. However, it may be necessary to make a small further amendment to the definition by including a reference to section 21 of the Bill. This section provides for a consideration of parole. If amendment No. 67 is agreed, it will allow for applications for parole to be made under that section. A reference in...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Parole Bill 2016: Committee Stage (24 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: Amendments Nos. 5 and 6 address the need to ensure the parole board can make recommendations relating to sentence management. Amendments Nos. 72 and 83 are linked to amendment No. 5 and amendments Nos. 3, 45, 50 and 58 are consequential amendments to amendment No. 72. I support the principle of the amendments, which reflect current practice whereby the parole board can and does make various...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Parole Bill 2016: Committee Stage (24 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I would, yes. I have a strong preference for amendment No. 6. I am concerned about the orders relating to sentence management, including orders for transfer. I would make the point again, and ask Deputy Daly to consider it, that the parole board has a specific role. Getting involved in the management and operation of the prisons, which is the tendency, is where this is going. That is the...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Parole Bill 2016: Committee Stage (24 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am considering bringing forward amendments to section 2. These will be mainly technical amendments to this section to provide for additional definitions, which might seem a bit surprising, such as a definition of "prison". Some other new definitions may also be required on foot of amendments proposed today, including a definition of "medical practitioner". We may have to revisit those...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Parole Bill 2016: Committee Stage (24 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I would like to raise a matter about this section. Under existing arrangements, parole is effectively the exercise by the Minister of the power of temporary release under the Criminal Justice Act 1960, reflecting the fact that the existing parole board operates in an advisory capacity only. Given that the parole board will now be established on a statutory basis, with a clear...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Parole Bill 2016: Committee Stage (24 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: Yes.

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Parole Bill 2016: Committee Stage (24 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: Sorry.

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Parole Bill 2016: Committee Stage (24 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I heard what Deputy Daly had to say but take the Chairman's point. I want to revert to the work that the members of the board are doing. I have had the benefit of reading their decisions, and having to make a decision myself on the recommendation they are making to me. I will make a general point first about how critical the membership is. I think everybody here accepts that it is...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Parole Bill 2016: Committee Stage (24 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: May I make a suggestion?

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Parole Bill 2016: Committee Stage (24 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: If that is okay.

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Parole Bill 2016: Committee Stage (24 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: That is fine.

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Parole Bill 2016: Committee Stage (24 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: Did the Deputy just say "not qualified"?

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Parole Bill 2016: Committee Stage (24 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: Deputy Brophy has a point with regard to the definition. What I suggest, and what I said with regard to amendment No. 12 is it would be worthwhile narrowing down what we mean by community representative. I am happy to take the amendment and see whether we can do a little bit of work on what we mean by the definition of community representative so it is more aligned to the needs of the...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Parole Bill 2016: Committee Stage (24 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: No, that is fine.