Results 13,141-13,160 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Draft Commission of Investigation (Mr. Ronan MacLochlainn) Order 2014: Motion (16 Jul 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: The background is that Ronan MacLochlainn was fatally shot by members of the Garda during an attempted armed robbery of a Securicor van in County Wicklow on 1 May 1998 and on 12 March 2010 his partner, Ms Gráinne Nic Gibb, took a case against Ireland under the European Convention on Human Rights alleging a failure on the part of the State to carry out an effective - that is the key word...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Draft Commission of Investigation (Mr. Ronan MacLochlainn) Order 2014: Motion (16 Jul 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: The ECHR struck out the case on the basis of the proposal made. Ms Nic Gibb was awarded €23,000 to cover pecuniary and non-pecuniary damages and expenses. The award has been paid but a civil case is outstanding. I do not have a date for it, but I can inform the committee at a later date. It has been under way for approximately three years

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Draft Commission of Investigation (Mr. Ronan MacLochlainn) Order 2014: Motion (16 Jul 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Draft Commission of Investigation (Mr. Ronan MacLochlainn) Order 2014: Motion (16 Jul 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: Yes. I used the term "effective official investigation."

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Draft Commission of Investigation (Mr. Ronan MacLochlainn) Order 2014: Motion (16 Jul 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am informed that technically Ireland had breached the convention because the investigations carried out by the Garda, the Director of Public Prosecutions and the coroner were deemed not to have met the criteria and that that was what led to the discussion. The agreement was that there would be a commission of investigation. It was agreed that it would be seen as the effective mechanism.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (16 Jul 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the visa application referred to by the Deputy was received in the Visa Office, Dublin on 17 February 2014. Following full consideration, the Visa Officer decided to refuse to grant the visa on 11 April 2014. The reason for refusal was that a declaration of Eligibility and Suitability from the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Deployment (16 Jul 2014)

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 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 been...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Deployment (16 Jul 2014)

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 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 been...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Magdalen Laundries (16 Jul 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: An application was received, by the Restorative Justice Implementation Unit, in respect of this individual. Her claim has been processed, however, payment is delayed as I understand there are issues with regard to capacity. Judge Quirke recommended that legislation was required where an applicant is found to lack capacity but has not been made a ward of court or where there is no enduring...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Residential Property Prices Register (16 Jul 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Residential Property Price Register, available at www.propertypriceregister.ie, is produced by the Property Services Regulatory Authority in accordance with the provisions of Section 86 of the Property Services (Regulation) Act 2011. The Register contains information on residential properties purchased in Ireland since 1 January 2010, as declared to the Revenue Commissioners for stamp...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Court Procedures (16 Jul 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I wish to inform the Deputy that fees charged in the courts are set by means of Statutory Instrument. Court fees orders are made by myself as the Minister for Justice and Equality with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. During 2013, the Courts Service carried out a comprehensive review of court fees. Court fees in connection with bankruptcy proceedings are...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Personal Insolvency Act (16 Jul 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I have no immediate plans to remove upfront fees in relation to personal insolvency arrangements. However, both my Department and the Insolvency Service of Ireland (ISI) have given a commitment that the effectiveness of the personal insolvency legislation will be kept under review, this includes the fees associated with the arrangements.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Vetting Application Numbers (16 Jul 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am informed by the Garda authorities that the number of Garda Vetting applications received and average processing times in 2012, 2013 and 2014 (to end June) are as follows: 2012 2013 2014 to end June Applications Received 276,519 346,936 159,231 Average Processing Time 6 weeks 9 weeks 4 weeksGarda Vetting applications are processed on a first come, first served basis in...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Judicial Appointments (16 Jul 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: There are currently two vacancies on the High Court and no vacancies in the Circuit Court or the District Court. The two High Court vacancies will be filled as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Refugee Status Applications (16 Jul 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: Responsibility for processing all Subsidiary Protection applications was transferred from the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service of my Department to the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner (ORAC) under the European Union (Subsidiary Protection) Regulations 2013 (SI No. 426 of 2013) in November, 2013. A panel of legally qualified persons was recruited to assist the ORAC...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Judicial Appointments (16 Jul 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy will be aware that I am overseeing a consultation process on the system of judicial appointments with the intention of instituting reforms to enhance the current system. The Department received a significant amount of material earlier this year as part of the process with views ranging across a significant number of different aspects of the eligibility provisions and the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prisoner Data (16 Jul 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: In 2013, 10,596 or 85% of all committals under sentence were for sentences of 6 months or less. This category also includes those committed (8,121) as a consequence of the non-payment of a court ordered fine. A full breakdown of the number of convicted persons imprisoned for six months, for five months, for four months, for three months, for two months and for one month in 2013 is set out...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prisoner Data (16 Jul 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Irish Prison Service calculates the average cost of an available staffed prison space and this is available on the Irish Prison Service's website www.irishprisons.ie

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Community Service Orders (16 Jul 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I can advise the Deputy that an examination by the Probation Service in 2013 of Community Service costs based on 2012 data showed the average cost of completion of a Community Service Order to be €1,500. In 2013, there were 2,354 Community Service Orders made, with a total of just over 352,000 hours in lieu of a custodial sentence. Based on 2013 data, the average number of hours for...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Community Service Orders (16 Jul 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy will be aware that, under the provisions of the Courts Service Act 1998, management of the courts is the responsibility of the Courts Service and I have no role in the matter. Section 4(3) of the 1998 Act provides that the Courts Service is independent in the performance of its functions, which includes the provision of statistics. However, in order to be of assistance to the...