Results 1,361-1,380 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Strength (23 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: This Government is committed to ensuring a strong and visible police presence throughout the country in order to maintain and strengthen community engagement, provide reassurance to citizens and deter crime. To make this a reality for all, the Government has in place a plan to achieve an overall Garda workforce of 21,000 personnel by 2021 comprising 15,000 Garda members, 2,000 Reserve...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Workplace Relations Services (23 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: An Garda Síochána has a Dignity at Work policy for Garda members entitled 'Working Together to Create a Positive Working Environment'. It outlines the organisation's policy and procedures for dealing with harassment, sexual harassment and bullying in the workplace. The main objective of the policy is to achieve a safe and harmonious working environment that encourages and supports...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Reserve (23 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am pleased to say that the Garda Commissioner launched a new recruitment drive for Garda Reserves on 23 March last. It closed on 13 April. It received a strong response with over 2,500 people applying to become Reserves and give something back to their communities on a voluntary basis. This is part of the Government's commitment to ensuring a strong and visible police presence...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Road Traffic Legislation (23 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I, of course, share the Deputy's concerns in relation to the public safety and anti-social issues associated with the misuse of such vehicles. It is a very serious issue. The Deputy will be aware that the use of mechanically propelled vehicles, including quad bikes and scramblers, in a public place is subject to the relevant requirements of road traffic legislation. I am advised by the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Strength (23 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: This Government is committed to ensuring a strong and visible police presence throughout the country in order to maintain and strengthen community engagement, provide reassurance to citizens and deter crime. To make this a reality for all, the Government has in place a plan to achieve an overall Garda workforce of 21,000 personnel by 2021 comprising 15,000 Garda members, 2,000 Reserve...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Stations (23 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy will be aware, the Office of Public Works has primary responsibility for the provision and maintenance of Garda accommodation and works closely with the Garda authorities in this regard. As Minister, I have no direct role in these matters. The Deputy will recall that the Garda Building and Refurbishment Programme 2016-2021 includes the development of a new Garda...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Closed-Circuit Television Systems Provision (23 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy will be aware that the Programme for a Partnership Government commits to providing investment in CCTV systems and that I have secured €1 million in Budget 2017 to begin a new round of community CCTV schemes in line with the Programme. In this context, I am pleased to inform the Deputy that, on 13 April 2017, I launched the new grant aid scheme to assist community-based...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Deployment (23 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution of resources, including personnel, among the various Garda Divisions and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter. Garda management keeps the distribution of resources under continual review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities so as to ensure that the optimum use is made of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Domestic Violence Policy (23 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: Consideration was given to establishing a criminal offence of domestic violence in the context of drafting the Domestic Violence Bill. Domestic violence has a wide currency and covers a broad spectrum of behaviours ranging from pushing, physical assaults and non-physical abuse. In the arena of domestic violence, "violence" has been given a wider meaning and includes psychological abuse,...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Cyber Security Policy (23 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The national response to cyber security is led by the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment under the stewardship of my colleague Minister Naughten. That Department published the first National Cyber Security Strategy in 2015. The Strategy sets out the Government's vision for a secure and reliable cyberspace and includes many actions which seek to address cyber threats...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: International Terrorism (23 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: As an open and democratic society in the European Union, Ireland cannot consider itself immune from the current international terrorist threat. The assessment of the threat is that while an attack on Ireland is possible, it is not considered likely. Nor is there at present any specific information that an attack on Ireland is planned. The level of threat from this source is kept under...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Commissions of Investigation (23 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The final Report of the Fennelly Commission of Investigation was published on 6 April 2017. Part 12 of the Report concerns the terms of reference (1) m which required the Commission " to identify and review all recordings in the possession of An Garda Síochána emanating from the Garda telephone recording system at Bandon Garda Station or otherwise, which relate to the Garda...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Refugee Data (23 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: As I previously set out in my response to the Deputy's written Question No. 108 on 9 May 2017, Section 8 of the International Protection Act 2015, as commenced on 31 December, 2016, sets out the applicable reasons for persecution when considering an application for international protection on the grounds referred to by the Deputy. Applications are processed by the International Protection...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Dublin-Monaghan Bombings (23 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I wish to confirm that following inquiries in my Department and enquires with an organisation supporting such victims, there are no outstanding claims for such payments in my Department. In addressing the legacy of the troubles for victims, the Government established the Remembrance Commission. Over the Commission's lifetime from 2003 to 2008, €3.87 million was made available to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Deployment (23 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy will appreciate, it is the Garda Commissioner who is responsible for the distribution of resources, including personnel, among the various Garda Divisions and Units and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter. I am informed by the Commissioner that in regard to the deployment of Garda personnel, a distribution model is used which takes into account all relevant...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Procedures (23 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: As I have indicated to the House previously, An Garda Síochána has confirmed that it has put solutions in place to deal with the procedural and practice issues that have been detected to ensure that the errors that have been identified in relation to breath tests/Mandatory Alcohol Testing do not recur. I am informed that An Garda Síochána initially put in place new...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Deployment (23 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution of resources, including personnel, among the various Garda Divisions and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter. Garda management keeps this distribution of resources under continual review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities so as to ensure that the optimum use is made of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission Reports (23 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: As I have already explained to the Deputy, this tragic case was considered under the Independent Review Mechanism (IRM) and the recommendation was that I should take no further action. Counsel for the IRM pointed out that the appropriate forum for raising matters related to alleged Garda failings was the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) who were already investigating...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Inspectorate Reports (23 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy will be aware that the Garda Síochána Inspectorate, at the request of the Policing Authority, is carrying out a review of the dispersal and use of resources available to An Garda Síochána in the delivery of policing services to local communities. In this context, I understand that the Authority has informed the Inspectorate that the review should take account...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Refugee Resettlement Programme (23 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy may be aware, programme refugees who arrive in the State under the UNHCR-led Resettlement programme have already received a Refugee Status Determination (RSD) by way of the UNHCR assessment process and, as such, they have full refugee status on their arrival in Ireland. In contrast, persons who arrive at the frontiers of the State to make an application for international...