Results 13,821-13,840 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Bill 2014: Report and Final Stages (4 Jun 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I move amendment No 6:In page 18, between lines 19 and 20, to insert the following:“(5) The Director shall be the accounting officer in relation to the appropriation accounts of the Commission for the purposes of the Comptroller and Auditor General Acts 1866 to 1998.”.As indicated on Committee Stage, this amendment will enhance the perceived independence of the commission by...

Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Bill 2014: Report and Final Stages (4 Jun 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: There was a long discussion about this issue on Committee Stage when the arguments were put to the Deputy about why the Bill was not doing what he suggests. The position remains that the text in amendment No. 2 is technically inappropriate for legislation. If the Government were to take forward actions on the lines suggested, these would either be matters for policy and allocation of...

Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Bill 2014: Report and Final Stages (4 Jun 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: These two proposed amendments relate to the definitions of human rights in the Bill and were discussed at length on Committee Stage. The definition in section 2 gives the commission a mandate to promote human rights in the widest sense, not limited to Irish law or to conventions that we have ratified, or, indeed, to any existing international convention. The commission can seek to develop...

Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Bill 2014: Order for Report Stage (4 Jun 2014)

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

Topical Issue Debate: Crime Investigation (4 Jun 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter and I am of course aware of the recent reports regarding the investigation of child pornography cases. At the outset let me assure the Deputy I am determined that we do all we possibly can to counteract the sexual exploitation of children. Very properly, we already have significant penalties for child pornography offences under the Child...

Topical Issue Debate: Crime Investigation (4 Jun 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: These are precisely the issues I intend to raise with the Acting Garda Commissioner. There is no doubt the scale of the policing challenge is enormous when one considers all of the electronic storage devices which are seized by gardaí in contemporary investigations. They complete an average of 450 cases per year. If one looks at what is selling in the world of technology and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Transport Data (4 Jun 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: Decisions in relation to the provision and allocation of Garda vehicles are a matter for the Garda Commissioner in the light of her identified operational demands and the availability of resources. Responsibility for the efficient deployment of Garda vehicles in each Division is assigned to the Divisional Officer, who may allocate vehicles between stations, as required by operational...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Public Sector Staff Sick Leave (4 Jun 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform signed the Public Service Management (Sick Leave) regulations (SI No 124 of 2014) into law on 6thMarch 2014. These regulations have been laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas. These regulations which apply generally across the public service, including An Garda Síochána, introduce a maximum of 3 months (92 days) sick leave on full...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: International Agreements (4 Jun 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, known as the Istanbul Convention, is a detailed document with a broad scope across a number of policy areas with administrative, policy and legislative implications. The provisions of the Convention and the legislative and administrative arrangements that would be necessary to allow...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Naturalisation Applications (4 Jun 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 147 and 150 together. The Irish Nationality and Citizenship Regulations 2011 set out the prescribed fees to be paid by an applicant for a certificate of naturalisation. An application fee of €175 is payable on application for a certificate of naturalisation and a fee is payable by applicants on the issue of a certificate of naturalisation. The...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Courts Service (4 Jun 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy is aware, under the provisions of the Courts Service Act 1998, management of the courts is the responsibility of the Courts Service which is independent in exercising its functions. In order to be of assistance to the Deputy, I have had enquiries made and the Courts Service has stated that if the deputy in his reference to “District Court lodgements”, is referring...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Charities Regulation (4 Jun 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the first meeting of the Charities Regulatory Authority Board took place on the 29thMay 2014. The new Authority will operate as an independent regulator for the charity sector and will be formally established on 16 October 2014 under the terms of the Charities Act of 2009. An early priority for the new Authority will be the preparation and publication...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Peace Commissioners Appointments (4 Jun 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I can confirm that three hundred Peace Commissioners were appointed from 1 April, 2011 to date in 2014. The information requested will be forwarded to the Deputy shortly.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Visiting Committees Appointments (4 Jun 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: Visiting Committee members are appointed for a period of three years by the Minister for Justice and Equality under the Prisons (Visiting Committees) Act 1925 and Prisons (Visiting Committees) Order 1925. There are fourteen Visiting Committees in existence – one for each institution. The following table sets out the 65 appointments made to Prison Visiting Committees from 1 April 2011...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Financial Services Regulation (4 Jun 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I have requested a report from the Garda authorities in relation to the matter referred to by the Deputy. I will contact the Deputy directly as soon as the report is to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Firearms Certificates (4 Jun 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I have asked the Garda Commissioner for a report in relation to this matter and will write to the Deputy when I have further information.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Firearms Licences (4 Jun 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: Section 17 of the Firearms Act 1925 provides for restrictions on the importation of firearms into the State. The main restriction is the requirement for an importation licence for such importation. However, Section 21 of the Firearms Act 1964 provides that the restriction imposed by section 17 of the Firearms Act 1925 shall not apply in relation to the importation of a firearm by the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Residency Permits (4 Jun 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that, arising from the fact that the person concerned had no valid basis to remain in the State, they were, by letter dated 9th October, 2013, notified of the proposal to make a Deportation Order in respect of them, in accordance with the provisions of Section 3 of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended)....

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Family Reunification Applications (4 Jun 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: There is no automatic right for any non-EEA national to enter the State for the purpose family reunification with an Irish citizen. Guidelines regarding family reunification were set out in a policy document published last December and the intention of these guidelines is to provide greater transparency and more comprehensive and consistent standards in respect of applications where non-EEA...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Deportation Orders (4 Jun 2014)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the person concerned is not, and has never been, the subject of a Deportation Order. This being the case, the issue of having a Deportation Order revoked does not arise. However, I can advise the Deputy that the person concerned, having no valid basis to remain in the State, was, by letter dated 4th...