Results 1,721-1,740 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Domestic Violence Policy (4 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Government and I as Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality are totally committed to tackling domestic violence. A national awareness campaign on domestic and sexual violence is a key action under the prevention pillar of the Second National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence 2016-2021. The Strategy is being monitored by a range of key state and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Domestic Violence Policy (4 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I have sought information from the Garda Síochána in relation to plans to develop a domestic violence emergency response system in relation to high risk violent offenders that may ignore barring or protection orders. I will revert to the Deputy upon receipt of this information.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Domestic Violence Policy (4 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I can inform the Deputy that the Legal Aid Board’s current policy is to ensure that victims of domestic violence receive a priority service at all times and have a minimal wait to receive legal advice and/or aid. Among the matters for which the Board provides legal services are applications for domestic violence remedies (barring orders, safety orders, interim barring orders and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Domestic Violence Policy (4 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: Domestic violence perpetrator programmes in Ireland are delivered through a combination of non-governmental organisations and the Probation Service. Currently programmes run in 14 locations with more programmes due to come on stream later this year. The key aims of the programmes include the following: - to reduce violent and controlling behaviour by perpetrators who undertake the programme...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Domestic Violence Policy (4 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: Tusla has statutory responsibility for the provision of services to victims of domestic sexual and gender based violence and provides funding to some 60 organisations nationally to deliver a range of services to victims and others affected by these forms of violence. I am informed by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs that six organisations in the border region providing...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Domestic Violence Policy (4 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Second National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence 2016-2021 was published in January 2016. The Programme for Partnership Government includes a commitment to its implementation. The strategy is a whole of Government response aimed at preventing and responding to domestic, sexual and gender-based violence in this jurisdiction. The key goals of the strategy are to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Policing Plans (4 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The levels of service to be provided by the Garda Síochána are set out each year in the annual policing plan. The independent Policing Authority is required under the Garda Síochána Act 2005, as amended, to determine priorities and targets for An Garda Síochána in performing its functions relating to policing services. As the Deputy will appreciate, I, as...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Training (4 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy will appreciate, it is the Garda Commissioner who is responsible for carrying on and managing and controlling generally the administration and business of An Garda Síochána, including by arranging for the training of its members and civilian staff and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter. The Second National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Procedures (4 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 53 and 54 together. I have sought information from the Garda Síochána in relation to the matters raised and will revert to the Deputy upon receipt of this information. In the meantime I can advise the Deputy that following the establishment by An Garda Síochána of a National Garda Protective Services Bureau, led by a Chief Superintendent,...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Domestic Violence Policy (4 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Second National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence 2016-2021 contains an action providing for legislation for An Garda Síochána to wear and activate body mounted cameras when responding to domestic violence incidents to gather and use evidence as appropriate. A review is under way in my Department of the law in relation to the recording of images by the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Domestic Violence Policy (4 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy may be aware, the Committee for Judicial Studies has responsibility for the ongoing training of the judiciary and my function as Minister under the Courts and Courts Officers Act 1995 is, with the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, to provide funds for the training and education of judges. I am informed that the Committee for Judicial Studies...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Probation and Welfare Service (4 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: While Probation Officers are suitably qualified persons to prepare reports under Section 47.1 (a) of the Family Law Act the Probation Service does not currently provide family law assessment reports to the Courts.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Court Accommodation Provision (4 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy will be aware, under the provisions of the Courts Service Act 1998, management of the courts, including the provision of accommodation for court sittings, is the responsibility of the Courts Service which is independent in exercising its functions. The Deputy will be aware that the construction or redevelopment of seven regional courthouses is currently underway with four...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Deployment (4 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: Crime Data (4 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 60, 61 and 80 together. While I am aware of public comment in relation to a review of the classification of homicides, I am awaiting a full report from the Garda authorities on the matter and I will communicate further with the Deputies when this is to hand. The Deputies will recall that the Garda Inspectorate Report on Crime Investigation, published...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Data Retention (4 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: The former Chief Justice, John Murray, has completed the report of his Review of the Law on the Retention of and Access to Communications Data. I have forwarded a copy of the report to the Attorney General for her consideration, particularly against the background of recent findings by the Court of Justice of the European Union in this area of law. Following that I will bring the report to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service Staff (4 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am informed by the Irish Prison Service that in 2016, the Public Appointments Service launched a recruitment campaign on behalf of the Irish Prison Service for Recruit Prison Officers, the first since 2008. As of 30 April 2017, 99 prison grade staff (of which 57 are prison officers) have informed my Department that they will retire in 2017. It is intended to recruit approximately 80...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (4 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by my officials of the Irish Prison Service that a unit will be established in Midlands Prison, as a national resource to manage those prisoners designated as violent and disruptive. The unit will be the first therapeutically focused unit for dealing with such prisoners and this is reflected in the joint management structure, jointly led by an Operational Governor and a Senior...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Commissions of Investigation (4 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy may be aware, I met with four individualsin Leinster House in November 2016, where I had an opportunity to listen to their concerns first-hand and their request for the establishment of a Commission of Investigation into the handling of the complaints made by them which ultimately led to the conviction, in 2016, of the person referred to for sexual offences committed during the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Deployment (4 May 2017)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 66, 69 and 78 together. As the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution of resources, and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter. I am assured by the Commissioner that Garda personnel assigned throughout the country, together with the overall policing arrangements and operational strategies, are...