Results 1-20 of 988 for garda speaker:Leo Varadkar

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: An Garda Síochána (20 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: The Department of the Taoiseach works closely with the Defence Forces and An Garda Síochána to ensure the safety and security of office holders and staff located in Government Buildings. There are appropriate protocols in place in the event of security incidents, including bomb threats and other emergencies. The Department does not provide details in relation to such incidents for...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (5 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: ...to join with Deputy McAuliffe in welcoming the seizure of scramblers. The new laws were a long time coming but I was delighted to see them being used now that they are on the books. I agree that we need more gardaí, Garda staff and Garda reserves. I have to say that I am very encouraged by the fact that 6,000 people applied to join the Garda in the most recent recruitment campaign....

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy. In our engagement with An Garda Síochána, it advised us that the State's amended bail laws have proven to be effective. While there is no immediate proposal to amend the State's bail laws further, we will keep them under review. Certainly, if the Garda advises and asks us to make further reforms to our bail laws, we will give that detailed consideration....

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Mar 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy for again raising this important issue in the House. Above all, I want people to be safe and feel safe in their homes and on our streets. We are responding with more gardaí, better equipment for our gardaí and stronger laws, more judges and more places in our prisons. The Garda budget has never been higher, at €2.3 billion a year. That is up 25% in...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: National Security (21 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: ...State’s security is a priority for the Government. We already have functioning services in place that carry out significant and important roles in protecting the State and the people, notably An Garda Síochána, the Defence Forces and the National Cyber Security Centre. Much of the security-focused work our services do is, of its very nature, covert and simply cannot be...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: An Garda Síochána (21 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: ...laid out in the Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill coming into effect. A significant focus of the Implementation Plan has been concerned with strengthening the internal capabilities of An Garda Síochána so that the organisation possesses the capacity to drive future reform. The new Bill will establish a Garda Board to help this process and will be complemented by...

Ceisteanna - Questions: National Security (20 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: .... I want to put on the record that the Irish authorities have been very successful in recent months in stopping drugs being smuggled into the country. I want to recognise the contribution of An Garda Síochána, the Defence Forces and the Revenue Commissioners, which work in consort with counterparts in other parts of Europe and around the world. By acting on intelligence, they...

Ceisteanna - Questions: National Security (20 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: ...Government and, in this context, I would emphasise that we already have in place functioning services which carry out significant and important roles in protecting the State and the people, notably An Garda Síochána, the Defence Forces and the National Cyber Security Centre. Much of the security-focused work our services do is, of its very nature, covert and simply cannot be...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (14 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: Decisions on security matters, including road closures such as, for example, in the Phoenix Park, are not made by me. They are security matters, they are dealt with by the Garda and the Defence Forces and they must, of course, remain confidential. At my meeting with the Chinese Premier, I raised our concerns about the treatment of the Uyghur population in Xinjiang. Premier Li disputed the...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Programmes (13 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: ...A dedicated capital budget is being provided to co-fund the task force by central and local government. I agree with the Deputy. I expect public servants and public bodies, whether that is the council, An Garda Síochána, Tusla or others, to engage fully with this body. It has worked well in Drogheda and the north-east inner city. It requires people to come to the table in a...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (13 Feb 2024)

Leo Varadkar: ...Taoiseach, I have a responsibility to think about the safety of our citizens and our troops on the borders of Israel. Arson is a serious crime that is punishable by up to ten years in prison. Garda investigations are under way and we expect there will be prosecutions. I agree that we need to see prosecutions and convictions. It is deeply ironic that people who oppose migration and...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (30 Jan 2024)

Leo Varadkar: I thank the Deputy and acknowledge Limerick is one of a number of places that needs more gardaí. Blanchardstown in my constituency is another. The number of gardaí peaked in 2020. Templemore was closed as a consequence of Covid. It has now reopened and we expect the total number of gardaí to stabilise this year and begin increasing throughout the year. Some 746 trainee...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (30 Jan 2024)

Leo Varadkar: There have been a number of requests for statements on Northern Ireland, the fishing industry and negotiations currently happening at European level, Dublin, housing affordability and Garda recruitment. On many of these issues, such as housing affordability and gardaí, we regularly have discussions in the House. We would be happy to have statements on Northern Ireland, perhaps next...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Ministerial Staff (30 Jan 2024)

Leo Varadkar: As Taoiseach, I am provided with Ministerial transport driven by Garda protection officers. Ministerial transport driven by Garda protection officers is also provided to the Government Chief Whip who attends Cabinet. The arrangements for the civilian drivers for the Minister of State for European Affairs are a matter for the Department of Foreign Affairs. Responsibility for provision of...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (24 Jan 2024)

Leo Varadkar: Unfortunately, as Deputies will be aware, we have a shortage of gardaí all over the country. I was in Blanchardstown Garda station in my constituency in recent days. Blanchardstown station is located in the very big Dublin metropolitan region, DMR, west district, which as approximately 50 or 60 fewer gardaí than it had when Garda numbers peaked in 2020. Those numbers fell off...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (24 Jan 2024)

Leo Varadkar: ...and that should never change. We will have to give careful consideration to any kind of legal change. That is our job. That is going to take a bit of work and a bit of advice. I have asked the Garda about this on a number of occasions and they say to me that they rarely prosecute people for possession. Where they do prosecute people for possession, it is because they suspect they have...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic (23 Jan 2024)

Leo Varadkar: Even for something like Garda numbers, if we had not closed Templemore there would be 1,000 more gardaí today. These things have real consequences but they were difficult decisions. It was never a case of choosing between the right option and the wrong option. It was choosing between options A, B and C, all of which had pros and cons.

Confidence in the Minister for Justice: Motion (5 Dec 2023)

Leo Varadkar: ...attacked last Thursday week. Two remain in hospital this evening and we hope they make a recovery. I also want to restate my gratitude to those who risked their lives to save other lives and to thank the gardaí and front-line, council, transport and retail workers, of all nationalities, for their response to the riots that ensued. Their response demonstrates the power of people...

Policing, Protests and Public Order: Statements (28 Nov 2023)

Leo Varadkar: ...protest that followed, and then the riot, looting and criminal damage. We are all still coming to terms with what happened, what it means and how we might respond further. The Government and the Garda are already working on it, but we are also keen to hear feedback from the community, from colleagues here in the House, and from elsewhere. As the House knows, our country experienced...

Ceisteanna - Questions: An Garda Síochána (28 Nov 2023)

Leo Varadkar: ...is why we have antisocial behaviour orders and the juvenile diversion programme. It is why we have Oberstown if detention is needed. Deputy Barry again asked me to interpret the words of the Garda Commissioner. I am not able to interpret his words for him, or for anyone. He was probably referring to how the situation developed on the day, and not the fact it could not have happened....