Results 121-140 of 325 for garda speaker:Joe McHugh

Seanad: Order of Business. (5 Apr 2006)

Joe McHugh: Yesterday the people of Church Hill witnessed streams of cars coming from Letterkenny Garda station. One commentator pointed out to me that it was like "Hill Street Blues" at one stage. This precedent has been set in Donegal and the people there do not want it and will not stand for it.

Seanad: Sea-Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Bill 2005: Report and Final Stages. (23 Mar 2006)

Joe McHugh: ...they are a small minority. As a result of their wrongdoing, the fishermen who operate within the law are being punished. Concerns arise with regard to the watchdog system. Calls have been made by gardaí for a right of independent appeal with regard to decisions made by the Ombudsman. I hope we can devise mechanisms so that law-abiding fishermen do not suffer at the hands of an...

Seanad: Sea-Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Bill 2005: Report and Final Stages. (23 Mar 2006)

Joe McHugh: ...is due process in terms of malpractice, and how will such ships and their captains be identified? A few weeks ago there was an intensive intelligence operation in County Louth. The PSNI and the Garda Síochána worked for months on a particular case, and they did not come on site until months of investigation and due process were complete. Is this similar to what will occur within the...

Seanad: Order of Business. (23 Mar 2006)

Joe McHugh: ...in such a way as to justify his own position. In doing so, he referred to one part of the country, namely, Dublin. When the Minister is drawing up these analyses, could he outline how many new gardaí are sitting behind desks and engaged in administrative work, rather than serving on the beat? There is life outside the Pale. When the Minister gets his civil servants to perform these...

Seanad: Sea-Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Bill 2005: Committee Stage. (22 Mar 2006)

Joe McHugh: ...or her, or those persons may take with them, any equipment or materials (including firearms or other weapons (where he or she or any of those other persons is a member of the Defence Forces or the Garda Síochána)) to assist the officer in the exercise of those powers. It is to be hoped that a case will not arise in which enforcement officers board vessels in an intimidating manner while...

Seanad: Sea-Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Bill 2005: Committee Stage. (22 Mar 2006)

Joe McHugh: I am fully appreciative of the Minister's points. If, for example, the Garda gets wind of a bank robbery, it will send special well-armed personnel into the bank with good preparation. I require clarification of whether armed officers will board boats without any indication of malpractice or illegal activity. Will law-abiding fishermen going about their business be subject to random raids by...

Seanad: National Drugs Strategy: Statements. (1 Mar 2006)

Joe McHugh: ...Dublin last Saturday. On today's Order of Business there were many comments on what might be the underlying causes of last Saturday's catastrophe. Emphasis was placed on the responsibility of the Garda Síochána, including Garda supervisors, as well as the strategy beforehand and what sort of pre-planning was carried out. Senators also referred to underlying causes, including the...

Seanad: Order of Business. (8 Feb 2006)

Joe McHugh: ...appeared in the local newspapers in Donegal last weekend detailing activities within a seven-day period. These incidents are mainly happening in Border areas of the county. It is evident that the gardaí in the region are underresourced. I have mentioned before that we are situated beside the fourth largest city in Ireland, Derry, and we do not take that into consideration when deploying...

Seanad: Road Safety: Motion. (30 Nov 2005)

Joe McHugh: ...been lost tragically, for which nothing can compensate. One cannot describe what the immediate families went through as a result of this tragedy. Nothing can compensate for the impact it had on the Garda and emergency services personnel who arrived at the scene and had to deal with the accident and the consequences and impact on the Inishowen community at large. As Inishowen is a very...

Seanad: Road Safety: Motion. (30 Nov 2005)

Joe McHugh: ...in this regard. I refer to a specific issues in rural areas. A small percentage of young drivers act irresponsibly doing donuts and driving carelessly but they use mobile telephones. They know when gardaí are on duty and they know which crossroads they use to set up checkpoints. If a garda has set up a checkpoint about which one of them was not aware, he will text his friends to warn...

Seanad: Domestic Violence: Statements. (13 Oct 2005)

Joe McHugh: Exactly. A total of 29% of women, or one in three and only 5% of men, or one in 20, report these incidents to the Garda. While I do not wish to take from the arguments regarding domestic violence against females, there is an issue if only one in 20 males report domestic violence to the Garda. The three figures I have highlighted must be considered and evaluated. We must ask whether we are...

Seanad: Order of Business. (11 Oct 2005)

Joe McHugh: ...of calling for a debate in this House. Such a debate would be appropriate and timely. Geographically, Inishowen is inextricably linked to Derry, which is the fourth largest city in Ireland. When Garda resources are deployed to Inishowen account is not taken of the fact that Derry is a neighbouring city. Inishowen receives a great deal of car traffic from Derry and we do not have Garda...

Seanad: Maritime Safety Bill 2004: Motion for Earlier Signature. (28 Jun 2005)

Joe McHugh: ...jet skiers, water skiers and other players off the coast and consultation should also occur between local boat clubs within the different regions. Regulations are important but the question of the Garda Síochána and the Coast Guard enforcing them is a grey area. I have already asked my own leader, Deputy Kenny, to raise an issue regarding quads and motorcycles in a special area of...

Seanad: Maritime Safety Bill 2004 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages. (28 Jun 2005)

Joe McHugh: ...main concern of Members of my party when the Bill was debated in this House was that the enforcement of these laws will require substantial resources in terms of co-ordinating efforts between the Garda, harbour authorities and county councils. The latter may introduce by-laws and so on in this area. I wish to put on the record that we chose not to table a number of amendments during...

Seanad: Morris Tribunal Reports: Motion. (15 Jun 2005)

Joe McHugh: ...concerned, this is not over. As a family they have their own personal dealings to sort out as well as being part of this overall human tragedy. We should also consider the wives and children of the gardaí who are caught up in this mess. It is a tragedy that these people are caught up in this debacle. I find it difficult to speak on this as a Donegal person. Many of the findings of the...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Bill 2002: Second Stage [Resumed]. (27 Jan 2005)

Joe McHugh: ...-Border business and socialising. The Six Counties are a state of mind as well as a political boundary. We have to up the ante in using this legislation and in working with the PSNI through the Garda Síochána. There is no point in empty rhetoric in order to maintain an electoral mandate for any party. Cross-Border co-operation has to be improved through the cross-Border agencies. The...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Bill 2002: Second Stage. (26 Jan 2005)

Joe McHugh: ...and it is the word on the street. We must always take note of what we hear on the grapevine. No matter what legislation we enact on this side of the Border, however, or how much support we give the Garda, we still need a similar police network in Northern Ireland with which it can work in a co-operative manner. That is not happening and will not happen until all members of the community...

Seanad: Order of Business. (15 Dec 2004)

Joe McHugh: ...alcohol across the European Union. We have debated this matter previously and attempted to come up with solutions. It is frightening to think that teenagers are drinking to this sort of excess. The Garda, parents of teenagers and health service providers will spend Christmas worrying about this alarming problem. There are, however, solutions to it. I have raised a possible solution in this...

Seanad: Order of Business. (14 Dec 2004)

Joe McHugh: I welcome the call for a debate on this issue of knives. It is important to note that young gardaí who deal with junkies on a daily basis in Dublin do not have the simple provision of a protective vest. Such provision would represent a simple solution to their needs. They find themselves in volatile situations and the provision of a simple protective vest would be a start in dealing with...

Seanad: Order of Business. (28 Oct 2004)

Joe McHugh: I welcome the decision of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy McDowell, to seek approval for 2,000 extra gardaí to increase the strength of the force to 14,000. He needs to be aware of some reality checks, however. I recently raised the issue of morale within the Garda. The Morris tribunal in Donegal is doing a job that has to be done, but it is inadvertently having a...