Results 161-180 of 215 for garda speaker:Martin Conway

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Oversight: Discussion (Resumed) (28 May 2014)

Martin Conway: I thank Ms O'Sullivan for that answer. It is very welcome. I am sure as head of An Garda Síochána, Ms O'Sullivan was embarrassed to read the story in the Irish Independentand in the media in general. It might be useful for Ms O'Sullivan to state if she agrees with the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Varadkar who says the whistleblowers are "distinguished".

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Forensic Evidence and DNA Database System) Bill 2013: Second Stage (27 May 2014)

Martin Conway: ...passes through the Seanad, if there are worthwhile amendments that ensure the legislation is even better, I am sure the Minister will be very happy to examine them. Despite recent controversies, the Garda Síochána has been successful in dealing with certain aspects of organised crime. This database will equip it to focus and target its resources on the significant levels of...

Seanad: Fines (Payment and Recovery) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (1 Apr 2014)

Martin Conway: ...by his support of the Private Members' motion on community courts that I tabled three or four weeks ago, and the commitment to set up a pilot community court between Store Street and Pearse Street Garda stations in Dublin by the end of this year. They are testament to his commitment to ensuring that prison is a last resort. Nevertheless, there must be last resorts, and in the final...

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Mar 2014)

Martin Conway: ...them because they lost their leader. I look forward to contributing more when we have the formal tributes in due course. I agree with much of what Senator O'Donovan has said about the morale in An Garda Síochána. The systematic recording of conversations is deeply troubling. Any fair-minded person would expect 999 phone calls to be recorded. However, the systematic recording...

Seanad: Community Courts: Motion (25 Feb 2014)

Martin Conway: ...as a central aspect of community courts. As late as yesterday evening, I attended a joint policing committee in County Clare. Over the past decade, we have seen more co-operation between the Garda Síochána, local communities and local authorities. It encapsulates local policing and community policing. That is good. The 2005 legislation providing for joint policing committees...

Seanad: Community Courts: Motion (25 Feb 2014)

Martin Conway: ...extensive research on the concept. It made several recommendations, one of which was that a pilot community court be established in Dublin city centre adjacent to the Sheriff Street and Pearse Street Garda divisional districts. It is an exceptionally good idea. It would be a community court that would look at alternatives to sending people to prison. It would be co-located alongside...

Seanad: Free Speech, Homophobia and the role of the State Broadcaster: Motion [Private Members] (18 Feb 2014)

Martin Conway: ...hit, attacked and jeered in the past couple of years. Everyone knows the Senator is a thorough gentleman and the type of behaviour to which he referred is completely unacceptable. Thankfully, the Garda is on the side of decency.

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Feb 2014)

Martin Conway: As the justice spokesperson for Fine Gael in this House, I am, like many others, very concerned about what was revealed on Sunday concerning the Garda Ombudsman Commission. To be quite frank, I was most disappointed to hear the statement from the Chairman of the Garda Ombudsman Commission on the evening news yesterday. I felt sorry for rank and file gardaí with the mention of the Garda...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Garda Reserve (28 Jan 2014)

Martin Conway: This is not even a supplementary question, but in fairness to whatever civil servant drafted that reply, I do not believe he or she got the concept behind my proposal. It is most likely that the Garda Síochána Act 2005 will be amended in any event in light of events at the Committee of Public Accounts and so on. When that happens, I will propose that a role in law be prescribed...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Garda Reserve (28 Jan 2014)

Martin Conway: ...to cycle eight hours into Ennis and check himself into St. Joseph's nursing home and has not returned to his home since. I realise as much as anybody else that it is completely impractical to have a member of An Garda Síochána at every crossroads and protecting every old person, given the sparse nature of the rural population. There were elderly persons living for many...

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Jan 2014)

Martin Conway: ...a good job, certainly in the area of human rights. I commend the Minister for Justice and Equality for the action he has taken in the past couple of days to refer the issue of penalty points to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission. That is the appropriate forum in which to deal with the issue and the Minister was wise to refer it to it. I appeal to everybody involved to keep...

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Jan 2014)

Martin Conway: ...on the aforementioned Ministers to re-examine this decision and to make more funding available for the installation of panic buttons-alarms for vulnerable elderly people. I believe also that giving the Garda Reserve a role in visiting elderly people to advise them on security issues in terms of making their homes safer is worthy of consideration. The Garda Reserve does a great job and...

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Dec 2013)

Martin Conway: Of course he would pass information on to the Garda. He would always do what is right.

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Dec 2013)

Martin Conway: I welcome yesterday's announcement that Garda recruitment will take place in the coming months. It is another step in the right direction. I commend the action taken by the Garda in west Clare in recent days to deal with money laundering and money lending. It is a significant step in the right direction as we try to deal with those who abuse vulnerable people who are in debt and facing...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Animal Welfare (26 Nov 2013)

Martin Conway: .... I am sure the Minister can appreciate that, during the recent inclement weather, that has not been satisfactorily from the perspective of the volunteers, animals or those who bring their animals. Ballymun Garda station was closed as part of the Government's policy of streamlining Garda stations and channelling resources in a more efficient way. I understand the OPW is in charge of the...

Seanad: Tackling Bullying in Schools: Statements (Resumed) (26 Sep 2013)

Martin Conway: ...has been great success in recent times in terms of child protection. There are now protocols and procedures in place to ensure that child abuse is detected quickly. The measures range from proper Garda vetting of the people who deal with vulnerable young people to child safety procedures in sports clubs, religious schools and so on. What the Minister has started here will commence the...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Jul 2013)

Martin Conway: I welcomed the news yesterday that we are to have a recruitment campaign in the autumn to encourage people to join An Garda Síochána. Some 27,000 people have already expressed an interest in becoming a member of the force. I welcome the announcement by the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Shatter, that he has got the consent of the Minister for Public Expenditure and...

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Jun 2013)

Martin Conway: ...from €6 million to €5.3 million. Given these cuts, is it any wonder that we are not in a position to bring people who engaged in treason against the State to justice? I have not even referred to the cuts to the Garda fraud squad. In my humble opinion, we should have provided additional resources to these important offices, not cut them. I call on the Leader to pass on our...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Post Office Network (25 Jun 2013)

Martin Conway: ...of changes, including the smoking ban and drink-driving legislation, all of which have been very appropriate. There has also been the downturn in the economy and we have seen the removal of local Garda stations in many small rural villages. It has been painful and difficult to defend the issue, it was probably necessary to close many of these stations. The post office network is a...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Amendment) Act 2009: Motion (19 Jun 2013)

Martin Conway: ...turn on the news early some morning or at tea time and discover another gangland murder or double murder has taken place. This is becoming too frequent and needs to be dealt with head on. If the Garda Commissioner were to recommend to the Minister for Justice and Equality and the Minister were to recommend to the House that we introduce more stringent powers, I would be the very first to...