Results 101-120 of 255 for garda speaker:Martin Kenny

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill: Discussion (15 Feb 2022)

Martin Kenny: ...and the numerous other situations that have arisen, there are serious concerns. To brush them aside is not appropriate. We have a lot of work to do here together. On behalf of the members of An Garda Síochána, at all ranks, we have to ensure we do the best for them as well. I believe, and I think it is the general consensus of the public, that what is currently in place does...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill: Discussion (15 Feb 2022)

Martin Kenny: Briefly, on the point regarding the delay and the time it takes to complete a GSOC investigation, my understanding is that in most cases GSOC will second somebody from An Garda Síochána from a different division or district to assist with an investigation. I get the impression, and I think this would be shared by most public representatives who would engage in this respect at...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 – Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 24 – Justice (Revised)
Vote 41 - Policing Authority (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised) (8 Feb 2022)

Martin Kenny: ...her opening remarks. I have a couple of minor points. On the youth justice strategy and the youth diversion programmes in place in many areas, will there be additional training for rank-and-file gardaí to ensure they are adequately trained to deal with the kinds of incidents involving juveniles that we have been seeing more of recently? Body cams are supposed to be coming on board....

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 – Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 24 – Justice (Revised)
Vote 41 - Policing Authority (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised) (8 Feb 2022)

Martin Kenny: ...the past several months. The trade unions whose members drive trains and buses are very exercised over the dangers faced by the public and employees. They feel there needs to be a section of An Garda Síochána to deal with public transport. I agree and believe it is a direction in which we need to go. As the Minister is aware, we are pushing everybody to use more public...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 – Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 24 – Justice (Revised)
Vote 41 - Policing Authority (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised) (8 Feb 2022)

Martin Kenny: It is one of those oxymorons we have to deal with. I note the increase in funding for the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, GSOC. One of the biggest difficulties many people have with GSOC is that the inquiries it carries out often require that it second members of An Garda Síochána from other areas to do investigations. There is certainly an impression among people...

Violence against Women: Statements (Resumed) (25 Jan 2022)

Martin Kenny: ...public have identified as an issue we can do something about. I implore the Minister to ensure adequate sentence guidelines are in place along with training for the Judiciary and members of the Garda Síochána who deal with this on an ongoing basis. An issue that comes up all the time is overcrowding in our prisons, which leads to many violent offenders often being left out on...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (20 Jan 2022)

Martin Kenny: The programme for Government gives an overall commitment to transparency across all Departments and programmes. In fairness, much progress has been made in the Department of Justice on Garda reform and so forth. However, in the last number of weeks we have seen the documentary "Crimes and Confessions" running on RTÉ. The most recent episode on the Sallins train robbery was shocking...

Appointment of Member and Chair of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission: Motion (15 Dec 2021)

Martin Kenny: ...many within the organisation wanted to do. GSOC has a vital role to play in building public confidence in regard to difficulties that people encounter when engaging with certain members of An Garda Síochána. The State as a whole and all of us have a job to do to build the maximum amount of public confidence in the institutions of the State. I refer to recent issues with...

Appropriation Bill 2021: Second Stage (14 Dec 2021)

Martin Kenny: ..., north Roscommon and south Donegal. We have issues with various capital projects we hoped to see progressed but very little has been happening. One that immediately comes to mind is the Garda station in Sligo town. The Minister knows it is a headquarters for the area and yet it is a building that has been expanded or added to. One might go up a stairs to go across the building...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 20 - An Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Department of Justice (Supplementary) (1 Dec 2021)

Martin Kenny: ...people's bank accounts and mobile phones or other fraud over the Internet, which is clearly a growth area, unfortunately, for many people who are experiencing it. I am concerned about whether An Garda Síochána has enough resources, adequate equipment and personnel with an adequate level of technical experience and training, to be able to combat this major problem we are facing...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 20 - An Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Department of Justice (Supplementary) (1 Dec 2021)

Martin Kenny: I will ask about one final aspect of this issue in respect of personnel and the adequate experience and training that they may need. Is the Garda recruiting people with that particular type of expertise or has it been contracted in from agencies that do that type of work?

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: An Garda Síochána (25 Nov 2021)

Martin Kenny: I understand the Minister's reluctance to get involved. It is probably appropriate on one level but, as she said, ordinary members of An Garda Síochána do magnificent work and deserve to be properly represented. We all agree on that. In January 2018, or perhaps before that, the management consultancy firm, Ampersand, made a number of recommendations in respect of a whole range of...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: An Garda Síochána (25 Nov 2021)

Martin Kenny: What supports or assistance did the Department give to the holding of the Garda Representative Association, GRA, conference in 2020? As we know, the event took place during the pandemic when practically nothing was happening anywhere in the country. I have a letter to the Minister from Jim Mulligan, the former president of the GRA, in which he expressed concerns that unofficial lobbying had...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: An Garda Síochána (25 Nov 2021)

Martin Kenny: The issues here go beyond the conference. All of us understand that there are issues with the Garda Representative Association, particularly in its governance. Individual members of An Garda Síochána to whom I have spoken are concerned at the way things are run and operated. We know there were difficulties in the past in that regard. On 15 December 2020, the Minister received a...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Transport (25 Nov 2021)

Martin Kenny: I echo that sentiment; we must commend the Garda on the work done in respect of this. However, the reality is that many passengers feel abandoned and unsafe when they travel on our public transport systems. The National Bus and Rail Union has basically stated this type of service must be provided and spoken about taking industrial action if something is not done because it believes that...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Public Transport (25 Nov 2021)

Martin Kenny: ...also know millions of euro are being spent every year on private security firms doing this kind of work and they only deal with aspects of the issue. They do not deal with the broad range that An Garda Síochána could deal with because of its remit. We are now at a stage where we are encouraging more people to use public transport because of global warming, our carbon...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Minorities Engaging with the Justice System: Discussion (24 Nov 2021)

Martin Kenny: Is it not the case that An Garda Síochána seeks an assessment of an individual by a psychologist before he or she is brought to a facility? Sometimes, there is no space for such individuals in those facilities and they end up being released. The risk the Garda has highlighted can sometimes come to pass because there is nowhere for these people to go.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Minorities Engaging with the Justice System: Discussion (24 Nov 2021)

Martin Kenny: ...their contributions and written statements. I will ask questions of the groups in the order they spoke. The Mental Health Commission raised some issues, including in respect of engagement with An Garda Síochána. It strikes me, and has long struck me, that many of the situations members of the Garda encounter involve individuals who have a mental health issue. These...

Sex Offenders (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage (16 Nov 2021)

Martin Kenny: ...and children; and a provision for electronic monitoring or tagging to ensure post-release compliance by offenders who are subject to sex offender orders. The amendments also finally empower the Garda to collect photographs, fingerprints and palm prints to identify offenders. It will allow a Garda inspector to apply for changes to or discharge from the sexual offender order....

Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2021: Motion (16 Nov 2021)

Martin Kenny: ...One of the biggest issues that people will remember, and the real origin of this Bill, was the utter confusion in respect of outdoor alcohol consumption caused for members of the Judiciary and members of An Garda Síochána last summer, when nobody knew exactly what the rules were or where we were. That is where this Bill comes from, which reflects a certain sense of poor planning...