Results 21-40 of 662 for garda speaker:James Browne

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (20 Mar 2024)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 922 and 923 together. As the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible, by law, for the administration and management of Garda business, including the operation of the statutory Garda Youth Diversion Programme. As Minister, I play no role in these independent functions.The aim of the Garda Youth Diversion Programme is to prevent young...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Engagement of Children in Criminal Activity) Bill 2023: Committee and Remaining Stages (5 Mar 2024)

James Browne: ...Bill. It is clear that we are united in seeking to mitigate against the very real threat of children being exploited to be engaged in criminal activity. We now have legislation that enables the Garda and other authorities to intervene at an early stage in the grooming of children into crime. For the first time, we are making it an offence for an adult to involve a child in crime,...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Funding (5 Mar 2024)

James Browne: ...criminal behaviour. On average the YDPs engage with between 3,500 and 4,000 young people across the State in any one year. These projects provide an invaluable support to complement the work of An Garda Síochána in addressing youth crime and protecting local communities. To help achieve this, funding for Youth Diversion Projects (YDPs) and other Youth Justice measures has...

Recent Arson Attacks: Statements (27 Feb 2024)

James Browne: ...is being done for the benefit of local communities here in Ireland and for those people who arrive in our country to work or study, or seeking protection from conflict and often persecution. An Garda Síochána continues to liaise with the international protection accommodation services where accommodation centres are established. As the Minister, Deputy McEntee, said,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: An Garda Síochána (22 Feb 2024)

James Browne: I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter regarding the number of Garda members assigned to the Carlow district. It is an issue she consistently raises in respect of Carlow and Kilkenny. The unprecedented allocation of more than €2.35 billion for 2024 to An Garda Síochána demonstrates the Government's commitment to ensuring An Garda Síochána has...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: An Garda Síochána (22 Feb 2024)

James Browne: The Deputy deserves to be commended on continuing to fight the good cause for more Garda members for County Carlow. As I said, it is a matter for the Garda Commissioner, but I can say on behalf of the Government, the Department of Justice and the Minister that record funding is being provided and training to the maximum extent is being undertaken in Templemore. More gardaí are being...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: An Garda Síochána (22 Feb 2024)

James Browne: I appreciate where the Deputy is coming from. I often hear from the local authority in the area where I live that somebody is being vetted, but it is not Garda vetting as such. Local authorities are using that as a generic term rather than the technical term under the legislation, when what they have done is contact the local superintendent for a particular request relating to a person who...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: An Garda Síochána (22 Feb 2024)

James Browne: I thank the Deputy for asking this question. The primary purpose of employment vetting as carried out by the Garda National Vetting Bureau, GNVB, is to ensure the safety of children and vulnerable adults. I am sure the Deputy would agree on the vital importance of this task and the need for it to be carried out thoroughly and correctly. The National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: An Garda Síochána (22 Feb 2024)

James Browne: To be clear, people seeking social housing are not Garda vetted under the Garda vetting Act or in any other shape or form. The local authority can request information on a particular person in the context of the specified persons provisions under section 15 of the 1997 Act, including An Garda Síochána, or from another local authority, for that matter. There is a very specific set...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Antisocial Behaviour (22 Feb 2024)

James Browne: ...issues of the misuse of scramblers and quadbikes, knife crime, responses to ASB impacts on housing complexes managed by Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) and to review the powers available to An Garda Síochána in relation to public order offences. Updates from each of the sub-groups are outlined below:The knife crime subgroup assessed available evidence to inform policy on knife...

Coroners (Amendment) Bill 2024: Second Stage (8 Feb 2024)

James Browne: ...to support the consultation process. Members include representatives from the Coroners Society of Ireland, the Departments of Justice, Health and Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the HSE, An Garda Síochána, the Office of the State Pathologist, the faculty of pathology in the Royal College of Physicians, an independent expert and importantly members of the public who have...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: An Garda Síochána (8 Feb 2024)

James Browne: On behalf of the Minister, Deputy McEntee, I thank the Senator for raising the Garda vetting process and improving the system. The primary purpose of the employment vetting carried out by the Garda National Vetting Bureau is to ensure the safety of children and vulnerable adults. I am sure we can all agree on the vital support for this task and the need for it to be carried out thoroughly...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Engagement of Children in Criminal Activity) Bill 2023: Second Stage (31 Jan 2024)

James Browne: ...for the legislation to take effect. In line with the lower threshold, the sentence is being set at five years rather than ten years as it is in Australian law. Where a more serious offence is committed, An Garda Síochána and the DPP will still be able to use the existing provisions in law that allow them to charge the adult with the crime committed by the child, so an...

Seanad: Coroners (Amendment) Bill 2024: Second Stage (30 Jan 2024)

James Browne: .... Members include representatives from the Department of Justice, the Coroners Society of Ireland, the Department of Health, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the HSE, An Garda Síochána, the Office of the State Pathologist, the faculty of pathology in the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, RCPI, an independent expert and, importantly, members of the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Policies (23 Jan 2024)

James Browne: As background, I established the Firearms Expert Committee (FEC) with representation from firearms users, the Department of Justice and An Garda Síochána, under an independent chairperson, to advise on a range of firearms matters. The Committee’s terms of reference were made publicly available. The FEC held nine in-person meetings, in addition to one videoconference...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (17 Jan 2024)

James Browne: ...have been, or are at risk of becoming, involved in anti-social and/or criminal behaviour. Youth Diversion Projects are run by community-based organisations and are a vital support to the statutory Garda Youth Diversion Programme. A top priority is the expansion and deepening of the services offered to young people by the Youth Diversion Projects, which are fully funded by my...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Crime Prevention (17 Jan 2024)

James Browne: ...in neighbouring jurisdictions do not repeat themselves here. As the Deputy will be aware, 'knife crime' is a broad term, which has no official classification in crime statistics compiled by An Garda Síochána and published by the Central Statistics Office. This is because knives may be used in the commission of many different types of offence, ranging from threats and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Crime Prevention (17 Jan 2024)

James Browne: We are all sadly very conscious of the effect that knife crime can have on the quality of life for local communities and I can assure the Deputy that the Government is committed to supporting An Garda Síochána to tackle this issue. While I am conscious that Ireland has a comparatively low level of knife crime compared to neighbouring jurisdictions, every incident where a person is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: An Garda Síochána (12 Dec 2023)

James Browne: I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. Community policing is at the heart of An Garda Síochána and all gardaí have a role to play in community policing in the course of carrying out their duties. Community policing is also fundamental to the new Garda operating model that is currently being rolled out in all divisions and has been fully commenced in ten. The...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: An Garda Síochána (12 Dec 2023)

James Browne: As stated, the transfer and stationing of An Garda Síochána is an operational matter for the Commissioner, but I will bring the Deputy's concerns to him. On recruitment, An Garda Síochána has brought in important measures to comply with its language obligations. These include the introduction of an Irish language stream in the recruitment process, whereby 10% of all...