Results 101-120 of 230 for garda speaker:Thomas Byrne

Seanad: Confidence in Minister for Justice and Equality and Defence: Motion (27 Feb 2013)

Thomas Byrne: ...Seanad Éireann has no confidence in the Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence Alan Shatter T.D., because of his on-going erosion of the physical security infrastructure of the State through Garda station and Army Barrack closures, systematic undermining of Garda numbers and resources with a deeply inadequate budget allocation and abject failure to address the declining morale in the...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Courts Service (27 Nov 2012)

Thomas Byrne: ...perceive, a quick courthouse visit in which persons get their convictions and everybody holds their breathe and sees them go to jail. Rather, it brings much business to the town, whether visiting gardaí, lawyers or unfortunate defendants and their families, and adds to the prestige of the town. The business community in Kells is most concerned about this issue as well. It is about the...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Crime Prevention (14 Nov 2012)

Thomas Byrne: I thank the Minister of State for her response. I pay tribute to the Garda Síochána, which is working hard in local communities. I put particular emphasis on community alert, neighbourhood watch and the joint policing committees. More needs to be done in the teeth of Operation Fiacla. Statistics show that burglary, in particular, is increasing. I acknowledge that other crimes, such as...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Crime Prevention (14 Nov 2012)

Thomas Byrne: ...; it is based on statistics. According to the annualised totals in the Central Statistics Office, CSO, report, burglaries increased by 10% in the year to the end of the second quarter. In the Garda eastern region, they have increased by 24%, which is a frightening statistic, and I am not convinced every burglary is being reported to the Garda because, in some cases, people feel nothing...

Seanad: Amendment to Terms of Reference of Tribunal of Inquiry: Motion (24 Oct 2012)

Thomas Byrne: ...were awful murders, but this was par for the course for an organisation which murdered a total of 656 members of the British forces, 621 civilians, 272 police officers, 35 loyalist terrorists, six gardaí, and a soldier, as well as a number of its own members. The Weston Park talks were the catalyst for the setting up of the Smithwick tribunal. There were suggestions of collusion in a...

Seanad: Amendment to Terms of Reference of Tribunal of Inquiry: Motion (24 Oct 2012)

Thomas Byrne: ...were awful murders, but this was par for the course for an organisation which murdered a total of 656 members of the British forces, 621 civilians, 272 police officers, 35 loyalist terrorists, six gardaí, and a soldier, as well as a number of its own members. The Weston Park talks were the catalyst for the setting up of the Smithwick tribunal. There were suggestions of collusion in a...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Oct 2012)

Thomas Byrne: ...is concerned and I wonder whether that was the deliberate intent, as it certainly has been the effect. Who are being targeted in respect of these allowances? Those targeted are teachers, nurses, gardaí and soldiers. These are the people who Deputy Howlin and the Labour Party-Fine Gael Government have decided to target first for cuts, namely, the people on whom we depend in our daily...

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Second Stage (26 Sep 2012)

Thomas Byrne: ..." as proposed by the Minister and first proposed by the previous Government, is the correct one. There are a plethora of ombudsmen in place, including the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces, the Garda Síochána Ombudsman, the Insurance Ombudsman and Financial Services Ombudsman. We even have an ombudsmans' association. It is a pity this was allowed to happen. However, we cannot turn...

Seanad: Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Jul 2012)

Thomas Byrne: Does the Minister's reference to discussion with the trade union movement include the Garda Representative Association, PDFORRA and the other associations or were the discussions with SIPTU and other such unions? The GRA is not satisfied with what has been proposed. Its members think it is unfair.

Seanad: Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Jul 2012)

Thomas Byrne: I know. SIPTU has been mentioned a lot but it does not represent gardaí, members of the Defence Forces and prison officers. It might represent fire officers. There are different categories of worker involved. A special case can be made for them that they provide a particular service that forces them to retire early. They feel that a further unfairness is being imposed on them because of...

Seanad: Garda Districts (3 Jul 2012)

Thomas Byrne: I am grateful to the Cathaoirleach for allowing me to raise this matter on the Adjournment. The merger of the Ashbourne and Laytown Garda districts in County Meath is an important issue for the county and I understand that it took effect in April. The Ashbourne and Laytown Garda districts were two of the most populated in County Meath and between them contain seven of the ten largest towns...

Seanad: Garda Districts (3 Jul 2012)

Thomas Byrne: The Minister of State said that of the 296 gardaí in County Meath, 109 are in the Ashbourne-Laytown district. That means that this district has 50% more gardaí than each of the three districts on average. It shows that the breaking down of the districts in County Meath was not done on a population basis. That is a root cause of the problem. I join the Minister in paying tribute to the...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Amendment) Act 2009: Motion (20 Jun 2012)

Thomas Byrne: ...cases specific individuals are being targeted by organised criminals, including a good friend of mine who had the traumatic experience of being visited in the dead of night by a gang dressed as gardaí. We need to introduce the toughest legislation possible and the Garda will have to deploy sufficient resources to the commuter belt to respond effectively to threats. The people who are...

Seanad: Offences against the State (Amendment) Act 1998: Motion (20 Jun 2012)

Thomas Byrne: ...persuade anyone that needs such evidence or anyone tempted to oppose these provisions. While these provisions are draconian they relate to the fundamental security of the State and are used by the Garda authorities and the gardaí in the course of their duties. The provisions are necessary to protect the State and its foundations and we support it. We agree with the Minister that...

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Jun 2012)

Thomas Byrne: ...to lay it before the Houses of the Oireachtas. The matter dealt with by him in the Dáil yesterday is of the most serious nature and elected representatives are entitled to find out if there was a Garda investigation, who is under suspicion in the Department and whether the Taoiseach is blaming civil servants, the former Taoiseach or a deceased former Minister for Finance? We do not...

Seanad: NAMA and Irish Bank Resolution Corporation Transparency Bill 2011: Second Stage (6 Jun 2012)

Thomas Byrne: ...that the last time Senator Daly used parliamentary privilege - which I presume he is using in some of his statements - it was a very effective use of Seanad privilege and has resulted in a Garda investigation of child sexual abuse in the Munster region. Therefore, when Senator Daly uses privilege he is to be listened to and what he says must be taken very seriously. I do not think he...

Seanad: Order of Business (10 May 2012)

Thomas Byrne: ...part of a continuous attack on the commuter belt by the Labour Party and Fine Gael. They do not know what they are doing in respect of education, and in County Meath they have just merged the two Garda districts in the commuter belt, namely, the Ashbourne district and the Laytown district, which cover half the county, and left three other districts in the other part of the county. We must...

Seanad: Order of Business (10 May 2012)

Thomas Byrne: No, I was referring to Garda districts within the commuter belt.

Seanad: Order of Business (10 May 2012)

Thomas Byrne: I was referring specifically to a recent decision to amalgamate the Garda districts in the part of the commuter belt in which I reside.

Seanad: Report of Tribunal of Inquiry into Certain Planning Matters and Payments: Statements (24 Apr 2012)

Thomas Byrne: ...politicians in some way to advocate on behalf of their communities and the broad general interest. This report, as well as the Moriarty tribunal report, is with the Criminal Assets Bureau and the Garda. Nothing has happened with the Moriarty findings. Who is to say nothing will happen with the Mahon report? I suppose certain things have happened with some people serving time in jail and...