Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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286. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the priorities in her Department for the remainder of the term of this Government; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49027/14]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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My Department is committed to implementing the priorities set out in the Programme for Government and in the Statement of Government Priorities 2014 - 2016, which was published by the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste last July. These will form the basis for the work of my Department for the remainder of this Government's term of office.

Delivering the comprehensive Justice Reform Programme which is aimed at enhancing the administration and oversight of policing is a key priority. This includes establishing the Policing Authority and strengthening the remit and powers of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission.

Other commitments in the Statement of Government Priorities include the reform of judicial appointments procedures; progressing the work of the Working Group on the Protection Process; advancing the Protection Bill for enactment early next year aimed at reducing the length of time applicants spend in the Direct Provision System; developing the arrangements in place relating to personal insolvency; taking further steps to ensure that all State boards have at least 40% of each gender; the holding of a referendum on marriage equality (including drafting the necessary legislation to amend the Constitution) and progressing the Children and Family Relationships Bill which is aimed at bringing legal clarity to the parentage, guardianship and custody of children living in a range of family situations.

The priorities arising from the Programme for Government are to implement a number of the key recommendations of the Penal Policy Review Group; the civilianisation of certain immigration functions; the completion, in cooperation with the United Kingdom Home Office, of the worldwide rollout of the British Irish Visa Scheme; the completion of the Legal Services Regulation Bill with the coming into operation of the new Legal Services Regulatory Authority in the first half of 2015; and publication of the Judicial Council Bill. As regards criminal law, the priorities include strengthening the law on corruption and sexual offences (including grooming) as well as implementing the EU Directive on Victims. My Department will also be developing a new strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence for 2015 onwards.

In addition, I will continue to progress the full implementation of the recommendations of Judge Quirke regarding benefits for those women who were admitted to and worked in the Magdalen laundries.

I am also committed to taking forward the recommendations of the recent Garda Inspectorate Report on Crime Investigation and its report on the Fixed Charge Processing System, as well as the review of An Garda Síochána under the Haddington Road Agreement. Furthermore, the resumption of Garda recruitment with a total of some 300 recruits coming into training in Templemore will make an important contribution, not only to the reform of An Garda Síochána, but to the ongoing task of protecting our communities.

All of this work will be supported by the process of organisational renewal underway in my Department, following the Report of the Independent Review Group (the Toland Report - July 2014), the implementation of which is itself a priority.