Written Answers Nos. 162-168
162. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of Gardaí by rank currently in the Garda serious crime review team; the number of Gardaí by rank that have retired since 1 April 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42158/12]
View answerI am informed by the Garda authorities that the personnel strength of the Serious Crime Review Team is 8, broken down as follows: one Detective Superintendent, one Detective Inspector, one Detective Sergeant and five Detective Gardaí. I am further informed that since 01 April 2011, one Detective Sergeant and one Detective Garda have retired from the unit.
163. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will report on Garda operation wireless; the number of persons arrested and charged to date; the number of successful convictions secured to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42159/12]
View answerOperation Wireless is an ongoing operation targeting organised crime in the Dublin Region. The operation is focused on the criminal actions of a number of selected targets within the Dublin and surrounding Regions. I am informed by the Garda authorities that to date 23 persons have been arrested under this operation, with 5 persons arrested under European Arrest Warrants. While convictions have yet to be recorded under the operation, 15 persons have been charged with offences and 3 persons have been released without charge pending the submission of files to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
164. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will immediately lift the recruitment ban on An Garda Síochána to deal with the increase in serious and organised crime over the past few months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42160/12]
View answerI would like to take this opportunity to once again utterly condemn the murders that have taken place in recent days. The Gardaí will continue to bear down heavily on the activities of those involved in gangland crime. That is clear from the series of recent operations they have launched against gangs and the many drug seizures that have taken place in recent weeks. I should also mention the most recent recorded crime statistics, which were released last week, and which show that most categories of crime are falling, which also reflects well on the work of An Garda Síochána. These figures showed that in the 12 month period to end-June murder had decreased by 8%.
The moratorium on recruitment and appointments across the public sector remains in place. The question of when recruitment will recommence in the Garda Síochána will be determined by the level of budgetary provision that can be made for the Garda Síochána. The matter is kept under constant review by myself and my colleague the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. It must be remembered that we must reduce public expenditure to a sustainable level. This means, among other things, reducing expenditure on public service pay, whether by reducing headcount or otherwise. This is particularly so in those public service bodies where pay forms an especially large part of overall expenditure, such as the Garda Síochána where 90% of expenditure is on pay and pensions.
165. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will bring forward the Sale of Alcohol Bill; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42161/12]
View answerThe position is that the Government legislation programme makes provision for publication of the sale of alcohol Bill in mid-2013. The Bill will modernise the laws relating to the sale, supply and consumption of alcohol products by repealing the Licensing Acts 1833 to 2011, as well as the Registration of Clubs Acts 1904 to 2008, and replacing them with streamlined and updated provisions. Work on preparation of the Bill is progressing within my Department and the Office of the Attorney General.
166. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will provide an update on the Bethany Home and on the redress issues surrounding that home. [42217/12]
View answerI refer the Deputy to my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 502 for written answer on 19 June, 2012.
Reply to Parliamentary Question No. 502 for written answer on 19 June, 2012.
While I cannot be more specific at this time,consideration continues to be given to issues relating to the former Bethany Home and how they might be addressed.
167. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Defence if the Irish Red Cross has fully implemented or will implement all of the recommendations relating to it contained in the Report of the Committee of Public Accounts Committee of May last; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42142/12]
View answer168. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Defence if he has fully implemented or will implement all of the recommendations relating to it contained in the Report of the Committee of Public Accounts of May last; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42143/12]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 167 and 168 together.
I welcome the fact that arising from the Chapter on Financial Control in the Irish Red Cross Society that was contained in the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General 2010, the Oireachtas Committee of Public Accounts (PAC) subsequently dealt in some considerable depth with a wide range of issues relating to weak financial controls in the past and allegations of poor corporate governance. Each of the recommendations made in the Committee’s subsequent Report were carefully examined and noted by my Department. In relation to those that relate directly to the Irish Red Cross, I would direct the Deputy to a Press Statement issued by the Society on 17 May last which, in referring to the Committee’s Report, stated: “With respect to the recommendations that have been made, those that relate to the Irish Red Cross Society have already been implemented.”
The position in relation to the remaining recommendations is that there is a practice already in place whereby payment of the discretionary annual Grant in Aid to the Irish Red Cross is conditional on provision by the Society of a report to my Department, and satisfactory responses to any queries that may arise. In relation to the recommendation concerning the review of the legislation underpinning the Irish Red Cross, in accordance with a commitment given in the Programme for Government my Department has recently commenced a review of all Red Cross legislation. A key requirement of the review will be to ensure that any legislative changes that may be proposed must have the full support of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
