Michael McCarthy
Question:489. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the position regarding Garda vetting in respect of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45942/12]
View answerGarda Vetting of Personnel
Questions (489)
Written answers
The Deputy may wish to note that the Garda Central Vetting Unit (GCVU) provides Garda vetting only in the case of those seeking employment in Ireland with registered organisations where the employment involves substantial unsupervised access to children or vulnerable adults. I am informed by the Garda authorities that there has been no Garda vetting application received by the GCVU in respect of the person referred to in the question.
EU-IMF Programme of Support
Questions (490)
Pearse Doherty
Question:490. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will confirm the requirements to reform competition and practice in the legal sector set out in the Memorandum of Understanding with the programme Troika, and the dates on which such requirements are to be complied with. [45981/12]
View answerWritten answers
The Programme of the Government for National Recovery 2011-2016 undertakes to “establish independent regulation of the legal profession to improve access and competition, make legal costs more transparent and ensure adequate procedures for addressing consumer complaints”. These undertakings complement those structural reforms in the EU/IMF Programme of Financial Support for Ireland aimed at removing restrictions to trade and competition relating to the legal professions and legal costs, namely, to establish an independent regulator for the legal professions and implement the recommendations of the Legal Costs Working Group, and to implement the outstanding Competition Authority recommendations to reduce legal costs.
Effect is being given to these structural reform commitments in the form of the Legal Services Bill 2011 which was published, in keeping with the relevant time-line under the Troika Programme, for the end of Quarter 3 of 2011. As the Deputy will be aware, the Bill, which remains a priority under the Government Legislation Programme, completed Second Stage in the Dáil in February and is awaiting Committee Stage.
I have made comprehensive statements on the Bill and its continuing development both at the Annual Conference of the Law Society on the 14th of April and at the conference hosted by my Department on Regulatory Reform for a 21st Century Legal Profession which took place on 6th July. The full text of these statements is available on the Department website, www.justice.ie, for ease of reference. I continue to receive submissions in relation to the Bill from various stakeholders and these are being considered as part of the ongoing deliberative process in preparation for Committee Stage.
In light of this continuing work, I am confident that the Bill, when enacted, will better balance the interests of consumers of legal services and those of legal practitioners who provide them while modernising the legal costs regime in a way conducive to greater scrutiny and competitiveness. Substantial, positive progress has been made towards achieving the desired and important balance between the independence of the legal professions and the Government’s stated policy objective of independent regulation. I have made known the intended scope of the amendments to the Bill that will place the new regulatory and disciplinary architecture for the two legal professions beyond any undue interference by Minister or Government. This effectively lays to rest those concerns about impinging on the independence of the legal professions that had been initially voiced in relation to the Bill and its motivation.
As the Bill approaches Committee Stage it has reached a point where it is set to provide for an independent Legal Services Regulatory Authority, an independent complaints framework and an independent Legal Practitioners’ Disciplinary Tribunal. These are being buttressed by the functions and powers of a modernised Office of the Legal Costs Adjudicator, with the support of transparent Legal Costs Principles and procedures. The Bill will also open the legal services sector to the future and its new business models and technologies in a way that will benefit the legal professions as much as it will enhance the position of their clients.
Work on the details of the proposed amendments to the Bill is, therefore, ongoing at my Department including in conjunction with the Offices of the Attorney General and of Parliamentary Counsel and the EU/IMF/ECB Troika. As I have previously stated, the relevant amendments will be made available in advance of Committee Stage along with the relevant Regulatory Impact Analysis. It remains my objective, notwithstanding the competing legislative demands of our EU/IMF/ECB Programme commitments - notably the Personal Insolvency Bill which continues to occupy Members of both Houses - that Committee Stage of the Legal Services Regulation Bill should commence as soon as possible, preferably before the end of this year.
Legal Services Regulation
Questions (491)
Pearse Doherty
Question:491. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the metrics by which he proposes to judge if reforms to practice and competition in the legal sector are successful. [45983/12]
View answerWritten answers
The new Legal Services Regulatory Authority, to be established under the Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011, will be independent of the legal professions and of the Government in the performance of its functions. It will also be appointed independently and, as I have previously mentioned, I will be introducing amendments at Committee Stage to strengthen these independence aspects. At the same time, the Regulatory Authority will be subject to an array of modern governance, accountability and reporting provisions. These will make its outputs, and those of its attendant bodies, open to public and parliamentary scrutiny and assessment. All of these measures are intended to meet, in as transparent a way as possible, the stated objectives of the Programme for Government to “establish independent regulation of the legal professions to improve access and competition, make legal costs more transparent and ensure adequate procedures for addressing consumer complaints” and to meet the relevant structural reform objectives of the EU/IMF/ECB Troika Programme.
The new Legal Services Regulatory Authority and its attendant bodies will, therefore, have the structures, functions and powers consistent with an effective, independent and accountable regulatory body and will operate under the standards of transparency, good governance and audit applicable under international best practice to public bodies. This will ensure that the new regulatory regime and its outcomes are accountable not just at the time of establishment but on an ongoing basis into the future. While it is not for me to predetermine the business and performance management decisions of such an independent regulatory body, I would like to set out some of the key provisions of relevance to measuring the success of the new regulatory regime that are to be found in the Legal Services Regulation Bill.
The new Legal Services Regulatory Authority to be established under the Bill will be required to prepare three-yearly strategic plans which will set out the Authority's key objectives and related strategies, including its use of resources, which will, inter alia, be laid before each House of the Oireachtas. The Authority will report annually to the Minister for Justice and Equality and to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality on the performance of its functions during each relevant year. The Authority will present audited financial reports to the Minister and to the Comptroller and Auditor General and its accounts will be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas. The Chief Executive of the Authority can be required to appear before the Committee of Public Accounts and/or before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality. In addition, the Authority will be required to report annually on the admission policies of the legal professions and on other specified matters including education and training. It will promote public awareness and disseminate information to the public in respect of legal services, including the cost of such services. The new Authority will undertake research and will assist the Government in coordinating and developing policy in respect of the provision of legal services by legal practitioners.
In relation to the new independent complaints structure - which will apply under the Bill to both barristers and solicitors for the first time - it is intended that the Authority will publish, at regular intervals, information on complaints received and this is an area I intend to address further at Committee Stage. Such information is expected to include the general nature of the complaints, the number of them referred to the Complaints Committee and the outcome of those investigated. The Authority will also publish information on the findings of the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal and of the High Court where the Tribunal's findings are appealed. This information will include the determination of the Tribunal or the Court, the nature of the misconduct, the sanction imposed and the name of the legal practitioner concerned.
The Office of the Legal Costs Adjudicator (which is to be the modernised equivalent of the existing Office of the Taxing-Master) will be required to maintain a register of legal costs determinations which will include the outcome and reasons for the relevant decisions. Similarly, the Adjudicator is being empowered to produce Legal Costs Guidelines for the information of those involved in assessing costs, legal practitioners and the general public. For the first time in legislation, Legal Costs Principles are set out in the Bill against which the reasonableness of legal costs can be assessed. The Chief Legal Costs Adjudicator will produce three-yearly strategic plans to be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas augmented by annual business plans and annual reports that will also be laid before the Houses.
The alternative business models for the provision of legal services which are provided for under the Legal Services Regulation Bill and other possible innovations such as the unification of the solicitor and barrister professions are supported by respective public consultation processes which will produce reports and recommendations as set out in the Bill. These outputs will, in keeping with the other transparency provisions of the Bill, be laid before each House of the Oireachtas within 30 days of receipt by the Minister. The roll-out of such new legal business models will be regulated by the Legal Services Regulatory Authority and fall within its strategic planning and annual reporting obligations including those relating to the Houses of the Oireachtas.
While not exhaustive, the above outline of the accountability and reporting requirements governing the new regulatory regime for legal costs and services under the Legal Services Regulation Bill belies a substantial framework with new and more appropriate levels of scrutiny at the administrative, executive and parliamentary levels. In my view, the Bill's transparency and accountability provisions put the main areas of legal service provision and regulation in plain sight - in many instances for the first time - and provide a regulatory regime that is more responsive to the profound changes taking place in the legal services sector around the world. This augurs a move towards more principles-based or outcomes-focussed regulation that will, by its nature, be more amenable to measurement and examination while maintaining high standards in legal services. I have no doubt that this new regulatory approach can better meet the needs of the legal professions, consumers of legal services and the new Legal Services Regulatory Authority in facing the challenges of the years ahead while providing much needed support to the process of national recovery.
State Properties
Questions (492)
Pearse Doherty
Question:492. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Questions No.183 and 184 of 9 October 2012, if he will provide in tabular form the number of residential properties in the State that are owned by companies incorporated in the State; the number of residential properties in the State owned by companies incorporated outside the State; the number of residential properties in the State owned by trusts set up within the State and the number of residential properties in the State owned by trusts set up outside the State. [45984/12]
View answerWritten answers
There are two systems for recording property transactions in Ireland, the system of registration of title operated by the Land Registry and the system of recording deeds operated by the Registry of Deeds. Both systems are under the control of the Property Registration Authority. Where title or ownership is registered in the Land Registry, the legal ownership is entered on folios which form the registers maintained in the Land Registry. Where title is registered in the Land Registry it is referred to as "registered property" and is open to public inspection.
The Registry of Deeds provides a system of recording the existence of deeds and conveyances affecting unregistered property (i.e. property which has never been registered in the Land Registry). The effect of registration of a Deed in the Registry of Deeds is generally to govern priorities between documents dealing with the same piece of land.
I am advised by the Property Registration Authority that the information sought by the Deputy is not available. The Land Registry registers the ownership of legal estates and interests. The register of title maintained by the Authority does not distinguish between residential and commercial properties. Under Section 92(1) of the Registration of Title Act 1964, no notice of a trust may be entered on the Register. Therefore, property held under a trust is not readily identifiable as such from the folios of the Register.
The address of any company registered on the folios of the Land Register is the address of the company in the State for the purpose of the service of notices under the provisions of Section 106 of the Registration of Title Act 1964. Therefore, an inspection of the registers of ownership will not reveal whether a company was incorporated within or outside of the State.
Courts Service
Questions (493)
Pearse Doherty
Question:493. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Justice and Equality further to the 29th Amendment to the Constitution, if he will set out in tabular form showing each of the courts in the judicial hierarchy, the number of judges attached to each court. [45985/12]
View answerWritten answers
The information sought by the Deputy is as set out in the table below.
|
Court |
Number of Judges |
|
Supreme Court |
Chief Justice and 7 judges* |
|
High Court |
President and 35 judges |
|
Circuit Court |
President and 37 judges* |
|
District Court |
President and 63 judges* |
* There is one former presiding judge still serving on each of the Supreme, Circuit and District Courts who, under the provisions of the Courts (No 2) Act 1997, retain an entitlement to remuneration at the level of presiding judge.
Spent Convictions Legislation
Questions (494)
Seán Fleming
Question:494. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if there are procedures in place whereby a person who has a criminal conviction from a court can have their records expunged or cleared; the procedures involved in same; the timescales involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46021/12]
View answerWritten answers
There are no provisions in Irish law for the removal of records from a person's criminal record. However, under the Criminal Justice (Spent Convictions) Bill 2012, a person may not be required to disclose a conviction, once the appropriate conviction-free period has elapsed, subject to certain conditions. Convictions must, however, continue to be disclosed where a person wishes to work with children and vulnerable adults or where the person is applying for certain licences.
The Bill was passed at Second Stage in the Seanad in June and I expect it to be enacted in the first half of 2013. I should mention that there is already a "spent convictions" regime provided for under section 258 of the Children Act 2001, whereby a person may not be required to disclose a conviction where the offence was committed before the person reached 18 years of age, provided certain conditions are met.
Question No. 495 answered with Question No. 463.
Asylum Applications
Questions (496)
Bernard Durkan
Question:496. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the current and or expected position in relation to residency status in the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 15; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46035/12]
View answerWritten answers
Arising from the refusal of his asylum application, and in accordance with the provisions of Section 3 of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended), the person concerned was notified, by letter dated 22nd March, 2006, that the then Minister proposed to make a Deportation Order in respect of him. He was given the options, to be exercised within 15 working days, of leaving the State voluntarily, of consenting to the making of a Deportation Order or of making representations to the Minister setting out the reasons why a Deportation Order should not be made against him.
In May, 2007, the person concerned made an application for residency in the State on the basis of being the spouse of an EU National who was exercising her EU Treaty Rights in this State. This application was approved and the person concerned was notified to this effect by letter dated 14th August, 2008. The person concerned completed the registration formalities to the extent that his permission to remain was valid to 25th February, 2012.
The relevant officials in my Department were advised that the person concerned was no longer residing with his EU National spouse and, as such, he would not be in a position to apply for the renewal of his permission to remain on the basis of his marriage to an EU national. It has, however, been submitted on behalf of the person concerned that the European Court of Justice Judgment in the Zambrano case may be applicable to his case and, as such, he is now seeking to rely on that Judgment to advance his case to remain in the State. This request is under consideration at present. Once a decision has been made, this decision and the consequences of the decision will be conveyed in writing to the person concerned.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to the INIS by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response from the INIS is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.
Garda Vetting of Personnel
Questions (497, 498)
John Browne
Question:497. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will list individually the actual numbers of vetting applications submitted by each sport for the years 2010, 2011 and to date in 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46045/12]
View answerJohn Browne
Question:498. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will list individually the sports affiliated to Irish Sports Council that are availing of the Garda Vetting Service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46046/12]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 497 and 498 together.
I have requested the information sought by the Deputy from the Garda authorities. I will be in contact with the Deputy when this information is to hand.
Coroners Service
Questions (499)
Marcella Corcoran Kennedy
Question:499. Deputy Marcella Corcoran Kennedy asked the Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 445 of 9 October 2012 if he will confirm if further specialist tests were required in respect of a post mortem (details supplied); if the post mortem results were sent to the Dublin Coroner's Office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46048/12]
View answerWritten answers
This is a matter for the office of the coroner's district of Dublin. In order to be helpful, I can inform the Deputy that the post-mortem results in this case have been received in the Dublin Coroner's Office, together with other medical reports requested by the Coroner. Based on these results, the Dublin Coroner has decided that an inquest is not warranted in this case, and the final death certificate will be available from the local Civil Registration Office by the end of this week. The next of kin have been so informed.
Visa Applications
Questions (500)
Patrick O'Donovan
Question:500. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality when a decision will be made on a visa application for a person (details supplied). [46058/12]
View answerWritten answers
I wish to inform the Deputy that a decision has been made in respect of the visa application referred to and the applicant has been informed. I should remind the Deputy that queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to INIS by Email using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. The service enables up-to-date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek this information through the more administratively expensive Parliamentary Questions process.
Residency Permits
Questions (501)
Bernard Durkan
Question:501. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the current and or expected position with regards to residency status in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Monaghan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46115/12]
View answerWritten answers
I refer the Deputy to my detailed Reply to his earlier Parliamentary Question, PQ No. 1246 of Tuesday, 18th September 2012 - copied beneath. The position is unchanged since then.
The person concerned is a failed asylum applicant. Arising from the refusal of her asylum application, and in accordance with the provisions of Section 3 of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended), the person concerned was notified, by letter dated 30 March, 2010, that the then Minister proposed to make a Deportation Order in respect of her. She was given the options, to be exercised within 15 working days, of leaving the State voluntarily, of consenting to the making of a Deportation Order or of making representations to the then Minister setting out the reasons why a Deportation Order should not be made against her. In addition, she was notified of her entitlement to apply for Subsidiary Protection in accordance with the provisions of the European Communities (Eligibility for Protection) Regulations 2006.
The person concerned submitted an application for Subsidiary Protection. When consideration of this application has been completed, the person concerned will be notified in writing of the outcome. In the event that the application for Subsidiary Protection is refused, the position in the State of the person concerned will then be decided by reference to the provisions of Section 3 (6) of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended) and Section 5 of the Refugee Act 1996 (as amended) on the prohibition of refoulement. All representations submitted will be considered before a final decision is made. In advance of a final decision being made, the case of the person concerned will be examined to determine what, if any, impact the European Court of Justice Judgment in the Zambrano case may have on her case. Once a decision has been made, this decision and the consequences of the decision will be conveyed in writing to the person concerned.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to the INIS by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response from the INIS is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.
Asylum Applications
Questions (502)
Bernard Durkan
Question:502. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the current and or expected position in relation to residency status in the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 22; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46132/12]
View answerWritten answers
Arising from the refusal of her asylum application, and in accordance with the provisions of Section 3 of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended), the person concerned was notified, by letter dated 30th March, 2009, that the then Minister proposed to make a Deportation Order in respect of her. She was given the options, to be exercised within 15 working days, of leaving the State voluntarily, of consenting to the making of a Deportation Order or of making representations to the Minister setting out the reasons why a Deportation Order should not be made against her. In addition, she was notified of her entitlement to apply for Subsidiary Protection in accordance with the provisions of the European Communities (Eligibility for Protection) Regulations 2006.
The person concerned submitted an application for Subsidiary Protection. When consideration of this application has been completed, the person concerned will be notified in writing of the outcome. In the event that the application for Subsidiary Protection is refused, the position in the State of the person concerned will then be decided by reference to the provisions of Section 3 (6) of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended) and Section 5 of the Refugee Act 1996 (as amended) on the prohibition of refoulement. All representations submitted, including those relating to the personal and domestic circumstances of the person concerned, will be considered before a final decision is made. Once a decision has been made, this decision and the consequences of the decision will be conveyed in writing to the person concerned.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to the INIS by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response from the INIS is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.
Immigration Policy
Questions (503)
Bernard Durkan
Question:503. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if the residency status in the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 7 entitles them to remain in the State for educational purposes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46135/12]
View answerWritten answers
Responsibility for the allocation of educational supports rests with the Department of Education and Science and the bodies operating under that Department's aegis. It is entirely a matter for those bodies to decide what, if any, entitlement the person concerned has to educational supports based on his immigration status. This position was communicated to the person concerned by letter dated 3rd October, 2012 which was issued to him by a representative from my Department's Repatriation Division.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to the INIS by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response from the INIS is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.
Asylum Applications
Questions (504)
Bernard Durkan
Question:504. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the current and or expected position in relation to residency or naturalisation in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46145/12]
View answerWritten answers
The case referred to by the Deputy comprises a mother and her young children. The mother applied for asylum on 4th March, 2008. A separate asylum application was lodged on behalf of her eldest child on 13th May, 2008. Their respective asylum claims were refused following the consideration of the cases by the Refugee Applications Commissioner and, on appeal, the Refugee Appeals Tribunal.
Arising from the refusal of their respective asylum applications, and in accordance with the provisions of Section 3 of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended), the mother and her child were notified, by separate letters dated 15th November, 2010, that the then Minister proposed to make deportation orders in respect of them. They were each given the options, to be exercised within 15 working days, of leaving the State voluntarily, of consenting to the making of a Deportation Order or of making representations to the Minister setting out the reasons why deportation orders should not be made against them. In addition, they was notified of their respective entitlements to apply for Subsidiary Protection in accordance with the provisions of the European Communities (Eligibility for Protection) Regulations 2006.
The persons concerned submitted separate applications for Subsidiary Protection. When consideration of these applications has been completed, the persons concerned will be notified in writing of the outcomes. In the event that the applications for Subsidiary Protection are refused, the position in the State of the persons concerned will then be decided by reference to the provisions of Section 3 (6) of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended) and Section 5 of the Refugee Act 1996 (as amended) on the prohibition of refoulement. All representations submitted will be considered before final decisions are made. Once decisions have been made, these decisions, and the consequences of the decisions, will be conveyed in writing to the persons concerned.
An asylum application has also been lodged in respect of a second child. This application was lodged on 10th July, 2012. The Deputy will appreciate that it is not my practice to comment on individual asylum applications where a final decision has not been made. The Deputy's Question would suggest that there is a further child in this family, however, my Department has no record of such a child having been documented to date. Given that none of the persons referred to by the Deputy have a right of residency in the State, the issue of naturalisation does not arise at this time.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to the INIS by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response from the INIS is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.
Asylum Applications
Questions (505)
Bernard Durkan
Question:505. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 177 of 4 October 2012, if his attention has been drawn to the on-going correspondence between his Department and a person (details supplied) in County Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46147/12]
View answerWritten answers
I refer the Deputy to my reply below to Parliamentary Question No. 42535 of 4th October, 2012. The position is unchanged since then. There is no record of any added correspondence having being received from the person concerned.
I am informed by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) that the person referred to by the Deputy has no application pending for residency. The person concerned is the subject of a Deportation Order signed on 30 October 2008, following a comprehensive and thorough examination of his asylum claim and of his application to remain temporarily in the State. He has been evading his deportation since 11 December 2008 and should he come to the notice of the Garda authorities, he would be liable to arrest and detention. He should, therefore, present himself to the Garda National Immigration Bureau without any further delay.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to the INIS by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response from the INIS is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.
Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission Issues
Questions (506)
Seán Kenny
Question:506. Deputy Seán Kenny asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of emergency calls received in the Garda Control Centre for the years 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011; the number of calls in each of these years that were deemed to be false or misleading; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46210/12]
View answerWritten answers
I am informed by the Garda authorities that the Garda Communications Centre at the Dublin Metropolitan Region (DMR) Headquarters, Harcourt Square, Dublin 2 is the regional centre responsible for operational policing communications throughout the DMR. In addition to emergency 999 call taking and dispatch functions it is responsible for a number of national and international roles. The centre operates on a 24 hour basis. I am further informed that the following table sets out the number of emergency calls, bogus calls and false alarms recorded on the Computer Aided Dispatch system for the DMR for the years 2007 to 2011.
Number of Computer Aided Dispatch Incidents Recorded, Bogus Calls and False Alarms for the DMR for the years 2007 to 2011
|
- |
2011 |
2010 |
2009 |
2008 |
2007 |
|
Incidents Recorded |
430,852 |
405,256 |
407,020 |
453,451 |
469,093 |
|
Bogus Calls |
1,758 |
2,167 |
2,752 |
2,752 |
2,594 |
|
False Alarm* |
12,960 |
13,345 |
13,439 |
14,952 |
17,102 |
*False alarms refer to intruder alarm incidents.
Garda Equipment
Questions (507)
Seán Kenny
Question:507. Deputy Seán Kenny asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the cost of increasing the number of dogs in the Garda Dog Unit from 24 to 29; the cost of increasing the number of horses in the Garda Mounted Unit from 14 to 20; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46211/12]
View answerWritten answers
I am advised by the Garda authorities that the cost of purchasing an additional five dogs for the Garda Dog Unit would be in the region of €9,000 and that the estimated cost of purchasing an additional six horses for the Garda Mounted Unit is €36,000. In addition to the purchase costs, any increase in either the Dog Unit or the Mounted Unit would give rise to an increase in operational costs for items such as food, bedding and veterinary services. An estimate for these expenses is not readily available.
Animal Welfare
Questions (508)
Maureen O'Sullivan
Question:508. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality while the banned Ward Union Stag Hunt are continuing to meet twice weekly for the past two seasons and have been noted to have stags and hounds in very close proximity several times within yards and in the same field, if he will provide the number of statements that have been made to Gardaí regarding this hunt; the number of cases compiled by Gardaí with cases pending in the past two seasons since the ban; the number of complaints of trespass that have been made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46236/12]
View answerWritten answers
I have requested a report from the Garda authorities in relation to the matter referred to by the Deputy. I will contact the Deputy again when the report is to hand.
Emergency Services Personnel
Questions (509)
Clare Daly
Question:509. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will amend Section 19 of the Public Order Act 1994 to include Airport Police and Fire Service in the definition of emergency personnel in the Act. [46251/12]
View answerWritten answers
Airport Police and Fire Service officers are appointed as "authorised officers" under the provisions of the Air Navigation and Transport Acts 1950-1998. These Acts are the responsibility of the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport who has advised me that he has no plans to amend the Acts at this time.
Residency Permits
Questions (510)
Bernard Durkan
Question:510. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the steps needed to be taken in the renewal of an expired Garda National Immigration Bureau card as the previous card has been misplaced and thus social welfare payments have been stopped in the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 15; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46333/12]
View answerWritten answers
The permission to remain in the State of the person concerned expired on 8 September, 2012. As this person is now currently out of permission to remain in the State, he should attend the GNIB to register and to advise them of his misplaced GNIB card.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to INIS by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response from INIS is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.
Bullying of Children
Questions (511)
Dan Neville
Question:511. Deputy Dan Neville asked the Minister for Justice and Equality in view of the increase in cyber-bullying, if there are regulations to prevent websites such as a website called ASK-FM from entering society; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46360/12]
View answerWritten answers
There are no regulations to prevent websites such as the one mentioned by the Deputy from operating in Ireland. However, assistance is available from a variety of sources to help those affected by cyberbullying. I mention, in particular, the Safer Internet Ireland project which is coordinated by the Office for Internet Safety in my Department. The National Centre for Technology in Education, an agency for the Department of Education and Skills, participates in the project. It operates two sites: www.webwise.ie provides advice and information to parents and teachers, while www.watchyourspace.ie provides advice to young people on how to manage their online activities.
The ISPCC and the National Parents Council (Primary) also participate. Both organisations offer assistance through their confidential telephone helplines on how to deal with cyberbullying. The Office for Internet Safety itself supplies very useful guides, including "A Parents Guide to Social Networking Sites" and "A Guide to Cyberbullying". I take this opportunity to remind those who are being or have been subjected to bullying, including cyberbullying, that, at least in some cases, the criminal law may offer redress. Bullying in any form may, after all, amount to an assault in just the same way as a physical attack on a person. I would therefore say to victims and their parents that where the evidence exists, the Gardai should be notified.