Written Answers Nos. 114 - 121
114. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will confirm that a person (details supplied) was one of the gardaí involved in the Kieran Boylan case, against whom GSOC recommended that criminal charges should be brought. [4212/15]
View answerI refer the Deputy to my reply to Parliamentary Question No. 80 of 26 November 2014. In that reply I outlined that I have no role in the initiation of prosecutions and, accordingly, it would not be appropriate for me to comment on whether or not specific individuals were named in the report forwarded to the DPP.
115. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the action that has been taken against the six senior gardaí found to have breached the penalty points system in the recent report. [4213/15]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that the full report of the Garda Professional Standards Unit, has been referred to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission and, in the circumstances, it would not be appropriate for me to make further comment on specific cases referred to in the report.
116. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Justice and Equality that services provided at Garda stations in Dunleer and Clogherhead, County Louth will be maintained at their current level; and that there will be no reduction in the numbers of Garda personnel, opening hours or services provided at each Garda station. [4233/15]
View answerAs the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution of personnel, including community Gardaí, among the Garda Regions, Divisions, and Districts. Garda management keep this distribution under continuing review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities so as to ensure that the best possible use is made of these resources.
I have been informed by the Garda Commissioner that the personnel strength of Dunleer and Clogherhead Garda stations on 31 December 2014, the latest date for which figures are readily available was five and four persons respectively. Dunleer and Clogherhead forms part of the Drogheda Garda District in the Louth Garda Division. The personnel strength of Drogheda Garda District and the Louth Garda Division on the same date was 101 and 281, respectively. There are also 52 Garda Reserves and 23 civilians attached to the Louth Division of which 23 Garda Reserves and 12 civilians are attached to the Drogheda District.
As the Deputy will be aware, 100 new recruits entered training at the Garda College in Templemore in September 2014, the first intake of Garda recruits since 2009. This was followed by an intake of a further 100 new recruits in December. A further intake of 100 is due to enter training in the next few days. This will bring to 300 the number of recruits in the Garda College since last September and is a measure of this Government's commitment to the Garda Síochána. The first intake of recruits will attest as members of An Garda Síochána in May of this year and will be assigned to Garda Stations by the Garda Commissioner. The Garda Commissioner, will of course, continue to keep the needs of the Dunleer and Clogherhead Garda station under review within the overall context of the needs of Garda Divisions throughout the country.
117. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will examine an application in respect of a person (details supplied) who has an application for a stamp O or stamp 3. as they are anxious to stay here for longer than three months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4257/15]
View answerI am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that they do not have an application for the person detailed by the Deputy. To assist INIS in locating the application, if one has already been made, it would be helpful if the person's name and Person ID can be confirmed and the details of their application and Application ID supplied. This can be submitted through the Oireachtas Email facility to save 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.
118. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Justice and Equality her views on an issue regarding firearms (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4259/15]
View answerI have asked the Garda Commissioner for a report in relation to the matter and will write to the Deputy as soon as I have further information.
119. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Justice and Equality her views on a report regarding a presidential pardon for a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4261/15]
View answerI can clarify for the Deputy that my Department is not carrying out an examination of the case in question, nor am I considering a recommendation along the lines referred to. My Department has received correspondence recently regarding access to records in relation to the case and a response will issue shortly in this regard.
120. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality her views regarding whether a comparison has been made between the footage used in a television programme to the Garda closed circuit television footage from Coopers on 11 February, 2000 in regarding the disappearance of a person (details supplied). [4265/15]
View answerI have raised the issue referred to by the Deputy with the Garda authorities and I will contact her when I have a response.
121. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 282 of 25 November 2014 and her referral of the matter to the Garda Commissioner, if no information had been received. [4266/15]
View answerThe Garda Commissioner has advised me that the information sought by the Deputy, cross-referencing the outcome of civil actions against the Garda Síochána over the fourteen year period from 1999 to 2013 with any related disciplinary action against individual Garda members, is not readily available, and its compilation would require a disproportionate commitment of resources. More generally, however, it is the case that the Garda discipline regulations are available to be invoked in any case, whether arising in a civil action or otherwise, where apparent Garda misconduct is disclosed.
