Parliamentary questions

Garda Strength

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

152. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if the numbers of Garda personnel decreased under the most recent Government prior to the current one; and if so, the number by which it decreased. [4976/13]

Garda Strength

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

153. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if the most recent Government prior to the current one agreed to reduce the numbers of Garda personnel as part of the first Memorandum of Understanding with the Troika; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4977/13]

Garda Policing Plans

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

154. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if any consultation took place with the Garda Representative Association in the drafting of the policing plan for 2013 which recommended the closure of 100 Garda stations here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4989/13]

Garda Policing Plans

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

155. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if any consultation took place with local communities in the drafting of the Policing Plan for 2013. [4990/13]

Garda Stations Closures

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

156. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to review progress after the closure of the 100 Garda Stations due to close as a result of the Policing Plan for 2013. [4991/13]

Garda Stations Closures

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

157. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans for 100 buildings currently used as Garda stations which are due to be closed as a result of the Policing Plan for 2013. [4992/13]

Magdalen Laundries Issues

Brendan Smith

158. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Justice and Equality when he proposes to release the report on the Magdalen laundries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5012/13]

Citizenship Applications

Bernard Durkan

159. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the current position in regard to examination and determination of eligibility for naturalisation in the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 6; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5035/13]

Garda Policing Plans

Niall Collins

51. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans for the closure of Garda stations in 2013; his plans for Garda recruitment; his plans for the total number of Gardaí in 2013, 2014 and 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55542/12]

Penalty Point System

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

52. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will provide an update on any internal inquiry currently being conducted following reports from a garda whistle blower (detail supplied) that a number of persons had penalty points written off; if he has met with the Garda Commissioner regarding same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54672/12]

Prison Visiting Committees Expenditure

Maureen O'Sullivan

53. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if his attention has been drawn to the disparities between the Inspector of Prisons' report on St. Patrick's Institution, Dublin and the Visiting Committee Report of 2010; the location at which it is planned to accommodate 18 to 21 year olds, who would currently be residing in St. Patrick's Institution (detail supplied), after 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54640/12]

Gangland Killings

Niall Collins

54. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the steps being taken to address the increase in gangland crime and murders over the past number of months; if his attention has been drawn to a recent United States Congressional Research Service report entitled Terrorism and Transnational Crime: Foreign Policy Issues for Congress, in which it cited US Department of Homeland Security authorities which found that the production, smuggling and sale of tobacco products, including genuine and counterfeit cigarettes, is a lucrative form of financing for organised crime as well as terrorist groups (details supplied): if he is satisfied that Garda resources are being adequately deployed to tackle this source of income for dissident republicans as part of their efforts to tackle gangland crime; if he has discussed the issue with the Revenue Commissioners and the Department of Finance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55543/12]

Defence Forces Deployment

Tom Fleming

55. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will second Irish army soldiers at corporal and sergeant level to act as assistance to the Garda Síochána unarmed for a period of two years following three months training and that they would be placed on foot pattrol in areas of high crime in larger towns and cities. [54641/12]

Equality Issues

Pearse Doherty

56. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to reassure those with potential equality claims that their cases will continue to be processed in an effective way by the new Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission and by the Workplace Relations Commission, into which the Equality Tribunal is to be merged; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54483/12]

Traveller Community Issues

Dessie Ellis

57. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to introduce legislation to recognise Traveller ethnicity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54485/12]

Penalty Point System

Michael McGrath

58. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the progress made in his Department's investigation into the writing off of penalty points on certain persons' records; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55464/12]

Penalty Point System

Clare Daly

68. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he has received information regarding the write off of a number of motoring offences for a person (details supplied). [54508/12]

Penalty Point System

Mick Wallace

96. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to alter the method in which motoring offences are followed up by the Gardaí; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54497/12]

Penalty Point System

Clare Daly

104. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the date on which he received information regarding the write off of substantial numbers of motoring offences by some Gardaí. [54507/12]

Gangland Killings

Niall Collins

1. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the progress that has been made in confronting the increase in gangland crime over the past number of weeks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46576/12]

Judicial Appointments

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

2. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to restore public confidence in the judicial appointments process in view of media revelations that as many as one third of judges here have personal or political connections to political parties before being appointed to the bench. [46417/12]

Gangland Killings

Finian McGrath

3. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will clarify that there is an action plan that will tackle the recent gangland murders and crimes; and if so, if he will outline same. [46644/12]

Legal Services Regulation

Niall Collins

4. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his views on concerns around rising costs due to changes recommended by the Council of the Law Society's Conveyancing Conflicts Task Force with regard to the use of multiple solicitors in conveyancing contracts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46577/12]

Restorative Justice

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

5. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to expand community restorative justice programmes throughout the State; and his views on the contribution these programmes can make to the overall justice system. [46414/12]

Criminal Prosecutions Data

Robert Dowds

6. Deputy Robert Dowds asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the contact that he has had with the Garda Commissioner regarding the conviction rate for white collar crime as reported in a publication (details supplied); his views on the statistics outlined in the report; and if he will make a statement on the matter [46310/12]

Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Staff

Martin Ferris

7. Deputy Martin Ferris asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he is satisfied that his plans to nominate the Director of the new Human Rights and Equality Commission are in line with best international practice and in particular with the Belgrade Principles. [46419/12]

Student Visas Reform

Jonathan O'Brien

8. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the progress that has been made in achieving the goal, as set out in the Programme for Government, to overhaul the student visa system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43109/12]

Student Visas Reform

Seán Crowe

25. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if his attention has been drawn to difficulties or delays in job applicants and students receiving visas to come to work or study here; and if he has any new proposals to address these difficulties. [44826/12]

Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission Issues

Niall Collins

1. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the action that he will take on foot of the paramilitary funeral that took place in Dublin in early September 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39444/12]

Garda Stations Closures

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn

2. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to reduce resources for rural Garda stations; and the number of Garda stations marked for closure or reductions in opening hours over each of the next twelve months. [39446/12]

Prison Accommodation Provision

Clare Daly

3. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the steps he will take to ensure a single cell occupancy policy in relation to Irish prisons. [39371/12]

Courts Service Issues

Niall Collins

4. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to reform the Courts' structure; the timeframe for such plans; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39445/12]

Garda Policing Plans

Catherine Murphy

5. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the factors which are taken into consideration when the annual policing plan is being prepared; if population growth trends and projections across the country that have been taken into account when previous policing plans have been prepared, especially with regard to the geographical distribution of Gardaí; when he expects the next policing plan to be presented to him; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39448/12]

Traveller Community Issues

Gerry Adams

6. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to introduce legislation to recognise Traveller ethnicity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39341/12]

Drugs Seizures

Barry Cowen

7. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the total number of drug arrests to date in 2012; the value of illegal drugs seized by the Gardaí; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39089/12]

Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission Issues

Michael Moynihan

8. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the progress that has been made under Operation Fiachla; the amount spent to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39084/12]

Electronic Tagging

Brendan Griffin

9. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the position regarding the progress made in relation to the electronic tagging of sex offenders; if he will consider post release electronically tagging those convicted of drug trafficking and organised criminality; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39243/12]

Garda Transport Provision

Pearse Doherty

10. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of Garda vehicles allocated to each Garda station in the State; the number of requests for additional vehicles that have been made and the number of these requests fulfilled during each of the past four years. [39346/12]

Alcohol Sales Legislation

Thomas P. Broughan

11. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his proposals in relation to future arrangements for the display and sale of alcohol products in mixed trading outlets; the current status of his proposals and the date on which they will be published; if he has decided to implement section 9 of the Intoxicating Liquor Act 2008 or implement a statutory code of practice under section 17 of the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39078/12]