Parliamentary questions

Commissions of Investigation

Niall Collins

1. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will provide an update on the status of the Guerin and Cooke inquiries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19467/14]

Official Engagements

Pádraig MacLochlainn

2. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the reason he did not ensure that a replacement Minister attended the recent AGSI conference on his behalf; and his views on the reason he was not invited to the GRA conference. [19612/14]

Garda Operations

Mick Wallace

3. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his views on whether there is adequate external oversight and monitoring of Garda covert surveillance; the steps he has taken to address the level of internally authorised surveillance by gardaí under section 7(3) of the Criminal Justice (Surveillance) Act 2009; if he will provide an itemised list of communications and-or correspondence methods that he and An Garda Síochána agree require authorisation or monitoring under the current legislation; and if, and to what extent, this includes e-mail and-or Internet and tracking devices. [19557/14]

Gangland Killings

Niall Collins

4. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the steps he has taken to counter the recent surge in gangland shootings. [19468/14]

Extradition Arrangements

Pádraig MacLochlainn

5. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the action he has taken in relation to the Ms Sophie Toscan du Plantier case since the Supreme Court refused to extradite Mr. Ian Bailey to France to face questions. [19613/14]

Corrib Gas Field

Mick Wallace

6. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Justice and Equality in view of the renewed concerns and requests of Afri and Archbishop Desmond Tutu regarding policing issues in Corrib and the wider examination of police accountability issues here, if he will now order an independent inquiry in this regard in view of the fact that he has already refused in December 2013 to exercise his ministerial power to order a practice, policies and procedures GSOC review under section 106 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005. [19268/14]

Proposed Legislation

Clare Daly

7. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality in view of the fact that a number of civil actions being taken against News International refer in detail to hacked material being sourced by their Dublin office, if he has any plans to introduce legislation to ensure that hacking and blagging by any media operation based in Ireland will result in serious penalties. [10847/14]

Proposed Legislation

Bernard Durkan

8. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the extent of the progress to date in preparation of legislation to amend the law in respect of bail with particular reference to the need to ensure the eliminating of situations whereby persons reoffend while on bail; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19272/14]

Drugs in Prisons

Maureen O'Sullivan

9. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the funding for the training and retraining of dogs used in detecting drugs in the prison system; if he is committed to maintaining this service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19276/14]

Racial Profiling

Clare Daly

10. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his views regarding racial or ethnic profiling within An Garda Síochána; and the action he will take to prohibit this activity. [19292/14]

Anti-Social Behaviour

John Lyons

11. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number, geographic distribution and use of joint policing committees in tackling anti-social behaviour; if additional resources have been provided to the Garda, particularly for community policing in tackling anti-social behaviour; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19069/14]

Data Protection

Mick Wallace

12. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will detail and publish his strategy and An Garda Síochána action plan addressing the concerns and recommendations arising from the Data Protection Commissioner’s internal audit in March 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19269/14]

Policing Authority

Michael Conaghan

13. Deputy Michael Conaghan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality in view of best practice in other jurisdictions and to enhance transparency and accountability in our policing infrastructure if he will consider establishing a policing board as a matter of urgency. [19070/14]

Commissions of Investigation

Mick Wallace

14. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he forward a document which summarises the differences between the Verrimus report and the RITS peer review regarding GSOC bugging; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19270/14]

Firearms Licences

Niall Collins

15. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to change gun licensing laws here; the consultations he has held on the matter; the recommendations from the Garda; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19265/14]

Crime Prevention

Patrick O'Donovan

16. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to address the issue of rogue traders preying on vulnerable persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19274/14]

Insolvency Service of Ireland Data

Niall Collins

17. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the total number of personal insolvency arrangements entered in to date under the new legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19266/14]

Crime Prevention

John Lyons

18. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the progress to date in tackling cyber-crime; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19068/14]

Racial Profiling

Mick Wallace

19. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if his position and belief has now changed regarding the existence of racial or ethnic profiling within An Garda Síochána as indicated by his comments at the annual conference of Garda superintendents on 9 April 2014; the action he will now take and legislation he will now introduce to address these concerns, to include legislation prohibiting Garda racial profiling as recommended by the UN and the Council of Europe. [19271/14]

Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission Staff

Niall Collins

20. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the additional resources he will give GSOC in view of its planned additional duties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19264/14]

Garda Operations

Niall Collins

21. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of community clinics set up by An Garda Síochána in 2011, 2012 and 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19262/14]

Garda Station Refurbishment

Mattie McGrath

22. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his position regarding the suitability of the current Garda station in Clonmel, County Tipperary as an adequate structure to facilitate the effective delivery of a modernised and fully resourced Garda barracks; his plans to respond to requests to re-situate the Garda station to Kickham Army barracks, Clonmel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19294/14]

Garda Investigations

Richard Boyd Barrett

23. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Justice and Equality when he expects to receive the report from the Garda authorities on the death of a child (details supplied); and if he does not have such a date, if he will request it as a matter of urgency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19293/14]

Proposed Legislation

Maureen O'Sullivan

24. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if progress has been made on drawing up the legislation necessary to cover health insurance for the ladies of the Magdalen laundries; the reasons for the delay; and if he will engage directly with the Department of Health on same. [19275/14]

Official Engagements

Niall Collins

25. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the reason a replacement Minister was not sent to address the AGSI conference; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19263/14]

Haddington Road Agreement Review

Mick Wallace

26. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Justice and Equality in view of the fact that the current Haddington Road review of An Garda Síochána focuses only on resources, staffing, pay and industrial relations matters, if he will consider extending these terms to encompass the first ever full and independent root and branch review of An Garda Síochána to include for example Garda practices, policies and procedures; the person he has asked to conduct the Haddington Road review as proposed; and if that review will be published in full on completion. [19267/14]

Garda Recruitment

Bernard Durkan

27. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the extent to which he expects the new Garda recruitment programme to address any deficiency in the strength of the force throughout urban and rural areas having particular regard to the need to ensure adequate policing while maintaining best international practice within the resources available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19273/14]

Northern Ireland Issues

Mattie McGrath

28. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will outline any draft or preliminary conclusion he has reached regarding the report submitted to him by the Omagh victim support group especially relating to the call for a independent cross-Border public inquiry; if he will meet the representatives of the families in view of the numerous assurances that they would be engaged in; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19295/14]

Foreign Naval Vessels

Clare Daly

29. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will explain the basis upon which the USS Leyte Gulf, a guided missile cruiser, was docked in Cobh on 14 April 2014. [18628/14]

Foreign Conflicts

Brendan Griffin

30. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the high casualty rates among UN peacekeeping forces in Darfur; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18543/14]

Foreign Conflicts

Finian McGrath

31. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will support the millions of persons in Colombia who are being displaced, imprisoned or killed on a regular basis; if he will raise this matter at EU and UN levels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18582/14]

Passport Applications Fees

Bernard Durkan

32. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if a refund of €150 will issue in lieu of passport renewal which was withdrawn in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18652/14]

Human Rights Issues

Michael McNamara

33. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will raise the case of a person (details supplied) who was sentenced to the death penalty in Abu Dhabi with the UAE authorities. [18674/14]

Foreign Conflicts

Michael McCarthy

34. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on proposing that there would be a referendum in Ukraine, including Crimea, on the same day as the European Parliament and Presidential Elections to resolve the current political impasse [18910/14]

Foreign Conflicts

Eoghan Murphy

35. Deputy Eoghan Murphy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade further to Parliamentary Question No. 63 of 8 April 2014, the Government’s position regarding the Rwandan President Paul Kagame and UN allegations regarding his involvement in Congo. [19013/14]

Passport Applications Fees

Peadar Tóibín

36. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will reduce the price of the passport express service when delivery is not made within the specified timeframe; and if his attention has been drawn to the fact that passport express applicants are not being guaranteed delivery within the advertised timeframe. [19042/14]

Telecommunications Infrastructure

Seán Crowe

37. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to reports that the Government of the USA funded the undercover construction of a mobile telephone messaging system, with the aim of destabilising the Cuban Government; if he condemns this reported illicit subversion attempt; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19092/14]

Passport Services

Michael Healy-Rae

38. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the position regarding additional services in the passport office (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19133/14]

Certificate of Irish Heritage

Brian Walsh

39. Deputy Brian Walsh asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the number of certificates of Irish heritage issued since the introduction of the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19361/14]

Humanitarian Aid

Finian McGrath

40. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will provide an update on Ireland's humanitarian aid to Syria; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19376/14]

Currency Exchange

Róisín Shortall

41. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if his attention has been drawn to the ongoing issues being experienced by Venezuelan students here, who previously accessed the official exchange rate through direct transfers between Venezuela and their language schools, but have now found themselves unable to receive funds due to the closure of their schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19430/14]

Passports Data

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

42. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the reason the renewal date for a new passport is not the date following on from the expiry date but rather the date from which you apply; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19687/14]

Tax Code

Clare Daly

43. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Finance if the water charges will be subject to VAT; if he will indicate the rate of VAT applicable; if not then the reason for same; and if the EU authorised its exclusion. [19098/14]

Illicit Trade in Tobacco

Dara Murphy

44. Deputy Dara Murphy asked the Minister for Finance the measures being taken to combat the illicit tobacco trade and the measures being put in place in view of the forthcoming plain packaging for tobacco products to further discourage the illicit tobacco trade; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19202/14]

Household Charge Collection

Clare Daly

45. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Finance if it is lawful for the Revenue Commissioners or the household charge bureau to pursue persons for household charge arrears in the context that there are legal proceedings currently before the courts. [19346/14]

Betting Legislation

Gerald Nash

46. Deputy Gerald Nash asked the Minister for Finance when the relevant legislation will be enacted to allow betting shops to open on Easter Sunday; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19364/14]

Insurance Industry

Billy Timmins

47. Deputy Billy Timmins asked the Minister for Finance further to the collapse of Setanta Insurance, if there is access to compensation for persons who have lost out; the safeguards that are in place to prevent this happening again; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19476/14]

Departmental Communications

Brendan Griffin

48. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Finance if any telephone calls in or out of his Department are being or ever have been recorded; if so, the details of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18531/14]

Freedom of Information Requests

Eamonn Maloney

49. Deputy Eamonn Maloney asked the Minister for Finance the number of freedom of information requests received by his Department between 1 January 2013 and 11 April 2014; the number of these requests that relate to the Government’s plan for the standardised packaging of tobacco; the number of these requests related to other tobacco policies; the number of these requests from tobacco manufacturers or agents on behalf of tobacco manufacturers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18564/14]

Tax Code

Brendan Griffin

50. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Finance his views that the Exchequer could derive greater benefits through direct taxation from multinationals that are based here; his views that we could extract more without crossing a tipping point after which jobs and revenue are lost, if so, the options available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18566/14]