Results 81-100 of 1,099,452 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Máiría Cahill OR speaker:Barry Cowen OR speaker:Neale Richmond OR speaker:Mark Ward OR speaker:Brian Stanley OR speaker:Martin Browne OR speaker:Richard O'Donoghue OR speaker:John Brady OR speaker:Martin Kenny OR speaker:Gary Gannon OR speaker:Brian Leddin OR speaker:Peadar Tóibín OR speaker:Paul Murphy OR speaker:Michael McGrath OR speaker:Cormac Devlin OR speaker:Paschal Donohoe OR speaker:Anne Rabbitte OR speaker:Pa Daly OR speaker:John Lahart OR speaker:Darren O'Rourke OR speaker:Emer Higgins OR speaker:Niall Collins OR speaker:Patrick O'Donovan OR speaker:Cathal Berry OR speaker:Thomas Pringle OR speaker:Matt Shanahan)

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Pa Daly: My final questions relate to the Coroner Service but we can come to that later.

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Thomas Pringle: There was one question about the Prison Service I forgot to ask. It relates to the drafting of legislation to facilitate Ireland's ratification of the UN Convention Against Torture and the optional protocol. I understand that the convention was passed by the UN in 1987, yet the Government is only now preparing legislation to pass the optional protocol. Is that correct?

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Thomas Pringle: That will be almost 30 years after it was published.

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Thomas Pringle: Are there other UN conventions and so on that have been sitting within the Department for years without having been adopted or ratified?

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Pa Daly: There was supposed to be some progress on a Bill relating to the Coroner Service. County councillors throughout the country have expressed dissatisfaction that their councils' budgets are taken up by the Coroner Service and there was an indication that that would be changed. Is that going to happen any time soon?

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Pa Daly: The legislation, therefore, is not going to happen. Is that correct?

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Pa Daly: Will the payment for the Coroner Service through the county councils have to cease?

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Pa Daly: The Minister is going to give that information to the Cabinet first and tell us after that. Is that the case?

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Pa Daly: Is that direction of travel inevitable?

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Pa Daly: On the pace of prosecutions getting through the courts, it has been suggested previously that the Circuit Court could sit earlier and perhaps hold trials in September. In England, the riots during August were dealt with relatively quickly, or at least much more quickly than they would be in Ireland. Is the Minister happy with the pace of prosecutions in general here compared with that in...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Pa Daly: I am not sure about the case the Minister is talking about, but the garda could have always given evidence, as could his or her colleagues, and the judge could have made up his or her own mind as to whether to give the benefit of the doubt to the defendant if it were a contested case. The judge could make up their own mind as to whether to give the benefit of the doubt to the defendant then...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Pa Daly: Will the Minister be putting pressure on the Circuit Courts to open in September?

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Pa Daly: Is it the Minister's view, though, that they should be opening in September?

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Pa Daly: Including in September.

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Pa Daly: I thank the Minister.

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Thomas Pringle: Regarding the Legal Aid Board, there is underspending of €5 million. It is stated this relates to recruitment shortfalls and delays in fit-out and refurbishment projects. How much of this €5 million relates to recruitment shortfalls? Turning to access to justice for people who cannot afford it, what impact will this situation have for them?

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Thomas Pringle: Therefore 80% of the underspending concerns a lack of staff.

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Thomas Pringle: Yes, but these would be very specific staff and not general staff. I presume they would be solicitors and people with legal qualifications.

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Thomas Pringle: Does the Minister perceive that this issue will be ongoing? What can be done to improve it? It impacts directly on people who cannot afford the legal system and their access to it. What can the Minister do in this regard?

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Thomas Pringle: Should having full employment, however, impact people having access to justice? Should the Department not be stepping up to ensure this does not impact on people's access to justice and their rights? There is a budget line for the Legal Aid Board for next year. Does the Minister expect this level of spending will be met at this stage?