Yes.

Seanad amendments Nos. 9 and 11 correct cross-references to the Betting Act 1931 in the transitional provisions relating to that Act. This is to ensure that an inspector of An Garda Síochána is the person to whom the application is deemed to have been made.

Technical amendments Nos. 14, 16, 18, 19, 21 and 23 correct cross-references to the Gaming and Lotteries Act 1956 to ensure an inspector of An Garda Síochána is the person to whom the application is deemed to have been made.

Amendments Nos. 26 and 27 delete amendments to the European Communities (Acquisition and Possession of Weapons and Ammunition) Regulations, 1993, S.I. No. 362/1993, and associated transitional provisions. These regulations are due to be revoked shortly which is why the amendments are needed.

This is a technical motion, so I thank the House for facilitating this debate so quickly. The Prüm decisions, which this proposal seeks to update and improve, represent a cornerstone of European law enforcement information exchange. The Prüm decisions enhance the crime-fighting capacity of our law enforcement agencies while respecting data rights by enabling member states on a hit or no hit basis to search automatically the law enforcement DNA, fingerprint and vehicle registration data of other member states with w…

I will be brief. I thank the Senators for their support and co-operation in allowing this motion to pass as quickly as it has. The reason we are bringing it before the Houses today is that there is a strict timeframe and it was required to be done within the next few days. The next priority is to get the review up and running. As there is a database involved, there is a technical side to it and that will take some time to put in place, but once it is up and running and effective it will be constantly reviewed, as i…

The purpose of this group of amendments is to ensure firearms certificates will remain valid following the enactment of the Bill. It also ensures that an appeal can be taken in respect of a decision made by the superintendent of a district before the date of commencement. All the amendments in the group are technical amendments.

Amendments Nos. 9 and 11 correct cross-references to the Betting Act 1931 in respect of transitional provisions relating to the Act. This is to ensure that an inspector of An Garda Síochána is the person to whom an application is deemed to have been made.

All of these amendments correct cross-references to the Gaming and Lotteries Act of 1956. This is to ensure that an inspector of An Garda Síochána is the person to whom the application is deemed to have been made.

Amendments Nos. 26 and 27 delete amendments to the European Communities (Acquisition and Possession of Weapons and Ammunition) Regulations 1993 and the associated transitional provisions. These regulations are due to be revoked shortly.

I thank the House for facilitating this motion this afternoon. The Government yesterday approved my Department's request to seek the approval of both Houses of the Oireachtas to opt in to this European Commission proposal. The Minister of State, Deputy Browne, also yesterday presented the motion to the Dáil, which was approved. The proposal seeks to establish a collaboration platform to facilitate exchanges and co-operation within the joint investigation team framework. Joint investigation teams have proven to be o…

I should have started by welcoming Senator Clonan. I look forward to working with him in this term and, it is hoped, in the coming years. I thank the Senators for facilitating the motion so quickly. Everybody has alluded to the fact that crime knows no borders, and the only way we can tackle crime nowadays is by working collaboratively. The joint investigation teams have proven to be one of the most successful methods of bringing forward investigations and prosecutions. Tools such as the collaborative platform prop…

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. As he will be aware, community CCTV schemes play an important role in local communities the length and breadth of the country. They provide valuable reassurance and help people to feel safer in local areas. It is not just about making sure we can use them to detect crime and support gardaí; they play a role in helping to keep and make people feel safe. This is why it remains a priority for my Department to ensure community groups continue to be supported in developing thei…

To finish my last point and touch on the Deputy's next point, the legislation needs to be updated due to the fact that the Act dates from 2005 and we have since had European GDPR legislation that supersedes the previous Act. That is why I am working to try to make sure that the digital recording Bill is brought forward as quickly as possible. I hope to be able to bring it to colleagues in a matter of weeks, and we can then progress that as quickly as possible. Part of that is the automatic numberplate recognition, …

In many instances, local authorities work with communities to ensure funding is available. It is important to note that the Deputy's question relates specifically to community CCTV and there is a separate programme specifically for An Garda. In areas with high crime levels or a large number of incidents, the Garda can go through a process of setting up its own CCTV. The Deputy referred to certain issues that have arisen recently in respect of the general data protection regulation, GDPR. There are steps communities…

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. It is my goal that everyone who needs a refuge space will get one. It is an ambitious one but I am deeply committed to working with everyone in this Chamber, our partners in the sector and my Government colleagues to try to achieve that. We have prioritised tackling domestic, sexual and gender-based violence in all of its forms, ensuring people, particularly women and vulnerable people, feel safe and are safe in our communities. That means ensuring we address this issue in…

I set out in my initial answer to highlight, as the Deputy has said, how complex the area is and that it is not just about refuge spaces. There are many other elements to it and the strategy is a very significant part of that. I appreciate the accommodation piece is very significant. I assure the Deputy and others that while we are dealing with a great crisis in Ukraine, we are certainly not taking our eyes off this. It is a very significant priority for me and will continue to be so. The locations we have identifi…

We are looking at everything and we have an opportunity essentially to start from scratch, but taking on board the fantastic work that has already been done by so many community and voluntary groups and organisations. Working with Tusla, we have an opportunity to look at the structure and system, see where it works and where it does not, how we can improve it, where we need to step in as a Government, how we do that, and how we ensure we have it done in a planned way so that, when we are developing new refuge accom…

I thank the Deputy for his question. The Government is acutely aware of the sustained and significant damage drug dealing has on communities. Organised criminal activity, including drug dealing, represents a serious threat to community safety and to individuals. As the Deputy will be aware, the Department of Health leads on Government policy in the area of drugs, and this policy is guided by the national drugs and alcohol strategy: Reducing Harm,Supporting Recovery: A health-led response to drug and alcohol use in …

First, in terms of Garda numbers, there has been an increase across every county in the country, and Limerick is no different. The number of members of all ranks assigned to the Limerick division is 596, which is a 7.6% increase since 2015. As well as that, the number of Garda staff has increased from 51 to 78, which is an increase of 52%. That obviously allows more gardaí to be out on the beat. Yes, it is important to have that physical building. We have a capital plan that I am working on at present with the Mini…