The Minister, Deputy McEntee, indicated on Committee Stage that she would not support amendments of this nature. I reiterate her views. Section 10(1) of the Petty Sessions (Ireland) Act 1851 provides that summary prosecutions must be initiated within a time limit of six months. The time limits provided for in law for summary offences reflect the fact that an individual should not have a relatively minor offence that is summary in nature hanging over him or her for a disproportionate length of time. Section 6 extend…

A single image can be treated as a serious and an indictable offence. There is no strict definition to the effect that one image can only be treated as a summary offence. It will be a matter for the judge on the day to take that into consideration.

The matter could still come before the court. It is triable, whether summary or indictable. It could come before the court and be dealt with as a indictable matter. However, we cannot blur the line between summary and indictable offences because the distinction is important.

I move amendment No. 24: In page 6, lines 24 and 25, to delete all words from and including “Proceedings” in line 24 down to and including line 25 and substitute the following: “Notwithstanding section 52(4) of the Children Act 2001, where a child under 17 years of age is charged with an offence under this Act, no further proceedings in the matter (other than any remand in custody or on bail) shall be taken except by or with the consent of the Director of Public Prosecutions.”. I referred to the need to introduce a…

I thank the Deputies for raising this very important and serious matter. The bombing of Belturbet on 28 December 1972 was an appalling and callous act of violence that claimed the lives of two innocent young people and injured others. The pain and anguish caused was very evident in the television programme broadcast last night as family members recalled the events that took their loved ones away. The dreadful effects of this attack last to this day and the suffering of those who have lost what was most precious to …

Again, I thank Deputies Smith and Cowen for raising this important matter. In looking at how we can move forward, it is important to emphasise that the Garda criminal investigation remains open and any new information or evidence will be thoroughly investigated in Ireland and in Northern Ireland, with the assistance of the PSNI. As I said earlier, the Minister for Justice has sought an update on this case. The programme for Government contains a commitment to work with the UK Government and the political parties in…

As the Deputy stated, 2022 will mark the centenary year of An Garda Síochána. The foundation of the organisation is one of the key events recommended for appropriate commemoration by the expert advisory group on commemorations as part of phase 2 of the decade of centenaries programme. A centenary committee, chaired by a senior garda, has been established to co-ordinate the commemorations within the organisation. To date, two significant events have been planned. The first, which will take place on 7 February 2022, …

I understand that An Garda Síochána is considering the issuing of a commemorative ribbon and coin for personnel working during the centenary year but I will certainly bring the matter of a medal to the attention of An Garda Síochána as well as something to take note of and take into account. A lot of this is still open for review and consideration, and any ideas of merit would certainly be given consideration.

I know this is an area in which the Deputy has a real and genuine interest. I will certainly bring his idea to the attention of An Garda Síochána. I think the Defence Forces oral history project was carried out in the late 1940s and early 1950s. It is through those records that I know about the actions of my great-grandfather in 1916. We know that oral histories can be extremely important, especially for generations to come, so I will certainly bring the Deputy's very worthy idea to the attention of An Garda Síochá…

I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. A key pillar of the Programme for Government - Our Shared Future is building stronger and safer communities. I can assure the Deputy that the Government is committed to ensuring there is strong, visible community policing right across Ireland, both rural and urban. To this end, the Department has secured an unprecedented budget of €1.952 billion for An Garda Síochána for 2021. This level of funding is enabling sustained and ongoing recruitment of Garda members a…

The Deputy may wish to note that as of 31 October 2020, there were 384 gardaí assigned to the Laois-Offaly division. This represents an increase of 38% since 2015, when there were 278 gardaí assigned to the division. On the same date, there were 38 Garda staff civilians assigned to the division, an increase of almost 73% since 2015, when 22 staff members were assigned to the division. The increase in Garda staff is allowing members of the Garda to return to front-line duties. The Deputy is correct that there were s…

I absolutely agree with the Deputy. I too wish to see a greater emphasis on community policing. Community gardaí play a very important role in communities. I expect to publish the youth justice strategy in the next month or two. It will provide a comprehensive approach to dealing with young people who are coming into the network of the Courts Service and the criminal justice system. I have set up the anti-social behaviour forum, which met recently for the first time and will meet again at the end of January or in e…

I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter and I share his concern about knife crime and all violent assaults. We are familiar with the problems in neighbouring jurisdictions in this regard and the Government is determined to ensure that similar problems do not develop in Ireland, particularly as any stabbing incident has the potential to cause irreparable physical harm or tragic consequences. This is why a comprehensive and robust legal framework is in place for offences involving knives, including heavy…

The increase in knife seizures comes as a result of greater targeted efforts by An Garda Síochána in trying to get knives off our streets as opposed to indicating an increase in crime rates. As I stated, the number of people requiring an overnight stay in hospital because of knife injuries is down significantly, indicating that the number of serious incidents is reducing. I will make inquiries on the Deputy's comment that the rate of hospitalisations has increased by 10%. Knife crime is largely youth-oriented and w…

I thank the Deputy for his contributions. I will certainly bring his concerns to the attention of the Department and An Garda Síochána.

I appreciate the Deputy's concern and thank him for raising this important issue.  I am assured that every effort has been made by the IPS to continue physical visits during this pandemic.  As the Deputy is aware, it was necessary to suspend physical visits to prisons, first in March and again in October, following public health guidance.  The service is acutely aware of the need for prisoners to maintain contact with their families and a new video visit system was introduced which has allowed families to continue …

I thank the Deputy. I absolutely understand that the loss of family contact has an impact on prisoners. This is something which has affected people across society over the last year as a result of Covid. I agree that prisoners having contact with family helps with stability and can result in better outcomes upon release. I also agree that having to choose which two members will attend a visit will put some families in a very difficult situation but this has been necessary across all of our services. We have seen it…

I again thank the Deputy. As I have said, if any flexibility can be allowed, I will certainly encourage the IPS to allow it. It will, of course, have to consider both the practical difficulties and the difficulties arising from Covid and the public health advice, which must be followed. This will obviously result in a very difficult situation for the families concerned, especially where young children are involved. It is difficult to be separated from one's family at any time but it will be even more difficult for …

I thank the Senator for raising this important matter, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister, Deputy McEntee. The Minister is aware that it has been a cause of significant concern in recent weeks. I assure the House that our objective is to have decisions made as soon as possible on international protection applications and permission-to-remain considerations. This approach means that those who are found to be in need of protection will receive it quickly and can begin rebuilding their lives here with a sense…

I thank the Senator again and I acknowledge her request on positive decisions only and bringing in the 30-day requirement as soon as possible. I will bring both of those proposals to the Minister. I reiterate that each case is examined in detail on its individual merits taking all of the factors into account. I assure her, however, that I will convey all of her comments to the Minister today.