May 30, 2013
Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the current number of persons incarcerated in Irish prisons; and the number for each of the last five years.

Reply from Minister Alan Shatter: I can inform the Deputy that there were 4,245 persons in custody on 27 May 2013.

A breakdown of the number of persons in custody on the same date for the previous five years is included in the above table.

May 30, 2013
Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of prison officers employed by the State for each of the past five years.

Reply from Minister Alan Shatter: I wish to inform the Deputy that the attached table outlines the number of Prison Officer grades (all grades, from Recruit Prison Officer to Governor level) employed by the Irish Prison Service for each of the past five years. Figures are based on whole time equivalent numbers serving on 31st December for each year:

May 29, 2013
Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will provide the up to date crime figures for burglary, assault and vehicle related theft; and if he will provide the figures for the same categories in 1995, 2000, 2005 and 2010.

Reply from Minister Alan Shatter: The Garda Síochána Act 2005 makes provision for the compilation and publication of crime statistics by the Central Statistics Office (CSO), as the national statistical agency, and the CSO has established a dedicated unit for this purpose.

I have asked the CSO to provide statistics directly to the Deputy.

Statistics for years prior to 2003 are available in the relevant Annual Reports of An Garda Síochána, copies of which are available in the Oireachtas library.

Tuesday, 5 March, 2013
Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the position regarding the proposed Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011 in view of the EU Commission's concerns about Irish legal costs and the need for system reforms and independent regulation.

Reply from Minister for Justice and Equality, Alan Shatter: The Programme for Government 2011-2016 undertakes to “establish independent regulation of the legal profession to improve access and competition, make legal costs more transparent and ensure adequate procedures for addressing consumer complaints”. These undertakings complement those structural reforms in the EU/IMF/ECB Troika Programme of Financial Support for Ireland aimed at removing restrictions to trade and competition in the provision of legal services and at the reform of the legal costs regime.

Effect is being given to these structural reform commitments in the form of the extensive provisions of the Legal Services Bill 2011 which remains a priority under the Government Legislation Programme, has completed Second Stage in the Dáil and is currently awaiting Committee Stage - the Deputy will recall that priority also had to be given to the enactment of the Personal Insolvency Bill by the end of last year as a competing Troika programme objective. In meeting the concerns raised by the Deputy, the Legal Services Regulation Bill has four main levers of modernisation and reform, namely:

Tuesday, 22 January 2013
Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister of State at the Dept. of Public Expenditure and Reform if he will estimate the revenue that will be generated from the sale of Garda stations being closed this year.
  
Written reply received from Deputy Brian Hayes: The Office of Public Works is responsible for managing the sale of surplus properties in state ownership, including Garda stations. The OPW is currently assessing the property options arising in respect of Garda stations, which are no longer required by An Garda Síochána. 

This assessment will include other potential State uses for the properties.  If and when properties are considered surplus to requirements, the OPW will consider options including other State uses, disposal on the open market and consideration of any viable local proposals. Approximately 70% of these stations have ‘married quarters’ many of which are occupied by serving members of An Garda Síochána.  In addition, a number of the stations have masts being used by mobile phone operators.  These matters need to be regularised before disposal. 

A total of 139 Garda stations have been identified for closure and this office will continue its engagement with An Garda Síochána on the effective transfer of the properties. 

A valuation exercise has commenced on this stock of Garda stations and a number of surplus properties will be placed on the market in 2013. 

Dealing with property of any nature is complex but the OPW is confident that it will have several properties on the market in 2013 and as the value of each property can only be ascertained when it is placed on the market, I am not in a position, at this time, to identify the likely revenue from the disposals in 2013. 

Tuesday, 22 January 2013
Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of Gardaí that have retired from the force in the past five years and to detail their rank.

Written reply received from Deputy Alan Shatter: I have been informed by the Garda Commissioner that the number of Gardaí, by rank, who have departed the Force in 2008-2012 is as set out in the table (right).

Deputy John Deasy asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of burglaries recorded in Waterford City and county in each of the past five years.

Deputy Shatter replied: The Garda Síochána Act 2005 makes provision for the compilation and publication of crime statistics by the Central Statistics Office (CSO), as the national statistical agency, and the CSO has established a dedicated unit for this purpose. I have requested the CSO to provide statistics directly to the Deputy.