Frances Fitzgerald will bring ‘reforming zeal’ to role

Newly nominated Minister for Justice and Equality Frances Fitzgerald will bring the "same energy, commitment and reforming zeal to her new role" as when she was children's minister, an Taoiseach said today.

The announcement of Ms Fitzgerald's new role was welcomed by many civil society groups who also urged her to continue with reforms started by her predecessor Alan Shatter in the justice area.

However Fianna Fail leader Michael Martin said the appointment of a new minister "does not by itself deal with what has happened and the unprecedented collapse in public confidence in vital parts of the administration of justice." "We are getting a new minister, but what we need is a new direction. If all we get is a new face carrying on with the same policies and the same approach then further damage will be done," he said.

The Gay and Lesbian Equality Network (GLEN) said Ms Fitzgerald had been a "long time advocate of legislative reform and equality for lesbian and gay people".

"We look forward to working with her to achieve equality for lesbian and gay people in Ireland and in particular on the Government priority issue of family law reform, on which so much work has already been done by the previous minister," Kieran Rose, chair of GLEN, said.

The Children and Family Relationships Bill and the referendum on equal access to civil marriage would “complete the journey to constitutional equality for lesbian and gay people”, he said.

Welcoming the appointment, the Immigrant Council of Ireland said Ms Fitzgerald must end a five year delay on key reforms in the immigration system.

The Government had committed to a new bill to address immigration shortfalls "and we are looking for an early re-assurance that Minister Fitzgerald will deliver on this and end five-years of delay and disappointment which has left too many people living in limbo," chief executive Denise Charleton said.

She also urged Ms Fitzgerald to examine the “disturbing rise in racism” and to take action on trafficking for sexual exploitation.

The Irish Refugee Council and Migrant Rights Centre Ireland called on Ms Fitzgerald to take four key steps ; to end to the direct provision system, to regularise undocumented people, to introduce a single procedure to streamline the protection system for people seeking refuge and to bring in comprehensive immigration reform.

Immigrant NGO The Integration Centre acknowledged Alan Shatter's work and hoped Ms Fitzgerald would bring her reform agenda into the area of integration and tackling racism in Ireland.

Congratulating Ms Fitzgerald the Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) looked forward to the continuation of the programme of reform begun by her predecessor Alan Shatter which "contributes to a safer, more efficient and more equitable justice system."

Among the goals which the IPRT said remain to be achieved are: the establishment of a prison ombudsman, making the parole board statutory, the enactment of spent convictions legislation, measures to reduce female imprisonment and an end to overcrowding and slopping out in prisons.

Norah Gibbons , chairwoman of Tulsa; the Child and Family Agency, described Ms Fitzgerald as a "true champion" for children and wished her the best in her new role.

The board was “confident” she would be ably succeeded by Mr Flanagan who showed his understanding of child protection when he was spokesman for children, she said.

Tulsa chief executive Gordan Jeyes thanked Ms Fitzgerald for her “vision and leadership” in reforming child protection.

The Children’s Rights Alliance said Ms Fitzgerald's "landmark achievements" as Minister for Children would "undoubtedly have a long lasting impact for children in Ireland"

She is "very well placed to continue to build on the reforming work of Minister Alan Shatter" chief executive Tanya Ward said . "Central to this is the Children and Family Relationships Bill, legislation on victims, and immigration/refugee law reform," she said.

Chief executive Tanya Ward named among her accomplishments as leading the Children’s rights referendum and the establishment of the child and family agency and the closure of St Patrick’s institution.

She welcomed Charlie Flanagan’s appointment as Minister for Children. He had a “strong track record as a vocal advocate for children” she said.

The National Youth Council of Ireland commended Ms Fitzgerald for her work and welcomed her successor Charlie Flanagan.

“His wide-ranging experience, and previous tenure as his party’s spokesperson on children, will equip him very well for this important and challenging new portfolio,” the umbrella body said.

Congratulating Ms Fitzgerald, the Rape Crisis Network Ireland (RCNI) looked forward to working with her on meeting Ireland's obligations under the EU Victims' Directive and in the imminent Sexual Offences Bill " which will transform many key aspects of the legal responses to sexual violence".

RCNI director Fiona Neary welcomed Mr Flanagan’s appointment as a “strong advocate of victims’ rights”.

Homeless charity Focus Ireland said Frances Fitzgerald who had " already delivered historic progress in the way that children are treated by the Irish state" but many reforms were urgently needed and in progress which fell to Mr Flanagan.

She secured draft heads of a a bill would give young people in care statutory right to assessment of supports needed into independent adulthood, it said.

“It is absolutely crucial that Minister Flanagan, in his new role maintains the momentum and direction which Minister Fitzgerald has invested so much to create.

Mayo-based environmental group Shell to Sea asked that Ms Fitzgerald take "immediate action" to deal with abuse of power in the Garda Síochána.

There was much political reaction following the announcement by Taoiseach Enda Kenny in the Dail.

Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams said he congratulated both ministers on their appointments but that a “reshuffling of the deckchairs” was not going to bring about substantial change.

He said he was “mindful of the trauma” that Mr Shatter and his family would be experiencing at this time and that the former minister was not on his own.

“The Taoiseach took charge of this in March after his conversation with the Attorney General. What we want to see is the Government going because I don’t have any confidence in this Government beyond its rhetoric to be a genuinely reforming government,” he said.

Mr Adams said people justifiably had concerns about “the administration of justice in the upper echelons of the garda” but that this had spread to a lack of confidence in governance which was “absolutely the Taoiseach’s fault”.

“[Mr Kenny] can’t blame big boys for this. It happened on his watch. The troika can’t be blamed and even Fianna Fail, even though they are culpable in some of these matters, can’t be blamed. It happened on the Taoiseach’s watch and he should go.”

Independent TD Mick Wallace said it would be a wonderful achievement if Ms Fitzgerald turned around the force and made it a service in which people are proud. “Accountability is not something that they do,” he said.