Results 3,941-3,960 of 16,310 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Public Sector Staff (9 Jul 2024)

Helen McEntee: The Border Management Unit (BMU) of my Department has responsibility for front-line immigration duties at Dublin Airport only. Other airports and other ports of entry, are the responsibility of the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB). As of 3 July 2024, there are 176 front line staff working in the BMU at Dublin Airport, excluding staff on unpaid leave, such as career breaks. The...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (9 Jul 2024)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 536 and 538 together. I have requested the information sought by the Deputy from the Garda authorities. Unfortunately, the information was not received in time. I will contact the Deputy directly once the information is to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Programme (9 Jul 2024)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, the purpose of the Proceeds of Crime (Amendment) Bill is to strengthen the State’s ability to target the proceeds of crime. Ongoing review of the operation of the civil forfeiture regime in Ireland (grounded in the Proceeds of Crime Act 1996) has identified a number of areas of improvement, and the Bill will propose refinements to the regime informed by...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Measures (9 Jul 2024)

Helen McEntee: There are no plans at present to amend the Public Order Act. I can, however, advise the Deputy that under the Intoxicating Liquor Bill 2024, which is currently being drafted, it is proposed that An Garda Síochána will be given the power to apply to the District Court for a temporary closure order where a licensee has failed to comply with a direction to preserve order on their...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Measures (9 Jul 2024)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy is aware, my Department is leading an ambitious programme of family justice reform set out in the first Family Justice Strategy, which I published in November 2022. The Strategy sets out a vision for a family justice system of the future - a system that will focus on the needs and rights of children and which will assist their parents in making decisions that affect all...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Measures (9 Jul 2024)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy is aware, my Department is leading an ambitious programme of family justice reform set out in the first Family Justice Strategy, which I published in November 2022. The Strategy sets out a vision for a family justice system of the future - a system that will focus on the needs and rights of children and which will assist their parents in making decisions that affect all of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Status (9 Jul 2024)

Helen McEntee: The median processing time for Change of Status applications is approximately 9 months. To be fair to all applicants, applications are dealt with in chronological order by date received. My Department endeavours to process applications as quickly as possible. However, processing times may vary due to a number of factors, such as the number of applications on hand, individual...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Domestic Violence (9 Jul 2024)

Helen McEntee: A key goal of the Zero Tolerance Strategy to address domestic, sexual and gender based violence (DSGBV), is ensuring that everyone who needs a refuge space will get one, and Government has committed to working with the sector to double the number of refuge spaces over the lifetime of the strategy. As the Deputy is aware, prior to the establishment of Cuan, an Inter-Departmental Group was...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Measures (9 Jul 2024)

Helen McEntee: I am committed to combatting all forms of domestic violence and to ensuring we have an effective legislative response to tackle this heinous crime. Under section 6 of the Domestic Violence Act 2018, a safety order is available to an applicant who, being of full age, resides with the respondent in a relationship the basis of which is not primarily contractual. While it is up to a court to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Policing Co-operation (9 Jul 2024)

Helen McEntee: Community safety is about people being safe and, importantly, feeling safe in their own communities. Our approach to community safety is a whole-of-Government one. We want to bring the relevant social service providers and the Gardaí together with the community in a collaborative manner, by focusing on the concerns identified by the local community itself. The Local Community...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Domestic Violence (9 Jul 2024)

Helen McEntee: A key action of the Third National Strategy is the doubling of refuge space numbers available during the lifetime of the Strategy to 280 refuge spaces. As the Deputy is aware, prior to the establishment of Cuan, an Inter-Departmental Group was set up to manage and oversee progress on the delivery of additional refuge units. This Committee was initially chaired by the Department of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (9 Jul 2024)

Helen McEntee: Community policing is at the heart of An Garda Síochána, and all Gardaí have a role to play in community policing in the course of carrying out their duties. Community policing is also fundamental to the new Garda Operating Model which is currently being rolled out across the country, and is fully commenced in thirteen Garda divisions. The new model will provide more...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (9 Jul 2024)

Helen McEntee: Community policing is at the heart of An Garda Síochána, and all Gardaí have a role to play in community policing in the course of carrying out their duties. Community policing is also fundamental to the new Garda Operating Model which is currently being rolled out in all 21 Divisions, and is fully commenced in 14. The new model will provide more frontline Gardaí and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (9 Jul 2024)

Helen McEntee: Community policing is at the heart of An Garda Síochána, and all Gardaí have a role to play in community policing in the course of carrying out their duties. Community policing is also fundamental to the new Garda Operating Model which is currently being rolled out in all 21 Divisions, and is fully commenced in 14. The new model will provide more frontline Gardaí and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (9 Jul 2024)

Helen McEntee: Tackling serious and organised crime is a key priority for me as Minister for Justice, and I am committed to ensuring that An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs to ensure communities around Ireland are safe and feel safe. The unprecedented allocation of over €2.35 billion for 2024 to An Garda Síochána demonstrates the Government's commitment to ensuring An...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (9 Jul 2024)

Helen McEntee: The naturalisation application from the person referred to by the Deputy continues to be processed by my Department. I understand the extended wait times can be frustrating for applicants. I want to assure anyone who has an application for naturalisation submitted that the Citizenship Division of my Department is doing everything possible to progress applications as quickly as possible. ...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (9 Jul 2024)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 554 and 555 together. Last December, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh O’Brien TD announced the opening of the Interim Remediation Scheme (Scheme) for Fire Safety Defects in Eligible Apartments and Duplexes. The Scheme provides for the funding of emergency fire safety defect works in order to provide an acceptable...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Measures (9 Jul 2024)

Helen McEntee: The Multi-Unit Developments (MUDs) Act 2011 facilitates the fair, efficient and effective management of owners' management companies (OMCs). The MUDs Act sets out a number of obligations on OMCs, such as in relation to the management of annual service charges by OMCs and expenditure incurred of a non-recurring nature by OMCs (ie ‘sinking fund’ expenditure). The MUDs Act and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (9 Jul 2024)

Helen McEntee: I appreciate the impact of delays on applicants and my Department has taken a number of measures to address the backlog including the assignment of additional staff resources and the use of overtime working. The resources available for these activities, and the accompanying operational and organisational structures are kept under ongoing review to ensure that resources are deployed as...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (9 Jul 2024)

Helen McEntee: The visa applications referred to by the Deputy were refused by the Visa Office in Dublin. The reasons for these decisions were set out in the refusal letters sent to the applicants on 5 March 2024. Appeals of these decisions were received on 2 May 2024. All visa applicants are advised that the onus is on them to provide as much information in support of their application as they feel is...