Results 5,481-5,500 of 46,267 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Programmes (20 Apr 2023)

Simon Harris: At the outset I would like to assure the Deputy that my Department is committed to building stronger and safer communities and implementing policies designed to create a pathway to divert young people away from a life of crime. As the Deputy will be aware, Youth Diversion Projects (YDPs) are community-based, multi-agency crime prevention initiatives which seek to divert young people who have...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (20 Apr 2023)

Simon Harris: Combatting all forms of domestic, sexual and gender-based is a priority for this Government. It is reflected in a range of policies and legislation, as well as unprecedented increases in our Budget allocations. Our new Zero Tolerance Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence Strategy is the most ambitious to date. It was co-designed with the sector and fully recognises the need for a whole...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (20 Apr 2023)

Simon Harris: I am deeply conscious of how important the granting of naturalisation is to those who apply for it and my Department continued to accept and process citizenship applications throughout the pandemic and during all levels of public health restrictions. Unfortunately due to unprecedented demand and the ongoing legacy of the pandemic, processing times for citizenship applications have been...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Naturalisation Applications (20 Apr 2023)

Simon Harris: The naturalisation application from the person referred to by the Deputy continues to be processed by my Department, with a view to establishing whether the applicant meets the statutory conditions for the granting of naturalisation. It will be submitted to me for decision in due course. The granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is a privilege and an honour which confers...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Naturalisation Applications (20 Apr 2023)

Simon Harris: The naturalisation application from the person referred to by the Deputy continues to be processed by my Department, with a view to establishing whether the applicant meets the statutory conditions for the granting of naturalisation. It will be submitted to me for decision in due course. The granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is a privilege and an honour which confers...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (20 Apr 2023)

Simon Harris: The Deputy will be aware that the HEAR (Higher Education Access Route) scheme is a reduced points mechanisms for entry into higher education. The HEAR scheme is managed and operated by the Irish Universities Association (IUA) on behalf of the Higher Education Institutions who set the policy criteria for the scheme. Admissions under the schemes are regulated by the higher education...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Technological Universities (20 Apr 2023)

Simon Harris: My Department does not place a quota on the number of places on veterinary medicine courses offered by Higher Education Institutions and Munster Technological University is autonomous, within the meaning of the Technological Universities Act 2018 in relation to the courses it chooses to offer. However, I would note the significant infrastructural, placement and regulatory requirements of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (20 Apr 2023)

Simon Harris: My Department has allocated €5 million to the Higher Education Authority for mental health and well-being services this year in Higher Education Institutes. As autonomous bodies, the internal disbursement of mental health and well-being funding, including the funding of student services, such as support for people dealing with gambling addiction, is a matter for each Institute so...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Staff (20 Apr 2023)

Simon Harris: As the Deputy will appreciate, universities are autonomous institutions within the meaning of the Universities Act 1997. As such, individual institutions are responsible for staffing matters, including the management of vacant lecturing positions. As Minister, I rightly have no direct role in that regard, and, accordingly, my Department does not collect nor have access to the data requested...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Private Security Authority (19 Apr 2023)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 82 and 83 together. I can advise the Deputy, that the Private Security Authority, an independent body under the aegis of my Department, is the statutory body with responsibility for licensing and regulating the private security industry in Ireland. The Private Security Authority regulates both contractors and employees across a range of sectors in the security...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (19 Apr 2023)

Simon Harris: My Department is progressing a range of policy options to ensure that the courts have a suitably wide range of appropriate options for dealing with people who have committed minor offences. The Programme for Government contains a broad range of policies and proposals that represent a coherent approach to enhancing and sustaining a more just and safe society, with a specific commitment to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (19 Apr 2023)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 85 and 86 together. I have sought the information requested by the Deputy from the Irish Prison Service, however, the information was not available in time. I will write to the Deputy once the information is to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (19 Apr 2023)

Simon Harris: I have sought the information requested by the Deputy from the Irish Prison Service, however, the information was not available in time. I will write to the Deputy once the information is to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (19 Apr 2023)

Simon Harris: As the Deputy will be aware all prisoners may make a complaint at any time and the Irish Prison Service treats all complaints with the utmost seriousness. Complaints received by the Irish Prison Service vary in nature and gravity. For example, some may relate to conditions of accommodation, quality of food or access to services while other complaints can be more serious such as...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (19 Apr 2023)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 89 to 92, inclusive, together. As the Deputy will appreciate, judges are independent in the matter of sentencing, as in other matters concerning the exercise of judicial functions, subject only to the Constitution and the law. As a general rule, the court is required to impose a sentence which is proportionate not only to the crime but to the individual...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Residency Permits (19 Apr 2023)

Simon Harris: I have been informed that the person referred to by the Deputy will receive their IRP card in the next 10 - 15 working days. If customers have an emergency, they can contact the Immigration Service Help immigrationsupport@justice.ie who will endeavour to assist them. Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to my Department by e-mail using the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (19 Apr 2023)

Simon Harris: A request for further documentation was made to the person concerned on 23 September 2022 and was reissued on 10 April 2023. The documents have now been received and the processing of the application can resume with a view to establishing whether the applicant meets the statutory conditions for the granting of naturalisation. It will be submitted to me for decision in due course. The...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Healthcare Infrastructure Provision (19 Apr 2023)

Simon Harris: UCC submitted their Dental School project to the Higher Education Authority for consideration under the Higher Education Capacity Building process. This process was developed to identify opportunities in the Higher Education system to build capacity in Dentistry, Pharmacy, Medicine, Nursing, and Veterinary Medicine programmes. The HEA have recently submitted their recommendations to me. I...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Dental Services (19 Apr 2023)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 182 to 184, inclusive, together. The matter of health workforce planning and ensuring an appropriate pipeline of qualified healthcare workers within Ireland, including all suitably qualified dental professionals, is a major priority for my Department. I have just recently received recommendations from the HEA in respect of the Expressions of Interest...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Student Accommodation (19 Apr 2023)

Simon Harris: I am actively working to address the supply of student accommodation. Increasing costs of construction and financing are impacting on viability, and as a result a number of Universities had to pause their projects. In responding to these challenges, on 29 November 2022, Government approved development of both short and medium term policy responses to activate supply.  These...