Results 561-580 of 10,435 for speaker:Jim O'Callaghan

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Yes, I agree. I will be signing the regulations in respect of the community safety partnerships very shortly but €9.5 million has been allocated in budget 2025 for the office to support community safety partnerships and the community safety fund. The fund, totalling €4 million in 2025, directs proceeds from the Criminal Assets Bureau. It is an extremely important part of...

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: It would be applying for the funds. That is what is there at present, whereby you apply for funds in terms of assets from the Criminal Assets Bureau. Local projects make their applications in respect of it.

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: No.

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I am sure if I could revert and reintroduce the pension that existed prior to 2013 it would make the job more attractive. I do not think there is any doubt about that, but there are limitations in what the Government and I can do. There were reasons that pension changed in 2013. It is going to cost a very significant sum to change that because we cannot just change it in respect of...

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: -----in very many old buildings, there is asbestos. The asbestos becomes a problem when somebody starts knocking down the building. Simply because there is an old building that has asbestos does not mean it is a threat to somebody's health. It can be a threat to health if the building is knocked down. Obviously, there have to be very careful measures put in place in respect of that. ...

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: The last part is about the allocation of gardaí. The Deputy is right, in that I do not intervene in determining where gardaí go when they come out of Templemore, but I want him to know that, as well as those gardaí, gardaí are allocated to different places around the country after they have been attested and in the force for a period of time. There are transfers that go...

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Yes.

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: It is an important issue. Regarding training, gardaí get good training down in Templemore. As with teachers, we cannot expect gardaí to solve every societal problem. As to how this scheme will operate, the proposal is that it will try to divert people with addiction issues away from the criminal justice system and towards the health system. The Deputy may disagree with me, but...

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I am wary of saying it but I have funding for 1,000 new gardaí each year. I am not going to go around to people saying we probably will not recruit 1,000. Deputy Kelly knows what I am saying.

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I thank the Deputy.

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Will I go through the rest?

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I agree with the Deputy. It is a dangerous thing for any person to be looking at a phone. Whatever about being on the phone, looking at stuff on the screen and being on the phone are highly dangerous things to do. It is important that the message gets out there. Deaths are caused by it. Momentarily, people stop concentrating and are looking at something and, before they know it, they are...

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: We have significantly increased funding for public order policing over the past year. We have invested in a water cannon and further fleets. It is costing us money for public order policing. As the Deputy is recognising, however, we need to recognise the right of people to protest. If we look at the weekend, the Garda did a very good job. There were two ongoing protests. One was a group...

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I will ask them about that. We will try to see how much is devoted to policing protests.

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: The only thing I would say is that, when it comes to concerts, the Garda can charge for that. It is entitled to charge a promoter for the extra resources the Garda is required to put on because of a concert. It is not as though we do not get money back from any type of extra policing that is required. When there are concerts, they can charge the promoter. Obviously when it comes to...

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I visited Cork Prison - the new prison - and it is a very fine prison. I am aware of what the Deputy is saying about overcrowding in prisons. It is a challenge that I have. The only way we are going to be able to deal with it is by getting further prison spaces. I have proposal that we will redevelop. It will be part of the old prison site. It is just going to be an extension of Cork...

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Yes, I will certainly ask that. In fairness to the Prison Service, it builds prisons on time and on budget. It did it with Cork Prison and Limerick Prison, both male and female. When I am on the topic, and I apologise for giving a suggestion, Chair, because you have enough on your plate, but if the committee gets a chance, it should visit Limerick Prison. It is a fantastic prison,...

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Is the Deputy asking about the vetting for new members of An Garda Síochána?

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: The Deputy asked whether I am aware of any problems with vetting of a person within An Garda Síochána. The answer is that I am not but if there was an issue, I probably would not get to hear about. As Minister for justice, I would not expect to-----