Results 6,921-6,940 of 10,319 for speaker:Jim O'Callaghan

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Access to Justice and Legal Costs: Discussion (27 Nov 2019)

Jim O'Callaghan: My assessment of the matter is that the public is entitled to an efficient justice system that provides them with prompt access to that system and gives them a fair hearing and a reasoned decision that is not too costly. People recognise that if there are lawyers representing people in court, they will be paid. However, we need to look at making the system more efficient. There is too much...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Direct Provision System (26 Nov 2019)

Jim O'Callaghan: Ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a ghabháil leis an Aire. Tá a lán ceisteanna fós le freagairt. I thank the Minister for his answer. He is correct when he states that the different Departments are responsible but there does not appear to be anyone who has taken charge of it. That is what happened in respect of this Topical Issue matter. The Department of Children and...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Direct Provision System (26 Nov 2019)

Jim O'Callaghan: The Minister will be aware that, in 2018, regulations were introduced in respect of reception standards for people applying for direct provision. Regulation 17 expressly deals with the right of children who are in direct provision to have access to educational services in the exact same way as though they were Irish citizens. I would be extremely concerned if I was the Minister for...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Emergency Departments Waiting Times (26 Nov 2019)

Jim O'Callaghan: 61. To ask the Minister for Health the reason to date in 2019 more than 1,100 persons over 75 years of age have endured emergency department wait times of more than 24 hours at St. Vincent's University Hospital. [48774/19]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Transport Data (26 Nov 2019)

Jim O'Callaghan: 233. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of Garda vehicles available in each Garda division in each of the years 2010 to 2018 and to date in 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48580/19]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Crime Data (26 Nov 2019)

Jim O'Callaghan: 235. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons killed as a result of gangland violence in each of the years 2015 to 2018 and to date in 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48696/19]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Family Law Cases (26 Nov 2019)

Jim O'Callaghan: 239. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if he will provide statistics for the delays in family law proceedings in each of the District and Circuit Courts and in the High Court; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48791/19]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Accommodation (26 Nov 2019)

Jim O'Callaghan: 245. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the additional number of prison places made available in each year to date since March 2011 in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48917/19]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Reviews (26 Nov 2019)

Jim O'Callaghan: 250. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the status of the review of the administration of civil justice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49031/19]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Law Reform Proposals (20 Nov 2019)

Jim O'Callaghan: 8. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the way in which he plans to respond to the report by the Oireachtas Committee on Justice and Equality calling for reform of the family law system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47616/19]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Law Reform Proposals (20 Nov 2019)

Jim O'Callaghan: Earlier this year, the Joint Committee on Justice and Equality had extensive hearings about the family law system in this country. It published a report in October that contained a number of recommendations on how the family law system could be transformed and improved. The recommendations had wide positive reception from a variety of different groups. What is the Minister's proposal in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Law Reform Proposals (20 Nov 2019)

Jim O'Callaghan: Everyone in this House will probably recognise, although they may not appreciate it as much as the Minister or I, the stress associated with family law cases. People go to court and it is a stressful event. When people go to court in family law cases, it is enormously stressful, and it has long-term impacts. The decisions of the court stay with people until the end of their lives,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Law Reform Proposals (20 Nov 2019)

Jim O'Callaghan: I welcome what the Minister says but I think that we need to do something with Hammond Lane. Ms Angela Denning, who is the Accounting Officer for the Courts Service, was before the Committee of Public Accounts last week. From what she said, we understand that Hammond Lane is being used as a site depot for other builders who are doing work in the vicinity of Smithfield. We need Government...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Asylum Seeker Accommodation (20 Nov 2019)

Jim O'Callaghan: In other similar European countries, such as Denmark and Finland, there is a similar system to here in that they have accommodation centres where people stay while their applications are being considered. Where we differ is that people are staying for too long. We have seen that 22%, which works out at 1,600 people, have been in direct provision centres for more than three years. That...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Asylum Seeker Accommodation (20 Nov 2019)

Jim O'Callaghan: 5. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if the fact that 35% of residents of direct provision centres have been there for more than two years will be addressed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47617/19]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Asylum Seeker Accommodation (20 Nov 2019)

Jim O'Callaghan: As of this month, approximately 7,500 people are availing of accommodation services under the direct provision system run by the Department of Justice and Equality. In total, 35% of those residents have been waiting in direct provision more that two years, and 22% have been waiting more than three years. What is the Government's plan for dealing with this ever-increasing issue and does it...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Asylum Seeker Accommodation (20 Nov 2019)

Jim O'Callaghan: I thank the Minister of State for his reply. We have to be frank here. I regret to say that a message is going out that the Government has lost control of the issue of direct provision. The public are getting that impression because proposals for direct provision centres are being blocked simply because of local opposition. The message going out is that the country is unable to sustain...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Law Reform Commission Reports (20 Nov 2019)

Jim O'Callaghan: 3. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if a response will issue to the call from the Law Reform Commission for a change in the way consent is considered in rape trials; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48027/19]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Law Reform Commission Reports (20 Nov 2019)

Jim O'Callaghan: In 2016, the Attorney General requested the Law Reform Commission to produce a report on how consent is considered in rape trials. That report was published earlier this month and it made significant recommendations on how the law in respect of consent in rape should be changed. Does the Government propose to accept that recommendation and, if so, does it intend to introduce legislation...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Law Reform Commission Reports (20 Nov 2019)

Jim O'Callaghan: I thank the Minister for his reply. This is a complex and complicated aspect of our law. Nonetheless it needs to be amended. We need to recognise that at present when it comes to the issue of consent, a man is believed to have honestly and genuinely consented if he believed the woman was consenting. At present that is a subjective test. That was the test that was recognised as being the...