Results 8,981-9,000 of 16,457 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Northern Ireland (5 Jul 2022)

Helen McEntee: I am absolutely committed to the pursuit of justice for crimes committed during the Troubles. This commitment is shared by my colleagues in Government and by An Garda Síochána. As the Deputy will be aware, Kenova is a series of ongoing independent UK police investigations or reviews into Northern Ireland legacy cases. The legal distinction between investigations and reviews is...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (5 Jul 2022)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy may be aware, I recently secured Government approval to draft legislation to make stalking a standalone offence. The introduction of this new offence forms part of the Government’s zero tolerance approach to domestic, sexual and gender based violence, and is a key action in the Third National Strategy which was approved by Government last week. While stalking is already a...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (5 Jul 2022)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, in accordance with the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, which includes decisions on the deployment of personnel among the various Garda Divisions. The Commissioner is also responsible for the recruitment and training of Garda members and staff...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (5 Jul 2022)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy may be aware, considerable progress has been made on the Programme for Government commitment to consider the mental health and addiction challenges of those imprisoned, and primary care support on release. Last April, I, together with the Minister for Health and Ministers of State Frank Feighan and Mary Butler, established a High Level Taskforce to consider the mental health...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Policy (5 Jul 2022)

Helen McEntee: My Department opened the once-in-a generation scheme for the Regularisation of Long Term Undocumented Migrants in the State on 31 January 2022 for a six month period. The criteria for the scheme, including the period of four years undocumented residence at the date of the opening of the scheme for primary applicants, have been designed in line with the Programme for Government commitment....

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Gambling Sector (5 Jul 2022)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 30, 53, 68 and 523 together. The Programme for Government gives a clear commitment to establish a gambling regulator, which Minister Browne and I are working to deliver. The Regulator will be focused on public safety and wellbeing with responsibility for regulating both in-person and online gambling, gambling advertising, gambling websites and apps. The...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Human Trafficking (5 Jul 2022)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 31 and 64 together. Human trafficking is a particularly heinous crime, based on deception and exploitation of vulnerable people. This Government is serious about preventing and prosecuting human trafficking. We are confident that the victim-centred policy approach we are taking will encourage more victims to come forward which will, in turn, strengthen...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Work Permits (5 Jul 2022)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy is aware, the Atypical Working Scheme (AWS) was established as a cross Departmental response to address the matter of non-EEA workers on certain categories of vessels in the Irish fishing fleet, who are not currently eligible for an employment permit under the system operated by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. The scheme provided, for the first time, a...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (5 Jul 2022)

Helen McEntee: The government’s plan to modernise An Garda Síochána, A Policing Service for our Future, commits An Garda Síochána to developing and implementing a new Garda Reserve Strategy. As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), for the management of An Garda Síochána as well as the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Drug Dealing (5 Jul 2022)

Helen McEntee: The continued disruption of the supply of all illicit drugs remains a priority for An Garda Síochána and the Government. A concerted effort has been made over the past two years to ensure that the detection and prevention of these types of criminal activity have not been adversely affected by the unprecedented demands placed on policing services by the vital enforcement of public...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Public Inquiries (5 Jul 2022)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 35 and 46 together. As the Deputy will be aware, in February 2019 retired District Court Judge Gerard Haughton was appointed by the then Minister for Justice and Equality to carry out a scoping exercise in the light of the public controversy surrounding the circumstances of the death of Shane O'Farrell. The purpose of the scoping exercise was to advise the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (5 Jul 2022)

Helen McEntee: The government in its Zero Tolerance Plan, the Third National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence, has committed to the fastest ever expansion in the number of refuge spaces. Through the implementation of the strategy, we will double the number of refuge spaces over the lifetime of this plan, while we put in place the required structures to deliver the higher Istanbul...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (5 Jul 2022)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, in accordance with the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, which includes decisions on the deployment of personnel among the various Garda Divisions. As Minister, I have no direct role in these matters. I am assured that Garda management...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (5 Jul 2022)

Helen McEntee: I can assure the Deputy that the Government is committed to ensuring that An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs, not least in the context of the growing population referred to. An unprecedented allocation of over €2 billion is provided in Budget 2022 and we will continue to support An Garda Síochána in recruiting Garda members and Garda staff over the coming...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (5 Jul 2022)

Helen McEntee: The Government approved the publication of the Garda Síochána (Recording Devices) Bill, previously called the Digital Recordings Bill, on 21 June. The text of the Bill will be available shortly. This important Bill makes provision for Garda powers to use modern digital technology including body worn cameras, automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) and CCTV. I also received...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Policy (5 Jul 2022)

Helen McEntee: In response to the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, I opened the special Afghan Admission Programme for applications on 16 December 2021. The Programme closed on 11 March 2022. This Programme enabled current or former Afghan nationals living legally in Ireland to apply to have their close family members, who are living in Afghanistan or who have recently fled to eligible territories...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Antisocial Behaviour (5 Jul 2022)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, the Government is committed to tackling anti-social behaviour and a number of priority actions are contained in the Programme for Government and Justice Plan 2022 to reduce instances of such behaviour and help people feel safe in their local communities. In line with the Programme for Government, Minister Browne has established an Expert Forum on Anti-Social...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (5 Jul 2022)

Helen McEntee: The guidance provided by the Council of Europe sets a recommended standard for the provision of shelter places which Government is committed to reaching. Under the Third National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence, we will see the fastest ever expansion in the number of refuge spaces. We will double the number of spaces and will put in place the structures to go on to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (5 Jul 2022)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will appreciate, disciplinary matters within An Garda Síochána are governed by the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended) and the Garda Síochána (Discipline) Regulations 2007, as amended by the Garda Síochána (Discipline) (Amendment) Regulations 2011, and are a matter for the Garda Commissioner. As Minister, I have no role in these...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Funding (5 Jul 2022)

Helen McEntee: The development of the Community Safety Innovation Fund is a key commitment under Justice Plan 2022 which will have a significant impact on the development of community safety projects throughout the country. Budget 2022 provided for the establishment of the new Community Safety Innovation Fund, which enables local communities to seek funding for innovative projects which will improve...