Results 9,361-9,380 of 16,457 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (1 Jun 2022)

Helen McEntee: I can assure the Deputy that the Government is committed to ensuring that there is strong, visible policing throughout the country.  The Deputy will be aware that, in accordance with the Garda Síochána Act 2005, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, which includes decisions on the deployment of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Data (1 Jun 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 scheme is designed, following detailed engagement with the people affected, to give long-term undocumented people without a current immigration permission the chance to regularise their status, access the labour market and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: International Protection (1 Jun 2022)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 184 and 186 together. Since the onset of the pandemic, immigration permissions have been extended nine times, which means that people who held a valid permission to be in the State in March 2020 were legally permitted to remain until 31 May 2022. These extensions were made in the context of an uncertain health and international travel situation to provide...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Residency Permits (1 Jun 2022)

Helen McEntee: The person referred to by the Deputy holds a Stamp 1G permission, which was extended until 31 May 2022, under the automatic extension of immigration permissions I announced on 17 December 2021. All permissions were extended on the same terms and conditions to the permission already held. It is open to the person concerned to write to Unit 1 of the Domestic Residence and Permissions...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Residency Permits (31 May 2022)

Helen McEntee: The immigration case of the person referred to by the Deputy is impacted by the European Court of Justice judgment in the Chenchooliah case. My Department has, last week, issued the person concerned with a short-term permission on Stamp 1 conditions, which allows them to work without the need for an employment permit. Their longer-term position in the State is expected to be decided on...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (31 May 2022)

Helen McEntee: I can advise the Deputy that the Irish Prison Service introduced a new Code of Ethics for staff in December 2021. The new Code sets out the values and behaviours which are expected of and demonstrated by prison staff across the Service on a daily basis. The Code is grounded on the Prison Service core values namely: Teamwork; Integrity; Unlocking potential; Safety, and Support. The document...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (31 May 2022)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will appreciate, oversight and evaluation are important elements in developing and improving our penal system. Independent prison monitoring is an essential part of accountability for any modern prison system. The European Prison Rules stipulate that the conditions of detention and treatment of prisoners are monitored by an independent body or bodies whose findings are made...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (31 May 2022)

Helen McEntee: I wish to advise the Deputy that the provisions for the use of force by prison officers is set out in Rule 93 (1) of the Prison Rules 2007 (SI 252/2007). This rule is explicit in outlining the circumstances in which force may be lawfully used by an Officer and the factors to be considered by an Officer in deciding the amount of force to be used. The rule states: “Where, for the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (31 May 2022)

Helen McEntee: I can advise the Deputy that the implementation of Circular 19/2016 Civil Service Disciplinary Code on 1 October 2020 has brought the Irish Prison Service into line with the wider Civil Service in terms of the process for the management of staff disciplinary issues. Utilising the Civil Service Disciplinary Code has allowed the Prison Service to draw on the experiences of the wider Civil...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (31 May 2022)

Helen McEntee: The Irish Prison Service perform a quarterly census of the prison estate and publish the results on their website at www.irishprisons.ie/information-centre/statistics-informatio n/census-reports/. This includes details, on a prison by prison basis, of the number of prisoners on restricted regimes each quarter. According to the latest census which was carried out on 30 April 2022 the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Reviews (31 May 2022)

Helen McEntee: The Irish Prison Service remains committed to the provision of safe, secure and humane custody for people who are sent to prison in this State. Covid-19 in a prison setting presents significant challenges for prison management in terms of controlling the spread of the virus amongst staff and prisoners, and the provision of appropriate medical treatment to affected persons. Everyone...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (31 May 2022)

Helen McEntee: The total number of prisoners in custody on 24 May 2022 was 4,082 compared with a bed capacity of 4,375. This represents an occupancy level of 93%. Prior to the onset of the Covid pandemic the number of people in custody had been on an upward trajectory, however, this trend was halted in March 2020 when the Prison Service took action to reduce the number in custody to support an...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Mental Health Services (31 May 2022)

Helen McEntee: Last April, together with the Minister for Health and Ministers of State Frank Feighan and Mary Butler, I established a High Level Taskforce to consider the mental health and addiction challenges of persons interacting with the criminal justice system. In recognition of the need for a cross-Government approach to meeting the complex needs of such people, the Taskforce comprises...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (31 May 2022)

Helen McEntee: The application for naturalisation from the person referred to by the Deputy, continues to be processed with a view to establishing whether the applicant meets the statutory conditions for the granting of naturalisation, and 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 certain...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: International Protection (31 May 2022)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 564 and 567 to 569, inclusive, together. The overall objective of my Department is to have recommendations made on international protection applications as soon as possible. This ensures that those who are found to be in need of protection from the State can receive it quickly and begin rebuilding their lives here with a sense of safety and security. ...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Labour Market (31 May 2022)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 566 and 565 together. International protection applicants are not required to apply for an employment permit from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment to legally obtain employment in the State. The European Communities (Reception Conditions) (Amendment) Regulations 2021 (S.I. No. 52 of 2021) reduced the waiting period for labour market access...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (31 May 2022)

Helen McEntee: The fees in relation to applications for a certificate of naturalisation are governed by the provisions of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Regulations 2011. All applications for a certificate of naturalisation are processed and assessed individually in accordance with the legislation. There are no provisions to apply different criteria depending on the nationality of the applicant...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (31 May 2022)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 571 to 575, inclusive, together. Following identification of an error in December 2020, the Irish Prison Service carried out a review of sentence calculation and procedures to provide assurance on the accuracy of sentence calculation in respect of those in custody. The outcome of this examination of almost 4,000 sentences was that a small percentage of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (31 May 2022)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy may be aware, the retirement of members of An Garda Síochána is governed by law, which sets the mandatory retirement age for all members at 60 years of age. Members of An Garda Síochána who joined prior to 1 April 2004 may retire on full pension at 50 years of age once they have served at least 30 years and those who joined on or after 1 April 2004 may retire...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Child Abuse (31 May 2022)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will appreciate, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is an independent law officer under the Prosecution of Offences Act 1974 (as amended) and I have no role in relation to the work of the Office of the DPP. As such I am unable to comment on the number of files received by the DPP or on decisions in relation to prosecutions brought by that office. I would advise the...