Results 10,981-11,000 of 16,457 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Gender-based Violence: Motion [Private Members] (19 Jan 2022)

Helen McEntee: It is true that the Ireland of today is a different country from the Ireland of the 1970s. We are more open and willing to confront issues that were previously brushed under the carpet, such as domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, and we are more willing to listen to often unpalatable truths about our society. As we all know, however, despite seismic shift in attitudes over the...

Violence Against Women: Statements (19 Jan 2022)

Helen McEntee: I thank all colleagues for their contributions. Much has been said tonight so I will try to be concise in my response. I thank many of my colleagues for sharing their experiences. We are not talking about something that is happening to other people. This is something we all go through and it is important to allow people to share their experience, so I thank colleagues for that. I also...

Violence Against Women: Statements (19 Jan 2022)

Helen McEntee: The past week has seen people across the country mourn the loss of Ashling Murphy, a beautiful young woman who represents the very best of us. We all stand in solidarity with Ashling’s family, including Ray, Kathleen, Cathal and Amy, her boyfriend Ryan, and her community. I offer my deepest condolences to them. May Ashling rest in peace. The many strands of her cruelly short life...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Policy (19 Jan 2022)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1179, 1198, 1200, 1203, 1210, 1215, 1216, 1228, 1251, 1257, 1258, 1259, 1267, 1285, 1299, 1321, 1326, 1327, 1328 and 1329 together. The Regularisation of Long Term Undocumented Migrants Scheme will open for applications on 31 January 2022. Applications will be accepted for six months until 31 July 2022, when the scheme will close. The Scheme will only...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (19 Jan 2022)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, including all matters relating to the recruitment, training and appointment of its members.  This responsibility extends to members of the Garda Band.  As Minister, I have no role in these matters.  As well as performing at...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (19 Jan 2022)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the administration and management of An Garda Síochána, including the purchase and distribution of Garda resources. As Minister, I have no direct role in these matters. I am advised by the Garda authorities that the purchase and allocation of Garda...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Domestic Violence (19 Jan 2022)

Helen McEntee: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue, and can confirm I am aware of the research from Sage Advocacy and, indeed, was asked to launch the report recently.  As the Deputy will be aware, in expectation of an increase in domestic violence at the start of the pandemic, gardaí launched Operation Faoiseamh to provide enhanced proactive support and protection to victims of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Deportation Orders (19 Jan 2022)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, the Dublin III Regulation determines which EU Member State is responsible for examining international protection applications of non-EEA nationals. It is based on the principle that the first Member State to facilitate entry into the EU, is responsible for examining an application for international protection. The objective of the Dublin Regulation is to ensure...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (19 Jan 2022)

Helen McEntee: My Department is aware that there have been issues in the past around the securing of registration appointments and has continually introduced software fixes designed to improve the system. These new measures have been partly successful in preventing the block booking of appointments by third party agents.   However, some third party agents continue to provide appointment...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (19 Jan 2022)

Helen McEntee: The application for a certificate of naturalisation from the person referred to by the Deputy continues to be processed and will be submitted to me for decision as expeditiously as possible. If further documentation is required it will be requested from the applicant in due course. As the Deputy will appreciate, the granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is a...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Programme (19 Jan 2022)

Helen McEntee: The Stormont House Agreement, concluded by the two Governments and the Northern Ireland Parties in December 2014, provides for a framework of measures to address the legacy of troubles-related violence in Northern Ireland.  The framework of measures agreed include the establishment of the Independent Commission on Information Retrieval (ICIR). The ICIR is to be an independent...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Parole Boards (19 Jan 2022)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1187 and 1188 together. As the Deputy is aware, the Parole Board, as provided for under the Parole Act 2019, was established on the 31 July 2021. The Board is an independent statutory body entirely separate from its predecessor.    A significant amount of work has already been undertaken since the Parole Board was established. The...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: International Agreements (19 Jan 2022)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1189, 1190 and 1330 together. As the Deputy may be aware, Ireland signed the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture (OPCAT) but has yet to ratify this treaty. Ireland has, of course, already signed and ratified the Convention itself. The Protocol provides for the establishment of bodies known as National Preventive Mechanisms (NPMs) which...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (19 Jan 2022)

Helen McEntee: I wish to advise the Deputy that substantial work has been completed on the necessary actions to introduce the new Prisoner Complaints System, including on staff training, the development of an integrated IT system to support case handling and a draft policy for complaints handling. The critical path for the introduction of the new system includes the drafting of the Statutory Instrument...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (19 Jan 2022)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1192 and 1193 together. The Office of the Inspector of Prisons is a statutory body, independent in how it carries out its work, set up under the Prisons Act 2007. The Inspector's key role is to carry out regular inspections of prisons.  The Inspector of Prisons three day monitoring report of Mountjoy Women’s Prison (Dóchas Centre) was...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Extradition Arrangements (19 Jan 2022)

Helen McEntee: I wish to inform the Deputy that the Minister for Justice has no power to suspend the surrender of persons sought by Poland under the European Arrest Warrant (EAW) system as decisions on surrender are taken by the High Court as the executing judicial authority in the State under the European Arrest Warrant Act 2003, as amended. However, I can inform the Deputy that surrender of persons to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (19 Jan 2022)

Helen McEntee: An application for a certificate of naturalisation was received from the person referred to by the Deputy on 30 June 2021. This application is currently being 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 as expeditiously as possible. The...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (19 Jan 2022)

Helen McEntee: An application for a certificate of naturalisation was received from the person referred to by the Deputy on 30 June 2021. This application is currently being 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 as expeditiously as possible. The...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Naturalisation Applications (19 Jan 2022)

Helen McEntee: This 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: Family Reunification (19 Jan 2022)

Helen McEntee: At the outset of the current crisis in Afghanistan, the Government announced that Afghan people would be allocated places under the Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP). Priority has been given to those working on human rights issues, including the rights of women and girls and minorities, as well as those working with NGOs and European and international organisations and more than 500...