Results 11,241-11,260 of 17,543 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Victim Support Services (29 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: Protecting and supporting victims of crime is a key priority for me as Minister for Justice. My Department provides funding to NGOs that support victims of crime by providing important information and supports such as emotional support, court accompaniment, and accompaniment to Garda interviews, to sexual assault treatment units and referral to other services. Last week I announced funding...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Crime Prevention (29 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will appreciate, the presumption of innocence until proven guilty is central to our criminal justice system. The decision to grant bail in a particular case must always be a matter for the presiding judge, but where bail is granted, the Criminal Justice Act 2017 provides for stricter terms for repeat serious offenders. While there are no quick fixes to reducing reoffending,...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Naturalisation Applications (29 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: I am deeply conscious of how important the granting of naturalisation is to those who apply for it and my Department continued to accept and process citizenship applications throughout the pandemic and during all levels of public health restrictions. At the end of February 2022, there were 25,048 naturalisation applications in progress, of which 15,744 are 12 months or more in the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (29 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: The Government is acutely aware of the sustained and significant damage that drug dealing has on communities across the country. Organised criminal activity, including drug dealing, represents a serious threat to community safety. The continued disruption of the supply of all illicit drugs remains a priority for An Garda Síochána and the other State agencies tasked with...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (29 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is, by law, responsible for the management and control of An Garda Síochána and for the effective and efficient use of Garda resources, including the deployment of An Garda Síochána throughout the State. As Minister, I have no role in these independent functions. I am assured, however, that Garda management keeps the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Local Community Safety Partnerships (29 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, I announced the establishment of three pilot Local Community Safety Partnerships in November 2020. These pilots schemes have been set up in Longford, North Inner City Dublin and Waterford. The pilots will run for a period of two years, and learnings from the pilot LCSPs will inform the eventual rollout of the model to every local authority area. Each LCSP...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Policies (29 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, the publication and implementation of the recommendations of the Drogheda scoping report are key actions in my Department's Justice Plan 2022. Last year my Department published a report I had commissioned from the former Director of the Probation Service, Mr. Vivian Geiran, who made over 70 recommendations on short and long-term responses to challenges the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (29 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: The provision of safe and secure custody and dignity of care to people in prison in Ireland is a priority for the Irish Prison Service and for me, as Minister for Justice. The Service has committed to the provision of in cell sanitation throughout the prison estate as part of its Capital Strategy. I am pleased to note that very significant progress has already been made in that regard...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Projects (29 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, the Greentown pilot programme represents an important deliverable under the Youth Justice Strategy 2021-27. This internationally recognised initiative is being led by the REPPP Project (Research Evidence into Policy, Programmes and Practice) at the School of Law in the University of Limerick (UL). The REPPP project is a strategic research partnership between UL...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Domestic Violence (29 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: I would like to assure the Deputy that I am committed to tackling domestic violence in all its forms. The prioritisation of this hugely important work is evident in the policy and legislative developments implemented by this Government and those that are currently being progressed. Additionally, increased budget allocations have been secured this year to further our work to tackle domestic...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (29 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: I am aware of the organisation referred to by the Deputy and I have received correspondence from them but not relating to the specific issue the Deputy clarified he is referring to. That said, I can assure the Deputy that it is the role of An Garda is to serve and protect and to uphold the law. As the Deputy will be aware, in 2017 the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017 was...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Ukraine War (29 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: There is a coordinated whole-of-Government response to support people arriving in Ireland who have fled the violence in Ukraine. Government Departments and services are working together to implement Ireland's commitments under the EU Temporary Protection Directive (2001/55/EC), which has been activated for the first time to grant temporary protection to displaced persons from Ukraine. The...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (29 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the general management and administration of the Garda organisation under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended). This includes the distribution and stationing of Garda members throughout the State. I am assured that Garda management keeps the distribution of resources under continual review in the context...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Family Law Cases (29 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: Family justice is a priority for me as Minister and is a major element of my Justice Plan. The Report of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice and Equality on Reform of the Family Law System made 38 Recommendations across a range of areas in family justice. Key among these recommendations is the introduction of legislation for the establishment of a dedicated and integrated Family...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Court Judgments (29 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 105 and 560 together. Under the provisions of the Courts Service Act 1998, management of the courts is the responsibility of the Courts Service, which is independent in exercising its functions. However, in order to be of assistance to the Deputy, I have had enquiries made and the Courts Service has advised me of the following. Sheriffs (or County...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Policy (29 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: I was pleased to open the landmark Regularisation of Long Term Undocumented Migrants Scheme for applications on 31 January 2022. Applications will be accepted for six months until 31 July 2022, when the scheme will close. This once-in-a-generation scheme is designed to give long-term undocumented people without a current permission to remain in the State, the chance to regularise their...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Inquiry into the Death of Mr. Shane O'Farrell (29 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 107, 132 and 138 together. I wish to assure the Deputies that I recognise the ongoing pain and anguish of the O'Farrell family on the tragic death of Shane and I sincerely sympathise with them on their loss. As the Deputies will be aware, a highly respected retired Judge has been conducting a scoping exercise into the tragic circumstances surrounding...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (29 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: I would like to again extend my deepest sympathies to all those impacted by this tragic event in Hartstown, and in particular to the Nkencho family. Any fatal shooting is deeply distressing, and I know that the local community continue to experience real trauma as a result of these events. As the Deputy will be aware, the shooting of Mr George Nkencho is being fully investigated by the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Schemes (29 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 109, 134 and 569 together. As the Deputies will be aware, Budget 2022 provides for the establishment of the new Community Safety Innovation Fund, which will enable local communities to seek funding for innovative projects which will improve community safety in their areas. Community Safety is about people being safe, and feeling safe, within their...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (29 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: I wish to assure the Deputy that I am very cognisant that female offenders represent a particularly vulnerable group within the prison system. The Prison Service is acutely aware of the challenges that these vulnerable women face and there is evidence that the impact of imprisonment is considerably greater on women and their wider families and as a result, modern prison facilities for...