Results 11,481-11,500 of 17,543 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Domestic Violence (8 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: I would like to assure the Deputy that I am committed to tackling domestic violence in all its forms, and to ensuring that people, particularly women and vulnerable people, feel safe and are safe in our communities. I am currently leading work on a new whole of Government strategy to combat domestic, sexual, gender-based violence. This new plan will have a particular focus on prevention,...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Naturalisation Applications (8 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: The application for a certificate of naturalisation from the person referred to by the Deputy 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. In accordance with the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (8 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 449 to 451, inclusive, together. The Blue Blindfold website was set up in October 2008 by my Department as a medium for the reporting of suspicious activity in the area of Trafficking in Human Beings. There is a dedicated email address blueblindfold@garda.ie and a 24/7 contact number, 1800 666 111 provided on the website. I am advised by the Garda...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Alcohol Sales (8 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: The Programme for Government, along with my Department’s Justice Plan, commits to modernising alcohol licensing laws so that they reflect the changing expectations and lifestyles of 21st century Ireland. The issue of outdated alcohol licensing legislation was also a key challenge identified by stakeholders in the published report of the Night-Time Economy Taskforce. I intend...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (8 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: I can advise the Deputy that the collation and publication of the number of prisoners on protection is carried out through the Prison Population Census on a quarterly basis.  The collation of this information is a manual process and therefore requires a considerable amount of time to complete. At present information on ethnicity is not routinely collected as part of this process....

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Crime Prevention (8 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: The Deputy will be aware that an all-of-government implementation plan to progress the recommendations in the Review of Structures and Strategies to Prevent, Investigate and Penalise Economic Crime and Corruption was published in April 2021. The plan sets out 22 actions that focus primarily on legislative, structural and resourcing measures to enhance agency and multi-agency enforcement and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Residency Permits (8 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: During the Covid19-pandemic I provided nine temporary extension of immigration and international protection permissions to 31 May 2022. The effect of these temporary permissions is that people who held a valid permission to be in the State in March 2020 are legally permitted to remain until 31 May 2022, even if their Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card has expired and they are awaiting a...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (8 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: The application for a certificate of naturalisation from the person referred to by the Deputy 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 granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is a...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Reviews (8 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: The Programme for Government, along with my Department’s Justice Plan, commits to “review and reform defamation laws to ensure a balanced approach to the right to freedom of expression, the right to protection of good name and reputation, and the right of access to justice”. On 1 March, I was pleased to publish the comprehensive Report of the Review of the Defamation Act...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Protected Disclosures (8 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, the Protected Disclosures Act was enacted in 2014 to allow employees to bring alleged wrongdoing to the attention of the appropriate authorities.  In accordance with Section 22 of the Protected Disclosures Act 2014, my Department publishes an Annual Report, on an anonymised basis, in relation to the disclosures received and dealt with under its policy. With...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Wards of Court (8 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: Management of the courts, operational matters and logistical functions are the responsibility of the judiciary and Courts Service, which are independent in exercising their functions under the Courts Service Act 1998 and given the separation of powers in the Constitution. The Courts Service has a dedicated email address for the provision of information to members of the Houses of the The...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Deportation Orders (8 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: In light of current circumstances, I have suspended all cases involving possible deportations to Ukraine. The Deputy will no doubt appreciate that the current situation is extremely fluid and I am monitoring the situation in the region closely. I can assure the Deputy that the safety of individuals affected, or potentially affected, by these  terrible events is of paramount concern...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Travel Documents (8 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: The Travel Document Unit in the Immigration Service Delivery area of my Department processes travel documents for people who are deemed to be refugees under the 1951 United Nations Convention. This Unit also processes a separate travel document for resettled programme refugees and beneficiaries of other humanitarian and family reunification programmes. Processing times were unfortunately...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Agreements (3 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: On Friday the 25th of February I announced the immediate lifting of visa requirements between Ukraine and Ireland. This will streamline and support the swift exit of both the Ukrainian family members of Irish citizens, and the family members of people from Ukraine who are resident in Ireland. It will apply as an emergency measure to all Ukrainians travelling to Ireland. The...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Agreements (3 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: I introduced the immediate lifting of visa requirements between Ukraine and Ireland as an emergency measure which came into effect on 25 February.  This will streamline and support the swift exit of both the Ukrainian family members of Irish citizens, and the family members of people from Ukraine who are resident in Ireland. It will apply as an emergency measure to all Ukrainians...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Covid-19 Pandemic (3 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 313 and 314 together. As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda powers in response to the Covid -19 pandemic were provided for under section 31A of the Health Act 1947, as inserted by the Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest) Act 2020 and brought temporarily into effect through subsequent...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Agreements (3 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: On the 25th of February I announced the immediate lifting of visa requirements between Ukraine and Ireland.  This will streamline and support the swift exit of both the Ukrainian family members of Irish citizens, and the family members of people from Ukraine who are resident in Ireland. It will apply as an emergency measure to all Ukrainians travelling to Ireland. The Statutory...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (3 Mar 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: International Agreements (3 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy may be aware, the European Commission published a proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on automated data exchange for police cooperation (“Prüm II”), Council Decisions 2008/615/JHA and 2008/616/JHA, and Regulations (EU) 2018/1726, 2019/817 and 2019/818 of the European Parliament and of the Council in December 2021. At this...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Student Visas (2 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 148 to 150, inclusive, together. Decisions regarding the granting or refusal of study visas are made in a number of Visa Offices overseas, in the Immigration Service Visa Office in Dublin, and at certain Embassies of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade which process certain visa applications under delegated sanction from my Department....