Results 1,201-1,220 of 9,148 for speaker:Jim O'Callaghan

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (6 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is by law responsible for the management and administration of Garda business, including the allocation of resources, and all operational policing decisions. As Minister, I have no responsibility for these matters. I am advised that the items of equipment referenced by the Deputy are not stored centrally. Many of these items are hired...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (6 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: As the Deputy will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána. This includes the distribution of resources, including the acquisition of aircraft, across the various Garda Divisions. As Minister, I have no direct role in this matter. The Government is committed to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (6 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: As the Deputy will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, including the purchase, allocation, and effective and efficient use of Garda resources. As Minister, I have no role in these independent functions. Garda vehicles, including unmarked Garda Cars, are...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (6 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 187, 194 and 196 together. I can advise the Deputies that for security and operational reasons, the Irish Prison Service is not in a position to provide a breakdown of the staff resources allocated to individual prisons. The allocation of staffing across the prison estate is based on the security and operational needs of each individual prison. The number...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Contracts (6 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: It has not been possible to collate the information requested by the Deputy in the time available. I will write to the Deputy directly once the information is to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (6 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I am advised by my officials in the Irish Prison Service that the average annual cost of an available, staffed prison space during the calendar year 2023 was €88,523. The 2024 cost will be made available by the IPS as soon as is possible.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (6 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I am advised by the Irish Prison Service that the number of incidents resulting in prisoner disciplinary sanctions for breach of prison discipline, by prison, for the period 2022 to end of January 2025 are outlined in Table 1 below. A disciplinary system is in place under the Prisons Act 2007 which empowers Governors to deal with prisoners who have breached the Prison Rules and allows for...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (6 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: As the Deputy will be aware there are a number of reasons for the restriction of a person’s regime while in custody. This includes for safety or protection reasons, on the grounds of order and to protect the prison population from the spread of infection. My Department has taken steps to bring the Irish prison system into line with the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Policy (6 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I can inform the Deputy that the person concerned has been contacted by the Registration Office within Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) of my Department and arrangements have been made to renew their immigration residence permission. In keeping with the Government commitment to significantly enhance the delivery of public services digitally, phase one of the Department of Justice...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (6 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: As the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible by law for the management and administration of Garda business, including procurement of equipment. I am informed that where appropriate Garda members are trained in handling firearms. As the Deputy will be aware, a safety holster is provided, as standard. As the matter referred to by the Deputy is a the subject of a...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (6 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: 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 for the recruitment, training and deployment of Garda members. As Minister, I have no role in such matters. I am advised by the Garda authorities that, as of 31 January 2025, there are...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Policy (6 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I can advise the Deputy, that Guyanese nationals wishing to travel to Ireland can do so through a number of legal pathways. Details of the various pathways can be found on the Immigration Service website of my Department at the following link: Based on the information supplied, it has unfortunately not been possible to locate an immigration application for the person referred to. As an...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Staff (5 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 768 and 851 together. I can inform the Deputy that my Department deploys a range of measures to encourage suitably qualified and experienced staff to take up roles in the EU institutions. In line with the Career for EU Strategy, my Department regularly circulates vacancy notices for Seconded National Expert (SNE) posts with a strategic relevance to the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Freedom of Speech (5 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: The Government is aware that the use of strategic lawsuits against public participation, or SLAPPs, targeting environmental advocates, journalists and others is on the rise in the European Union and to some extent in Ireland. While it is of course open to a court to discuss such proceedings, these proceedings can have a chilling effect on the work of journalists and the ability of groups and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Inquiries (5 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: As the commemorative hearings continue in the Omagh Bombing Inquiry in Northern Ireland, my thoughts are with all those who lost loved ones and will forever bear the scars of the horrendous violence perpetrated on that tragic August afternoon in 1998. Their testimony has been heart-breaking and I know the coming weeks will be difficult for families and survivors. I would like to pay tribute...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Prison Service (5 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I can advise the Deputy that the Irish Prison Service provides funding to enable the Irish Association for Social Integration Opportunities to provide Resettlement coordinators in each of our closed prisons. Resettlement coordinators take a case-management approach to intervening with a prisoner 9 to 12 months pre-release to commence planning for post-release supports, including amongst...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Prison Service (5 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: As the Deputy will appreciate, measures to address homelessness and the provision of accommodation to persons vulnerable to homelessness are the responsibility of the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government. The Irish Prison Service does maintain regular contact with the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government and local authorities regarding the release of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Road Traffic Offences (5 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 773 and 774 together. Road traffic legislation is enforced as part of the day-to-day duties of members of An Garda Síochána, as well as through a programme of high-visibility road safety and enforcement operations carried out in partnership with other state agencies, in order to make our roads safer for all. As the Deputy will be aware, in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: An Garda Síochána (5 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 775 to 777, inclusive, together. As the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána. This includes all staffing and internal HR matters such as the processing of transfer requests. As Minister I have no role in these matters. I am advised by the Garda authorities...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Juvenile Offenders (5 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I am advised by the Garda authorities that there are, as of end of December 2024, five Juvenile Liaison Officer (JLOs) of Garda rank assigned to Meath/Westmeath Division. I am further advised that, at the end of December 2024, the latest date for when figures are available, there were 115 members of An Garda Síochána allocated to JLO duties across the State, not inclusive of...