Results 12,221-12,240 of 17,543 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Support Services (14 Dec 2021)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 514, 516 and 517 together. Currently, due to public health restrictions, for the safety of all our customers and staff, the Registration Office can only operate at 50% of our normal capacity. This means that we can register a maximum of 200 customers per day, resulting in 1,000 customers being registered every week. My officials continue to engage with...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Parole Boards (14 Dec 2021)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, the Parole Board, established under the Parole Act 2019, is an independent statutory body that considers the eligibility for parole of prisoners serving life sentences once the prisoners concerned have served at least 12 years of their sentence. The statutory Parole Board is an entity entirely separate from its predecessor, the Interim Board and will make...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Status (14 Dec 2021)

Helen McEntee: The person referred to by the Deputy was granted a five-year residence card on 4 April 2016, valid to 3 April 2021. As noted in the approval letter issued at the time, the person was advised when applying for a Permanent Residence Card at the end of the five-year period, to submit an application six months before the expiry date of the Residence Card. To date, no application for a Permanent...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (14 Dec 2021)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware the Garda Commissioner is responsible under the law for the administration and management of An Garda Síochána, including by arranging for the recruitment, training and appointment of its members. As Minister, I have no direct role in the matter. As the Deputy will be aware, public health restrictions have unavoidably impacted on intakes to the Garda...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Private Security Authority (14 Dec 2021)

Helen McEntee: The Private Security Authority, established under the Private Security Services Act 2004, as amended, is responsible for the licensing and regulation of the private security industry in the State. The Authority is an independent statutory body under the aegis of my Department. Following the enactment of the Private Security Services (Amendment) Act 2021, which provided for the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Covid-19 Pandemic (14 Dec 2021)

Helen McEntee: The Legal Aid Board is the statutory, independent body responsible for the provision of civil legal aid and advice to persons of modest means, in accordance with the relevant criteria and provisions of the Civil Legal Aid Act 1995. Section 3(3) of The Civil Legal Aid Act 1995 states that "the Board shall, subject to the provisions of this Act, be independent in the exercise of its functions"....

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Residency Permits (14 Dec 2021)

Helen McEntee: On 15 November, I announced that persons with expired IRP cards may continue to use the cards to enable them to depart and return to the state in confidence. I also suspended the re-entry visa requirement for minors aged 16 years and under from 12 November 2021 to 15 January 2022. Customers holding an Irish Residence Permit card that was in-date at the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020,...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (9 Dec 2021)

Helen McEntee: The granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is governed by the provisions of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended. All applications for a certificate of naturalisation are processed and assessed individually in accordance with the provisions of the Act. There is no review mechanism of citizenship decisions. However, in the past, officials of my...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: International Protection (9 Dec 2021)

Helen McEntee: I share the Deputy’s concerns for the Afghan people and the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. As the Deputy is aware, the Government has approved my Department's proposal for an additional initiative: the special Afghan Admission Programme, which will provide places for up to 500 Afghan family members to travel to Ireland. Each applicant will have an opportunity to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Expenditure (9 Dec 2021)

Helen McEntee: The amount spent by my Department on electricity costs in each of the past five years to date in 2021 is set out in tabular form below. These costs relate to 12 premises which are used by my Department. The Department cannot provide the energy costs in relation to our servers as these are hosted in the Revenue Data Centre. It is also not possible to quantify how much is spent on power for...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Expenditure (9 Dec 2021)

Helen McEntee: I have referred the matter to the Garda authorities and will contact the Deputy directly when a response is to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Covid-19 Pandemic (9 Dec 2021)

Helen McEntee: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has been working closely with all Government Departments to support the national COVID-19 effort. My Department has contributed to and participated in the large scale cross-Government communications programme which has been running since the start of the pandemic. This includes supporting and amplifying Government and public health messaging...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (9 Dec 2021)

Helen McEntee: The Irish Prison Service is responsible for the safe and secure custody of all people held in prison. When a court makes an order committing a person to prison, the Irish Prison Service must accept that person into the prison as specified by the court. All people committed to prison are accommodated in accordance with their legal gender. In some cases, the Governor may make a...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Policy (9 Dec 2021)

Helen McEntee: Last week, the Government approved my proposal for a once-in-a-generation scheme to regularise thousands of undocumented migrants and their families who are living in Ireland. The scheme will enable eligible applicants to remain and reside in the State and to regularise their residency status. It will bring some much-needed certainty and peace of mind to thousands of people who are already...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Closed-Circuit Television Systems (9 Dec 2021)

Helen McEntee: The rollout of community CCTV schemes across the country has benefitted many communities, helping people to feel safer in their local areas. It is a priority of mine to ensure that community groups continue to be supported in their valued contributions to their local CCTV schemes whilst ensuring sufficient, proportionate oversight of data protection statutory considerations. Since 2017,...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (8 Dec 2021)

Helen McEntee: As part of Government efforts to tackle the pandemic, I have signed an Order that imposes new entry visa and transit visa requirements on passport holders from South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Namibia, and Lesotho. This order and the associated measures came into effect at midnight, 26 November 2021. I signed a further Order to introduce transit visa requirements on passport holders from...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Status (8 Dec 2021)

Helen McEntee: Based on the information provided by the Deputy it is not possible to determine the immigration status or nationality of the child or the child's right to remain in the State. If the Deputy would like to provide additional details I would be happy to have my officials follow up on this matter. From the details provided, it is noted that the child is in primary school and consequently...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Covid-19 Pandemic (8 Dec 2021)

Helen McEntee: As part of Government efforts to tackle the pandemic, I have signed an Order that imposes new entry visa and transit visa requirements on passport holders from South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Namibia, and Lesotho. This order and the associated measures came into effect at midnight, 26 November 2021. This move is in line with the latest public health advice regarding new COVID-19 variants of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (8 Dec 2021)

Helen McEntee: Dublin based customers seeking to renew their immigration permission do not need to make an appointment at the office in Burgh Quay. Since July 2020, all renewals of permissions for Dublin based customers are being processed online at: inisonline.jahs.ie. Since then, over 98,000 applications have been processed online. Additionally, staff in the Registration Office have been working extra...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (8 Dec 2021)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 122 and 123 together. As the Deputy will be aware the Irish Prison Service opened a new prison in Cork in 2016 to replace the old prison. I can advise the Deputy that I have not held any meeting with the Irish Prison Service to date to discuss the development of the Old Cork Prison site. I also understand that my predecessor did not hold any such meeting with...