Results 141-160 of 10,435 for speaker:Jim O'Callaghan

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Probate Applications (9 Jul 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: The Probate Office is an office of the High Court. Management of the courts, operational matters and logistical functions are the responsibility of the judiciary and Courts Service, which are independent in the exercise of their functions under the Courts Service Act 1998 and given the separation of powers in the Constitution. Probate functions are also carried out by County Registrars at...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Airport Security (9 Jul 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: When any non-EEA national presents at a border, an Immigration Officer must determine whether that person should be granted leave to land and gain entry to the State. In performing their duties, an Officer is required to consider all of the circumstances of the individual at the time of entry in line with the provisions of the Immigration Act 2004. Where an Israeli national presents at a...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Joint Policing Committees (9 Jul 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: A key principle of the Report of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland is that community safety requires multi-agency cooperation working in partnership with An Garda Síochána and, crucially, with communities themselves. The Commission's report recommended the establishment of national and local structures to bring together Departments and State agencies involved in...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Expenditure (9 Jul 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: My department is fully committed to the principles of openness, transparency and the accountability of public bodies. In line with an action in the Public Service Reform Plan (2011), my Department publishes all purchase orders of €20,000 or over on its website at the following link - www.gov.ie/en/department-of-justice-home-affairs-and-migrati...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: International Protection (9 Jul 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: The Department's International Protection Procurement Service (IPPS) has not received an offer of accommodation at this location and is not examining it for use as international protection accommodation.

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee Stage (8 Jul 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I am pleased to present this Bill to the committee. It will amend the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Act 2005 to allow for a broader category or prosecutable offences in respect of terrorist activity. These include terrorist acts with a cross-border element and cyberattacks where the aim is to cause widespread harm. The legislation aims to give full effect to the 2017 EU directive...

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee Stage (8 Jul 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Section 1 is a standard provision that defines the principal Act as the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Act 2005.

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee Stage (8 Jul 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I thank all members of the committee for their contributions. I share their revulsion at the indiscriminate violence ongoing in Gaza, perpetrated by the Israel Defense Forces. Many of us in this room believe those acts of violence constitute crimes against humanity, genocide and war crimes. It is important to point out that if they are crimes against humanity, genocide and war crimes, as...

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee Stage (8 Jul 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I will address Deputy Gannon’s point. It is true that international law is not working at present. If it was working, we would see the organs of the international community responding to the slaughter going on in Gaza, but that points to failings within the international system. Deputy Carthy referred to what Ireland has or has not done for the Palestinian people. My own view is...

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee Stage (8 Jul 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I thank Deputy Kelly for putting down this amendment. It is not dissimilar to the previous group but what Deputy Kelly seeks to do is to state one cannot be excluded from this legislation simply on account of membership of the military, armed force or police force of a state. If a member of the IDF who committed a war crime or crime against humanity in Gaza came to Ireland, he or she...

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee Stage (8 Jul 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: As I said earlier, aiding and abetting war crimes or crimes against humanity or genocide is a criminal offence in Ireland. On what Deputy Kelly said, I am sure our views on what is happening in Gaza are very similar. I know the revulsion the Deputy shares with me on what is happening there but when it comes to legislation I have to look to see what is necessary. In terms of what is...

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee Stage (8 Jul 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Much as Deputy Carthy is an effective cross-examiner, I am not going to start going down the line of being cross-examined in respect of the legislation. The law is clearly stated. It is obviously there to be interpreted by the courts, not by us. In the International Criminal Court Act 2006, we have made certain offences, domestic offences in Irish law - war crimes, crimes against humanity,...

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee Stage (8 Jul 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I would not. It depends. Each prosecution will depend on the facts of the case no matter what the name of the entity alleged to have perpetrated the act is. It is not for us to determine the guilt or innocence of individuals prosecuted under legislation that we enact of those offences. That is a matter for a court. All we can do is draft the legislation. We take into account what we want...

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee Stage (8 Jul 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I agree with one thing. We have to look at the language that is being used in our legislation. There is no point in trying to breathe into the wording of legislation things we know simply cannot apply. Deputies Kelly and Carthy referred to the ongoing prosecution in the UK of Mo Chara from Kneecap. As I said on Second Stage, the legislation in England and Wales is legislation - I have to...

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee Stage (8 Jul 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: My apologies. I was listening to the Deputies but I was also trying to look up the debate on the 2015 amending legislation that introduced section 4A. I am not sure what the view of Deputies and parties was at the time as regards section 4A. I will reflect on Deputy Kelly's amendment, but the difference is that Deputy Kelly is saying we should include the words "material evidence as to...

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2025: Committee Stage (8 Jul 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I formally dispute what Deputy Carthy says. It is not wide open to abuse. If the Deputy reads the proposed wording that I am putting forward to the committee, he will see that it is completely different from what is contained in the UK legislation. I refer to section 13 of the UK Terrorism Act. It is not that dissimilar from the provision that has been in force here for ten years now, in...

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Message to Dáil (8 Jul 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I thank the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach and committee members for the consideration given to the Bill.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Expenditure (8 Jul 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 602 and 603 together. I can inform the Deputy that a search of my Department's records revealed no expenditure on such matters.