Results 3,241-3,260 of 15,389 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Road Traffic Offences (20 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: I am advised by the Garda authorities that the following table shows the number of traffic offences under the PULSE traffic category which involved dangerous or illegal use of e-scooters in the years in question. The Deputy should note that as with scramblers/quad bikes etc., there are more incidents on PULSE than there are objects/vehicles associated with incidents, as one vehicle may be...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Recruitment (20 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: An Expert Review Group has been established to examine the issue of Garda Recruitment, Entry Pathways and Recruit Education. This is a commitment under A Policing Service for the Future, the Government’s Implementation Plan for the recommendations in the Report of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland. The Group will examine a variety of matters including the age of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Data (20 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: I have requested information from the Garda Commissioner in relation to this matter but it was unfortunately not possible to compile it in the time available. I will write to the Deputy directly with the information requested, when it is available.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Accommodation (20 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: Loughan House and Shelton Abbey are open, low security prisons for adult males who are regarded as requiring low levels of security. I am advised by my officials in the Irish Prison Service that the current bed capacity of Loughan House is 140 and that of Shelton Abbey is 115. The Irish Prison Service collates daily data, on a prison by prison basis, on the prisoner population. This...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Visiting Committees (20 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy may be aware, Prison Visiting Committees are made up of individuals from across society. The Visiting Committee to each of the current 12 prisons or places of detention is appointed under the Prison (Visiting Committees) Act, 1925 as applied by section 4 of the Prisons Act, 1970. Rules relating to the specific functions and operation of such Visiting Committees are set out in...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Inspector of Prisons (20 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: The Inspector of Prisons, whose independence in the exercise of her functions is provided for by law, plays a vital role in ensuring effective independent oversight of our prison system. The main function of the Inspector of Prisons is to carry out regular inspections of prisons and places of detention in Ireland. The Inspector also investigates deaths of prisoners in custody and has...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Staff (20 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: I wish to inform the Deputy that the allocation of staffing resources across the prison estate is based on the security and operational needs of each individual prison. The number of staff required is influenced by a number of factors including, in particular, the numbers in custody, category of prisoner and regimes and a range of other factors, including the risks and needs associated with...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Closed-Circuit Television Systems (20 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy may be aware, community-based CCTV is governed by section 38(3)(c) of Garda Síochána Act 2005 and the Garda Síochána (CCTV) Order 2006. This legal framework requires that any proposed community CCTV scheme must: - be approved by the local Joint Policing Committee; - have the prior support of the relevant local authority, which must also act as data...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Family Reunification (20 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: The person referred to by the Deputy submitted an application for family reunification in respect of an adult child under the provisions of the International Protection Act 2015 on 3 September 2020. The application was refused as the adult child is over the age of 18 and a decision letter issued to the applicant on 6 October 2020. It is open to the person concerned to apply for a...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Offices (20 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: I wish to advise the Deputy that the Department of Justice has ten buildings in its estate in Dublin and a number of regional locations. All of the buildings have a dedicated restroom, which may be used by staff for breastfeeding and expressing breast milk.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Transport Provision (20 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: Under the Garda Síochána Act 2005, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for carrying on and managing the administration and business of the organisation as well as for the allocation of Garda resources, in light of identified operational demands. As Minister, I have no role in those matters. Record resources of €1.952 billion have been made available to An Garda...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Multi-Unit Developments (21 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: The Multi-Unit Developments Act 2011, was enacted with the primary purposes of reforming the law relating to the ownership and management of common areas of multi-unit developments and facilitating the fair, efficient and effective management of owners' management companies (OMCs).  These are companies registered under the Companies Acts, the members of which are the owners of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Programme (21 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: I wish to assure the Deputy that the Government is fully committed to enacting the Perjury and Related Offences Bill 2018 as soon as possible. The importance the Government attaches to this legislation is reflected in our commitment to enact it in the current Programme for Government Committee Stage had been scheduled for 22 January 2020, but as the Deputy will be aware, the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legal Aid Service (21 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: The Legal Aid Board provides legal advice and aid under the Civil Legal Aid Act 1995 and the Civil Legal Aid Regulations 1996-2017. The Board delivers these services through directly employed solicitors in its network of law centres around the country and through private solicitors from its private practitioner panels. Section 3(3) of the Act provides that the Board shall, subject to the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: English Language Training Organisations (21 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: The letters of 25 September 2020, and 10 October 2020, aligned the position of my Department with the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS), who are the lead Department on policy matters relating to English Language Education (ELE) providers, including in relation to public health advice applying to the sector.  DFHERIS has...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prisoner Releases (21 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: I hope the Deputy will appreciate that it would not be appropriate for me to comment on the circumstances of an individual who might be identifiable from the specifics of the question asked. Decisions on remand are a matter for the Courts who are independent in the discharge of their functions.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Crime Data (21 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: I am informed by the Courts Service that the offence of membership of an unlawful organisation under section 21(2) of the Offences Against the State Act 1939 is almost always prosecuted in the Special Criminal Court. The data requested by the Deputy on convictions before the Special Criminal Court under Section 21(2) of the Offence Against the State Act 1939 is provided in the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legal Aid Service (21 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: The Criminal Justice (Legal Aid) Act 1962 provides that free legal aid may be granted, in certain circumstances, for the defence of persons of insufficient means in criminal proceedings.  Under the Act, the grant of legal aid entitles the applicant to the services of a solicitor and, in certain circumstances, up to two counsel, in the preparation and conduct of their defence or appeal. ...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Parole Boards (22 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: I thank Deputy Kenny for raising this issue. I am fully committed to establishing the new parole board as soon as possible. This is an important programme for Government commitment and is something I have identified as a priority action for my Department. Government has supported this commitment with funding in our first budget to make sure this priority is delivered in 2021. As the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Parole Boards (22 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: I thank the Deputy and I reassure him that this is an absolute priority for me. This is why I have included it in my own list of priorities as Minister for Justice. While I cannot account for what may have happened last year or what stage it was at last year, a number of new things have happened in recent months with the establishment of the project board, which is driving forward the...