Results 3,841-3,860 of 15,389 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (8 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: The Long Stay Join Family Visa application for the person referred to by the Deputy was created by the applicant on 21 September 2020. The supporting documentation was received by the Abuja Visa Office on 12 October 2020 and is currently being processed there.  To be fair to all applicants, visa applications are dealt with in chronological order by...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Proposed Legislation (8 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: I hope to obtain Government approval to publish the Personal Insolvency (Amendment) Bill 2020 before Christmas. This short but urgent Bill makes a number of procedural and other changes to the Personal Insolvency Acts 2012 to 2015 that are needed, in the context of the current pandemic, to ensure that homeowners and other people who are in financial difficulties due to the economic...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Road Traffic Offences (8 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: The Deputy will appreciate that the Garda Commissioner is responsible, by law, for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána.  I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter. I have requested information from the Garda Commissioner in relation to this question in light of the information I previously provided to the Deputy in...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: International Protection (8 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: For reasons of maintaining full confidentiality, it is not my Department's practice to comment on whether an application for asylum or subsidiary protection has been made in the State. An applicant for international protection is awarded international protection, whether refugee status or subsidiary protection status, upon a declaration of status being issued from my Department. This is...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (8 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: In general, the current target is that it should take around 12 months for a standard application for a certificate of naturalisation to be processed from the date it is received to the date a decision is made. However, for a broad range of reasons, some cases will take longer than others to process.  In some instances, completing the necessary checks, including security...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Seirbhísí trí Ghaeilge (8 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: Is mian liom a chur in iúl don Teachta go bhforáiltear mar a leanas in alt 44 den Acht Cúirteanna Breithiúnais, 1924 (Uimh. 10 de 1924): ‘Sa mhéid gur féidir é agus gach ní a bhaineann leis an scéal d’áireamh, beidh ag an mBreitheamh Cuarda, a ceapfar d’aon Chuaird ina bhfuil an Ghaedhilg in úsáid...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (8 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: Under Section 9 of the Aliens Act, 1935 a person who wishes to assume a name other than that by which he or she was ordinarily known prior to reaching the age of majority is required to obtain a change of name licence from my Department to do so.  In order for this name change to take legal effect a deed poll would also need to be executed. Applicants wishing to apply for a change...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Staff (8 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy may be aware, Part 5 of the Disability Act 2005 provides for a statutory report on the employment of people with disabilities in the public sector. This report is compiled by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, from information provided by all public bodies staffed by civil servants, and gives details of the number of people with a disability employed in the Civil...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Covid-19 Pandemic (8 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: I would like to inform the Deputy that my Department has implemented the requirements of the Work Safely Protocol in each of its buildings and in particular, the requirements of Section D3.  My Department has the following infection prevention and control arrangements in place which provide for physical distancing across its essential operations where staff are required to attend...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Covid-19 Pandemic (9 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: At the outset I would like to take this opportunity to commend the management and staff of Irish Prison Service (IPS) for the assured and safe management of our prisons during this pandemic. The Deputy will be aware that the IPS has put in place a range of measures to protect our prison population from Covid-19. Prisoners are a recognised vulnerable group for a number of reasons and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Human Rights (9 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: I welcome the recent publication of the report from the Council of Europe Committee on the Prevention of Torture (CPT), together with the responses returned by Ireland in respect of the issues raised by the Committee.  This report is perhaps the most positive account on Ireland since the process began in 1987 in that it recognises the progress which has been...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Domestic Violence Policy (9 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: The Deputy may be aware that my Department has agreed with the Central Statistics Office that it will conduct a major National Sexual Violence Prevalence Study, which will look in detail at the experience of women and men victims of sexual violence and abuse in Ireland, with repeat large scale surveys every decade. This will be a key element in ensuring that we develop an informed...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: State Pardons (9 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: I understand that the Deputy is enquiring about the process of a granting a Presidential pardon for historical convictions.  Given the rarity and the importance of the awarding of a Presidential Pardon, as well as the importance of obtaining an unbiased expert opinion, where an initial consideration of a case by officials in the Department of Justice forms the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Bodies Data (9 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: The information requested by the Deputy in respect of the composition of board memberships of the bodies under the aegis of my department is set out below in tabular format.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Family Reunification (9 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: My Department recognises the critical importance of beneficiaries of international protection being reunited with their family members as soon as possible. Family reunification visa applications are processed by the Immigration Service of my Department on an expedited basis where they are accompanied by the family reunification grant letter.   Such...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Deployment (9 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 188 and 189 together. As the Deputy will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for generally controlling, managing, administering and carrying on the business of An Garda Síochána. An Garda Síochána has been allocated an unprecedented budget of €1.952 billion for 2021. The...

Seanad: Deportation Moratorium (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Second Stage (9 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: Thank you. I thank Senators Higgins and Ruane for proposing and seconding the Bill, as well as Senators Flynn and Black, who are also supporting the legislation. I fully agree with and support the overall aim of this Bill that compassion is shown to those issued with deportation orders for the duration of the pandemic. The need to show compassion during this extraordinary time is one we...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Judicial Appointments (10 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: There are currently three vacancies on the national courts; one on the Supreme Court, one on a Circuit Court and one on a District Court. As I outlined to the House on 26 November, it has been the practice to maintain a vacancy on the Supreme Court due to the reduction in waiting times achieved in that court in recent years. However, this arrangement is always kept under review, having...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Judicial Appointments (10 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: I reassure the Deputy that bringing forward legislation to establish a new commission to replace the JAAB is a commitment of the programme for Government. I have committed to doing this as quickly as possible. It is important that we have a very clear process and that people understand it. I have just outlined the current process. I have adhered to that process at every stage of the six...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Judicial Appointments (10 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: I do not want to pre-empt this process but I hope to bring the legislation forward before the end of this term. If that does not happen, I will introduce it very early in the new year. I would like to see the legislation enacted in the first half of next year and avoid allowing the debate to go on throughout 2021.