Results 40,221-40,240 of 46,575 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Data (8 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: As the Deputy will be aware, the Central Statistics Office (CSO), as the national statistical agency, is responsible for the compilation and publication of all crime statistics. The CSO produces these statistics using data recorded on An Garda Síochána’s PULSE system. In relation to the number of threat to kill incidents reported to Gardaí, I am informed that figures in...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Sentencing Policy (8 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: I can clarify for the Deputy that the review under Section 29 of the Judicial Council Act 2019 relates to minimum sentences for offences. As the Deputy will be aware, enactments relating to minimum sentences do have an impact on the eligibility for temporary release and this matter will be considered accordingly. In December 2021, my Department commenced this review and I hope to be in a...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (8 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: I can assure the Deputy that the Government is committed to ensuring An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs to deliver a modern and fit-for-purpose policing service. Budget 2023 provides funding of €2.14 billion for An Garda Síochána, of which €10 million has been allocated for investment in the Garda fleet. As the Deputy will be aware, under the Garda...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (8 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of Garda business under Section 26 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended). This includes all internal Garda human resources matters and sick leave management. As Minister, I play no role in these independent functions. For the Deputy's information, the Garda Commissioner...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Measures (8 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: As the Deputy will be aware, the Private Security Authority (PSA), an independent body under the aegis of my Department, is the statutory body with responsibility for licensing and regulating the private security industry in Ireland. The Private Security Services (Amendment) Act 2021 brings the regulation and licensing of security personnel, assisting those enforcing court orders for...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Boards (9 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 299 and 301 together. My officials have requested details of the course in question from the Deputy’s office. On receipt of these details, my officials will make enquiries with the relevant Education and Training Board.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Naturalisation Applications (9 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: The naturalisation application from the person referred to by the Deputy continues to be processed by my Department, with a view to establishing whether the applicant meets the statutory conditions for the granting of naturalisation. It will be submitted to me for decision in due course. The Citizenship division of my Department wrote to the person concerned on 2 March, requesting further...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Policy (9 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 303, 304 and 305 together. Each individual investor application to the Immigration Investor Program (IIP) is a standalone application and must be submitted in association with a particular project. A specific project may have numerous individual investor applications associated with it, depending on the amount of funding sought. The statistics in relation to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Naturalisation Applications (9 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: The granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is governed by the provisions of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended, and all applications are processed in line with the eligibility criteria as set out under the Act. It is open to the person details supplied to make an application for Naturalisation when they meet the criteria as set out in the 1956 Act. ...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Naturalisation Applications (9 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: The granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is governed by the provisions of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended, and all applications are processed in line with the eligibility criteria as set out under the Act. Each application is assessed individually in accordance with the provisions of the Act. A determination on whether an applicant satisfies the...

Seanad: Location of Victims' Remains: Motion (22 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: In answer to Senator Wilson's rhetorical question, I do not think any of us can imagine the ongoing pain, grief and trauma the families have been put through. I feel humbled to be here this evening on behalf of the Government and in my role as Minister for Justice to respond to this important and timely debate. I join colleagues in the Seanad in welcoming the families and the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Opt-In Regulation (EU) 2021/2303: Discussion (21 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: I thank the Cathaoirleach and committee members for having me here today. I know that later my officials will brief the committee on their work at EU level on child sex abuse. I am very pleased to see the committee's interest. I will be engaging with the European Commissioner on this matter on Thursday. Ireland is very keen to play a leading and constructive role. I look forward to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Opt-In Regulation (EU) 2021/2303: Discussion (21 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: I thank my colleague, Senator Ward, for his comments and support. He has summed up my view that we can only gain from participation in this. We are a small country at the heart of Europe but on the geographic periphery. We can only benefit from an exchange of information and fundamentally that is at the heart of what this agency intends to do, namely, share information, best practice and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Opt-In Regulation (EU) 2021/2303: Discussion (21 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: I do not want to avoid any issue and I certainly take seriously what the Deputy says. I would fundamentally reject with every fibre of my being that the position of the European Union in relation to migration - and this country being a member of the EU I am not talking about Europe as something separate and disconnected from us - is in any way shape or form aligned with the policy adopted by...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Opt-In Regulation (EU) 2021/2303: Discussion (21 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: The principal roles of the agency will be monitoring. The monitoring will cover the operational and technical application of all aspects of the common European asylum system. Frontex is obviously a border agency whereas this will monitor the common European asylum system. They are not directly linked but, again, when I go to justice and home affairs meetings there tends to be a sharing of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Opt-In Regulation (EU) 2021/2303: Discussion (21 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: This is an agency in its own right. The Deputy is asking me a question specifically about Frontex. I think all our European agencies do their very best to respond to very difficult and challenging situations. Can people and organisations sometimes do better? Of course they can but this is an agency in its own right. The only exemplar that this agency is building on is the work of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Opt-In Regulation (EU) 2021/2303: Discussion (21 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: No. It is absolutely not about the individuals, it is about the systems. It is about best practice and it is about a resource to draw on to support the embedding of best practice and the information exchange but I welcome the question because it is an important one.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (22 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: The assessment of eligibility under the Free Fees Initiative (FFI) in individual cases is a matter for each institution to determine within the terms of the scheme and it is not possible for my Department to advise individual students on eligibility. It is therefore necessary for students to contact the institution attended for guidance on the fees applicable to a course of study appropriate...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (22 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: Under the Further Education and Training Act (2013), SOLAS has statutory responsibility for planning, funding, and co-ordinating Further Education and Training (FET) in Ireland. My officials referred your query to SOLAS and due to the provisions outlined in GDPR a response on this individual matter was issued to the apprentice on March 21st 2023.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Health Services Staff (22 Mar 2023)

Simon Harris: Significant engagement is ongoing between my Department, and the Department of Health to develop a joined-up approach to meet system level demand across the health sector. My Department does not place a quota on the number of places available on programmes therapy disciplines such as; speech and language therapy, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and psychology, that is decided by the...