Results 5,481-5,500 of 15,508 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Policy (19 Jan 2022)

Helen McEntee: The Covid-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on my Department's immigration service delivery.  In line with public health advice, my Department has implemented a suite of measures to help reduce the spread of the virus. This has unavoidably led to a reduction in processing capacity across many business areas. However, it is important to say that applications have continued to be...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Mental Health Policy (19 Jan 2022)

Helen McEntee: I am pleased to say that considerable progress has been made on meeting the Programme for Government commitment to establish a high-level cross Departmental and cross agency taskforce to consider the mental health and addiction challenges of those imprisoned, and primary care support on release.  Last April, the Minister for Health and I, together with Minister of State Frank Feighan and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Policy (19 Jan 2022)

Helen McEntee: From the details supplied by Deputy, it is unfortunately not possible to determine the nationality of the non-EEA spouse referred to. Any person that is unsure as to whether they require a visa/preclearance to enter Ireland can check their nationality on the list available on my Department's immigration website (www.irishimmigration.ie) to determine if they need to apply for a...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Public Sector Staff (19 Jan 2022)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1322, 1323 and 1325 together. I can advise the Deputy that the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform will be providing the number of civil service workers in County Clare in their response to this question and this will include civil servants in justice sector agencies other than An Garda Síochána. The table below sets out the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legal Aid (19 Jan 2022)

Helen McEntee: As you will be aware, I am committed to undertaking a review of the Civil Legal Aid Scheme and my Department is currently working to finalise the mode and terms of reference of the review. As part of the review process, it is intended that there will be significant consultation to ensure that the insights of a range of stakeholders regarding the operation of the scheme – and how...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: International Protection (19 Jan 2022)

Helen McEntee: Records are not ordinarily maintained by my Department in a format that identifies whether or not an applicant for family reunification is in a same-sex marriage. However, following a manual search of family reunification records, I can confirm that no application has been identified where a same-sex couple has been approved for family reunification under Section 56 of the International...

Violence against Women: Statements (Resumed) (25 Jan 2022)

Helen McEntee: I thank the Acting Chairperson for the time to come back in and respond to the Deputies. I thank the Deputies for their contributions, including those who have contributed a number of times. This is also my third time to discuss this issue in the Chamber in less than a week. It is clear from the very fact that we had to extend this debate and discuss this issue numerous times just how...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Naturalisation Applications (25 Jan 2022)

Helen McEntee: This application for naturalisation from the person referred to by the Deputy, continues to be processed with a view to establishing whether the applicant meets the statutory conditions for the granting of naturalisation and will be submitted to me for decision in due course. The granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is a privilege and an honour which confers certain...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (25 Jan 2022)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland (CoFPI) report made a number of recommendations to reform policing in the State. A Policing Service for our Future(APSFF), the Government's implementation plan for the recommendations of the CoFPI report, contained an action to undertake a review of discipline and the disciplinary process within An Garda...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (25 Jan 2022)

Helen McEntee: I am informed by the Garda authorities that it is intended to hold a recruitment competition early this year, with the details expected to be announced in February.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Reviews (25 Jan 2022)

Helen McEntee: My Department is currently finalising the review of the operation of Part 3 of the Personal Insolvency Acts 2012 to 2015, as required by section 141 of the Act. Part 3 provides for the three new insolvency arrangements introduced in 2012, namely the Debt Relief Notice, Debt Settlement Arrangement and the Personal Insolvency Arrangement, and for the process of the appointment of personal...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (25 Jan 2022)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy may be aware, responsibility for the identification, tracing, freezing, and ultimate confiscation of criminal assets does not rest with a single organisation in Ireland and is spread across a number of different agencies and statutory bodies, not all of which are the responsibility of my Department. These include An Garda Síochána, the Criminal Assets Bureau, the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (25 Jan 2022)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, including the enforcement of legislation pertaining to illegal drugs, and Garda operations concerning same. As Minister, I have no direct role in these matters. I can inform the Deputy that the Garda National...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (25 Jan 2022)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, responsibility for the identification, tracing, freezing, and ultimate confiscation of criminal assets does not rest with a single organisation in Ireland and is spread across a number of different agencies and statutory bodies, not all of which are the responsibility of my Department. These include An Garda Síochána, the Criminal Assets Bureau, the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Naturalisation Applications (25 Jan 2022)

Helen McEntee: This application for naturalisation from the person referred to by the Deputy, continues to be processed with a view to establishing whether the applicant meets the statutory conditions for the granting of naturalisation and will be submitted to me for decision in due course. The granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is a privilege and an honour which confers certain...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Naturalisation Applications (25 Jan 2022)

Helen McEntee: The application for the person referred to by the Deputy is currently being processed with a view to establishing whether the applicant meets the statutory conditions for the granting of naturalisation and will be submitted to me for decision as expeditiously as possible. If any further documentation is required, it will be requested from the person in due course. While this application...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Naturalisation Applications (25 Jan 2022)

Helen McEntee: I am deeply conscious of how important the granting of naturalisation is to those who apply for it and my Department has continued to accept and process citizenship applications throughout the pandemic and during all levels of public health restrictions. However, the combined impact of the 2019 High Court judgment in the Jones case and the necessary health restrictions arising from the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Alcohol Sales (25 Jan 2022)

Helen McEntee: The Programme for Government commits to ‘modernising our licensing laws and application processes’ and my Justice Plan 2021 commits to reviewing and modernising alcohol licensing. As the Deputy may be aware, it is intended to bring forward legislation that will contain proposals to update the law relating to the sale, supply and consumption of alcohol in licensed premises...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (25 Jan 2022)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 483 and 484 together. When a non-EEA national enters the State and intends to stay for more than 90 days, they must register their immigration permission. First time registrations outside of the Dublin area are processed by the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) through the Garda Station network and securing of those appointments with GNIB are a matter...