Results 6,681-6,700 of 15,536 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Data Protection (26 Apr 2022)

Helen McEntee: As outlined to the Deputy in response to Parliamentary Question No. 731 of 22 March 2022, on 23 September 2020, the Data Protection Commission wrote to my Department indicating that there were problems with the administration of CCTV schemes across Ireland. There was no particular mention of schemes in County Limerick. In that letter, the DPC offered observations on the draft general scheme...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (26 Apr 2022)

Helen McEntee: Entitlement to Irish citizenship is determined by the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended, under which Irish citizenship may be obtained either by birth, by descent, or by way of naturalisation. The requirements for foreign births registration are set out in section 27 of the Act. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) manages the application process for these...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Victim Support Services (26 Apr 2022)

Helen McEntee: I would like to thank the Deputy for raising this matter. Implementing the recommendations of the Review of Protections for Vulnerable Witnesses in the Investigation and Prosecution of Sexual Offences, known as The O'Malley Review, has been a priority for me since I published the review in August of 2020. As I know the Deputy is aware, in October 2020 I published and commenced implementation...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (26 Apr 2022)

Helen McEntee: I can confirm that I have received the correspondence referred to and can assure the Deputy that tackling these heinous crimes is a priority for me, my Department and this Government. As the Deputy will be aware, I am leading on the preparation of a new national strategy to combat domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. The strategy has been developed in partnership with the sector to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (26 Apr 2022)

Helen McEntee: I can confirm to the Deputy that the review is due to be finalised shortly and the updated scorecards are expected to issue in the coming weeks. The slight delay in introducing the updated scorecards partly reflects my Department's desire to take on board additional stakeholder feedback that has been received in recent weeks. The scorecard was introduced to help applicants to complete...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (26 Apr 2022)

Helen McEntee: I can assure the Deputy that supporting staff and managers in this important field is a key priority for the Irish Prison Service. I am advised by the Director General of the Prison Service that Department of Public Expenditure and Reform’s Dignity at Work Policy is the mechanism by which complaints received from staff where bullying, harassment or sexual harassment is alleged...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Charitable and Voluntary Organisations (26 Apr 2022)

Helen McEntee: I am informed by the Director of the Probation Service that it was formally notified in March 2022 of the Board’s intention to wind down the organisation referred to by the Deputy. The Probation Service has provided funding to the community organisation in question for the delivery of programmes and services to individuals and their families in Waterford.  I am informed that the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Naturalisation Applications (26 Apr 2022)

Helen McEntee: The 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 rights...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Staff (26 Apr 2022)

Helen McEntee: I can inform the Deputy that there are no staff within my Department who availed of a secondment from January 2019 to date, on the basis that it was not the intention of the given staff member to return to their position within my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Naturalisation Applications (26 Apr 2022)

Helen McEntee: Based on the information supplied by the Deputy, it has unfortunately not been possible to locate the application for the persons referred to. More generally, in relation to the Regularisation of Long Term Undocumented Migrants Scheme, as of 24 April 2022, my Department has received 4068 applications in respect of  5294 applicants and 148 positive decisions have been issued, with...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Ukraine War (26 Apr 2022)

Helen McEntee: As of 14 April 2022, a total of 23,205 people had arrived in Ireland from Ukraine and my Department had issued approximately 20,950 temporary protection permission letters.   There is a coordinated whole-of-Government response to support people arriving in Ireland who have fled the violence in Ukraine. Government Departments and services are working together to implement...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Alcohol Sales (26 Apr 2022)

Helen McEntee: The Programme for Government commits to modernising our licensing laws and application processes, and my Justice Plan 2022 commits to publishing and enacting new laws to update and modernise licensing laws. I am delivering on that commitment by preparing Heads of a General Scheme of a Sale of Alcohol Bill. The objective of the proposed Bill is to repeal the Licensing Acts 1833 to 2018, the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Programme (26 Apr 2022)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy may be aware, I have recently published Justice Plan 2022, which sets out 159 actions to continue building a justice system that works for everyone.  Action 22 of the Justice Plan refers to the publication of the General Scheme of a Bill to update certain provisions linked to the Budapest Convention on cybercrime, as well as specific access to data requests (if not dealt...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Residency Permits (26 Apr 2022)

Helen McEntee: I recognise the difficulties that Covid-19 has had on everyone in the country, including our international student population. From the outset of the pandemic, my Department and I have worked to provide assistance and assurance to people who use our immigration services. Since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020, nine temporary extension of immigration and international...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (26 Apr 2022)

Helen McEntee: The resources provided by Government to An Garda Síochána have reached unprecedented levels, with an allocation of in excess of €2 billion in Budget 2022. This allocation provides for the recruitment of up to an additional 800 Garda members and 400 Garda staff. I note the strong interest in a career as a Garda member in the recent Garda recruitment campaign, with over 10,000...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Crime Prevention (26 Apr 2022)

Helen McEntee: I strongly condemn the actions of the small minority who subject others to abuse or attack resulting from their own prejudice.   We live in a diverse and welcoming country and our law and values should reflect this. Work is ongoing as a priority to legislate for hate crime and hate speech, to ensure that Ireland is a safe and secure place for all. A hate crime occurs where...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Gangland Crime (26 Apr 2022)

Helen McEntee: Tackling organised criminal activity is a key priority for the Government and an ongoing priority for An Garda Síochána.  As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible under the law for the management of An Garda Síochána, including operational matters and the deployment of resources. As Minister, I have no responsibility for these...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Ukraine War (26 Apr 2022)

Helen McEntee: As I have recently confirmed to the Deputy, I am aware of the European Parliament report referred to. Prior to this report being launched, I had instructed that no further applications from Russian citizens will be accepted into the Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP). Since the Programme was introduced in 2012, there have only been three applications made by Russian nationals under...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Ukraine War (26 Apr 2022)

Helen McEntee: I can confirm to the Deputy that there were no applications submitted to the Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP) from Belarusian nationals in any of the requested years. The IIP was introduced in April 2012 to encourage inward investment and create business and employment opportunities in the State. The programme provides investors with the opportunity to invest in Ireland. Key to the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Asylum Applications (26 Apr 2022)

Helen McEntee: The Afghan Admission Programme closed for applications on 11 March 2022 and my Department received 528 applications in total. Officials in my Department are currently processing all applications and expect to issue decisions in the coming months. The application form has been designed so that all applicants are treated fairly and equally in their applications. Applicants can be assured...