Results 7,901-7,920 of 15,622 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Asylum Seekers (12 Oct 2022)

Helen McEntee: A response was issued by my Department to this correspondence on the 28 March 2022. This correspondence explained that the Afghan Admission Programme which was designed as a specific response to the evolving situation in Afghanistan closed for applications on the 11 March 2022. The applications continue to be assessed in a pragmatic and humanitarian manner with a view to issuing decisions...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Data (12 Oct 2022)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, prosecutions are a matter for the Director of Public Prosecutions, who is independent in the exercise of her functions under Section 2(5) of the Prosecution of Offences Act 1974 (as amended). As Minister for Justice, I have no direct role in prosecution matters. To be of assistance, I have contacted the Court Service and asked them to provide the information...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Staff (12 Oct 2022)

Helen McEntee: As of 10 October 2022, a total of 52,585 people have been recorded as arriving in the State from Ukraine. The vast majority of those arriving to date are women and children. 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 Ireland's...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (12 Oct 2022)

Helen McEntee: I am advised by officials in the Irish Prison Service, who are the competent body for the administration of the Transfer of Sentenced Persons Acts, that an application made on behalf of the person referred to is under consideration. My officials have begun processing the application in accordance with the provisions of the Acts. The Deputy will appreciate that applications of this nature...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (12 Oct 2022)

Helen McEntee: I have requested the information from An Garda Síochána, and will respond to the Deputy when this is available.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Priorities (12 Oct 2022)

Helen McEntee: The Government is firmly committed to ratification of the Second Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. In consultation with the Office of the Attorney General, several legislative measures have been implemented which were necessary to ensure that Ireland is in compliance with the obligations of the Optional Protocol. Enactment of the Criminal Law (Sexual...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Residency Permits (12 Oct 2022)

Helen McEntee: I have confirmed that once the person referred to by the Deputy has submitted an application online to register the Stamp 4 immigration permission granted and that application is at processing stage, a refund of that fee will then be issued. Since 20 July 2020 all renewals for the Dublin area are being processed online at: inisonline.jahs.ie. Queries in relation to the status of...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Domestic Violence (18 Oct 2022)

Helen McEntee: I thank Senator O’Loughlin for tabling this issue specifically and more generally raising the issue of domestic violence and the work we are doing collectively to respond to it. We can all agree it is an issue that has not had the attention or focus it should have had for many years, but that is changing. While I will respond on a number of different fronts to the Senator's...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Domestic Violence (18 Oct 2022)

Helen McEntee: I was looking at the clock thinking I had more time.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Domestic Violence (18 Oct 2022)

Helen McEntee: That is okay.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Domestic Violence (18 Oct 2022)

Helen McEntee: While this is obviously a key priority for Jason, I know there are many other issues he has been focused on and I am pleased to work with him and many others to make sure we can make those changes. We have seen an increase in reports and numbers of people going to the Garda reporting domestic violence and sexual offences over the last year. We can look at that in two ways. First,...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022: Committee Stage (18 Oct 2022)

Helen McEntee: We are amending it in the miscellaneous Bill. I can speak to the matter later. I was not sure what had been ruled in or out.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022: Committee Stage (18 Oct 2022)

Helen McEntee: The Constitution provides for judicial independence and this Bill supports judicial independence. I support the Senator's last comments that we have an independent Judiciary, one that we can be very proud of and one that is held up right across the world. I thank the Senators for tabling this amendment. The amendment provides for a new section. It provides for an object of the Act being...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022: Committee Stage (18 Oct 2022)

Helen McEntee: What is very clear in this Bill is that a person cannot be and will not be appointed unless he or she has gone through the process. As the Senator has outlined, there may be a situation, as is currently the case or had been previously the case, where vacancies are not filled. For example, in the Supreme Court if a vacancy arises but it is not to be filled immediately, then it is not...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022: Committee Stage (18 Oct 2022)

Helen McEntee: There are a number of elements to this, as the Senators pointed out. One aspect I wanted to ensure was that there will not be a large commission whose number just continues to increase. There are a number of later amendments regarding specific numbers of lay persons who should be appointed and how to reduce that. I do not think the figure, therefore, would go from nine to 11 but rather to...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022: Committee Stage (18 Oct 2022)

Helen McEntee: I have to stress what we are talking about here. I appreciate that these amendments propose moving from nine to 11 people, but it would in fact become nine to 13, because I could not or would not accept that there would be a minority of lay persons.We have tried to strike a balance to ensure an equal number of laypeople and legal professionals on the commission. The Senator mentioned the...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022: Committee Stage (18 Oct 2022)

Helen McEntee: We are not talking about the degree of connection to the profession here. Regarding the two nominees from the Judicial Council, it is about an understanding of the role, how it operates, how people feel and an appreciation and understanding of what is required. This is why we have the interview process as well. It is not about the connection to the profession and removing that connection...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022: Committee Stage (18 Oct 2022)

Helen McEntee: I thank Senators for their amendments. Amendment No. 4 very much relates to whether or not amendment No. 6 is passed and is to balance out the number. I appreciate that. I reiterate what many colleagues have outlined. The Attorney General is a constitutional officeholder. He or she is not there to represent the Government. He or she is not on the commission to represent the Government....

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (18 Oct 2022)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 633, 658 and 659 together. My Department's Registration Office in Burgh Quay is responsible for registering and renewing immigration permissions for customers residing in the Dublin area only. Registrations and renewals for persons resident outside of the Dublin area are processed by the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) through the Garda Station...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (18 Oct 2022)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, in accordance with the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, which includes decisions on the deployment of personnel among the various Garda Divisions. As Minister, I have no role in these matters. The Government is committed to ensuring that An...