Results 8,181-8,200 of 9,409 for speaker:Jim O'Callaghan

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (25 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I understand that extended wait times can be frustrating for applicants and I want to assure anyone who has made an application for a join family visa that my Department is doing everything possible to progress these applications as quickly as possible. The entitlement to family reunification varies depending on the permission granted to the sponsor of the application. Accordingly, there is...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Court Orders (25 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: While I cannot comment on individual cases, or matters before the Courts, I can detail some of the measures that have been put in place or are being advanced in order to tackle violent crime and reduce recidivism by people on bail. In considering such matters, it is important to note that restricting a person’s liberty is a serious issue, given the Constitutional presumption that...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Electronic Tagging (25 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Section 6B of the Bail Act 1997 (as amended), which provides for the use of electronic monitoring for certain persons admitted to bail, has yet to be commenced. The Programme for Government commits to implement electronic tagging for appropriate categories of offender and work is underway to achieve this with a steering group in place made up of sectoral representatives who will be...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Public Procurement Contracts (25 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 654 and 655 together. Public procurement is governed by EU and national rules and my Department ensures that appropriate procedures are followed for procurement activity.Departments are obliged to ensure that public procurement is discharged in line with the standard accounting and procurement rules and that contract prices represent best value for money....

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (25 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I can advise the Deputy that the application referred to was created on 04 October 2024. Supporting documentation was received in the Tehran office on 09 October 2024. The application was received in the Dublin Visa Office on 01 November 2024 where it is currently being processed. It is not possible to give a definitive date as to when these applications will be finalised. Applications are...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (25 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 657 and 661 together. My first priority as Minister for Justice is to get more Gardai on our streets through increased recruitment and appropriate civilianisation where possible. The Programme for Government commits to recruiting at least 5,000 Gardai in the coming five years. A new recruitment process commenced this month which will see a new intake of Garda...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (25 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: The Government is committed to building stronger, safer communities, and strengthening An Garda Síochána is at the core of that. We will continue to provide An Garda Síochána with the resources it needs to ensure communities around Ireland are safe and feel safe, including investment in recruitment, equipment, technology and in buildings. This is reflected in the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (25 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Community policing is at the heart of An Garda Síochána and all Gardaí have a role to play in community policing in the course of carrying out their duties. A member of An Garda Síochána is deemed to be a ‘Community Garda’ where that person is allocated to a Community Policing Team (CPT), and is responsible and accountable for applying a...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (25 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: The Government is committed to ensuring that An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs to fight crime and a strengthened, well-resourced Garda organisation is central to this policy. An Garda Síochána's budget allocation is over €2.48 billion for this year, a 27% increase since 2020 which is supporting the continued recruitment of Garda members and staff. The...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (25 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I have requested the information sought by the Deputy from the Garda authorities, however, this was not available in time. I will write to the Deputy again once the information is to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Youth Diversion Programme (25 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 663, 664 and 665 together. The Youth Justice Strategy 2021-2027 is a whole of government plan to take a coordinated strategic and tactical approach to the full range of issues connected to children and young people at risk of coming into contact with the criminal justice system. The vision is to ensure collaboration across all sectors of government and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Restorative Justice (25 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: As part of the Probation Service’s overall strategy to further develop capacity to deliver a high quality service and meet the requirements contained in section 26 of the Criminal Justice (Victims of Crime) Act 2017, the Service established a National Restorative Justice and Victim Services Unit (RJVSU) in October 2018. The Unit meets two core objectives:Provide leadership and support...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (25 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: My Department acts only as a conduit for prison-link projects and I am advised that they are in fact funded chiefly by the Department of Health. The Department of Justice has no role in monitoring the projects, dealing with funding requests, or looking at any of their day-to-day activities. The Deputy may wish to put a question to the Minister for Health in this regard.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Communications (25 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: A key principle of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland is that community safety requires multi-agency cooperation working in partnership with An Garda Síochána and crucially with communities themselves. The Report recommended the establishment of national and local structures to bring together the relevant departments and State agencies involved in harm prevention to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Process (25 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Establishing a zero tolerance approach to domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence (DSGBV) is vital for safeguarding individuals and promoting a safer society. As Minister for Justice I am acutely aware of the need for vulnerable victims to be supported and I am committed to ensuring An Garda Síochána have what is needed to combat all forms of DSBGV and to support victims and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (25 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: The persons referred to by the Deputy entered the State under the Working Holiday Authorisation Programme (WHA), which is administered by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Where a person from outside the EU, EEA, UK or Switzerland comes to Ireland and intends to reside here for more than 90 days, including under the WHA scheme, they must register with Immigration Service Delivery...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Policy (25 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I can advise the Deputy that Block F of Cloverhill Remand Prison, which has a capacity of 24, is not currently being used to accommodate persons detained for illegal immigration purposes. I am advised by the Irish Prison Service that there are currently 36 prisoners being held on immigration matters and they are accommodated in the following prisons, as of 24 February 2025. ...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Policy (25 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: It has not been possible to collate the information requested in the time allowed. I will write to the Deputy directly when the information is to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Policy (25 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I can advise the Deputy that the Immigration Acts provide several non-custodial measures which may be used as alternatives to detention. These include requirements for the person to report to Gardaí at specified intervals and that the person must reside at a specified place. These non-custodial measures are normally applied to persons who have found to be illegally present in the State...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Data (25 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I can advise the Deputy, in June 2024, the Council of the European Union adopted the decision to extend the Temporary Protection Directive until March 2026. This was an important demonstration of continued solidarity and support for Ukraine at a time when innocent civilians continue to be displaced as a direct result of ongoing Russian aggression. The tables below detail the number of...