Results 8,221-8,240 of 9,409 for speaker:Jim O'Callaghan

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Data (27 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: The Regularisation of Long-Term Undocumented Migrants scheme was a strictly time-limited one that opened on 31 January 2022 and closed on 31 July 2022. This once in a generation scheme was designed to give long-term undocumented people without a current permission to remain in the State, the chance to regularise their status, access the labour market and begin their path to citizenship. The...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Policy (27 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: The establishment of a person’s identity and nationality is an important feature of our immigration process generally. When it comes to international protection applicants, each person that enters the process is fingerprinted and photographed. These fingerprints are checked against EURODAC, an EU immigration database which stores the fingerprints of asylum applicants and those who have...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Naturalisation Applications (27 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Prior to travelling to Ireland, a non-EEA student may be required to apply for a visa, if from a visa required country. Visa applications are part of the screening processes, designed to establish that a person has a legitimate reason to come to Ireland prior to travel. A visa applicant is required to present certain documentation in support of his or her application including a valid...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Naturalisation Applications (27 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I can advise the Deputy that the person concerned recently attended one of the Citizenship Ceremonies hosted by my Department earlier this month. All certificates of naturalisation for the attendees of these ceremonies are currently in the process of being printed and will be issued via registered post. I want to assure anyone who is waiting for their certificate of naturalisation that they...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (27 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: In accordance with the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of Garda business. As Minister I have no role in these independent, operational functions. I was referring in my reply to an investigation being undertaken by the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) on foot of a referral by...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Communications (27 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: The Garda Commissioner is responsible under section 26 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended) for the management and administration of Garda business. This includes all operational policing matters, the maintenance of Garda IT systems and recording of data. The Minister has no role in these independent functions. I sought information from An Garda Síochána in...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Reviews (27 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. In 2022, the five-year Zero Tolerance DSGBV Strategy was published and in January 2024, Cuan, the DSGBV Agency, was established to drive the Strategy forward. Under Budget 2025, DSGBV funding from my Department was increased...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (27 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I can advise the Deputy that the applications referred to were created on 21 January 2025. However, the application process has not be completed and supporting documentation has not been received by the relevant Visa Office to date. Once the applicants are satisfied with their online visa applications they should click “submit” and print a copy of the “Summary...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (27 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 330 to 332, inclusive, together. Under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the administration and management of An Garda Síochána, including the distribution of Garda members between the different Garda units and Divisions. The Commissioner is also responsible for all decisions related to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Reviews (27 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: My Department commissioned an independent consultant to undertake the statutory review of Part 4 of the Act but, for a number of reasons, it was not possible for the review to be completed within the desired timeframe. The Deputy will be aware, from previous questions to my predecessor, of the circumstances that have delayed its completion. The Research and Evaluation Unit in my Department...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Measures (27 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Since the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024 was signed by the President on 7 February 2024 intensive work has been underway in my Department working closely with our programme partners to prepare for commencement. I intend to commence the Act within the next month. When the Act is commenced, it will provide for:a new Policing and Community Safety Authority (replacing the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (26 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. The Garda Vote in Budget 2025 saw unprecedented funding of over €2.48 billion for this year, a 27% increase since 2020 which is supporting the continued recruitment of Garda members and staff....

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Status (26 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I understand the extended wait times can be frustrating for applicants and want to assure anyone who has an application for naturalisation submitted that the Citizenship Division of my Department is doing everything possible to progress applications as quickly as possible. Citizenship Division have taken a significant number of steps to speed up the process for applicants. These included...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (26 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Tackling drug dealing and targeting the work of organised crime groups, who inflict intimidation, violence and misery on families and communities, is a top priority for the Government and my Department. I am advised by the Garda authorities that drug values and drug volumes are only published at a national level and are found in the Garda Síochána Annual Reports. The tables...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Contracts (26 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I am advised that my Department and its agencies have no records of any payments made to the company referred to in the Deputy's question.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (26 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. In 2022, the five-year ‘Zero Tolerance’ DSGBV Strategy was published and in January 2024, Cuan, the DSGBV Agency, was established to drive the Strategy forward. Cuan is now responsible for coordinating all...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (26 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I can advise the Deputy that there are currently seven overseas Visa Offices in addition to the Visa Office in Dublin. They are located in Abuja, Beijing, London, Moscow, Ankara, Abu Dhabi and New Delhi. In addition, the Department of Foreign Affairs process certain visa applications in Irish Embassies abroad under delegated sanction from my Department. There are several different legal...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (26 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I can advise the Deputy that the application referred to was created on 12 December 2024. Supporting documentation was received in the Bangkok office on 23 December 2024. This application was received in the Dublin Visa Office on 17 January 2025 where it awaits examination and processing. My Department's business target for join family visa applications is 12 months. The business target...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (26 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Under the Garda Síochána Act 2005, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána. This includes the distribution of resources, including the Garda fleet, across the various Garda Divisions and National/Specialist Units. As Minister, I have no direct role in this matter. The Government is committed to providing An Garda...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (26 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: My first priority is to get more Gardaí on our streets through increased recruitment. 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 recruits starting in the Garda Training College in Templemore in the coming months. The Government is committed to...