Results 8,881-8,900 of 9,410 for speaker:Jim O'Callaghan

Defamation (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (30 Apr 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: As that is the last section, may I identify some provisions I may bring forward on Report Stage?

Defamation (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (30 Apr 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I wish to indicate to the House that I intend to bring forward some further amendments, about some of which we are not yet clear as to the exact placing within the Bill. Those amendments will include an amendment to provide for clearer and simpler defence of fair and reasonable publication in the public interest, which is particularly important to protect responsible public interest...

Defamation (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (30 Apr 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: That has not been set yet.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (30 Apr 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I can advise the Deputy that the Irish Prison Service continually monitors the staffing requirements of, and vacancies that arise in, the organisation. The Irish Prison Service routinely reviews the resource requirement across the estate based on the prisoner cohort and the expanding prison population. The staff requirement has increased to meet demand on the service. Recruitment...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (30 Apr 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I am advised by my officials in the Irish Prison Service that the average annual cost of an available, staffed prison space during the calendar year 2024 was €99,072. This includes net expenditure incurred within the year (such as salaries, utilities/ maintenance, ICT, prison services, etc.) excluding capital expenditure on buildings, ICT and vehicle purchases. Further, I have...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (30 Apr 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: There is a Crime Prevention Officer attached to each Garda Division. As of 5 March 2025, the latest date for which figures are available, there are 37 Crime Prevention Officers in the country. Information in relation to Crime Prevention Officer's is publicly available on the Garda.ie website and can be found at the following link: .

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (30 Apr 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I am informed by the Garda authorities that the allocation of additional resources for specialist units within An Garda Síochána, including the Garda dog unit, is reviewed on a continual basis. The purchase and allocation of vehicles is made on the basis of identified operational demands and the availability of resources. The table below has been provided to me by the Garda...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (30 Apr 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I have been advised by CAB that a review was recently conducted of the Divisional Asset Profilers on a National basis. Since training commenced a total of 628 members of An Garda Síochána have completed the Criminal Assets Bureau Divisional Assets Profiler course. The review indicated that a number of trained Divisional Asset Profilers are now inactive for various reasons...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: International Protection (30 Apr 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I can assure the Deputy that I am fully committed to ensuring that Ireland’s International Protection system is robust and rules based, and that our borders are protected. Accelerated processing was introduced in November 2022 and it now applies to those from designated safe countries of origin, applicants who have received protection elsewhere in Europe and citizens of countries...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Anti-Racism Measures (30 Apr 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Transposition of Council Framework Decision 2008/913/JHA of 28 November 2008 on combating certain forms and expressions of racism and xenophobia was formally notified to the European Commission before the deadline in November 2010. In 2014, the Commission published a report on the implementation of the Framework Decision, which outlined concerns over correct transposition in over a dozen EU...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Road Traffic Offences (30 Apr 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 114 and 115 together. Road safety is a shared responsibility. The whole of Government response is led by the Department of Transport and is taken very seriously across Government. An Garda Síochána plays a vital role in enforcing road traffic law and in making our roads safer for all road users, including vulnerable road users. Road traffic...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (30 Apr 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I understand that the Correctional Research Symposium (CRS) is an international conference co-organised by EuroPris - a network of European prison agencies and the International Corrections and Prisons Association (IACP). I am advised that the symposium is dedicated to research in the field of community and institutional corrections and prisons. CRS provides a platform for exchange among...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Human Trafficking (30 Apr 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: The prevention, detection and prosecution of the crime of human trafficking is a priority for me and for this Government. A number of significant measures have been taken to combat human trafficking, to create a more victim-centred approach to identifying and supporting victims; to raise public awareness and provide training to relevant people including professionals to detect, understand...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (30 Apr 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I am committed to ensuring that An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs to fight crime. A strengthened, well-resourced Garda organisation is central to this policy. The Garda Vote in Budget 2025 includes unprecedented funding of over €2.48 billion, representing a 27% increase since 2020. This investment supports the continued enhancement of the Garda fleet, ensuring...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (30 Apr 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I refer to Parliamentary Question No. 375 of 20 March 2025 where you sought: “To ask the Minister for Justice the number of competitions held for sworn Gardaí to apply to join Garda National Immigration Bureau in 2024 and to date in 2025; the number of vacancies, by rank, that were available during each of those competitions; and the number of Gardaí, by rank, that applied...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (30 Apr 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: The statutory framework relating to young offenders (between the ages of 12 and 18 years of age), and inclusion in the Garda Youth Diversion Programme, is set out in the Children Act 2001. The Act provides that where a young person under 18 years of age is responsible for committing a crime, the young person shall be considered for admission to the Youth Diversion Programme. In order for a...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Closed-Circuit Television Systems (30 Apr 2025)

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

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (30 Apr 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: A Personal Protective Equipment review group, which includes representatives from the Irish Prison Service, State Claims Agency and the Prison Officers Association, was established in 2024. This group will conduct a fresh review of the requirement for PPE for operational staff in our prisons. I am informed by my officials that a range of Personal Protective Equipment was considered by...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (30 Apr 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: The average daily prison population, official bed capacity of each capacity of each custodial institution for the months January to March 2025 and the percentage occupancy for each are published on a daily basis and are available on the Irish Prison Service website (www.irishprisons.ie). This information can be located in the Information Centre, under Statistics and Information –...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (30 Apr 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: The Government is acutely aware of capacity restraints in our prisons and has committed to increasing capacity of our prisons by 1,500 under the Programme for Government. This work has already commenced. An increase of €79m (18%) was secured in Budget 2025 towards a total of €525m in funding to increase prison capacity and tackle overcrowding. The Irish Prison Service capital...