Results 9,961-9,980 of 10,346 for speaker:Jim O'Callaghan

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I agree with the Deputy. It is a dangerous thing for any person to be looking at a phone. Whatever about being on the phone, looking at stuff on the screen and being on the phone are highly dangerous things to do. It is important that the message gets out there. Deaths are caused by it. Momentarily, people stop concentrating and are looking at something and, before they know it, they are...

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: We have significantly increased funding for public order policing over the past year. We have invested in a water cannon and further fleets. It is costing us money for public order policing. As the Deputy is recognising, however, we need to recognise the right of people to protest. If we look at the weekend, the Garda did a very good job. There were two ongoing protests. One was a group...

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I will ask them about that. We will try to see how much is devoted to policing protests.

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: The only thing I would say is that, when it comes to concerts, the Garda can charge for that. It is entitled to charge a promoter for the extra resources the Garda is required to put on because of a concert. It is not as though we do not get money back from any type of extra policing that is required. When there are concerts, they can charge the promoter. Obviously when it comes to...

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I visited Cork Prison - the new prison - and it is a very fine prison. I am aware of what the Deputy is saying about overcrowding in prisons. It is a challenge that I have. The only way we are going to be able to deal with it is by getting further prison spaces. I have proposal that we will redevelop. It will be part of the old prison site. It is just going to be an extension of Cork...

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Yes, I will certainly ask that. In fairness to the Prison Service, it builds prisons on time and on budget. It did it with Cork Prison and Limerick Prison, both male and female. When I am on the topic, and I apologise for giving a suggestion, Chair, because you have enough on your plate, but if the committee gets a chance, it should visit Limerick Prison. It is a fantastic prison,...

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Is the Deputy asking about the vetting for new members of An Garda Síochána?

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: The Deputy asked whether I am aware of any problems with vetting of a person within An Garda Síochána. The answer is that I am not but if there was an issue, I probably would not get to hear about. As Minister for justice, I would not expect to-----

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Just let me finish. Let us say somebody had started in Templemore last February and the vetting rules were changed. If, as a result of that, a person was identified as not being suitable, the Garda is not going to come to me as Minister for justice and say, "There was a bloke who-----"

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Be realistic, Deputy. I am not going to be told about the fact that somebody does not get through vetting in Templemore.

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I suspect the Deputy is aware of a problem that he has not told me about. If he wants to tell me about it, he should do so.

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Okay. I am not aware of a problem. There is a benefit to speeding up the process in order that we can get more gardaí out there. Regarding prisons, I got permission from Government recently to bypass what was previously referred to as the public sector spending rules to speed up the process of building 940 units in prisons. I am hoping to see 670 spaces in the Midlands, Mountjoy,...

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I want to see this done within the term of the Government. Regarding local authority areas, on my Department's website one can see the number of people in international protection accommodation. At present, there are 33,000. This figure is broken down by local authority areas. Some of them probably do not carry as many as others. There is one I can think of not far from where I live...

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: This is something I have looked at and I will do something about it. The Department and my officials are trying to balance things. Regarding the last hotel in Roscrea, I want to get out of the business of going around trying to rent hotels for international protection accommodation services. The decision was made last week to buy Citywest Hotel on the basis that it is no longer going to...

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: That still stands, Deputy. There is no reason why that would not happen. As Minister with responsibility for the area now, I will not go around looking for new hotels to start putting in international protection applicants.

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Steel netting is used in prisons. The antidrone technology used at Dublin Airport has not been considered by the Prison Service. As I am sure the Deputy is aware, people getting drugs and other things into prisons using drones is a problem. The Prison Service recognises that it is an issue and it is bringing in measures to stop it. In some cases the steel netting is being burned through....

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: There could be an issue with residential areas and hospitals if drones are being flown in those areas. I will look into the matter. I will bring it to the attention of the Prison Service.

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Sorry, I do not have the information here but I think there is a proposal in respect of this. I will come back to the Deputy if I am wrong about it but I think I saw earlier when I was preparing for the meeting that there was an issue in respect of the progression unit. There is a lot of good work going on in prisons that we do not hear about that often. The education options provided in...

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: That 900 figure the Deputy mentioned is in the short term. The proposal up to 2031 is that there will be 1,500 new prison spaces put in place. On top of that, I hope to start work on Thornton Hall.

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: To use the Deputy’s example of hospitals, somebody would not be taken into hospital because he or she will get sick in the future. He or she would be treated on the basis that he or she is sick now, even if it was known that he or she would get sick again. Prisons are there for two reasons. They are there for punishment and for rehabilitation. There are two functions. When we...