Results 11,361-11,380 of 15,638 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Northern Ireland (23 Apr 2024)

Helen McEntee: I hope that we can come back with positive progress. On the Deputy's initial point, I cannot speak highly enough of the members of the commission and the work they do. I commend their commitment to removing violence from the communities in Northern Ireland but also their commitment to developing, enhancing and supporting communities that have been impacted for many years and working with...

Ceisteanna Eile (Atógáil) - Other Questions (Resumed): International Protection (23 Apr 2024)

Helen McEntee: My Department has taken a significant number of measures to increase the capacity of the international protection system. Reforms to this process will continue this year and beyond. In November 2022, I introduced an accelerated procedure for international protection applicants from designated safe countries of origin. This now applies to ten countries, with Botswana and Algeria added...

Ceisteanna Eile (Atógáil) - Other Questions (Resumed): International Protection (23 Apr 2024)

Helen McEntee: I will continue to be clear that this pact is not being forced on anyone. It was first presented in 2016, with a second iteration in 2020. During every stage of the debate, be it in the European Parliament, the European Council, the committee of justice or the European affairs ministers Council, which I was a member of a number of years ago, opportunities were available to Members of this...

Ceisteanna Eile (Atógáil) - Other Questions (Resumed): International Protection (23 Apr 2024)

Helen McEntee: The people did vote for this. They voted for it in the form of the Lisbon treaty.

Ceisteanna Eile (Atógáil) - Other Questions (Resumed): International Protection (23 Apr 2024)

Helen McEntee: The treaty clearly sets out that migration is an EU competence. What we fought for was the option to opt in. The only obligation from a constitutional perspective is that both Houses agree this. That is exactly what we are doing. To be clear, nothing is being forced upon us. We are deciding to opt into a set of measures that we are already a member of. We have been part of a common...

Ceisteanna Eile (Atógáil) - Other Questions (Resumed): An Garda Síochána (23 Apr 2024)

Helen McEntee: Budget 2024 provided a budget allocation of more than €2.35 billion to An Garda Síochána. A 25% increase on 2020, this will allow for the sustained recruitment of Garda recruits. Recruitment is gathering real momentum. The number of recruits in the Garda training college continue to increase with a total of 747 trainees last year. That was the highest intake since...

Ceisteanna Eile (Atógáil) - Other Questions (Resumed): An Garda Síochána (23 Apr 2024)

Helen McEntee: Approximately 40% of the applicants in the most recent campaign were over the age of 35. It has had a significant impact on those applying. A steering group has been established to see what more we can do around the Garda numbers around the Garda College and whether there is more that we need to do by examining hybrid training moving outside of Templemore. That might not be the answer...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: EU Regulations and Directive on International Protection, Asylum and Migration: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)

Helen McEntee: I thank the Chair. I apologise that I have to take parliamentary questions in the House later. I would have moved or changed them otherwise. I am pleased to be here today to discuss the proposal that the State exercises its option to participate in the EU asylum and migration pact and I thank the committee for its engagement on this matter. As the committee will be aware, following...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: EU Regulations and Directive on International Protection, Asylum and Migration: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)

Helen McEntee: Yes, I think it is feasible but it will require increased levels of staffing. These increased levels will be required not just in the first-instance decisions, because this context includes appeals as well, so we will need to ensure our appeals processing is more efficient than it is now. This will also require an investment in people to allow us to be able to carry out these procedures....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: EU Regulations and Directive on International Protection, Asylum and Migration: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)

Helen McEntee: It is. All this will require resources and an increase in the capacity of our overall system. We have more than doubled the number of people working in the International Protection Office in the last two years. The intention would be to increase it at the same level in the two intervening years between now and when the pact officially comes into play in 2026.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: EU Regulations and Directive on International Protection, Asylum and Migration: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)

Helen McEntee: A system is in place whereby we would need, for example, to apply a percentage of the border procedure requirement in that time. I think the figure is 1,746. Beyond that, we do not have to apply the 12-week period. Obviously, though, we want to ensure that as many people as possible going through that procedure are processed in that time.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: EU Regulations and Directive on International Protection, Asylum and Migration: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)

Helen McEntee: The challenge has been to make sure that what has been agreed will work. This is why we have been debating it for some time. There are member states under significantly more pressure than other countries. I have mentioned Italy, Cyprus and Greece. What we are placing on them is a significant onus to process a significant number of people who will be coming into Europe or who are already...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: EU Regulations and Directive on International Protection, Asylum and Migration: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)

Helen McEntee: With regard to the UK, Deputy Farrell is correct that we have an open border. The UK is no longer in the EU. We have agreements in place that mirror much of what we are discussing with regard to the pact, in particular with regard to returns. A significant number of people applying for asylum here have come through the UK. We have had a challenge in recent weeks with a High Court ruling...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: EU Regulations and Directive on International Protection, Asylum and Migration: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)

Helen McEntee: Through engagement when somebody is given a decision much more quickly, we are much more likely to know whether the person is leaving and they will communicate this to us. We can check that. In years gone by, because it took so long to go through these processors, people disappeared out of the system. What we do, and have been doing, is carry out checks to look at whether people are still...