Results 13,821-13,840 of 15,969 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (22 Jan 2025)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of Garda business under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended) and therefore, resource management is a matter for the Commissioner. I am assured that personnel assigned throughout the country, together with the overall policing arrangements and operational strategies are...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (22 Jan 2025)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, 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. As Minister, I have no role in such matters. The Government is committed to ensuring that An Garda...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (22 Jan 2025)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, including Garda resources. This includes the allocation of Garda members to a given Division, District or Station across the State. As Minister, I have no role in this process and cannot seek to direct the Commissioner in relation to same. I am informed...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Restorative Justice (22 Jan 2025)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, there has been much work done to date to support the expansion of restorative justice services, in line with the policy paper ‘Promoting and supporting the provision of Restorative Justice at all stages of the criminal justice system’, published in August 2023. Restorative justice is defined in Irish law as any scheme through which, with the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Measures (22 Jan 2025)

Helen McEntee: The independent review of familicide, published in May 2023, was commissioned by my Department in order to effectively respond to this difficult but important subject. A significant number of the recommendations made in the familicide review are being progressed as part of our work to tackle domestic abuse and protect victims. A team has been established in my Department to review and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legal Aid (22 Jan 2025)

Helen McEntee: In its over forty years of operation, the Civil Legal Aid Scheme has been a significant and beneficial public service, providing legal aid and advice to people of limited means in civil disputes, including family law. However, since the Scheme was set up, Irish society has changed, and the demands on the service have grown. In June 2022, I established the Civil Legal Aid Review Group to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (22 Jan 2025)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, under Section 33 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution and stationing of the Garda Síochána throughout the State. As Minister, I have no role in these independent functions. I am informed by the Garda authorities that a distribution model is used which takes into account all...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Contracts (22 Jan 2025)

Helen McEntee: The Deputy will appreciate that, arising from the Single Market and in line with the EU Procurement Principles of equal treatment, transparency and open competition, it is permissible for companies and individuals who are tax resident outside of Ireland to participate in public tender competitions. Competitive tendering is used by my Department for the procurement of goods and services in...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Contracts (22 Jan 2025)

Helen McEntee: I can inform the Deputy that my Department has no record of any contracts awarded to the companies in question in the last 10 years.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Work Permits (22 Jan 2025)

Helen McEntee: I understand the Deputy is referring to a holder of a Critical Skills Permit and a stamp 1 immigration permission. Where a person on a stamp 1 critical skills permit is made redundant, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment's website provides detailed information on the issue of redundancy and the remedies available to those on an employment permit. This can be accessed at the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (22 Jan 2025)

Helen McEntee: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that processing times are now decreasing year on year. The median processing time for a decision on an application in 2024 was 8 months, down from 15 months in 2023, and 19 months in 2022. I expect that going forward, the vast majority of applicants will continue to receive a decision within one year, however, it is important to note that no two...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Human Trafficking (22 Jan 2025)

Helen McEntee: The prevention, detection and prosecution of the abhorrent crime of human trafficking is a priority for me as Minister for Justice and for the 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, and to raise awareness and provide training for those who need it. In order to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Misuse of Drugs (22 Jan 2025)

Helen McEntee: 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. As the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána. This includes all operational and investigative...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: I acknowledge how important this school project is, not just for the Deputy but also for the wider community. The school capital projects overall entail a significant plan that we hope to see expanded in the years to come. The projects are well advanced but I want to ensure they can progress as quickly as possible. I look forward to working with the Deputy and, indeed, the school he has...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Staff (5 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 404 and 527 together. Delivering a successful Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU) from July to December 2026 requires extensive preparatory work and significant resources. An important element of this is to ensure that there are sufficient staffing resources in place, both in Dublin and in Brussels at the Permanent Representation to the...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: School Accommodation (5 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: The school to which the Deputy refers submitted applications for funding under the Emergency Works Scheme (EWS) for roof works and fabric defect works. The application regarding roof works was refused on the basis that the school in question was asked to provide further information illustrating evidence of leaks. This information has not been provided as of yet. If the school can provide...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Weather Events (5 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: The decision to close a school in response to a severe weather event is a matter for individual school management authorities around the country, taking into consideration the full guidance and direction available from the principal response agencies, especially the local authority. Individual school management authorities are best placed to do this in light of local weather conditions,...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: School Accommodation (5 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: The current position in respect of the joint major building project referred to by the Deputy is as follows; The major project for St. John Bosco Boys JNS, St. John Bosco SNS, and Mary Help of Christians GNS is currently at Stage 2(a) of Architectural Planning - Developed Design - which is a crucial element of the architectural planning process as it is at this stage that the design is...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: School Admissions (5 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: My Department’s main responsibility is to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all pupils seeking school places in the area. Parents have the right to choose which school to apply to and where the school has places available for the relevant year, the student should be admitted. However, in schools where there are more applicants than places available, a...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Special Educational Needs (5 Feb 2025)

Helen McEntee: I would like to thank Deputy Carthy for his question regarding my Department’s National Educational Psychological Service. The National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) works with schools using a problem-solving model to help schools identify need and interventions to support those needs. Under this model, NEPS encourages schools to use a continuum-based assessment and...