Results 1,981-2,000 of 15,060 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Asylum Applications (1 Oct 2024)

Helen McEntee: Under the International Protection Act the Minister for Justice may make an order designating a country as a safe country of origin. A country may only be designated as a safe country of origin where satisfied it can be shown that there: • is generally and consistently no persecution; • no torture or inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; and • no threat by...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (1 Oct 2024)

Helen McEntee: The granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is governed by the provisions of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended. All applications for a certificate of naturalisation are processed and assessed individually in accordance with the provisions of the Act. It is open to anyone to make an application for citizenship once they meet the criteria as set out in...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (1 Oct 2024)

Helen McEntee: I can advise the Deputy that all Certificates of Naturalisation for the attendees of the recent citizenship ceremonies held this month are currently in the process of being printed and will be issued via registered post. I am aware that following some previous ceremonies there were delays in certificates being received and this is very much regretted. My Department has recently implemented...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (1 Oct 2024)

Helen McEntee: The visa application referred to by the Deputy was refused by the Visa Office on 05 April 2023. The reasons for this decision were set out in the refusal letter sent to the applicant at that time. An appeal of this decision was launched on 30 May 2023. All visa applicants are advised that the onus is on them to provide as much information in support of their application as they feel is...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Middle East (1 Oct 2024)

Helen McEntee: Immigrations permissions for persons to travel to Ireland are granted through a number of different pathways. There were approximately 450 visas granted in the last 12 months to Palestinians. These include people who applied for visas to come to Ireland to join family, to study or to engage in employment. The visa granted figure above may include applications from Palestinian nationals...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Ukraine War (1 Oct 2024)

Helen McEntee: I can advise the Deputy that Ukrainian nationals fleeing the conflict in Ukraine do not require a visa or other advanced clearance to take up temporary protection in Ireland. In March 2022, the EU Temporary Protection Directive (2001/55/EC) was activated by the EU Council in response to the Russian aggression against Ukraine. The Directive establishes the minimum standards of protection to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: International Protection (1 Oct 2024)

Helen McEntee: Responsibility for the Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP) and the subsequent responsibility for recognition and registration of Programme Refugees transferred from my Department to the Department of Children, Disability, Equality, Integration and Youth on 14 October 2020. The Irish Humanitarian Admission Programme (IHAP) was administered through my Department and ran from May 2018...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Family Reunification (1 Oct 2024)

Helen McEntee: The Family Reunification application for the person referred to by the Deputy has been received by my Department and continues to be processed at this time. All applications are processed in chronological order. The speed in which a decision can be made largely depends on the quality of the application received. My Department will continue to engage with the applicant for any further...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (1 Oct 2024)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána. This includes all operational and investigative policing matters. As Minister, I have no role in these matters and cannot seek to direct the Commissioner in relation to them. I can assure the Deputy that the Government is committed to combatting antisocial...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (1 Oct 2024)

Helen McEntee: I have contacted the Garda authorities for the information requested by the Deputy. Regrettably, this information was not available in time and I will write to the Deputy directly when it is to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Policies (1 Oct 2024)

Helen McEntee: The Deputy will appreciate that it is not the practice of my Department to comment on the detail of specific security matters, nor would it be in the public interest to do so. I am aware of the reports in 2022 relating to the presence of the so-called ‘Fuzhou Police Overseas Station’ in this jurisdiction. As the Deputy may recall, the Department for Foreign Affairs...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (1 Oct 2024)

Helen McEntee: I can advise the Deputy that the Irish Prison Service employs nurses across the prison estate to provide primary care to those in custody and work as part of the prison healthcare team. I can further advise that the Irish Prison Service does not currently employ full-time Addiction Nurses. There are, however, a number of primary care nurses who are assigned the function of carrying out...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Ceremonies (1 Oct 2024)

Helen McEntee: I can inform the Deputy that following full consideration by a Visa Officer the Visa was granted on 25 September 2024. The applicant should be advised that entry into the State is solely at the discretion of the Immigration Officer at the port of entry. The onus is on the individuals to have all documentation relating to their reasons for entering Ireland for presentation to the Immigration...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Asylum Applications (1 Oct 2024)

Helen McEntee: The health and wellbeing of all people who apply for international protection is of the highest priority to me and my Department. As the Deputy may be aware, my Department is unable to publish any information that would identify any person as being an international protection applicant. This is a separate matter to the law dealing with data protection matters more generally.? My...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Public Inquiries (1 Oct 2024)

Helen McEntee: As the second anniversary of this tragedy approaches, my thoughts are with the victims, their families and loved ones, and the wider community of Creeslough and I hope to meet the families in the near future. The community of Creeslough and the people of Donegal pulled together and supported each other in the toughest circumstances. I am also conscious of the work in very traumatic...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Strategies (1 Oct 2024)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, I have prioritised combatting domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (DSGBV) and supporting victims of these heinous crimes since my appointment to this role. In 2022, I published the Government’s Zero Tolerance Strategy to tackle DSGBV. This ambitious, five-year plan was accompanied by a detailed implementation plan which covered the first 18...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (1 Oct 2024)

Helen McEntee: A central element of delivering on the Zero Tolerance goal of the Third National Strategy was the establishment of Cuan, the statutory domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (DSGBV) agency, at the start of this year. Cuan has a specific mandate to drive the implementation of the strategy across Government, bringing the expertise and focus required to tackle this complex social issue. ...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Naturalisation Applications (1 Oct 2024)

Helen McEntee: The granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is governed by the provisions of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended. All applications for a certificate of naturalisation are processed and assessed individually in accordance with the provisions of the Act. Section 15 of the Act sets out the statutory conditions that must be fulfilled for a certificate of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Irish Prisoners Abroad (1 Oct 2024)

Helen McEntee: I am aware, through my officials in the Irish Prison Service, of the case referred to by the Deputy involving the Irish citizen currently incarcerated in France. The Irish Prison Service is liaising with the French authorities, the Chief State Solicitor’s Office, and officials in my Department to gather the necessary information to progress the matter. As the Deputy will be aware, EU...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (1 Oct 2024)

Helen McEntee: I understand the extended wait times can be frustrating for applicants. I 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. It is important to note that no two applications are the same and some take longer than others to process....