Results 2,061-2,080 of 10,120 for speaker:Jim O'Callaghan

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (18 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: In accordance with the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the general management and administration of An Garda Síochána, including liquor licensing inspections. As Minister, I have no role in these matters. I am informed by An Garda Síochána that 861 inspections were carried out in the Clare/Tipperary Division...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (18 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: In accordance with the Garda Síochána Act 2005, as amended, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for managing and controlling the administration and business of An Garda Síochána. Further, the allocation of Garda resources is a matter for the Commissioner, in light of identified operational demands. This includes responsibility for the allocation of Garda vehicles among...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (18 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: In accordance with the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána. As Minister, I have no role in these matters. The unprecedented allocation of over €2.48 billion for 2025 to An Garda Síochána demonstrates the Government's commitment to ensuring An Garda...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Personal Injury Claims (18 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: The Personal Injuries Guidelines are drawn up by the Judicial Council which is independent in its functions. The Judicial Council has conducted a review of the Guidelines and submitted draft amendments of the Guidelines to me in accordance with section 7 of the Judicial Council Act 2019. As required by the Act I will shortly be laying the draft amendments before the Houses after which a...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Programmes (18 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: At the outset, it is important to note that, as Minister, I do not comment on individual Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP) applications. Since the closure of the programme, the IIP Unit has continued to process and submit applications to the Evaluation Committee for consideration and recommendation. At present, there are approximately 100 Immigrant Investor Programme project proposals...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Court Sittings (18 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: As the Deputy will be aware, under the provisions of the Courts Service Act 1998, management of the courts is the responsibility of the Courts Service, which is independent in exercising its functions. Furthermore, the scheduling of individual court cases and the allocation of court business are entirely matters for the Presidents of the Courts and the presiding judges who are, under the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: International Protection (13 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 238, 240, 241, 242 and 243 together. 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. In recent years there has been a significant increase in investment into the international protection system. This has allowed for a major...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: International Protection (13 Feb 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. In 2024 the International Protection Office (IPO) delivered over 14,000 first-decisions, while the International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT) closed 3,103 appeals. Increased staff levels, investment in...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (13 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 244 and 253 together. Under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended) the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the administration and management of An Garda Síochána, including all decisions related to the opening hours of individual Garda stations. As Minister, I have no role in such matters. Fethard Garda Station is a part of the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Family Reunification (13 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 245 and 246 together. I understand that extended wait times can be frustrating for applicants and I want to assure anyone who has made an application for a join family visa that my Department is doing everything possible to progress these applications as quickly as possible. Information regarding join family visa applications sponsored by holders of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Family Reunification (13 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 247 and 248 together. It has not been possible to collate the information requested by the Deputy in the time available. I will write to the Deputy directly once the information is to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (13 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: The person referred to by the Deputy holds a Stamp 2 immigration permission as an English language student valid until 09 June 2025. Non-EEA national students should note that the Student Pathway on my Department's Immigration Service website sets out the immigration route for non-EEA national students at: . When a non-EEA national comes to Ireland to undertake a course of study, be that...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (13 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 250 and 251 together. The Government is committed to ensuring that An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs to fight crime and a strengthened, well-resourced Garda organisation is central to this policy. The Garda Vote in Budget 2025 saw unprecedented funding of over €2.48 billion for this year, a 27% increase since 2020 which is...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (13 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Under the Garda Síochána Act 2005, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána. This includes the distribution of resources, in the Garda fleet, across the various Garda Divisions and National/Specialist Units. As Minister, I have no direct role in this matter. The Government is committed to providing An Garda...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (13 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Road safety is a shared responsibility, and while the whole of Government response is led by the Department of Transport, it is one which is taken very seriously across Government. Road traffic laws are enforced by both Roads Policing Gardaí and as part of the day-to-day duties of uniformed Gardaí nationwide. This includes a programme of high-visibility road safety and enforcement...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Deportation Orders (13 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: It is a central priority for me as Minister that our immigration laws are robust and enforced. The removal of persons in the immigration system who are involved in criminality or who are a danger to society is an essential requirement for the system to work effectively and to ensure that our people have confidence in the application of our laws in this area. Under Section 3 of the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Policy (13 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I can inform the Deputy that all applications for renewal of Irish immigration residence permissions should be submitted using the Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) Online Forms portal at: . There has been no change to the system for online renewals of permissions and the subsequent issue of an Irish Residence Permit card since the online service was first launched in July 2020. ...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Family Reunification (13 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I can inform the Deputy that the applicant created a Visit visa application, under a different family name, on 12 May 2023. Following full consideration by a Visa Officer, this visa application was refused. A letter issued to the applicant on 26 July 2023 outlines the reasons for this refusal. No appeal of this decision was ever submitted. The applicant subsequently created a Join Family...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Human Rights (13 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I am informed that officials of my Department are aware of these reports, which are understood to be disputed by the immigration authorities concerned, from publicly available sources. The Deputy will appreciate that it would not be appropriate for me to comment on the immigration policy or practice of another jurisdiction in such circumstances. There are no plans to alter the current...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Human Rights (13 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Very close attention is paid to all unsealed arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court. As the Deputy will appreciate, operational details in that regard are not made public. If, in due course, Ireland were to receive a request for the arrest and surrender of a person who is subject to an International Criminal Court arrest warrant, such a request would fall to be dealt...