Results 2,381-2,400 of 15,389 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (26 Sep 2024)

Helen McEntee: The Government is committed to building stronger, safer communities and this is reflected in the allocation of over €2.35 billion in Budget 2024. This unprecedented level of funding is allowing for the continued recruitment of Garda members and staff and investment in technology and equipment. While the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Drug Dealing (26 Sep 2024)

Helen McEntee: Tackling drug dealing and targeting the work of organised crime groups, who inflict intimidation and violence on families and communities, is a top priority for my Department. Unprecedented funding has been provided to An Garda Síochána, which has enabled the Commissioner to assign extra resources to the specialist units involved in tackling organised crime. The funding made...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (26 Sep 2024)

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. As Minister, I have no role in such matters. The Garda Air Support Unit is a national resource based at Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel, Co. Dublin and is under the direction and control of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Drug Dealing (26 Sep 2024)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 31 and 216 together. Tackling drug dealing and targeting the work of organised crime groups, who inflict intimidation and violence on families and communities, is a top priority for my Department. Unprecedented funding has been provided to An Garda Síochána which has enabled the Commissioner to assign extra resources to the specialist units...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: International Protection (26 Sep 2024)

Helen McEntee: My Department is taking all necessary steps to manage the international protection process fairly, efficiently and effectively, while ensuring the integrity of Ireland's rules-based immigration system is maintained. I introduced accelerated processing in November 2022 and it now applies to the following cohorts: 15 safe countries of origin - Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina,...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (26 Sep 2024)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, 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, and the use of Garda facilities, across the various Garda Divisions. As Minister, I have no direct role in this matter. The Government is committed to building...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Deportation Orders (26 Sep 2024)

Helen McEntee: I can advise the deputy that a deportation order is a legal order to leave the State. Any person who has been ordered to leave the State and fails to do so is committing a criminal offence, and can be arrested without warrant if they come into contact with An Garda Síochána. Such an order remains on the person’s record permanently, unless revoked by the Minister for Justice...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Policy (26 Sep 2024)

Helen McEntee: On 15 May 2024, I jointly announced with Minister Burke that the Government has agreed to the roll out of a single permit to both work and live in Ireland. Legal migration pathways are vital to addressing labour shortages at all skill levels across the economy and has been a key driver of growth in Ireland. I work closely with the Minister of Enterprise, Trade and Employment to ensure that...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Reviews (26 Sep 2024)

Helen McEntee: I thank the Deputy for her interest in this issue. As you aware, my Department commissioned an independent consultant to undertake the statutory review of Part 4 of the Act but, due to a number of reasons, it was not possible for the review to be completed within the desired timeframe. I acknowledge that the report is now significantly overdue and the Deputy is aware, from previous...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (26 Sep 2024)

Helen McEntee: The Government is committed to building stronger, safer communities and this is reflected in the allocation of over €2.35 billion in Budget 2024. This unprecedented level of funding is allowing for the continued recruitment of Garda members and staff and investment in technology and equipment. While the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (26 Sep 2024)

Helen McEntee: I would like to inform the Deputy on the ongoing improvements being made to the processing of citizenship applications. Just last week, I had the honour of attending a Citizenship Ceremony in Dublin Convention Centre, and I would like to congratulate all of our newest citizens and their proud families. Processing times are now decreasing year on year. This is a result of re-engineering...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (26 Sep 2024)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the deployment of Garda members throughout the State. I am assured that Garda management keeps the distribution of resources under continual review in the context of policing priorities and crime trends. In 2024, a budget allocation of over €2.35 billion has been provided to An Garda Síochána. This is a...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (26 Sep 2024)

Helen McEntee: I can advise the Deputy that in 2023, over 166,000 visa applications were submitted and approximately 140,000 people were granted visas to travel to Ireland. These figures are likely to be surpassed in 2024, with over 123,000 visa applications having been received in the first seven months of this year alone. This reflects an increase of 20%, compared to the same period in 2023, with over...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (26 Sep 2024)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the deployment of personnel among the various Garda Divisions. Having said that, the unprecedented allocation of over €2 billion for 2023 and €2.35 billion for 2024 to An Garda Síochána demonstrates the Government's commitment to ensuring there is provision for the necessary equipment, technology,...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (26 Sep 2024)

Helen McEntee: The Garda Reserve represents a real opportunity for anyone wishing to make a contribution to their community and, in some cases, learn more about the role of a Garda member prior to seeking to join An Garda Síochána full time. Reserves serve a very valuable role in assisting Gardaí with local patrols, crime reduction initiatives and administration. They also assist in the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Probate Applications (26 Sep 2024)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy is aware as Minister for Justice, I have no role in the exercise of Probate functions. The Probate Office is an office of the High Court, and management of the courts is the responsibility of the judiciary and Courts Service, which are independent in exercising their functions under the Courts Service Act 1998 and given the separation of powers in the Constitution. Probate...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Work Permits (26 Sep 2024)

Helen McEntee: The criteria and conditions for obtaining employment permits are set by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE). My Department’s role relates to the immigration rules and procedures that apply to persons granted an employment permit by that Department. Both Departments work closely together to ensure that Ireland's labour market migration arrangements are fair,...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (26 Sep 2024)

Helen McEntee: Combatting all forms of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (DSGBV) is a priority for me and my Department. This is reflected in our policies, legislative proposals and in increased budgetary allocations in recent years. The extent of our ambition in this regard is set out in our whole of Government Zero Tolerance Strategy to combat all forms of domestic, sexual and gender-based...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Policies (26 Sep 2024)

Helen McEntee: Community safety is about people being safe and, importantly, feeling safe in their own communities. At the heart of this policy is the principle that every community has the right to thrive and flourish. Our approach to community safety is a whole-of-Government one. We want to bring the relevant social service providers, including the Gardaí, together with the community in a...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Measures (26 Sep 2024)

Helen McEntee: In the context of the recent increase in public order incidents related to protests, the Garda Commissioner asked that I consider amending public order laws to provide a power to Gardaí to direct a person to remove a face covering that is worn for the purposes of intimidating others. While the right to peaceful protest is a cornerstone of any democracy, this does not give people the...