Results 2,421-2,440 of 16,227 for speaker:Helen McEntee

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, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána. This includes the distribution of resources, including the Garda fleet, across the various Garda Divisions. 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 (22 Jan 2025)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 939 to 945, inclusive. As the Deputy will be aware, prosecutions are a matter for the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP). The DPP is wholly independent in her functions under the Prosecution of Offences Act 1974 (as amended) and, as Minister, I have no role in the operations, governance or oversight of the Office, which is funded...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (22 Jan 2025)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 946 to 950, inclusive. One of the overarching goals of Zero Tolerance, the Third National Strategy on DSGBV, which I published in June 2022, is to ensure that everyone who needs a refuge space will get one, and under the Strategy we have committed to doubling the number of refuge units across the country. This represents the fastest ever expansion of...

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

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy may already know, it is estimated that up to 70% of the prisoner population have addiction issues. The Irish Prison Service aims to provide a health care service for prisoners with addictions in a structured, safe and professional way in line with international best practice. The IPS continues to be committed to, and involved with, the National Drugs Strategy in partnership...

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

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 952 to 956, inclusive. I can assure the Deputy I am committed to building stronger, safer communities, by progressing policies aimed at reducing offending and diverting people away from the criminal justice system through the provision of effective rehabilitation. As the Deputy will appreciate, reducing reoffending, including by ensuring the underlying...

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

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, the Irish Prison Service aims to provide safe and secure custody, dignity of care, and rehabilitation to prisoners for safer communities and to provide healthcare and psychological services on an equivalent basis to what is available to those eligible for General Medical Scheme services in the community. The Irish prison population is currently in excess of...

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

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 955, 971 and 1065, inclusive, together. At the outset, it is important to note that, as Minister, I do not comment on individual Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP) applications. I can, however, inform the Deputy that my Department does not receive or hold funds at any stage in the IIP process; this is a private matter between a potential investor(s) and...

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

Helen McEntee: Combatting all forms of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence remains a priority for this Government, for my Department and for the Garda Commissioner. 'Zero Tolerance,' the Third National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (DSGBV), sets out an ambitious five-year programme of reform to achieve a society which does not accept DSGBV or the attitudes which underpin...

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

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, I established a Prison Overcrowding Response Group (PORG) in 2023 to develop proposed actions to address the problem of Irish prisons operating above capacity. The Group comprises representatives from the Department of Justice, An Garda Síochána, the Irish Prison Service, the Probation Service, and the Courts Service. In 2024, the Group presented its...

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

Helen McEntee: I can advise the Deputy that the agenda for the Justice and Home Affairs Ministerial Council on 12 December included a range of issues for discussion. Among the matters tabled for discussion were the implementation of the Migration and Asylum Pact, which included a focus on the preparatory steps being taken to apply these laws from June 2026 and how the European Commission can support...

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

Helen McEntee: Under current Irish and EU law provision is made for the designation of safe third countries, whereby international protection applicants entering from such a country, where a person has sufficient connection with that safe third country, and that country is a safe country for that individual person, any international protection application they might make may be deemed inadmissible. This...

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 An 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: Visa Applications (22 Jan 2025)

Helen McEntee: I am happy to inform the Deputy that following full consideration by a Visa Officer the Visa was issued on 9 January 2025. 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 Officer to gain entry. The...

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 determines the distribution and stationing of the Garda Síochána throughout the State. It is important to note that ratios such as the number of Gardaí per head of population are not an appropriate tool to use when considering the allocation of Garda...

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

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, the Central Statistics Office (CSO), as the national statistical agency, is responsible for the compilation and publication of all crime statistics. The CSO produces these statistics using data recorded on An Garda Síochána’s PULSE system and makes regular releases in relation to various crime statistics. The most recent statistics were...

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. 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 such matters. The Government is committed to providing An Garda Síochána...

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

Helen McEntee: It is important to note that the Department has not paused accepting applications from Syria or processing any such applications: it is only the issuing of decisions on those applications that has been paused. When assessing any international protection claim, it must be evaluated against the current situation in that country. With the fall of the regime in Syria, the context against which...

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

Helen McEntee: I can advise the Deputy that the applications referred to were created on 04 June 2024. Supporting documentation was received in the Abuja Visa Office on 11 June 2024 where it awaits examination and processing. It is not possible to give a definitive date as to when this application will be finalised. All applications are processed in chronological order, based on date order of receipt....

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

Helen McEntee: The visa application referred to by the Deputy was refused by the Visa Office in Abu Dhabi on 13 February 2024. The reasons for this decision were set out in the refusal letter sent to the applicants at that time. An appeal of this decision was launched on 02 April 2024. Appeals for applications of this type are processed in the order in which they are received, to be fair to all...

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

Helen McEntee: I am happy to inform the Deputy that following full consideration by a Visa Officer the Visas referred to were issued on 16 January 2025. 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 Officer to gain...