Results 3,421-3,440 of 7,789 for speaker:James Browne

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Asylum Applications (21 Oct 2021)

James Browne: For those who are in the international protection process, our objective is to have decisions made on their applications, including the permission to remain consideration, as soon as possible. This ensures that those who are found to be in need of our protection can receive it quickly and begin rebuilding their lives here with a sense of safety and security. This applies to everyone in the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Status (21 Oct 2021)

James Browne: The person referred to by the Deputy holds a Stamp 4 permission, which has been extended until 15 January 2022, under the final automatic extension of immigration permissions I announced on 15 September 2021. All permissions are extended on the same terms and conditions to the permission already held. It is open to the person concerned to contact their local Immigration...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Naturalisation Applications (21 Oct 2021)

James Browne: 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. A determination on whether an applicant satisfies the statutory criteria can only be made after an...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Naturalisation Applications (21 Oct 2021)

James Browne: It is open to the parent of the child referred to by the Deputy to make an application for a certificate of naturalisation on behalf of their minor child once they are satisfied that they meet the statutory residence criteria. The granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is governed by the provisions of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended. All...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Smuggling of Persons) Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (20 Oct 2021)

James Browne: I thank the Senators for their proposals. These are matters we discussed in length on Committee Stage. I wish to make two points. The first is that a post-enactment report on the Bill will be prepared in accordance with Standing Orders and laid before the House. This will provide an opportunity to address many of the issues raised. The second point is that I have requested that a briefing...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Smuggling of Persons) Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (20 Oct 2021)

James Browne: I would expect that any post-enactment report would be comprehensive and detailed.

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Smuggling of Persons) Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (20 Oct 2021)

James Browne: I thank the Senators for their comments. Section 5(2), while a short provision, is very important for the broader context of the Bill. It provides that a person does not for the purposes of the offences in sections 6 and 7 unlawfully assist presence in the State when providing goods or services in the ordinary course of his or her business trade or profession. It is important to emphasise...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Smuggling of Persons) Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (20 Oct 2021)

James Browne: I thank the Senators for their comments. As I have made clear throughout the debate on the Bill, we do not intend to criminalise people who are being smuggled, and I think that extends properly to parents travelling with their children, for example. I believe that, as it stands, that would fall under humanitarian assistance. I appreciate that Senator Higgins and I differ on that being...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Smuggling of Persons) Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (20 Oct 2021)

James Browne: I thank the Senators for their proposals. Amendments Nos. 7 to 9, inclusive, and 11 are similar in that they would effectively reframe the humanitarian assistance defence as being elements of the offence and accordingly it would be for the prosecution to prove the contrary. Amendment No. 10 provides for a bar to prosecution under similar circumstances. The question of where the burden of...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Smuggling of Persons) Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (20 Oct 2021)

James Browne: I thank the Senators. I will speak to amendments Nos. 16 and 17 together because they are closely related. I acknowledged in our discussions in the House last week that there is a fine line between people smuggling and human trafficking. The Senator made some poignant points about the difficulties the most vulnerable people face when seeking safe passage for themselves and their loved...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Smuggling of Persons) Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (20 Oct 2021)

James Browne: I thank Senators for their engagement on this matter. I look forward to engaging further regarding some of those issues.

Seanad: EU Regulations: Motion (20 Oct 2021)

James Browne: I thank the Senators for agreeing to debate this motion at relatively short notice. I request the House to approve Ireland’s opting into a new proposal on facilitating the use of financial and other information for the prevention, detection, investigation or prosecution of certain criminal offences. Ireland has an option, provided for in Article 3.1 of Protocol 21 annexed to the...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Smuggling of Persons) Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (20 Oct 2021)

James Browne: I thank the Senators for their comments. As I made clear when discussing the previous group of amendments in respect of family members, we do not intend to criminalise people who are being smuggled. However, given how the offences are already phrased, I do not believe a blanket provision is necessary as it would tend to create more uncertainty.The issue is that the bar for someone being...

Seanad: EU Regulations: Motion (20 Oct 2021)

James Browne: I thank Senators Ward, Boyhan, Gallagher, Boylan, Sherlock and Martin for their contributions. Unfortunately, under the protocol there is only ever a three-month window for opting in, and passing it requires a recommendation to the Government, Government approval and passage in both Houses. I regret that it will always be a tight timeline in dealing with options for the protocol. I thank...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Naturalisation Applications (20 Oct 2021)

James Browne: This application for a certificate of naturalisation continues to be processed with a view to establishing whether the applicant meets the statutory conditions for the granting of naturalisation and will be submitted to me for decision in due course. The granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is a privilege and an honour which confers certain rights and entitlements...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Status (20 Oct 2021)

James Browne: The person referred to by the Deputy holds a Stamp 1G Graduate permission, which has been extended until 15 January 2022, under the final automatic extension of immigration permissions I announced on 15 September 2021. A Stamp 1G indicates that a person has permission to look for employment in the State under the Third Level Graduate Programme. The Stamp 1G is granted for 12 months to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Data (20 Oct 2021)

James Browne: I propose to take Questions Nos. 200 and 201 together. My Department continued to accept and process immigration and citizenship applications throughout the pandemic. As the Deputy will appreciate, the figures for 2020 and to date in 2021, reflect the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the demand for and processing of applications. The processing timeline for standard applications has...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Policy (20 Oct 2021)

James Browne: As outlined to the Deputy in my reply to Parliamentary Question no. 428, my Department is aware that there have been issues in the past around the securing of registration appointments. My Department has continually introduced software fixes designed to prevent such abuses of the system. These new measures have been partly successful in preventing the block booking of appointments by...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Fishing Industry (19 Oct 2021)

James Browne: I again thank Deputy O'Sullivan for raising this matter on the atypical scheme. I am pleased to confirm that a review of the scheme is being put in place. Coming from a fishing county myself, Wexford, I know how hard and dangerous the fishing sector is for skippers and their employees. The fishing sector is under huge pressure at the moment. I felt that this is something on which the...