Results 341-360 of 11,589 for speaker:Jim O'Callaghan

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (7 Oct 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I am advised by An Garda Síochána that they have invested in Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems equipment in line with best international policing and security practices. For security reasons, the specifics of these capabilities cannot be shared.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (7 Oct 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I strongly condemn the use of knives to threaten, intimidate or harm others. I am committed to ensuring that communities are safe and tackling knife crime is an important element of that. Long term, evidence-based strategies are needed that address knife crime as part of a wider strategic response to anti-social behaviour, street violence, youth offending and domestic violence. There is,...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (7 Oct 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: The Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána under Section 33 of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024, which includes all operational policing matters, such as the allocation and deployment of Garda resources, and determining the manner in which Garda resources are to be distributed and stationed throughout the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Official Engagements (7 Oct 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I can confirm that I have not spoken with the President of Interpol since my appointment as Minister.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (7 Oct 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 443, 457 and 458 together. In the interest of transparency, information in relation to the allocation of Garda personnel is published by An Garda Síochána and is publicly available at the following link: www.garda.ie/en/about-us/our-departments/human-resources-and -people-development/garda-hr-directorate/garda-strength-brea kdown-2025/ The...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Local Community Safety Partnerships (7 Oct 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: The Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024, which I commenced on Wednesday 2 April 2025, provides for the establishment of Local Community Safety Partnerships (LCSP) within each local authority area. The regulations for these Safety Partnerships came into operation on Monday 30 June. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that I have recently appointed the members of Donegal Local...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Closed-Circuit Television Systems (7 Oct 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: The Garda Síochána (Recording Devices) Act 2023, which was signed into law in December 2023, provides for a new regime for the authorisation and operation of CCTV schemes. In order to introduce the new regime for CCTV, Part 5 of that Act must be commenced. There is a new requirement under that Act for the Garda Commissioner to develop a Code of Practice for CCTV which will set...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Personal Injury Claims (7 Oct 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: The possibility of introducing a no-fault insurance system in Ireland has been examined before by Government. The Second and Final Report of Personal Injuries Commission in 2018, commissioned by the then Minster for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, considered this issue and concluded that it would be difficult to envisage a no-fault system, such as exists in New Zealand, being applied in...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Deportation Orders (7 Oct 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: It is a central priority for me that Ireland’s immigration system is robust and rules based. The enforcement aspects of our laws, including deportation orders, are an essential requirement for the system to work effectively and to ensure that there is confidence in the application of our legislation in this area. Deportations are costly and complex to enforce. It is the preferred...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: International Protection (7 Oct 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: The indicative cost for processing a standard procedure international protection application and supporting an applicant through this process is approximately €122,000 per person. This figure is based on 2024 applicant data, when the average processing time was 29 months to reach a second-instance decision. This comprises 18 months to first-instance decision for those in the standard...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: International Protection (7 Oct 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 451 to 453, inclusive, together. The International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT) closed around 3,100 appeals in 2024, compared to over 1,700 in 2023. There has been 10,782 International Protection Appeals accepted to date in 2025 (as of 28 September). The median processing time for all appeals determined by IPAT in 2024 was 10 months. The median...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Deportation Orders (7 Oct 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 454 to 456, inclusive, together. It is a central priority for me that Ireland’s immigration system is robust and rules based. The enforcement aspects of our laws, including deportation orders, are an essential requirement for the system to work effectively and to ensure that there is confidence in the application of our legislation in this area. ...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Sex Offenders Notification Requirements (7 Oct 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Keeping our communities safe is my foremost priority as Minister. While I cannot comment on individual cases, I would like to assure the Deputy that there are a range of provisions in law and in practice in relation to the management of sex offenders after they’ve been released from prison. The Sex Offenders (Amendment) Act 2023, which was commenced in 2023, strengthened our already...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (7 Oct 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I am advised by An Garda Síochána that the below tables outlines the age profile of vehicles attached to the Garda dog unit as of 3 October 2025: AGE PROFILE NO. OF VEHICLES < 1 year 1 1 – 2 years 1 2 – 4 years 6 4 – 6 years 3 ...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (7 Oct 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 461, 462 and 464 to 466, inclusive, 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: Prison Service (7 Oct 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I am advised the Irish Prison Service is seeking to increase staffing levels to meet the current demand on the service. Recruitment campaigns are put in place as required, and since 2016 the Irish Prison Service, in conjunction with the Public Appointments Service, has run eight Recruit Prison Officer campaigns. There have been annual campaigns since 2022. This year the Irish Prison...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (7 Oct 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Public procurement is governed by EU and national rules and I can assure the Deputy that my Department ensures appropriate procedures are followed for procurement activity. As the Deputy may know, all Government Departments are obliged to ensure that public procurement is discharged in line with the standard accounting and procurement rules and that contract prices represent best value for...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (7 Oct 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: 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: Prison Service (7 Oct 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: The Irish Prison Service provides a range of accommodation types to assist in the management of sentences, to facilitate appropriate progression, and to support the transition from custody back into their community of people sentenced to a term of imprisonment. There are currently a number of ongoing short, medium and long term projects to be delivered in line with the commitments in the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (7 Oct 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Since 2019 Ireland’s policing map has been redrawn to bring Garda districts and sub-districts under a streamlined Garda Operating Model. From the foundation of the State in 1922, the core policing structures used by An Garda Síochána had largely remained static. The service was modelled around smaller policing districts in which functions such as crime investigation and...