Results 361-380 of 8,940 for speaker:Jim O'Callaghan

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: An Garda Síochána (20 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Another relevant point is that there is nothing stopping people in the North who are not in the PSNI from applying to become members of An Garda Síochána. I suspect the terms and conditions of An Garda Síochána are more favourable than those relating to people who join the PSNI. That is something we need to focus on. People from the North are welcome to apply to seek to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Policies (20 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: This is an important question. The issue to which it relates is sensitive in terms of how it can be dealt with. The guardianship of infants is set out through regulation and law under the Guardianship of Infants Act 1964. A significant modernisation of the law in this area was brought about in 2015, with the enactment of the Children and Family Relationships Act 2015. This legislation...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Policies (20 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: The Deputy identified a good point in the context of where a child just needs a medical or educational assessment. If it is the case that the consent or agreement of both guardians is required, that can be very problematic. I accept the validity of what the Deputy says. There is the option available under section 11 of the guardianship Act that allows for an application to be made to the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Policies (20 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: If it is the case that the matter has to go to court and the consent cannot be obtained, for example, where the other parent has no involvement in the child’s life, I would have thought that a District Court judge would take that into account and recognise that there has to be some practical solution to the application that is being brought if the parent who is minding the child needs...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: An Garda Síochána (20 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I thank the Deputy for raising the question on the numbers of gardaí in County Louth. I have been advised by An Garda Síochána that the numbers deployed tackling drug crime specifically cannot be shared for operational reasons. I commend An Garda Síochána on its excellent work yesterday or the day before when it apprehended a very large seizure of cocaine that was...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (20 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: We should look at where we are. At present, we have approximately 159 refuge units. As I said, another 54 are set to be either under construction or are due for refurbishment in 2025. This will bring the total number of units, including those under construction, to 213 by the end of the year. In addition to the development of refuge spaces, Cuan and I are committed to delivering...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (20 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: My priority is to get a domestic violence refuge for the Cavan and Monaghan region as quickly as possible. The Deputy is looking for two. We need to get one in there, I would have thought, immediately and promptly. That is what I am working on. As stated, a lot of work is being done with key stakeholders in terms of progressing the development of an eight-unit refuge for the region that...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (20 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: We are trying to do it. We have a target of getting up to 280. That is the target I am seeking to achieve. I understand the concerns of Deputies Bennett and Carthy regarding the fact that there is not a refuge centre in Cavan-Monaghan. The Minister of State, Deputy Niamh Smyth, has spoken to me about this. Deputy Brendan Smith has done so as well. This is something I want to expedite....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: An Garda Síochána (20 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: As the Deputy will be aware, the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act, which was enacted by the Houses of the Oireachtas last year, is yet to be commenced. I intend to commence it shortly. The new Act continues to honour Ireland’s commitments under the existing 2002 agreement between the Irish and British Governments on police co-operation. When the Act is commenced, section...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: An Garda Síochána (20 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: The Deputy makes a valid point. We are at a stage where we are trying to recruit as many members into An Garda Síochána as we can. The Deputy has indicated that there are serving PSNI officers living in this jurisdiction who would like to become members of An Garda Síochána. At present, their difficulty is that in order to become a member of An Garda Síochána...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: An Garda Síochána (20 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I thank the Deputy. I am conscious of the intake capacity into Templemore. As I said, if we can get 225 in each time, they would be very good numbers. Recently, we have been getting up to 201 and we are doing very well. The Deputy mentioned the numbers of attestations for 2023 and 2024. The 2023 number was higher than 2024. That was because in 2023 there were five attestations as...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: An Garda Síochána (20 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I thank the Deputy. I will deal with the last point first. A recruitment and training capacity group has been established to support the achievement of increased recruitment in An Garda Síochána. The group is due to report to me in mid-2025. It is looking at a range of issues, including how to ensure that there is the training capacity to meet the Government's ambitious...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (20 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I thank Deputy Bennett. I welcome the fact that she has asked me a question related to domestic and gender-based violence. It is an extremely important issue. My predecessor did much excellent work in that area. It is an area that I am committed to working on as well. The Deputy will be aware that there have been a number of developments in Ireland in recent years in respect of combating...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: An Garda Síochána (20 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I thank the Deputy for his question. The introduction of the new garda operating model, which has been rolled out in the Kilkenny-Carlow Garda division, will provide more front-line gardaí, increased Garda visibility and a wider range of policing services for people in Carlow and Kilkenny. It is important to emphasise this supports greater service delivery across the division...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: An Garda Síochána (20 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I am interested in what the Deputy said about the reduction in numbers in Graiguenamanagh and other areas in Kilkenny. I will keep a close eye on this. When people are attested as members of An Garda Síochána, the Commissioner decides where they should be allocated. It is extremely important there is fair allocation throughout the country. It is not an operational matter for me...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: An Garda Síochána (20 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Garda properties are valuable resources. If we have them, we should use them for the benefit of the State or the benefit of the public in having a Garda presence there. I will raise that issue with my Department. The Deputy also made a very valid point about how the public want to see members of An Garda Síochána on the ground. We sometimes take that for granted. In many...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: An Garda Síochána (20 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: It is important to remember we have civilianised much of the Garda force. At present, we have approximately 14,200 attested members of An Garda Síochána and approximately 3,500 civilian members who also work for the force. In recent years, as a result of civilianising or using civilians for tasks that were previously performed by the gardaí, we have managed to get...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Sentencing Policy (20 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I am aware of the tragic case of Joe Drennan. I am not going to talk about it, as I am sure the Deputy can appreciate. The matter is being appealed by the DPP to the Court of Appeal and it would be inappropriate for me to say anything in respect of it. I will speak in general terms about where multiple offences have been committed. Sentences imposed in response to multiple offences can...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Sentencing Policy (20 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: In general, there is consistency throughout the criminal justice process when it comes to the imposition of sentences. We do not hear about it because it does not give rise to public controversy but consistency is very important. That consistency will be increased and improved when we see judicial guidelines being put forward by the Judicial Council. However, we need to recognise that...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Crime Prevention (20 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Serious offences committed while people are on bail should trigger my interest and that of other policymakers. The offences I outlined, including theft from shops, public order offences and drunkenness offences, are the offences committed by people on bail. With the greatest of respect to the Deputy, I do not think they are the issues he is concerned about. He is more concerned about...