Results 3,881-3,900 of 15,389 for speaker:Helen McEntee
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: EU Regulations and Directive on International Protection, Asylum and Migration: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)
Helen McEntee: I am sorry; we have already provided legal aid to support people and that funding will increase.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: EU Regulations and Directive on International Protection, Asylum and Migration: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)
Helen McEntee: I agree.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: EU Regulations and Directive on International Protection, Asylum and Migration: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)
Helen McEntee: I cannot predict that; I do not think it is possible to predict that. We obviously have prediction figures for this year based on the current system without any further changes taking place. For example, where we have allocated safe countries, the number of people coming from those safe countries has dropped significantly. As we apply much more efficient procedures and quicker processing,...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: EU Regulations and Directive on International Protection, Asylum and Migration: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)
Helen McEntee: For example, just over 5,000 people have applied so far this year and we are coming to the end of April. We know that more than 50% of those are secondary movements. At the moment, we do not have an effective system of returns. The Dublin III Regulation is not working. If we were to be in the migration pact where we would have more effective systems of returns, we could have half of those...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: EU Regulations and Directive on International Protection, Asylum and Migration: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)
Helen McEntee: It is not that they are not co-operating with us; it is just a system that does not work. It is based on a request. It is based on the member state we are requesting-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: EU Regulations and Directive on International Protection, Asylum and Migration: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)
Helen McEntee: In the vast majority of cases, no.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: EU Regulations and Directive on International Protection, Asylum and Migration: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)
Helen McEntee: It is not working but it is not working for anybody. It is not a system that is benefiting anybody. Obviously, as a country that has significant numbers of secondary movements, we are impacted more than other countries perhaps.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: EU Regulations and Directive on International Protection, Asylum and Migration: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)
Helen McEntee: A significant proportion of people are coming through the Border now.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: EU Regulations and Directive on International Protection, Asylum and Migration: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)
Helen McEntee: I would say higher than 80%.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: EU Regulations and Directive on International Protection, Asylum and Migration: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)
Helen McEntee: We engage with the UK authorities on a regular basis. We have a common travel area committee, which meets on a quarterly basis, but we also have continuous engagement between our relevant departments. The PSNI works closely with An Garda Síochána in identifying where people are coming through Northern Ireland and applying for asylum here. The challenge we have is that we...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: EU Regulations and Directive on International Protection, Asylum and Migration: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)
Helen McEntee: As the UK is not in the EU, it would not be part of this migration pact so we have a separate agreement with it. We have a returns agreement with the UK. There have been issues in recent weeks because of a High Court ruling. To my earlier point I will bring forward legislation to address that in a matter of weeks because it has to be the case that we can return people to the UK. We have an...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: EU Regulations and Directive on International Protection, Asylum and Migration: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)
Helen McEntee: No. Once we opt in, we are opting in to the measure. We would be speaking about something much more significant for us to pull out of measures or potentially to pull out of the EU. We are opting in. We have passed legislation which means we are legally bound. If changes are to take place, we would negotiate and work through those changes with our colleagues. With regard to the UK, it is...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: EU Regulations and Directive on International Protection, Asylum and Migration: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)
Helen McEntee: If we opt in, we are opting in to these measures. It is the case at European level that any measures or laws that are passed are continuously reviewed. A new asylum agency has been established, which we opted in to last year. One of the benefits of the agency is that we are pooling together our resources to look at migratory flows, the challenges and issues that arise, what works and what...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: EU Regulations and Directive on International Protection, Asylum and Migration: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)
Helen McEntee: That shows the inefficiency of the Dublin III system-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: EU Regulations and Directive on International Protection, Asylum and Migration: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)
Helen McEntee: We can only issue a take-back request. It is then for those countries-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: EU Regulations and Directive on International Protection, Asylum and Migration: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)
Helen McEntee: Again, it is my understanding that it was not within the timeframe. I have not seen the details of the cases but if it is not within that timeframe, even if-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: EU Regulations and Directive on International Protection, Asylum and Migration: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)
Helen McEntee: If the other country frustrates-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: EU Regulations and Directive on International Protection, Asylum and Migration: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)
Helen McEntee: If Deputy McNamara can show me they were accepted within the six-month timeframe-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: EU Regulations and Directive on International Protection, Asylum and Migration: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)
Helen McEntee: If Deputy McNamara can show that to me-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: EU Regulations and Directive on International Protection, Asylum and Migration: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)
Helen McEntee: I cannot-----