Results 4,621-4,640 of 45,510 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Regulatory Impact Assessments (3 May 2023)

Simon Harris: It is current practice to complete a regulatory impact assessment as legislation is being prepared. Officials in my Department are currently conducting a regulatory impact analysis on the Sale of Alcohol Bill 2022 which will be published in due course.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Measures (3 May 2023)

Simon Harris: The Department of Justice has engaged in an extensive consultation process with representative bodies in the licensed trade, businesses, public health bodies and advocacy groups, consumers and communities in relation to the proposed legislation in question.  A public consultation, including an online survey and a request for submissions, ran from November 2021 until January 2022. More...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Meetings (3 May 2023)

Simon Harris: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that there is excellent ongoing cross-Border co-operation with counterparts in Northern Ireland on relevant justice matters.  There has been regular contact between my predecessors as Minster for Justice and the Minister for Justice in the Northern Ireland Executive. There is also excellent ongoing cross border co-operation between our...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (3 May 2023)

Simon Harris: Regrettably, the information sought by the Deputy is still awaited from the Garda authorities.  I will contact the Deputy directly once the information is to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (3 May 2023)

Simon Harris: Section 52 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended) provides for the direct recruitment, by way of competition, of members of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) into An Garda Síochána at certain senior levels, i.e. Superintendent, Chief Superintendent and Assistant Commissioner.  Under the proposed Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill,...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (3 May 2023)

Simon Harris: I understand the Deputy's question to relate to cooperation between the An Garda Síochána and the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) in policing matters. As the Deputy will be aware there is very close, ongoing cooperation between An Garda Síochána and the PSNI in a range of policing activities. Every day police to police cooperation is operational in nature....

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (3 May 2023)

Simon Harris: Working with our Northern Ireland counterparts on criminal justice issues has always been a priority. I can assure the Deputy that officials in my Department and in An Garda Síochána are committed to continuing to work with their counterparts in Northern Ireland and to maintaining close relationships. Cross-border policing co-operation is based on a close and productive working...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Crime Prevention (3 May 2023)

Simon Harris: The Deputy will appreciate that the Garda Commissioner is, by law, responsible for the management of operational matters and it would not be appropriate for me, as Minister for Justice, to comment on intelligence or to speculate in relation to individuals associated with specific political parties.   The Deputy will, however, also appreciate that it...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Process (3 May 2023)

Simon Harris: The Minister of State at the Department of Justice, James Browne TD, brought the Criminal Justice (Incitement to Violence or Hatred and Hate Offences) Bill 2022 through final stages in the Dáil on April 26th. Following agreement by that House the Bill will now go to the Seanad to be debated The Bill will create new, aggravated forms of certain existing criminal offences – i.e....

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Data Protection (3 May 2023)

Simon Harris: Regrettably, the information sought by the Deputy is still awaited from the Garda authorities.  I will contact the Deputy directly once the information is to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legal Aid (3 May 2023)

Simon Harris: In its forty years of operation, the Civil Legal Aid Scheme has been a significant and beneficial public service, providing legal aid and advice to people of limited means in civil disputes, including family law. However, since the Scheme was set up, Irish society has changed, and the demands of the service have grown. In order to provide maximum benefit to those it was established to serve,...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Correspondence (3 May 2023)

Simon Harris: The Deputy may be interested to note that this person has contacted my Department directly. I am currently considering a response and will notify the Deputy when this response has been issued to the correspondent.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Reviews (3 May 2023)

Simon Harris: As the Deputy is aware, a key purpose of the 2017 Sexual Offences Act was to provide additional protection to persons involved in prostitution, especially vulnerable persons and victims of human trafficking. It allows those engaged in prostitution to provide information to Gardaí, for instance if they were subjected to violence by clients, without fear of prosecution for selling...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Status (3 May 2023)

Simon Harris: An application for permission to remain in the State based on parentage of an Irish Citizen Child (ICCA) was received from the person referred to by the Deputy on 07 February 2023 and continues to be examined by my Department. In order to be fair to all applicants, applications are dealt with in chronological order. My Department endeavours to process all applications as quickly as...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (3 May 2023)

Simon Harris: As the Deputy will be aware, prosecutions are a matter for the Director of Prosecutions, who is fully independent in her functions under Section 2(5) of the Prosecution of Offences Act 1974 (as amended). As Minister I have no role in the operations, functions, governance or oversight of the Office of the DPP and am unable to provide any information or statistics relating to the Director's...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Proposed Legislation (3 May 2023)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 289 and 296 together. As indicated in my response to PQ No. 13251 of 21 March 2023, the Guardianship of Infants Act 1964 (Child's Views Expert) Regulations 2018 (S.I. No. 587 of 2018) specify the necessary qualifications and experience of child’s views experts appointed under section 32(1)(b) of the Guardianship of Infants Act 1964 in private family...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: State Bodies (3 May 2023)

Simon Harris: I am informed by the Criminal Assets Bureau that when they seize a house using proceeds of crime legislation, and they intend on selling it or preserving its value, the Bureau normally seeks advice from quantity surveyors regarding the condition and value of the property. This process allows the Bureau to seek the best recourse in recouping the best value for the Exchequer. The below table...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (3 May 2023)

Simon Harris: Spiking a person’s drink or spiking someone by injection are very serious offences. These offences are, in effect, poisoning, and are criminal offences under the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997 that can result in a three-year prison term. I can assure the Deputy that any incident of this type of crime, including those with evidence to suggest a link with...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (3 May 2023)

Simon Harris: As the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the administration of An Garda Síochána, including recruitment and the management of Garda resources. As Minister, I have no direct role in these matters. I am advised that at 26 April 2023 there were 2 full time civilian Grooms working in the Garda mounted unit. Grooms ...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (3 May 2023)

Simon Harris: I have requested the information sought by the Deputy, however, this information was not available in time. I will write to the Deputy once the information is to hand.