Results 5,001-5,020 of 15,389 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (17 Jan 2024)

Helen McEntee: The naturalisation application from the person referred to by the Deputy continues to be processed by my Department. I understand the extended wait times can be frustrating for applicants and my Department has been working hard to clear backlogs. It is recognised that all applicants for citizenship would wish to have a decision on their application without delay. However, the nature of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Policy (17 Jan 2024)

Helen McEntee: Each person aged 14 years or older that enters the International Protection process is fingerprinted and photographed. These fingerprints are checked against Eurodac, an EU database which stores the fingerprints of asylum applicants and those who have crossed borders illegally. In 2023, there were 13,277 applicants for international protection in Ireland, and of these 10,999 were aged 14...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Policy (17 Jan 2024)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of Garda business under section 26 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended). Interactions between An Garda Síochána and EUROPOL are operational matters for the Commissioner. Furthermore, the Deputy will appreciate that EUROPOL is a separate, transnational...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Deportation Orders (17 Jan 2024)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1044 and 1045 together. I can advise the Deputy that deportation and removal processes are an essential part of any immigration system. It must be acknowledged that those who do not have a legal right to remain in this country must remove themselves from the State. I can also advise the Deputy that there were 857 Deportation Orders were signed in 2023. As per...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Consultations (17 Jan 2024)

Helen McEntee: The Government is fully committed to fighting racism, prejudice and bigotry, and strongly condemns the actions of those who abuse and attack others because of their own prejudices against any part of a person’s inherent identity, including any disability that a person may have. Ireland is a diverse and tolerant country that strives to facilitate full participation in society by all and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Residency Permits (17 Jan 2024)

Helen McEntee: My Department's Registration Office in Burgh Quay is responsible for registering immigration permissions for applicants residing in the Dublin area only. First time registrations for applicants outside of the Dublin area are processed by the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) through the Garda Station network. The allocation of appointments with the GNIB is a matter for An Garda...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (17 Jan 2024)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, Ireland formally ratified the Istanbul Convention on 8 March 2019 (International Women’s Day), having given full effect to all obligations required of it. This was achieved through the completion of an extensive action plan incorporated into the Second National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (DSGBV). This work included the enactment...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: International Protection (17 Jan 2024)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1049, 1050, 1051 and 1059 together. I can advise the Deputy that my Department notifies IPAS when an application for international protection made by an IPAS resident has been finalised. Such cases can be finalised by the making of a deportation order at the end of the substantive process, or a return order where an application for international...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Data (17 Jan 2024)

Helen McEntee: The information requested is currently being compiled and I will write to the Deputy directly once the information is to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Residency Permits (17 Jan 2024)

Helen McEntee: My Department's Registration Office in Burgh Quay is responsible for registering and renewing immigration permissions for customers residing in the Dublin area only. Registrations and renewals for persons resident outside of the Dublin area are processed by the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) through the Garda Station network. I can inform the Deputy that in 2023, 300,775 Irish...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: International Protection (17 Jan 2024)

Helen McEntee: Where a person has made an application for international protection, there is a legal requirement under the International Protection Act 2015 to maintain full confidentiality at all times. Therefore the Department is unable to publish any information that would identify an international protection applicant. If an application for international protection has been made in the State, the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Reviews (17 Jan 2024)

Helen McEntee: On 13 November last, I commenced the Sex Offenders (Amendment) Act 2023 which, as the Deputy will be aware, provides for stricter oversight and management of convicted sex offenders within the community. This new legislation strengthens the notification requirements for sex offenders and provides for the court to prohibit a sex offender from working with children. It also provides...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (17 Jan 2024)

Helen McEntee: Combatting all forms of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (DSGBV) is a priority for me and my Department and this is reflected in a range of policies and legislation, as well as unprecedented increases in Budget allocations. Cuan, the Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence Agency has a total budget of just over €59 million in 2024, some €40.115 million of which...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (17 Jan 2024)

Helen McEntee: Combatting all forms of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (DSGBV) is a priority for me and my Department and this is reflected in a range of policies and legislation, as well as unprecedented increases in Budget allocations. As the Deputy will be aware, in June 2022 I published an ambitious €363 million, five-year, Zero Tolerance Strategy. One of the overarching goals of the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: International Protection (17 Jan 2024)

Helen McEntee: Since its introduction in June 2018, under the European Communities (Reception Conditions) Regulations 2018 (S.I. No. 230 of 2018), the labour market access permission issued by my Department, has had a very positive impact for international protection applicants and employers alike. Since January 2021 nearly 23,800 first-time applications and renewal applications have been received by the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Family Reunification (17 Jan 2024)

Helen McEntee: The persons referred to by the Deputy created on-line Join Family visa applications on 16 May 2023 and 25 May 2023. The supporting documentation and relevant fees were applied on 29 May 2023 in the Manila visa office. These visa applications were received in the Dublin Visa Office on 15 June 2023 where they await comprehensive examination. As each application is examined under it's own...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Residency Permits (17 Jan 2024)

Helen McEntee: The application by the person referred to by the Deputy was received by the Undocumented Unit of my Department on 23 February 2022 and continues to be processed. Unfortunately, it is not possible to provide a definitive timeframe for a decision to issue. The processing times of applications will vary depending on the complexity of the application, whether it is a single or family...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (17 Jan 2024)

Helen McEntee: Prior to the establishment of Cuan, the new Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence Agency, an Interdepartmental Steering Committee was established to manage and oversee progress on the delivery of additional refuge units. This Committee was chaired by the Department of Justice, with representation from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Tusla and the Department...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Data (17 Jan 2024)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, my Department has a very wide range of functions, and data may be legally shared with various public bodies for operational reasons. This data sharing can involve aggregated and/or individual-level information. For example, a number of areas within my Department's Immigration function must work closely with other bodies including the Garda National...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (17 Jan 2024)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the administration and management of An Garda Síochána, including the specific requirements for candidates in Garda recruitment competitions. As Minister, I have no role in such matters. I am however advised by the Garda authorities that the following...