Results 5,201-5,220 of 15,389 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: An Garda Síochána (12 Dec 2023)

Helen McEntee: To assure the Deputy on the retention issue, exit interviews are being done. I will have a full report, as I said, in the new year. When it comes to the pay talks, I am obviously not around the table. I can certainly advocate to make sure the Garda representative organisations are around the table. That was done at the last round of talks, and again in this round, to make sure they are...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Media (12 Dec 2023)

Helen McEntee: As I said, this is an extremely difficult space to try to manage and monitor, particularly where there is a grey area as regards what is harmful and what is not or what is a criminal offence and what is not, although the latter should be much clearer. What is really important is that we do not just come at this from an enforcement point of view but that the social media companies take a...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: An Garda Síochána (12 Dec 2023)

Helen McEntee: I understand that tables may be provided to the Deputy. What I have here is the breakdown across the Garda regions of the average number of gardaí who were absent because of ordinary illness and those who were absent because they were injured on duty. For quarter 3 of 2019, the figure for ordinary illness was 1,743 and while it has varied in subsequent years, the figure for quarter 3...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: An Garda Síochána (12 Dec 2023)

Helen McEntee: I do not have those exact details but I will certainly try to get them for the Deputy. I am very conscious of the distressing scenes that members have to deal with on a daily basis, from road traffic incidents to scenes of suicide, as well as dealing with situations such as those we saw two weeks ago. A number of different measures and supports have been put in place. In fact, from the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: An Garda Síochána (12 Dec 2023)

Helen McEntee: I do not have an exact figure for what we will have by the end of the year because the acceptances are still coming in and the offers are still going out for the class that will start on 27 December. I know we will have between 700 and 800 but I do not have the finalised figure yet. We know that between 700 and 800 will have gone into the college this year. What we have always said is that...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: An Garda Síochána (12 Dec 2023)

Helen McEntee: The numbers we have are certainly not where I would like them to be. Due to the fact that the college was closed to new recruits, it meant no new recruits were going through the college for a period of almost two years. This means we are approximately 1,000 short of where we should be and certainly where I would like to be. That is a challenge. It poses a challenge to the overall running...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: An Garda Síochána (12 Dec 2023)

Helen McEntee: I thank the Deputy. While I acknowledge that the number of resignations this year is slightly higher, our percentage of gardaí is higher than other police jurisdictions. In saying that, we need to ensure everything that can be done to identify why people are leaving is done. I met the Garda Commissioner, the head of HR and other members today. They are currently working on exit...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: An Garda Síochána (12 Dec 2023)

Helen McEntee: To the Deputy's last point, it has been made clear to me that anybody who is coming from a separate jurisdiction, whether in the outer part of Dublin, a rural community or a county outside Dublin, is doing so in his or her own free time. I know there is a concern that an increased presence in the city centre is taking away from other areas. If gardaí are coming from counties Mayo,...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Media (12 Dec 2023)

Helen McEntee: I thank the Deputy. The events which took place in our capital city highlight the threats posed by violent political extremism. As he said, messages of hate spread online resulted in manifestations of physical violence on our city streets. It is clear that social media companies have an important responsibility to resource and operate robust systems of detection, including the timely...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Media (12 Dec 2023)

Helen McEntee: We probably all agree that social media platforms have played a positive role in our lives in general and in how we communicate with other and stay in touch with friends. However, they also pose significant challenges and threats. The negativity we are seeing on social media platforms has grown quickly. One of the biggest challenges is identifying what is harmful content and what is...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: An Garda Síochána (12 Dec 2023)

Helen McEntee: First of all, I reiterate the view shared by many that the rioting and violent disorder we saw in Dublin on 23 November was a disgrace. As the Deputy knows, those horrific scenes followed the tragic knife attack outside Gaelscoil Choláiste Mhuire that lunchtime. Again, I am sure Deputy Daly and others will join me in wishing the victims of that attack, especially the five-year-old girl...

Seanad: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (12 Dec 2023)

Helen McEntee: I thank Senator Ruane. As she has outlined, the amendments are all about membership of the board of An Garda Síochána or appointment to the board. I will discuss them together. Amendment No. 20 seeks to add community development to the list of matters that persons recommended by the service are to experience or have expertise in. While the Bill does not expressly state...

Seanad: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (12 Dec 2023)

Helen McEntee: While these provisions are standard across the Statute Book, I take the Senator's point. Between now and the next Stage, which will probably be taken in the new year, I commit to looking at it and exploring it further. There are implications because this amendment is incompatible with another section of the Bill, where that is clearly outlined. I take on board the points the Senator made.

Seanad: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (12 Dec 2023)

Helen McEntee: The amendments in grouping 7 relate to bankruptcy provisions in the Bill. The Attorney General has advised that as currently drafted, the provisions in the Bill which bar a person who is bankrupt from the Garda board, the policing and community and safety authority and the office of the independent examiner are not in line with the directive. My amendments will ensure that people who have...

Seanad: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (12 Dec 2023)

Helen McEntee: Currently, the Policing Authority has responsibility for the appointment of the Garda Commissioner under section 9 of the 2005 Act. This is to invite the Public Appointments Service, PAS, to undertake a competition to nominate a candidate to the Government along with any ancillary roles. Acting on the recommendations of the Commission on the Future of Policing, CoFPI, the Bill will remove...

Seanad: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (12 Dec 2023)

Helen McEntee: Likewise, I cannot agree to the section’s deletion given the Senator does not propose to replace it with anything else. Moreover, the objective is that the new authority will be more of an oversight structure, whereas governance will be dealt with directly by the board. That is why the board will be the body leading out in consultation with the Minister but still engaging with the...

Seanad: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (12 Dec 2023)

Helen McEntee: All those involved in our national security, particularly in An Garda Síochána, have always taken their role seriously and will continue to do so. We have a number of deputy commissioner roles in positions dealing with a number of different matters. To be clear, no person would be or will be appointed to any security position where he or she might pose a particular threat or might...

Seanad: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (12 Dec 2023)

Helen McEntee: I understand, in respect of the Senator's comments, that there are two issues in regard to the deputy Garda Commissioner. An issue arose in the past number of months which was raised by those seeking to apply to a particular position. As I have said, a memo responding to that came before Cabinet today in respect of undertaking a review of a particular threshold. I have no doubt the review...

Seanad: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (12 Dec 2023)

Helen McEntee: It is not that I disagree with the overall objective of the amendments, but similar to previous conversations, I am not sure they are necessary because many of them are covered in what is already in the Bill. Regarding amendment No. 27, while I do not disagree that such conduct could be reason for removal of an officeholder, the functions of the Garda are set out in section 33 of the Bill...

Seanad: Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Committee Stage (Resumed) (12 Dec 2023)

Helen McEntee: I move amendment No. 29: In page 42, between lines 33 and 34, to insert the following: “(3) A person who does or omits to do anything that, if the inquiry were a court of law having the power to punish for contempt, would be contempt of such court, is guilty of an offence and is liable, on summary conviction, to a class C fine or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months,...