Results 5,321-5,340 of 15,342 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Policing Matters: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Dec 2023)

Helen McEntee: You are not forced to go out onto the streets and loot, riot and burn.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Policing Matters: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Dec 2023)

Helen McEntee: I think the Senator knows me in that I absolutely believe that people can change. When I was in Cork recently, I met a group of wonderful men in a project who had spent years involved in crime, had addiction problems and other issues. I absolutely believe that people should be able to turn their lives around. Where they have inflicted pain on other people is not to say they cannot change....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Policing Matters: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Dec 2023)

Helen McEntee: I know the Senator is not excusing it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Policing Matters: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Dec 2023)

Helen McEntee: I appreciate that but no matter what happens to someone, those individuals were not forced. We do not know what could have happened. Nobody forced those individuals to attack gardaí.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Policing Matters: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Dec 2023)

Helen McEntee: I said what I said and will not take it back. It is not a term that I would normally use. People know that. It is not language that I would normally use. I said before that I do not think this was a normal situation. It is not something that I have ever seen. I was not targeting a particular group, class, area, or age-group of people. I was referring to the behaviour. Most people...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Policing Matters: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Dec 2023)

Helen McEntee: No, I do not accept that. It was an appropriate response. Lessons will always be learned but this is not a scene I have ever seen. For many gardaí, this is not something they have ever responded to. Protocols were put in place. As I mentioned earlier, the way in which gardaí were communicated with is the structure they have. That is how it is done. It is done through WhatsApp...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Policing Matters: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Dec 2023)

Helen McEntee: I am not sure how everybody got in. When there are so many people trying to get in, there are not 100 cars sitting in Santry waiting for people to go into the city centre. The logistics of this are pretty significant. The way in which so many gardaí got into the city centre was pretty economical.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Policing Matters: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Dec 2023)

Helen McEntee: At the weekend, what they have was explained to me. With the roll-out of the new body cameras and any new equipment, it is connected to the inside. That is not there at the moment. I have allocated additional funding in every budget that I have been part of for additional equipment, including body armour. That will continue. Where there is an ask, I have responded with funding, and I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Policing Matters: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Dec 2023)

Helen McEntee: Gardaí are always exposed to danger. Of course they were.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Policing Matters: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Dec 2023)

Helen McEntee: They are always exposed to danger. No matter what situation they find themselves in, gardaí put their lives on the line every day. Obviously, I want them to have the most up-to-date, technologically advanced and best equipment they can have. Over time, one needs to improve and update. Gardaí always put themselves at risk, and they did an excellent job.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Policing Matters: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Dec 2023)

Helen McEntee: They would have faced the same challenges. There were people burning buses, looting and rioting, and gardaí responded in an excellent way.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Policing Matters: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Dec 2023)

Helen McEntee: I have no sight of where gardaí are coming from. I have been given assurances that there will be a high-visibility presence right up until and during Christmas. That will obviously be revised. In the interim, 153 new members of the force will come out of Templemore. Some of them will go to Dublin. If members have come from other areas, that will help to alleviate that. Some of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Policing Matters: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Dec 2023)

Helen McEntee: I have no idea where these gardaí are coming from. Obviously, that decision is taken by the Garda Commissioner and his teams. Resources are allocated where they are needed and how they are needed. The way to respond to any question like that is to make sure that we have more gardaí coming out of Templemore. That is a priority for me.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Policing Matters: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Dec 2023)

Helen McEntee: One of the most positive things about An Garda Síochána is that it is, for the most part, an unarmed police force. We are the envy of many police organisations across the world because of the connection that gardaí have with their communities. It is important that we make sure that people know they can pick up the phone and call community gardaí and those who are on the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Policing Matters: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Dec 2023)

Helen McEntee: I agree with the Leas-Chathaoirleach that it is vital that we have an oversight body and that there is accountability. Before GSOC we had the policing complaints board. What we have here is a newer and appropriate structure. It needs to be there to give people confidence in An Garda Síochána. We have a structure at present that allows for a longer period of time and a delay. We...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Policing Matters: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Dec 2023)

Helen McEntee: As Deputy Ó Laoghaire has said, I was in my constituency that morning. Generally I am not there on a Thursday but the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, was officially opening the Eureka Secondary School building so I was there for a number of hours. I was due to be in Dublin directly after that but due to unforeseen personnel circumstances I had to cancel two events. One was the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Policing Matters: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Dec 2023)

Helen McEntee: At that stage, because it was early on, he outlined the response to the actual attack and any further response needed in terms of the gardaí and potential implications. Yes, it was discussed at that stage.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Policing Matters: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Dec 2023)

Helen McEntee: He outlined that gardaí would be available and were there to respond to any issue that might arise.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Policing Matters: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Dec 2023)

Helen McEntee: I do not know the exact language that was used in what he discussed with me. A number of phone calls took place.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Policing Matters: Discussion (Resumed) (7 Dec 2023)

Helen McEntee: It might not have been in that conversation. I spoke to him a number of times throughout the day. I spoke to him soon after that and remained in contact and met him later. As the day went on and situations arose there was a concern. I mentioned earlier there are number of international protection centres in the area and quite a high volume of accommodation centres that have international...