Results 5,421-5,440 of 45,373 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Travel Documents (21 Feb 2023)

Simon Harris: The State has a duty to protect its borders and following examination, ensure that all arriving passengers are entitled to enter the State. This is a fundamental exercise of State sovereignty, which is necessary to protect the security of the State and to prevent illegal immigration. The exercise of powers in this area is at all times subject to the law and to respect for individual rights. ...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Asylum Applications (21 Feb 2023)

Simon Harris: My Department is taking all necessary steps to manage the international protection process fairly, efficiently and effectively, as part of the broader Government response, while ensuring the integrity of Ireland's rules-based immigration system is maintained. Overall, my Department is working to minimise the timeframe for receiving a decision on an international protection application,...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Data Protection (21 Feb 2023)

Simon Harris: The Programme for Government commits to ‘recognise the domestic and international importance of data protection in Ireland’ and states that the Government ‘will ensure that Ireland delivers on its responsibilities under the General Data Protection Regulation’. The Government is very conscious of the commitment to deliver effective data protection regulation and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Asylum Applications (21 Feb 2023)

Simon Harris: As the Deputy may be aware, for reasons relating to applicant confidentiality, it is not my Department's practice to comment on whether an application for international protection has been made in the State. An applicant for such protection status, or their legal representative, should contact either the International Protection Office (IPO) or the International Protection Appeals Tribunal...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Domestic Violence (21 Feb 2023)

Simon Harris: As the Deputy will be aware the Government will establish a statutory agency with a dedicated focus on Domestic Sexual and Gender-Based Violence. The agency will have a specific mandate to drive the implementation of the Zero Tolerance: Third National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence across Government, bringing the expertise and focus required to tackle this complex...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (21 Feb 2023)

Simon Harris: In order to work in Ireland all non-EEA Nationals, unless they are exempted, must hold a valid Employment Permit. The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE) administers the Employment Permits system. Not all non-EEA Nationals are visa required. The granting of an employment permit by DETE is not the sole determining factor as to whether a visa will subsequently be granted by...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (21 Feb 2023)

Simon Harris: 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 purchase, allocation, and effective and efficient use of Garda vehicles. As Minister, I have no role in these matters. I am however advised by the Garda authorities that the number of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Funding (21 Feb 2023)

Simon Harris: I wish to advise the Deputy that funding to two organisations was suspended by my Department in the years 2019 to 2022 and to date in 2023 due to concerns around governance. Funding of €45,021 to the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) was suspended between April 2019 and April 2020. This funding was provided from the Asylum Migration and Integration Fund which transferred to the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Advertising (21 Feb 2023)

Simon Harris: It has not been possible to collate the information requested by the Deputy in the time allowed. I will write to the Deputy directly when the information is available.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Staff (21 Feb 2023)

Simon Harris: The Communications and Engagement Unit in my Department is made up of 13 staff who work on Media Relations; Social Media, Digital Creative, and Internal Communications, Events and Stakeholder Engagement. The current composition of staff in the unit is as outlined in the table below with all staff paid in accordance with civil service salary scales and relevant public service pay agreements....

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Reports (21 Feb 2023)

Simon Harris: The Judicial Planning Working Group (JPWG) Report was submitted to the Minister for Justice on 6 January 2023 and will be published shortly.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Programmes (21 Feb 2023)

Simon Harris: As the Deputy is aware, I obtained approval from the Government to close the Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP) to further applications from 15 February 2023. The Immigrant Investor Programme was established over a decade ago during a time of unprecedented economic difficulty to stimulate investment in Ireland that would be of strategic and public benefit to the State. Since its inception,...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Asylum Applications (21 Feb 2023)

Simon Harris: As previously advised, the application for the person referred to by the Deputy was received by the Undocumented Unit of my Department on 10 February 2022 and continues to be processed. Due to the large number of applications on hand 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...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Ukraine War (21 Feb 2023)

Simon Harris: The EU Temporary Protection Directive was activated by the EU Council in March 2022 in response to the Russian aggression against Ukraine. The Council Decision to activate the Directive places specific obligations on Ireland and on all EU Member States, including the duration of the temporary protection to be awarded and the State supports and services that the beneficiary should be entitled...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (21 Feb 2023)

Simon Harris: The Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill was formally published in January of 2023 and is based on the recommendations of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland (CoFPI) report. As the Deputy may be aware, the CoFPI report recommended that Garda staff be recruited directly to An Garda Síochána, rather than the Civil Service. A central tenet of the CoFPI...

Co-ordination of International Protection Services: Statements (16 Feb 2023)

Simon Harris: I can assure the Deputy at the outset that one letter is a moment in time but everybody in government, across every Government Department and every State agency, is supporting the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth in the incredible challenge of trying to find accommodation, including in my own two Departments. All student accommodation is being offered again...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (16 Feb 2023)

Simon Harris: I thank the Deputy for raising this because it provides me with an opportunity to update the House. I am examining the issue raised in a recent court case very carefully. Government approval has been provided for the drafting of heads of Bill to provide for an amendment to the Children Act 2001 to ensure there are sufficient alternative sentencing options to fully and partially suspended...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (16 Feb 2023)

Simon Harris: The short answer is that it can and should. I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. The Minister, Deputy McEntee, and I came together on this issue with the Garda and with student unions to roll out an awareness campaign. I now intend to work with the Garda and student unions to do the same again. It is absolutely horrific when this happens to people. It is really important that people...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Inquiries (16 Feb 2023)

Simon Harris: I am not sure of the Dáil rules regarding what can be said on matters like this.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Public Inquiries (16 Feb 2023)

Simon Harris: I will just be careful in my role. With regard to the factual position, Judge Haughton was asked to carry out a scoping exercise. The terms of reference of that exercise were settled in July 2019. The judge's remit was to advise the then Minister for Justice and now myself as to whether there were any circumstances surrounding the death of Shane O'Farrell that warrant further investigation...