Results 5,501-5,520 of 15,389 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (29 Nov 2023)

Helen McEntee: I have engaged with the school. I have spoken to the principal numerous times. I have spoken to parents. I have spoken to members of An Garda Síochána, which is liaising with the school. I have spoken to my colleague, the Minister, Deputy Foley, who is engaging directly with the school as well. We are providing whatever support is necessary, being asked of us and that they...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 Nov 2023)

Helen McEntee: I thank the Deputy for his question and for raising this issue. As a country of emigrants, we have always welcomed people into our country - those who wish to live, work and set down roots here. We have also welcomed and will continue to welcome those who seek our help and seek international protection be it those coming from Ukraine who are in receipt of temporary protection or...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 Nov 2023)

Helen McEntee: The very people the Deputy is speaking about, those who are marginalised in our community and those who are seeking international protection, are the very people that those thugs and scumbags on Thursday night sought to intimidate. The measures I am putting in place to support the Garda, be it more gardaí, better armour, better equipment, body cameras so that they can have a proper...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 Nov 2023)

Helen McEntee: I am putting in place whatever the Garda needs to make sure that everybody - not just us, not just those who were born in this country but that every single person in this country - is protected, and that we support the Garda to do its job in that regard. I repeat that we have provided accommodation with 10,000 beds for international protection applicants in the last 11 months alone. Some...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 Nov 2023)

Helen McEntee: When I spoke to the Garda Commissioner and Garda members last week, I did so to offer my support. When the Deputy's leader rang the Garda Commissioner, it was to call for his head. When people in this country want stability, all Sinn Féin is interested in is providing instability.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 Nov 2023)

Helen McEntee: That is the difference between the Government and the Deputy's party.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 Nov 2023)

Helen McEntee: I thank the Deputy for her contribution. I fully agree in that I do not believe this is the time for grandstanding and waving pictures. Again, I suggest to the Opposition that it think about what exactly it is trying to achieve here. To respond to the Deputy's question about our capital city, there is much talk about the capital belonging to no one individual. It belongs to us all....

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 Nov 2023)

Helen McEntee: The Garda Commissioner has my full support and the full support of the Government. What am I doing? I want more gardaí. We all want more gardaí. I fully appreciate overtime is not the solution. I have increased the training allowance already by two thirds in the budget just gone. I have made sure that, when recruitment opens in January, those over 35 will be able to join. I...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 Nov 2023)

Helen McEntee: I wish to say at the outset that my thoughts are still very much with the young girl and with her carer, both of whom are critically ill in hospital. What happened to those children and that school is an unimaginable tragedy. My thoughts are with them, their families, the school and the wider community. What we saw unfold after that appalling tragedy was a small group of people, who do...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 Nov 2023)

Helen McEntee: We also saw the largest mobilisation of our public order units, with more than 400 members of An Garda Síochána coming together to respond to these thugs. In a very short space of time, we saw these thugs being contained into a small part of our city centre. What we saw was devastating and not one of us ever imagined that we would witness what we witnessed, but the thugs were...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 Nov 2023)

Helen McEntee: Of course there will be lessons learned, and there should be, from a catastrophic event of this size, and the Garda and we as a country will be the better for it. Regarding the school and those children, I have been in contact with the principal numerous times. I have been in contact with the Garda – not just the Commissioner, but local gardaí at Store Street. I assure...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 Nov 2023)

Helen McEntee: We all have a role to be responsible in the House. The Deputy should consider that before she starts waving pictures around.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 Nov 2023)

Helen McEntee: The Deputy has said a lot of things. Her party has said a lot of things.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 Nov 2023)

Helen McEntee: The Deputy's leader has said a lot of things since last Thursday. Not a single solution, not a single proposal and not a single thing of benefit has come out of Sinn Féin's mouth since last Thursday.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (29 Nov 2023)

Helen McEntee: Instead, Sinn Féin has used a tragic situation to sow division, to point score and to create instability. I thought for a second last week, when I rang all of the Dublin Central Deputies, for a split second, that we would be united in our determination to face down these absolute thugs, who wreaked havoc in our city centre for a period of time. Instead, less than 24 hours later, Deputy...

Seanad: Recent Violence in Dublin City Centre: Motion (29 Nov 2023)

Helen McEntee: I am very sorry.

Seanad: Recent Violence in Dublin City Centre: Motion (29 Nov 2023)

Helen McEntee: I thank all Senators for their contributions to this important debate and discussion on what happened last Thursday evening. I join again with colleagues in condemning this barbaric attack on a group of young and innocent schoolchildren and their carer. My wishes and thoughts are with the young girl and her carer, who are still critically ill in hospital. My wishes and thoughts are also...

Seanad: Recent Violence in Dublin City Centre: Motion (29 Nov 2023)

Helen McEntee: To say that migration, or migrants and crime are connected-----

Seanad: Recent Violence in Dublin City Centre: Motion (29 Nov 2023)

Helen McEntee: -----is not appropriate. It is not okay-----

Seanad: Recent Violence in Dublin City Centre: Motion (29 Nov 2023)

Helen McEntee: -----and it is very sad to hear that in our Chamber.