Results 5,701-5,720 of 46,575 for speaker:Simon Harris

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Proposed Legislation (3 May 2023)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 289 and 296 together. As indicated in my response to PQ No. 13251 of 21 March 2023, the Guardianship of Infants Act 1964 (Child's Views Expert) Regulations 2018 (S.I. No. 587 of 2018) specify the necessary qualifications and experience of child’s views experts appointed under section 32(1)(b) of the Guardianship of Infants Act 1964 in private family...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: State Bodies (3 May 2023)

Simon Harris: I am informed by the Criminal Assets Bureau that when they seize a house using proceeds of crime legislation, and they intend on selling it or preserving its value, the Bureau normally seeks advice from quantity surveyors regarding the condition and value of the property. This process allows the Bureau to seek the best recourse in recouping the best value for the Exchequer. The below table...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (3 May 2023)

Simon Harris: Spiking a person’s drink or spiking someone by injection are very serious offences. These offences are, in effect, poisoning, and are criminal offences under the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997 that can result in a three-year prison term. I can assure the Deputy that any incident of this type of crime, including those with evidence to suggest a link with...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (3 May 2023)

Simon Harris: As the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the administration of An Garda Síochána, including recruitment and the management of Garda resources. As Minister, I have no direct role in these matters. I am advised that at 26 April 2023 there were 2 full time civilian Grooms working in the Garda mounted unit. Grooms ...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (3 May 2023)

Simon Harris: I have requested the information sought by the Deputy, however, this information was not available in time. I will write to the Deputy once the information is to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (3 May 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 use of Garda vehicles. As Minister, I have no role in these matters. I am assured that Garda management keeps the distribution of resources under...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Reviews (3 May 2023)

Simon Harris: Protecting and supporting victims of sexual violence is a key priority for me and for my Department and I am keenly aware of the devastating physical and emotional consequences such crimes have on victims. The Department of Health is leading on a review of the issue of disclosing counselling records on foot of an action in the Third National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Measures (3 May 2023)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 298 and 299 together. The Multi-Unit Developments Act 2011 was enacted with the primary purposes of reforming the law relating to the ownership and management of common areas of multi-unit developments, and facilitating the fair, efficient and effective management of owners' management companies (OMCs). Well-functioning OMCs are key to maintaining and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (3 May 2023)

Simon Harris: Applicants are advised to apply for their visa 8 weeks before their intended date of travel to the State. The Dublin Visa Office are currently processing Short Stay Business Visas, received in the Dublin Visa Office, on the 3 April 2023. Processing times and decisions at the Overseas Visa Offices can be checked at the following link: www.irishimmigration.ie/visa-decisions/ There...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Reviews (3 May 2023)

Simon Harris: Part VII of the Succession Act 1965 sets out the legal requirements for the making of a valid will and provides robust safeguards in relation to the validity of wills. These requirements are as follows:it must be in writing;the testator must be over 18 years of age (the testator may be under 18 if he or she is or has been married);the testator must be of sound mind;the testator must sign or...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Grant Payments (3 May 2023)

Simon Harris: Under the terms of the Student Grant Scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students attending an approved course in an approved institution who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means. The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter, in the first instance, for the centralised student...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Admissions (3 May 2023)

Simon Harris: Higher Education Institutions are autonomous institutions within the meaning of the Universities Act 1997, the Institutions of Technology Acts 1992 to 2006 and the Technological Universities Act 2018. Under this legislation, the institutions are academically independent and are entitled to regulate their own academic affairs and administrative processes including admissions, examinations,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Provision (3 May 2023)

Simon Harris: The government has set an ambitious target to retrofit 500,000 homes by 2030. Important steps towards delivering on this target include the delivery of training through Near Zero Energy Building (NZEB) Centres of Excellence. Training offered in the NZEB Centres provide the skills required for a modern construction workforce, and helps support the delivery of the Government’s...

Final Report of the Joint Committee on International Surrogacy: Motion [Private Members] (27 Apr 2023)

Simon Harris: I welcome the opportunity to speak on this important topic. I am pleased to join colleagues in contributing to this important debate. I get a real sense of our reaching an important milestone on a long and winding road. I thank all the Members involved in the excellent work of the joint committee and especially my constituency colleague, Deputy Whitmore, for chairing it. This place often...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (27 Apr 2023)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 309 to 312, inclusive, together. The Government’s Zero Tolerance Strategy, published last year, is an ambitious five-year programme of reform aimed at achieving a society which does not accept any form of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (DSGBV) or the attitudes which underpin it. Built on the four pillars of the Istanbul Convention, the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Coroners Service (27 Apr 2023)

Simon Harris: I am acutely conscious that any delay in the carrying out of coroner-directed post-mortems can be upsetting for bereaved families and loved ones. The Coroner Service provides a valuable service to next of kin and society in general in seeking to explain the causes of death in those instances which are reportable by law. The Department of Justice has responsibility for providing financial and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (27 Apr 2023)

Simon Harris: My Department is taking a number of steps to speed up the processing of applications for naturalisation and a number of digitisation measures have been introduced to increase efficiency in the process, including eTax clearance, eVetting and online payments. The end result of the digitisation process will be to free up more staff to focus on processing applications in a timely and efficient...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Crime Data (27 Apr 2023)

Simon Harris: I can inform the Deputy that the data provided to him in question 304 of 20th of April was not data on convictions or the number of persons charged under the Acts in question. The data provided was of incidents recorded on the Garda PULSE system. As the Deputy can appreciate not every incident recorded on the PULSE system necessarily leads to an individual appearing before a Court, and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (27 Apr 2023)

Simon Harris: As the Deputy will be aware under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) is independent in the performance of its functions. As Minister, I have no direct role in such matters. The existing legal framework for the operation of GSOC is set out in Part 3 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended). The Act includes...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (27 Apr 2023)

Simon Harris: I propose to take Questions Nos. 317 and 318 together. As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) has a very important role to play in ensuring public confidence in An Garda Síochána and it has extensive powers under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended). The Government is committed to ensuring that GSOC has the necessary...