Results 581-600 of 10,013 for speaker:Jim O'Callaghan

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legal Aid (27 May 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: The Legal Aid Board is the statutory, independent body responsible for the provision of civil legal aid and advice to persons of modest means, in accordance with the provisions of the Civil Legal Aid Act 1995 (“the 1995 Act”) and the Civil Legal Aid Regulations 1996 to 2021. Section 3(3) of the 1995 Act states that the Board shall, subject to the provisions of the Act, be...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (27 May 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 460, 461, 462 and 463 together. As part of my Department’s continued commitment to improving its services, an online citizenship application portal was made available in October 2023. This portal is a separate system to the Customer Service Portal and has made the application process easier for applicants, allowing them to easily fill in relevant...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Public Procurement Contracts (27 May 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Public procurement is governed by EU and national rules and my Department ensures that appropriate procedures are followed for procurement activity. Departments are obliged to ensure that public procurement is discharged in line with the standard accounting and procurement rules and that contract prices represent best value for money. Public procurement practices are subject to audit and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Public Procurement Contracts (27 May 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 466 and 467 together. It has not been possible to collate the information requested by the Deputy in the time available. I will write to the Deputy in due course.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Public Procurement Contracts (27 May 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: It has not been possible to collate the information requested in the time available. I will write to the Deputy in due course.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (27 May 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the visa applications referred to have been granted and a visa sticker was issued to their passports on 22 April 2025. As an Oireachtas member, you can also request the status of individual immigration cases by e-mail, using the Oireachtas Mail facility at: IMoireachtasmail@justice.ie, which has been specifically established for this purpose. This...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legal Aid (27 May 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I recognise the important role played by the legal professions in the administration of criminal justice, both in the context of working to defend those accused and working with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in respect of prosecutions. Over the past two years, there has been an 18% increase in the fees paid to barristers under the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme. The budget...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (27 May 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: The person cited by the Deputy currently holds immigration permission on Stamp 4 conditions, which is valid until 26 February 2027. All applications for a certificate of naturalisation are assessed individually in accordance with the provisions of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended. Applicants are required to have 5 years reckonable residence in the State prior to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (27 May 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: It has not been possible to gather the required information in the available time. I will write to the Deputy when the information is available.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Policy (27 May 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: The Government agreed to close the (Immigrant Investor Programme) IIP to further applications from 15 February 2023. Only the project proposals currently on hand will be processed to completion, and by default, the individual investor applications associated with them. My Department has no plans to replace the IIP with a similar scheme. The IIP Unit of my Department continues to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: International Protection (27 May 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 474, 475, 476 and 477 together. My Department's International Protection Procurement Service (IPPS) is not examining the property mentioned for use as international protection accommodation. In response to the Deputy's questions about the process followed in general, any property offered to the Department for use as international protection accommodation...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: International Protection (27 May 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 478, 479, 480 and 481 together. My Department's International Protection Procurement Service (IPPS) is not currently examining any property for use as international protection accommodation in Ballina, County Mayo.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Agreements (27 May 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I can inform the Deputy that the Short-Stay Visa Waiver Programme allows nationals of certain countries, who have entered the UK on foot of certain UK short stay visas, to travel to Ireland without the requirement to obtain an Irish visa. This is a non-reciprocal arrangement. The list of countries eligible to participate on the programme is kept under consideration, however, I currently have...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: International Protection (27 May 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: My Department's International Protection Procurement Service (IPPS) is not currently examining this property for use as international protection accommodation.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: International Protection (27 May 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: In line with the Programme for Government 2025, and the Comprehensive Accommodation Strategy for International Protection approved in 2024, the State is working the develop more State-owned international protection accommodation, and reduce reliance on commercial providers over time. This will see a move away from full reliance on private providers and towards a core of State-owned...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: International Protection (27 May 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Providing reception conditions to international protection applicants is part of Irish and EU law and is also part of our humanitarian duty to provide shelter to people fleeing war and persecution in their home country. The State is currently accommodating almost 33,000 people in over 320 international protection accommodation centres around the country. In meeting our obligation to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (27 May 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I am informed by the Garda authorities that, as of 30 April 2025, there were a total of 118 vehicles attached to the Dublin Metropolitan Region (DMR) West Division, including 97 cars. 44 of those cars were marked and 53 were unmarked. I am further advised that An Garda Síochána cannot provide figures for which vehicles were used operationally on specific dates. The Garda...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (27 May 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: On 10 July 2024, visa requirements were introduced for nationals of South Africa. My Department has established a dedicated South Africa desk to process these applications along with Visa Application Centres, located throughout South Africa, through an outsourced visa service provider. This is to ensure the facilitation of legitimate travel with processes that are robust, effective, and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Strategies (27 May 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: The multi-stakeholder process to which the Deputy refers commenced in March of this year with the formation of a working group chaired by officials from my Department and including representation from the Office of Public Works (OPW) and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Facilitated by the County and City Management Association (CCMA), members of the working group met...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: International Protection (27 May 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I can assure the Deputy that it is a priority to have recommendations made on all international protection applications as soon as possible. This gives status to those who are entitled to international protection to rebuild their lives here, while also ensuring faster decision making in respect of those who do not meet the criteria. The number of International Protection applications have...