Results 6,021-6,040 of 15,389 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (11 Oct 2023)

Helen McEntee: I can advise the Deputy that mental health services within prisons are provided by the Irish Prison Service (IPS) and the HSE/National Forensic Mental Health Service (NFMHS) and there are a range of rehabilitative, therapeutic and counselling services available for people in custody. The Irish Prison Psychology Service is staffed by qualified mental health practitioners and is the largest...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Reviews (11 Oct 2023)

Helen McEntee: I thank the Deputy for her continued and genuine interest in this work. The changes made by the 2017 Sexual Offences Act allow those engaged in prostitution to provide information to Gardaí, for instance if they were subjected to violence by clients, without fear of prosecution for selling sexual services. Section 27 of the Act provides for the review to which the Deputy's question...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Northern Ireland (11 Oct 2023)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy has noted, the Commission for Victims and Survivors in Northern Ireland recently published a survey of attitudes here regarding the Troubles and people’s experiences of the Troubles. The survey emphasises the fact that we live on an island, and as such we share experiences with our neighbours. Successive Irish governments have consistently sought to acknowledge and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (11 Oct 2023)

Helen McEntee: The unprecedented allocation of over €2 billion to An Garda Síochána in 2023 and 2024, up 23 per cent since 2020, demonstrates the Government's commitment to ensuring the organisation has provision for the equipment, technology, facilities, fleet and personnel it needs to carry out vital policing work. The Public Appointments Service (PAS) manages the initial recruitment...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (11 Oct 2023)

Helen McEntee: Government is committed to doubling the number of refuge places to 280 as part of our Zero Tolerance Strategy to tackle domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. The development of an estimated 36 refuge units is underway in Wexford, Dundalk and Navan. It is expected that there will be 98 refuge units in priority locations delivered by end 2025 along with further additional and upgraded...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Inquiry into the Death of Mr. Shane O'Farrell (11 Oct 2023)

Helen McEntee: The report of Judge Gerard Haughton arising from the Scoping Exercise into the circumstances surrounding the tragic and untimely death of Shane O'Farrell, aged 23 in August 2011 was published on 3rd July 2023. Judge Haughton was appointed by Minister Flanagan in 2019 to carry out a Scoping Exercise in light of the public controversy surrounding the circumstances of Mr O'Farrell's tragic...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (11 Oct 2023)

Helen McEntee: Budget 2024 provides funding of €2.31 billion for An Garda Síochána, up 23 per cent since 2020. This level of funding demonstrates the Government’s ongoing commitment to ensuring Gardaí have the equipment, technology, facilities, fleet and, most importantly, the personnel they need to carry out their vital work. This level of funding will continue to provide for...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (11 Oct 2023)

Helen McEntee: I am advised by my officials in the Irish Prison Service that it aims to achieve the highest health and safety standards across its operations and to meet the statutory requirements set out in the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 as well as compliance with the provisions and requirements of other relevant legislation, standards and codes of practice. To do this the Irish...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Miscarriages of Justice (11 Oct 2023)

Helen McEntee: The Deputy will be aware that the question he raises relates to an investigation of nearly 50 years ago and which culminated in the court’s overturning convictions of two people in 1980; a pardon for one individual in 1992; and the payment of financial settlements. There is no doubt that this case, and others of the time, cast a shadow on the trust we place in our criminal justice...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Miscarriages of Justice (11 Oct 2023)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, a detailed application for posthumous Presidential pardons for the two individuals referenced by the Deputy was submitted by theCastleisland District Heritage incorporating the Michael O’Donohue Memorial Project in December 2021. The application has completed an internal review within the Department, and an independent expert in trial law was engaged to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (11 Oct 2023)

Helen McEntee: I can advise the Deputy that on 25 July 2023 I secured Government approval for drafting of the Irish Prison Service Bill 2023. I subsequently referred the General Scheme of the Bill to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice for pre-legislative scrutiny, as part of which the Committee convened a discussion on the Scheme on 3 October 2023. The proposed Bill will cement the position of the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Child Abuse (11 Oct 2023)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 35 and 38 together. The Deputy will be aware from previous responses, that records indicate two allegations of child sexual abuse have been made in relation to the Probation Service. Both relate to alleged incidents in the 1970s by a former staff member who is now deceased. As previously advised, I am informed that when the first allegation came to the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legal Aid (11 Oct 2023)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 36 and 41 together. I fully recognise the important role played by barristers and solicitors 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. I can assure the Deputy that the issue of criminal legal aid...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (11 Oct 2023)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of Garda business and he determines the distribution of Gardaí throughout the State. I do not have a role in these matters. The Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland (CoFPI) recognised that community safety is not solely the responsibility of the Gardaí, or my...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Antisocial Behaviour (11 Oct 2023)

Helen McEntee: Protecting our communities and reducing anti-social behaviour is a priority for me and all of Government, so it requires a whole-of-Government response. Everyone should feel safe in their communities. A key part of this is the unprecedented budget allocation of over €2 billion to An Garda Síochána this year. This level of funding will allow for the continued recruitment of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (11 Oct 2023)

Helen McEntee: I am advised by my officials in the Irish Prison Service that on 20th April 2022 the Labour Court set aside the Workplace Relations Commission decision and, on that basis, no payment has been made nor is any payment pending.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (11 Oct 2023)

Helen McEntee: The Irish Prison Service provides a health care service for people with addictions in a structured, safe and professional way in line with international best practice. The Prison Service continues to be committed to, and involved with, the National Drugs Strategy in partnership with community colleagues and organisations. I can advise the Deputy that the Irish Prison Service engages...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legal Aid (11 Oct 2023)

Helen McEntee: The Criminal Justice (Legal Aid) Act, 1962, is the primary legislation covering the operation of the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme and gives effect to the Constitutional right that legal aid may be granted for the defence of persons with insufficient means in criminal proceedings. Under the Scheme, the courts, through the judiciary, are responsible for the granting of legal aid. An applicant for...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Ceremonies (11 Oct 2023)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 151 and 152 together. Unfortunately, my Department do not compile statistics in the manner requested by the Deputy. However, I can confirm that the majority of applicants for naturalisation were born outside of the State. Citizenship Ceremonies were first introduced in 2011 in order to mark the occasion of the granting of citizenship in a dignified and solemn...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Policy (11 Oct 2023)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy is aware, the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) has oversight of the registration and renewal of immigration permissions for persons residing outside of the Dublin area. The responsibility of the registration function at Immigration Offices outside of the Dublin Metropolitan Region rests with local Superintendents or the relevant Detective Superintendent. The waiting time...