Results 6,201-6,220 of 15,342 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: An Garda Síochána (20 Sep 2023)

Helen McEntee: 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 procurement and allocation of Garda vehicles. However, I am assured that the number and types of vehicles procured by An Garda Síochána is based on identified operational...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: An Garda Síochána (20 Sep 2023)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, in accordance with the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, including all operational policing matters. As Minister, I have no role in these independent functions. I am advised that there are 15 stables in the Garda Mounted Unit facility in...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Citizenship Applications (20 Sep 2023)

Helen McEntee: The naturalisation application from the person referred to by the Deputy continues to be processed by my Department. The granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is a privilege and an honour which confers certain rights and entitlements not only within the State but also at European Union level and it is important that appropriate procedures are in place to preserve the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Prison Service (20 Sep 2023)

Helen McEntee: Probation supervision is only one factor which is taken into account when a prisoner applies for temporary release. Decisions regarding temporary release are made by me as Minister for Justice or on my behalf by designated senior officials in the Irish Prison Service. The legislative basis for temporary release is set out in the Criminal Justice Act 1960, as amended by the Criminal Justice...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Peace Commissioners (20 Sep 2023)

Helen McEntee: Peace Commissioners are appointed by the Minister for Justice under Section 88 of the Courts of Justice Act 1924. The appointment of a Peace Commissioner is entirely at the discretion of the Minister for Justice and the fact that an applicant or nominee may be suitable for appointment does not, in itself, provide any entitlement to appointment as a Peace Commissioner because other factors,...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Strategies (20 Sep 2023)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy may be aware, in 2020 policy responsibility for the National LGBTI+ Inclusion Strategy 2019-2021 transferred from my Department to the Department of Children, Equality, Diversity, Integration and Youth. This includes many of the policy actions previously listed under my Department within the Strategy. However, I am pleased to update the Deputy on the initiatives within my...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Immigration Status (20 Sep 2023)

Helen McEntee: I am informed that the persons referred to by the Deputy have no pending applications with the Immigration Service. However, it remains open to the persons concerned to apply for a change of immigration status if they meet the criteria for doing so. Further information on the criteria for changing immigration permission, including instructions on how to change permission are available on...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Family Reunification (20 Sep 2023)

Helen McEntee: Family reunification as provided for in S56 of the International Protection Act 2015, allows people granted International Protection to apply for certain family members to join them in the State. The current average processing time is 10 months. Processing time can vary depending on the nature of the application and the documentation supplied. Information on how to apply for family...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: International Protection (20 Sep 2023)

Helen McEntee: I can advise the Deputy that the person referred to made an application to the Afghan Admission Programme on 10 February 2022. In order to be considered eligible for the Programme each Proposer and Beneficiary must meet certain eligibility criteria, which are set out in the Guidance for Submission of an Application document, posted on the Afghan Admission Programme Information Page on the...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Reports (20 Sep 2023)

Helen McEntee: It has not been possible to collate complete information as requested by the Deputy in the time allowed. I will write to the Deputy directly when the information is to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Crime Data (20 Sep 2023)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, the Central Statistics Office (CSO), as the national statistical agency, is responsible for the compilation and publication of all crime statistics. The CSO produces these statistics using data recorded on An Garda Síochána’s PULSE system and makes regular releases under reservation in relation to various crime statistics. The CSO also continues...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Crime Prevention (20 Sep 2023)

Helen McEntee: 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 all Garda policing operations. As Minister, I have no role in these matters. I am informed by the Garda authorities that Operation Satailt was established in the Dublin Metropolitan Region...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Departmental Staff (20 Sep 2023)

Helen McEntee: The information requested by the Deputy regarding the number of full-time staff, by grade, working in the border management unit of my Department as of 12 September 2023, is set out in the below table. Grade Full-time equivalent staff Principal Officer 1 Assistant Principal 1 Administrative Officer ...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Naturalisation Applications (20 Sep 2023)

Helen McEntee: My Department is focused on continually identifying ways of improving the naturalisation process for applicants and reducing any backlog as soon as possible. Through adding staff, but also through digitising and streamlining services, processing rates have increased by over 30 percent against pre-pandemic figures. Earlier this year the Citizenship Division of my Department wrote to all...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Immigration Status (20 Sep 2023)

Helen McEntee: The person concerned can use the date of their landing stamp, if their next registered immigration permission is reckonable as qualifying residency as set down in the Irish Nationality and Citizenship 1956 Act.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Visa Applications (20 Sep 2023)

Helen McEntee: An application for an extension of student conditions was received from the person referred to by the Deputy on 13 July 2023 and continues to be processed. The Third Level Graduate Programme (Stamp 1G) is designed to allow graduates of Irish universities an opportunity to obtain graduate level employment and an employment permit from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. It...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Visa Applications (20 Sep 2023)

Helen McEntee: I can advise the Deputy that the application referred to was created on the 19 July 2023. Supporting documentation was received in the New Delhi office on the 26 July 2023, where it awaits examination and processing. It is not possible to give a definitive date as to when this application will be finalised. All applications are processed in chronological order, based on date order of...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Family Support Services (20 Sep 2023)

Helen McEntee: The facilitation of contact between a child and their non-resident parent, where safe and appropriate, is central to family life in order to establish and/or build positive child-parent relationships. Expenses arising in the context of the resolution of private family law and other civil disputes are matters for the parties. Child and family services and related policy areas which fall...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: An Garda Síochána (20 Sep 2023)

Helen McEntee: Community policing is fundamental to the new Garda Operating Model recommended by the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland and currently being rolled out under 'A Policing Service for Our Future', the Government's implementation plan for the Commission's recommendations. I want to emphasise that community policing is at the heart of An Garda Síochána, and that all...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: An Garda Síochána (20 Sep 2023)

Helen McEntee: By way of background, because fireworks are explosives, they are regulated under national and EU legislation and can only be imported into the country under licence and stored and sold in accordance with explosives law. Government policy restricts the availability of all hazardous fireworks to the general public. Licences under the Explosives Act are issued by my Department only for the...