Results 6,221-6,240 of 15,342 for speaker:Helen McEntee

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

Helen McEntee: I can advise the Deputy that officials from the Visa area of my Department made contact with the person referred to on Friday 15 September 2023, with a view to assisting with their intended travel to the State. In relation to Bolivian nationals who had made plans to travel to Ireland before the visa requirement came into force on 12 September 2023 and who can show evidence of booking and...

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

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible under Section 26 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended) for the management and administration of Garda business. As Minister I have no role in these independent functions. I am assured by the Garda Commissioner that the health and safety of Gardaí is of paramount and ongoing concern, so all operational...

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

Helen McEntee: The recruitment of Recruit Prison Officers by the Irish Prison Service has been ongoing since 2017 and has regard to such factors as organisational needs and exit levels. To support the operation of the prison estate and ensure that the organisation can continue to provide important rehabilitative services to those in our care in a safe and secure manner, the Irish Prison Service was...

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 for the recruitment, training and deployment of Garda members and Garda Staff. As Minister, I have no role in such matters. I can inform the Deputy that there are 65 Garda members...

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

Helen McEntee: The Deputy will be aware that, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána. This includes the management of the Garda Fleet. The allocation of Garda resources is a matter for the Commissioner, in light of identified operational demands. As Minister, I have no role in these...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (13 Jul 2023)

Helen McEntee: My Department acknowledges that delays in processing times can be very frustrating and disruptive to applicants for naturalisation. The backlogs currently being experienced are an unfortunate legacy of the pandemic when staff could only attend the office in a limited capacity. The paper based nature of the application process means it was very difficult to process files during that time....

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Asylum Applications (13 Jul 2023)

Helen McEntee: The table below provides the breakdown of the number of international protection applications recorded between 2019 and to 1st July 2023 by “initial place of application”. Information on how a person enters the country when not through a designated port is not recorded. IP Applications - Place of Application Year of Application IPO Airports ...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Religious Discrimination (13 Jul 2023)

Helen McEntee: Articles 12.8, 31.4 and 34.6.1° of the Constitution respectively prescribe the wording of a declaration to be made by a person taking up office as President, as a member of the Council of State, and as a judge. The declarations contain religious references. Any amendment to these provisions would require a referendum.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Data (13 Jul 2023)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 525 and 526 together. I have asked An Garda Sìochàna if it is possible to provide the information request by the Deputy. Unfortunately it has not been possible to confirm this within the timeframe allowed. I will revert to the Deputy with any relevant information upon receipt.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Crime Prevention (13 Jul 2023)

Helen McEntee: As I am sure the Deputy appreciates, the restricting of a person’s liberty is a serious issue, given the Constitutional presumption that a person is deemed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. While the State’s bail laws do provide for the refusal of bail in certain circumstances, the presiding Judge is entirely independent in the exercise of their judicial...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legal Aid (13 Jul 2023)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 528, 529, 530 and 531 together. 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 Justice and Equality: Asylum Seekers (13 Jul 2023)

Helen McEntee: Detention of a person refused entry to the State or a person who is subject to a deportation order, is only undertaken as a last resort. The considerations for a detention decision include the level of risk of absconding, whether the person poses a threat to public security, or whether the individual has committed a serious crime. These matters are currently the subject of review in my...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Appointments (13 Jul 2023)

Helen McEntee: The information requested by the Deputy is not held by my Department. The nomination and appointment processes for boards of bodies under the aegis of my Department are set out in legislation. In line with Government Decision S180/20/10/1617 of 2014 and Guidelines set out by the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, my Department, in conjunction with the Public...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Spent Convictions (13 Jul 2023)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, the Programme for Government commits to reviewing the Criminal Justice (Spent Convictions and Certain Disclosures) Act 2016 and to broaden the range of convictions that are considered spent. As part of this review process, a public consultation on spent convictions was launched by my Department in October 2020. Bespoke research on the approach to spent...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (13 Jul 2023)

Helen McEntee: The naturalisation application from the person referred to by the Deputy continues to be processed by my Department, with a view to establishing whether the applicant meets the statutory conditions for the granting of naturalisation. It will be submitted to me for decision in due course. Significant changes are underway within the naturalisation process as the Citizenship Division examines...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (13 Jul 2023)

Helen McEntee: I can confirm that the Visa Office in Abu Dhabi did not receive an original birth cert for the person referred to. Where original documents such as marriage, birth or death certificates are received by a visa office they will be returned as soon as the application is dealt with. I have been informed by the Visa Office in Abu Dhabi that the applicant concerned initially requested the return...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (13 Jul 2023)

Helen McEntee: The Government is committed to building stronger, safer communities and a strengthened, well-resourced Garda Síochána is central to this policy. This commitment is demonstrated by the unprecedented allocation of over €2 billion to the Garda Vote this year, which is allowing for sustained and ongoing recruitment and investment in new equipment and new vehicles. This level of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Residential Institutions (13 Jul 2023)

Helen McEntee: I apologise for the delay in responding to the Deputy as I sought clarity on this matter. I am informed that An Garda Síochána has no way to identify, from its PULSE system, victims of crime who live in nursing homes or disability centres, as distinct from other victims. I have sought clarity for the Deputy in respect of a previous reference made, that "AGS are currently working...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (13 Jul 2023)

Helen McEntee: I can advise the Deputy that on the 30th of June, 2023 there were 489 people in custody under the age of 25, of these 364 people were sentenced. The average sentence length of the sentenced population (excluding life sentences) was 3.057 years.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (13 Jul 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...