Results 6,521-6,540 of 17,498 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (5 Mar 2024)

Helen McEntee: The Citizenship Division of my Department have advised a Certificate of Naturalisation issued to the person referred to by the Deputy on 18 February 2024. In a little over two years the Citizenship Division of my Department has gone from processing around 12,000 applications a year to processing over 20,000 applications. This 66% increase in processing has been achieved through digitising...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (5 Mar 2024)

Helen McEntee: I would like to assure the Deputy that both Commissioner Harris and I are committed to combatting all forms of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence and to ensuring that An Garda Síochána is resourced to provide support to victims. As I am sure you are aware, the national roll out of Divisional Protective Service Units (DPSUs) was an action under Supporting a Victim's...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (5 Mar 2024)

Helen McEntee: I have contacted the Garda authorities for the information requested by the Deputy. Regrettably, this information was not available in time and I will write to the Deputy directly when it is to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (5 Mar 2024)

Helen McEntee: My Department's Registration Office in Burgh Quay is responsible for registering immigration permissions for non-EU/EEA nationals residing in the Dublin area only, including the online renewal system. An Garda Síochána has oversight of the first registration and renewal of immigration residence permissions for non-EU/EEA nationals residing outside of the Dublin area. I have no...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (5 Mar 2024)

Helen McEntee: The Citizenship Division of my Department have advised that a Certificate of Naturalisation issued to the person referred to by the Deputy on 10 February 2024. In a little over two years the Citizenship Division of my Department has gone from processing around 12,000 applications a year to processing over 20,000 applications. This 66% increase in processing has been achieved through...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Reports (5 Mar 2024)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy may be aware, in May 2021, the Department of Justice published a Request for Tender to conduct a review of stakeholder experiences in the processing of sexual offences in Ireland on foot of the O’Malley Review findings in 2020. The purpose of this research was to explore the experiences of those involved in the processing of sexual offence cases in Ireland, and to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Measures (5 Mar 2024)

Helen McEntee: The Seller’s Legal Pack for Property Buyers Bill 2021, which is a Private Member’s Bill, passed second stage in Dáil Éireann on October 5th last year. I welcomed the Bill’s objectives of improving efficiency and reducing the costs involved in buying and selling property. However, I also outlined a number of practical and legal issues identified in the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Properties (5 Mar 2024)

Helen McEntee: I am informed that there are no ground rents payable by my Department in the years 2016 to date. Regarding Agencies under the remit of my Department, I am informed by the Courts Service that one property in use by them is liable for ground rent, the details of which are provided below. Property Clonmel Court Office Landlord The annual payment is...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Measures (5 Mar 2024)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 492 and 493 together. The Auctioneers and House Agents Act, 1947 was repealed by the Property Services (Regulation) Act 2011, which provides for the licensing and regulation of property services providers (auctioneers, estate agents, letting agents and property management agents) by the Property Services Regulatory Authority (PSRA). The Property...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (5 Mar 2024)

Helen McEntee: Ar an drochuair, níl mé in ann an t-ábhar a sholáthar laistigh den am atá ar fáil. Cuirfidh mé freagra ar aghaidh chuig na Teachta Dála i bhfoirm scríofa sna laethanta amach romhainn.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (5 Mar 2024)

Helen McEntee: At the outset I would like to assure the Deputy that I have been absolutely committed to providing An Garda Síochána with the resources need to make sure communities around Ireland are safe and feel safe. In 2024, I have provided a budget allocation of over €2.35 billion to An Garda Síochána. This is a 25% increase since 2020 and will allow for the sustained...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Agreements (5 Mar 2024)

Helen McEntee: The position remains that, while there is no current plans to alter the visa regime for nationals of Colombia in the short-term, the situation is kept under review. In support of visa processing in Colombia, Ireland has recently opened a Visa Application Centre (VAC) in Bogota. I should also point out that we have also extended the multi-entry visa option for up to 5 years for all visa...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Naturalisation Applications (5 Mar 2024)

Helen McEntee: I understand the extended wait times can be frustrating for naturalisation applicants and my Department has been working hard to clear backlogs. The specific information as requested by the Deputy is not collated in the manner described. The current median processing time is 19 months. It is recognised that all applicants for citizenship would wish to have a decision on their...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Naturalisation Applications (5 Mar 2024)

Helen McEntee: I am advised by the Citizenship Division of my Department that correspondence will issue to the person referred to by the Deputy in relation to this application in the coming days. I am deeply conscious of how important the granting of naturalisation is to all of those who apply for it. I recognise that the delays in progressing times are frustrating for people and my Department has...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (5 Mar 2024)

Helen McEntee: The visa application referred to by the Deputy was refused by on 31 October 2022. The reasons for this decision was set out in the refusal letter sent to the applicant on 02 November 2022. An appeal of this decision was received in the Dublin Visa Office on 28 November 2022. All visa applicants are advised that the onus is on them to provide as much information in support of their...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Road Traffic Accidents (5 Mar 2024)

Helen McEntee: Road safety is a shared responsibility, and it is one which this Government takes very seriously. As the Deputy will appreciate, road safety policy falls under the remit of my colleague, the Minister for Transport. It is my understanding that Parliamentary Question No. 25 of 28 February was answered by the Minister of State at the Department of Transport. As noted in Minister...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Asylum Applications (5 Mar 2024)

Helen McEntee: The Deputy will appreciate that the establishment of a person’s identity and nationality is an important feature of our immigration processes. The Border Management Unit (BMU) and the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) are working closely with airlines on a range of measures to ensure that passengers have the appropriate travel documentation when boarding. Immigration officials...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Probate Applications (5 Mar 2024)

Helen McEntee: The sale of properties can involve a series of steps usually starting with a decision to sell, the appointment of an estate agent or auctioneer, a non-binding agreement to purchase (generally known as going “sale agreed”). This is typically followed by the investigation of title where the seller’s solicitor provides detailed evidence of title to buyer’s solicitor,...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Sentencing Policy (5 Mar 2024)

Helen McEntee: The information requested is currently being compiled and I will write to the Deputy directly once the information is to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Domestic Violence (29 Feb 2024)

Helen McEntee: One of the overarching goals of the Zero Tolerance Strategy to address domestic, sexual and gender based violence (DSGBV), is ensuring that everyone who needs a refuge space will get one, and Government has committed to working with the sector to double the number of refuge spaces over the lifetime of the strategy, bringing it to 280 by the end of 2026. As the Deputy is aware, Cuan, the...