Results 661-680 of 8,947 for speaker:Jim O'Callaghan

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Funding (4 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: In 2021, the creation of the Community Safety Innovation Fund was announced to reinvest proceeds of crime funds returned to the exchequer by the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) back into communities, in order to fund innovative local projects aimed at building stronger, safer communities. The Fund has since been renamed the Community Safety Fund (CSF). Investing this money back into the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Data (4 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 501 and 502 together. As the Deputy will be aware, Peace Commissioners are appointed by the Minister for Justice in accordance with section 88 of the Courts of Justice Act, 1924. The office of Peace Commissioner is an honorary one for which there is no remuneration or compensation by way of fees or expenses for their services. There are currently no...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Policies (4 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: In 2021, the then Minister for Justice asked the Legal Services Regulatory Authority (LSRA) to prepare and submit a report on the possible creation of a new profession of conveyancer. This request was in line with the provisions of section 34(1)(c) of the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015. The ensuing report, including recommendations, was published and laid before the Houses of the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Data (4 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: The Government is committed to building stronger, safer communities, and strengthening An Garda Síochána is at the core of that. We will continue to provide An Garda Síochána with the resources it needs to ensure communities around Ireland are safe and feel safe, including to invest in recruitment, in equipment and technology and in buildings. This is reflected in the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (4 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: 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 making an application, except for spouses of Irish nationals and people granted International Protection where the requirement is 3...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (4 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I have requested the information sought by the Deputy from the Garda authorities. Regrettably, this was not available in time and I will write to the Deputy once the information is to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Policies (4 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: As the Deputy will be aware, the Guardianship of Infants Act 1964 sets out the current law relating to guardianship in line with Article 42A of the Constitution, which requires that provision be made by law that in the resolution of all proceedings concerning the guardianship or custody of, or access to, any child, the best interests of the child shall be the paramount consideration. A...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Programme (4 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: CCTV schemes are currently governed by section 38 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Síochána (CCTV) Order 2006 (SI 289 of 2006), GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. The Garda Síochána (Recording Devices) Act 2023, which was signed into law in December 2023, provides for a new regime for the authorisation and operation of CCTV schemes. In...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (4 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Under the Garda Síochána Act 2005, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána. This includes the distribution of resources, including the Garda fleet, across the various Garda Divisions and National/Specialist Units. As Minister, I have no direct role in this matter. The Government is committed to providing An Garda...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (4 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: The naturalisation application from the person referred to by the Deputy continues to be processed by my Department. I understand the extended wait times can be frustrating for applicants, particularly considering the current processing times. I want to assure anyone who has an application for naturalisation submitted that the Citizenship Division of my Department is doing everything...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (4 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I can advise the Deputy that the visa application referred to was refused and this decision was upheld by the Visa Office on appeal. The reasons for the refusal of the appeal were outlined to the person in a letter issued on 1 December 2024. I appreciate that this decision has likely caused disappointment. However, I can advise that is still open to person concerned to apply again for an...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Projects (4 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: A key principle of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland is that community safety requires multi-agency cooperation working in partnership with An Garda Síochána and crucially with communities themselves. The Commission's report recommended the establishment of national and local structures to bring together the relevant departments and State agencies involved in harm...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Data (4 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Tackling drug dealing and associated criminal activity is a top priority for An Garda Síochána and the Government. The Government is investing record amounts into An Garda Síochána to target those involved in the sale and supply of illegal drugs through Operation Tara. Operation Tara has a strong focus on tackling street-level dealing across the country, and also seeks to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Data (4 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: The Garda Commissioner is responsible for the operational policing response to burglary and Operation Thor is An Garda Síochána's national response to burglary. Operation Thor actively targets organised crime gangs and repeat offenders through co-ordinated crime prevention and enforcement activity based on intelligence and the latest burglary trends. One focus area of Operation...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Data (4 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: The Garda Commissioner is responsible for the operational policing response to burglary and Operation Thor is An Garda Síochána's national response to burglary. Operation Thor actively targets organised crime gangs and repeat offenders through co-ordinated crime prevention and enforcement activity based on intelligence and the latest burglary trends. One focus area of Operation...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Projects (4 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: At the outset, it is important to note that, as Minister, I do not comment on individual Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP) applications. The 'applicant' in the IIP process is the proposed investor and not the project owner. The State has no responsibility in relation to the delivery of any project or the performance of an investment under the Programme; these are a private matter between...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (4 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: As Minister for Justice, I am acutely aware of capacity restraints in our prisons. I have already engaged with the Irish Prison Service on this issue and the Government has committed to increasing capacity of our prisons by 1,500 over the course of five years. This work has already commenced. The number of people in custody as of 3 March 2025 is outlined in the table below. These statistics...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (4 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Ireland is, in general, a diverse and welcoming country, but regrettably there is a small minority who subject others to abuse or attack resulting from their own prejudice. This behaviour cannot and will not be tolerated and anyone subjected to crimes motivated by homophobia should report it to An Garda Síochána. The Criminal Justice (Hate Offences) Act 2024 came into force, in...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Programme (4 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I can advise the Deputy that an extensive consultation process has taken place with stakeholders, including other Government Departments, Government agencies, representative bodies in the licensed trade, businesses, public health bodies and advocacy groups, charitable organisations, consumers and communities in relation to the proposed legislation. Public health is a key consideration in the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Programmes (4 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: The Programme for Government commitment referred to by the Deputy relates specifically to the information-sharing database that Banking & Payments Federation Ireland plans to develop on behalf of its members. The proposed database will allow participating financial institutions to share certain information for the purposes of helping to identify and prevent fraud. Legal advice...