Results 7,861-7,880 of 15,429 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: International Protection (12 Jul 2022)

Helen McEntee: My Department's overall objective is to have decisions made on applications from people seeking international protection as quickly as possible. This ensures that those who are found to be in need of protection in Ireland can receive it quickly and begin rebuilding their lives here with a sense of safety and security. I want to assure the Deputy that my Department continues to innovate...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Criminal Assets Bureau (12 Jul 2022)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) is a multi-agency statutory body established under the Criminal Assets Bureau Act, 1996. The Bureau has staff drawn from An Garda Síochána, the Office of the Revenue Commissioners (including Customs), the Department of Social Protection and my Department. The Bureau’s remit is to target the assets, wherever...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Agreements (12 Jul 2022)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 759 and 760 together. The Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP) was introduced by Government Decision in April 2012, to encourage inward investment and to create business and employment opportunities in the State. The Programme was introduced at a time when Ireland was going through a very significant economic downturn and Departments were tasked with initiating...

Seanad: Communications (Retention of Data) (Amendment) Bill 2022: Second Stage (11 Jul 2022)

Helen McEntee: I am pleased to introduce the Communications (Retention of Data) (Amendment) Bill 2022 to the House. The purpose of the Bill is to make certain priority amendments to the current Communications (Retention of Data) Act 2011, referred to in this Bill as the principal Act. To comply with rulings of the Court of Justice of the European Union, the principal Act provides for the general and...

Seanad: Communications (Retention of Data) (Amendment) Bill 2022: Second Stage (11 Jul 2022)

Helen McEntee: I thank all Senators for their contributions. I will start with the last point and reassure Senators that this is not about mass surveillance or retaining data for indiscriminate purposes. From our point of view, what this Bill does is reduce the amount of data that can be retained in comparison with what is currently the case. It increases the number of safeguards of judicial oversight...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (7 Jul 2022)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will appreciate, vetting applications are an operational matter for An Garda Síochána. Neither I, as Minister, nor my Department have any role in the processing of individual vetting applications. The Deputy will be aware that the primary purpose of the employment vetting carried out by the National Vetting Bureau is to seek to ensure the safety of children and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (7 Jul 2022)

Helen McEntee: Based on the information provided by the Deputy, it is not possible for my Department to confirm if an application for naturalisation has been received. However, all applications for naturalisation and general queries received in respect of same are dealt with in chronological order by date received. When applications for a certificate of naturalisation are received by the Citizenship...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (7 Jul 2022)

Helen McEntee: My Department opened the once-in-a generation scheme for the Regularisation of Long Term Undocumented Migrants in the State on 31 January 2022 for a six month period. The scheme is designed, following detailed engagement with the people affected, to give long-term undocumented people without a current immigration permission the chance to regularise their status, access the labour market and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (7 Jul 2022)

Helen McEntee: The application for the person referred to by the Deputy was received by the Undocumented Unit of my Department on 20 February 2022 and continues to be processed. Applications to the scheme are submitted online and once the appropriate fee is paid the online system acknowledges the application. Due to the large number of applications on hand it is not possible to provide a definitive...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (7 Jul 2022)

Helen McEntee: I can confirm to the Deputy that the updated scorecards are expected to issue shortly and will be uploaded to my Department's immigration website (www.irishimmigration.ie). The scorecard was introduced to help applicants to complete their applications with greater certainty than before. Since the go-live of the scorecards, my officials inform me that there has not been any reduction in...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Crime Prevention (7 Jul 2022)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy is aware, Ireland has become a more diverse and welcoming country in recent decades. I strongly condemn the actions of the small minority of people who subject others to abuse or attack resulting from their own prejudice. These types of attacks cannot, and will not, be tolerated. On 16 April 2021, I published the General Scheme of the Criminal Justice (Incitement to Hatred and...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: An Garda Síochána (6 Jul 2022)

Helen McEntee: I have vivid memories of my own father covering a Topical Issue matter one night and having the same response read out but that is for another day. I thank the Deputy for raising this Topical Issue matter. As he correctly outlined, police certificates are issued for the following five purposes: the foreign consular authority and foreign visas; the establishing or registering of a...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: An Garda Síochána (6 Jul 2022)

Helen McEntee: I fully agree with Deputy Stanton. We are not talking about students going on holidays on a cruise liner. This is something different, which would benefit them for their entire lives. It is about their career and, unfortunately, through no fault of their own, they find themselves in a position where there is no police certificate or vetting procedure and nothing that would allow them to...

Communications (Retention of Data) (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (6 Jul 2022)

Helen McEntee: I know we probably will not get time to go through all the amendments so I will try to respond to the other amendments in this contribution. With all due respect, we do not know where any of us will be in 24 months or nine months. I am very genuine and clear in what I am saying. I have set out - I intend to have a justice plan 2023 all going well - how and when we will progress this...

Communications (Retention of Data) (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (6 Jul 2022)

Helen McEntee: No, it does not but legislation can then be prioritised or not prioritised and move along at different rates. While I might have a particular timeline-----

Communications (Retention of Data) (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (6 Jul 2022)

Helen McEntee: Again, it is not providing the certainty we have been asked for. If you look at any of the letters that have been presented to me or the engagement we have had with the various different service providers, they have asked for certainty. Putting sunset clauses into legislation could lead to laws that will fall if new legislation is not put in by that date. This is not providing certainty....

Communications (Retention of Data) (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (6 Jul 2022)

Helen McEntee: I thank the Deputies for their comments. I will go through some of the points I made last night because I know not everyone was able to stay for my remarks. On the timing, I think everyone will appreciate this has been an evolving situation. We had the initial legislation and various rulings. We then had a Bill that was drafted in 2017 and subject to pre-legislative scrutiny in 2018....

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Public Sector Staff (6 Jul 2022)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will appreciate it is not possible for me to provide the information sought as the records may not exist. Applications received for recruitment purposes either by the Department or its agencies , which might contain details of previous employment history, are only held for an appropriate period of time. The information provided by applicants is required for the specific purpose...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (6 Jul 2022)

Helen McEntee: All non-EEA nationals resident long term in the State must register once they reach the age of 16 years. As the person referred to by the Deputy is under the age of 16 years, they do not need to register and receive an Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card in their own right at this time. They will be classified as a dependent on their parent's permission. Ordinarily, parents will need to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Residency Permits (6 Jul 2022)

Helen McEntee: I can confirm that an application for a Stamp 3 permission from the person referred to by the Deputy has been approved. They can expect to receive their new Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card within the next 10 working days. Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to my Department by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility at...