Results 781-800 of 10,013 for speaker:Jim O'Callaghan

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (15 May 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I am acutely aware of the grave humanitarian crisis in Gaza and my Department has worked closely with colleagues across the public service to ensure a coordinated national response to this volatile and evolving situation. This includes work to evacuate Irish citizens and their families who may require visa assistance and, in accordance with a Government decision in September 2024, in...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (15 May 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I can advise the Deputy that the application referred to was created on 10 March 2024. Supporting documentation was received in the Belgrade office on 27 March 2024, and the application was subsequently received in the Dublin Visa Office on 29 April 2024, where it awaits examination and processing. My Department's business target for join family visa applications is 12 months, however, some...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Family Reunification (15 May 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I can advise the Deputy that the application referred to was created on 29 November 2023. Supporting documentation was received in the Bangkok office on 14 December 2023, and the application was subsequently received in the Dublin Visa Office on 09 January 2024, where it awaits examination and processing. My Department's business target for join family visa applications is 12 months,...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Family Reunification (15 May 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I can advise the Deputy that the applications referred to have been received and were created on 05 December 2023. Supporting documentation was received in the Bangkok office on 29 March 2024, and the applications were subsequently received in the Dublin Visa Office on 11 April 2024, where they await examination and processing. My Department's business target for join family visa...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (15 May 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: The Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of Garda business by law. This includes Garda discipline. As Minister, I play no role in these independent functions, including decisions related to the suspension or dismissal of Garda members. The length of time a member is suspended may be dependent on criminal cases and/or a member choosing to exercise their...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (15 May 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I have sought the information requested by the Deputy from An Garda Síochána, and I will contact him when this is to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (15 May 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 277 and 278 together. An Garda Síochána is governed by the Garda Síochána (Admissions and Appointments) Regulations 2013. publicjobs (the Public Appointments Service), on behalf of the Garda Commissioner, manages the initial recruitment stages for selection of Garda trainees. I am informed by the Garda authorities that as part of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Local Community Safety Partnerships (15 May 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: A key principle of the Report of 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 Departments and State agencies involved in harm...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Road Safety (15 May 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Road safety is a shared responsibility. The whole of Government response is led by the Department of Transport and is taken very seriously across Government. The development and implementation of road traffic legislation and policy, including the Government's Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030, and the promotion and advancement of road safety, falls within the remit of my colleague Mr Darragh...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Asylum Seekers (14 May 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I would like to thank the Deputy for his question. A response will be provided directly to you in the coming days.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Contracts (14 May 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: All central Government Departments, including my Department, are subject to EU and national public procurement rules. These rules promote an open, competitive, and non-discriminatory tendering regime which delivers value for money for the taxpayer. My Department’s policy and practice is to use Office of Government Procurement national public procurement frameworks for all goods...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (14 May 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I strongly condemn the use of knives to threaten, intimidate or harm others. I am committed to ensuring that communities are safe and tackling knife crime is an important element of that. There are no quick-fix solutions to tackling knife crime. Long term, evidence-based strategies are needed that address knife crime as part of a wider strategic response to anti-social behaviour, street...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (14 May 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 136 and 137 together. I strongly condemn the use of knives to threaten, intimidate or harm others. I am committed to ensuring that communities are safe and tackling knife crime is an important element of that. There are no quick-fix solutions to tackling knife crime. Long term, evidence-based strategies are needed that address knife crime as part of a...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (14 May 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I strongly condemn the use of knives to threaten, intimidate or harm others. I am committed to ensuring that communities are safe and tackling knife crime is an important element of that. There are no quick-fix solutions to tackling knife crime. Long term, evidence-based strategies are needed that address knife crime as part of a wider strategic response to anti-social behaviour, street...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Drug Dealing (14 May 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Forensic Science Ireland (FSI) quantifies drug purity levels in the market for cocaine and diamorphine (heroin) and provides annual trend information to An Garda Síochána, the Department of Health and other relevant stakeholders in the Criminal Justice field. For operational reasons and for the purposes of the Criminal Justice system, such information is confidential, except to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: International Protection (14 May 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I regret that statistics in respect of numbers of buildings applying for or availing of planning exemptions for use as international protection or Ukraine accommodation are not collated by my Department. Oversight of planning matters is a function of Local Authorities, to whom such applications would be made. I am happy to provide background information on the accommodation systems for...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (14 May 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I am advised by the Irish Prison Service that all Prison Education Centres meet the quality assurance standards demanded by QQI. Statistics on the number of scheduled classes that were cancelled in each prison over the period 2015-2025, would require a manual examination of a considerable amount of records, such an examination would require a disproportionate and inordinate amount of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (14 May 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I am advised by the Irish Prison Service that all Education Centres meet the quality assurance standards demanded by QQI. The Department of Education provides an allocation of 220 (whole time equivalent) teachers to the Irish Prison Service through the Education and Training Boards (ETBs). Education in prisons is delivered with a focus on providing education which is quality assured,...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Measures (14 May 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I am committed to ensuring that legislative provisions balance the victim’s right to personal privacy and the accused person’s right to a fair trial. To support legislative change to achieve a greater balance, I secured Government approval for the drafting of the General Scheme of the Criminal Law and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025 on the 6th May last. The...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Anti-Racism Measures (14 May 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Transposition of Council Framework Decision 2008/913/JHA of 28 November 2008 on combating certain forms and expressions of racism and xenophobia was formally notified to the European Commission before the deadline in November 2010. In 2014, the Commission published a report on the implementation of the Framework Decision, which outlined concerns over correct transposition in over a dozen EU...