Results 8,021-8,040 of 15,389 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Gangland Crime (5 Jul 2022)

Helen McEntee: I can assure the Deputy that tackling organised crime activity is a key ongoing priority for both the Government and An Garda Síochána. An Garda Síochána tackles organised criminal activity through a range of targeted measures designed to disrupt and dismantle the operations of criminal organisations. To the greatest extent possible, these measures include the use of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (5 Jul 2022)

Helen McEntee: The Irish Prison Service provides a wide range of educational and rehabilitation facilities to those in custody that aim to offer purposeful activity to prisoners while serving their sentences and encourage them to lead law abiding lives on release.  All prisoners are eligible and allowed to use the services, including those who are first-time offenders. There is no application...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (5 Jul 2022)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, in accordance with the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, which includes Garda HR matters. As Minister, I have no direct role in these matters. However, I am pleased to note that the Garda Employee Assistance Service provides a proactive...

Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2022: Second Stage (1 Jul 2022)

Helen McEntee: I thank all colleagues for their contributions and for their support for this Bill. Without wading into a debate about timelines, while some might say what happened in Ukraine was predictable, a lot of us did not expect it to happen in the way it did. At a national level, a European level and internationally, we have responded in a quick manner. We have put measures in place as quickly as...

Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2022: Second Stage (1 Jul 2022)

Helen McEntee: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." In light of the omnibus nature of the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill, I will share time with my colleagues, the Minister forChildren, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy O’Gorman, and the Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Deputy Naughton, who will speak to the Parts in the Bill under their...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (30 Jun 2022)

Helen McEntee: Anyone who wishes to travel from the State may do so regardless of whether their Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card is in date or has expired. Non visa-required nationals trying to re-enter the State may rely on their in-date IRP card. If their IRP card has expired they will need to provide proof of their permission to reside in the State, such as a letter from my Department, to an...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Strategies (30 Jun 2022)

Helen McEntee: On 27 May 2022, I published the Implementation Plan on Civil Justice Efficiencies and Reform Measures, containing over ninety specific actions based on the Peter Kelly Review recommendations. This Plan identifies the work streams for implementation of the majority of these actions on a phased basis over the next three years; the lead body responsible for implementation; the enablers that...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (30 Jun 2022)

Helen McEntee: As I have said previously, bias, inequality and racism have no place in our societies. I very much welcomed the report by Maynooth University when it was published by the Irish Penal Reform Trust in April. I can assure the Deputy that the recommendations made in the Report are currently being examined by officials in my Department and in the relevant agencies with a view to informing...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Reviews (30 Jun 2022)

Helen McEntee: Non-custodial penalties, particularly supervised community sanctions, play a significant and important role in addressing criminality, reducing reoffending and providing a degree of protection to the public. This is supported by Central Statistics Office figures on recidivism. As the Deputy will be aware, the Programme for Government 2020 contains a broad range of policies and proposals...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (30 Jun 2022)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 261 and 262 together. The application for naturalisation from the persons referred to by the Deputy were acknowledged on 9 May 2022 by the Citizenship Division of my Department. They will now be processed with a view to establishing whether the applicant meets the statutory conditions for the granting of naturalisation and will be submitted to me for...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Closed-Circuit Television Systems (30 Jun 2022)

Helen McEntee: It has not been possible to collate the information requested by the Deputy in the time allowed. I will write to the Deputy to provide this information as soon as it is available.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (30 Jun 2022)

Helen McEntee: The granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is governed by the provisions of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended, and all applications are processed in line with the eligibility criteria as set out under the Act. Each application is assessed individually in accordance with the provisions of the Act. A determination on whether an applicant satisfies the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Naturalisation Applications (30 Jun 2022)

Helen McEntee: There is no record of the person referred to in the Deputy's query having made an application for naturalisation. For reasons of maintaining full confidentiality, it is not my Department's practice to comment on whether an application for asylum or subsidiary protection has been made in the State. An applicant for such protection status, or their legal representative, should contact...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Status (30 Jun 2022)

Helen McEntee: The person referred to by the Deputy had their permission to remain in the State renewed for a further three year period, to 15 August 2022. This was communicated in writing by letter dated 21 August 2019. Their family member aged 18 years also had their permission to remain in the State renewed for a further period, from 8 December 2019 to 15 August 2022. This was communicated in...

Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (29 Jun 2022)

Helen McEntee: I move amendment No. 4: In page 14, between lines 3 and 4, to insert the following: “(3) There may be paid by the Commission such allowances for expenses (if any), incurred by lay members on a panel established under section 46(2), as the Commission may, with the consent of the Minister and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform,determine.”. The amendment makes...

Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (29 Jun 2022)

Helen McEntee: What we have said is "at least three". I felt one or two would not be sufficient. Three would ensure that we have at least one lay member, one member of the Judiciary and one additional person but it could be four. It can be additional numbers. In speaking to the Chief Justice, it would be desirable not to have the same three people all the time. That is something that will be made clear...

Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (29 Jun 2022)

Helen McEntee: My view on this is that I do not see why any Attorney General, be they serving or retired or having moved on, should be disbarred at all for any particular period from applying. On the judicial appointments commission we have the Chief Justice and two other judicial members. We are not saying that they should at any point recuse themselves or not apply for a promotion or position for at...

Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (29 Jun 2022)

Helen McEntee: They are but the Attorney General is not a member of Government; the Attorney General advises Government. I am not sure it should be a disadvantage to a person that they have taken on quite a significant and busy role. They would then be at a disadvantage having done that and having served not just the Government but the country in general. I am not sure that putting them at a disadvantage...

Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (29 Jun 2022)

Helen McEntee: The reasons I set out on Committee Stage are those mentioned by the Deputy, specifically that the Act in question had not commenced. I had no opposition to it other than on the basis we were pre-empting something that had not been commenced. My information is it has not been commenced, but if it has, the provision is something I am very much open to. I must get clarification on that,...

Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (29 Jun 2022)

Helen McEntee: Once it does not delay the process, I am happy to look at it.