Results 9,201-9,220 of 15,493 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (29 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: I am aware of the organisation referred to by the Deputy and I have received correspondence from them but not relating to the specific issue the Deputy clarified he is referring to. That said, I can assure the Deputy that it is the role of An Garda is to serve and protect and to uphold the law. As the Deputy will be aware, in 2017 the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017 was...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Ukraine War (29 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: There is a coordinated whole-of-Government response to support people arriving in Ireland who have fled the violence in Ukraine. Government Departments and services are working together to implement Ireland's commitments under the EU Temporary Protection Directive (2001/55/EC), which has been activated for the first time to grant temporary protection to displaced persons from Ukraine. The...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (29 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the general management and administration of the Garda organisation under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended). This includes the distribution and stationing of Garda members throughout the State. I am assured that Garda management keeps the distribution of resources under continual review in the context...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Family Law Cases (29 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: Family justice is a priority for me as Minister and is a major element of my Justice Plan. The Report of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice and Equality on Reform of the Family Law System made 38 Recommendations across a range of areas in family justice. Key among these recommendations is the introduction of legislation for the establishment of a dedicated and integrated Family...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Court Judgments (29 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 105 and 560 together. Under the provisions of the Courts Service Act 1998, management of the courts is the responsibility of the Courts Service, which is independent in exercising its functions. However, in order to be of assistance to the Deputy, I have had enquiries made and the Courts Service has advised me of the following. Sheriffs (or County...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Policy (29 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: I was pleased to open the landmark Regularisation of Long Term Undocumented Migrants Scheme for applications on 31 January 2022. Applications will be accepted for six months until 31 July 2022, when the scheme will close. This once-in-a-generation scheme is designed to give long-term undocumented people without a current permission to remain in the State, the chance to regularise their...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Inquiry into the Death of Mr. Shane O'Farrell (29 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 107, 132 and 138 together. I wish to assure the Deputies that I recognise the ongoing pain and anguish of the O'Farrell family on the tragic death of Shane and I sincerely sympathise with them on their loss. As the Deputies will be aware, a highly respected retired Judge has been conducting a scoping exercise into the tragic circumstances surrounding...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (29 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: I would like to again extend my deepest sympathies to all those impacted by this tragic event in Hartstown, and in particular to the Nkencho family. Any fatal shooting is deeply distressing, and I know that the local community continue to experience real trauma as a result of these events. As the Deputy will be aware, the shooting of Mr George Nkencho is being fully investigated by the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Schemes (29 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 109, 134 and 569 together. As the Deputies will be aware, Budget 2022 provides for the establishment of the new Community Safety Innovation Fund, which will enable local communities to seek funding for innovative projects which will improve community safety in their areas. Community Safety is about people being safe, and feeling safe, within their...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (29 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: I wish to assure the Deputy that I am very cognisant that female offenders represent a particularly vulnerable group within the prison system. The Prison Service is acutely aware of the challenges that these vulnerable women face and there is evidence that the impact of imprisonment is considerably greater on women and their wider families and as a result, modern prison facilities for...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Local Community Safety Partnerships (29 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, I announced the establishment of three pilot Local Community Safety Partnerships in November 2020. These pilots schemes have been set up in Longford, North Inner City Dublin and Waterford. The pilots will run for a period of two years, and learnings from the pilot LCSPs will inform the eventual rollout of the model to every local authority area. The Community...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (29 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), for the management of An Garda Síochána as well as the allocation and distribution of resources. This includes responsibility for the recruitment, training and deployment of Garda members and members of the Garda Reserve. As Minister, I have no responsibility...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Victim Support Services (29 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: I published and commenced implementation of Supporting a Victim's Journey, our ambitious plan which is introducing important reforms to support and protect vulnerable victims and ensure our criminal justice system is more victim-centred, in October 2020. I am deeply committed to implementing in full all of the actions set out in Supporting a Victim's Journeyand I am chairing an...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Sentencing Policy (29 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, on my request the Government approved the General Scheme of a Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill in September 2020. The General Scheme, which is available on my Department’s website, contains eleven separate parts and provides for a number of required changes to criminal legislation. Part 2, Heads 7 and 8 of the General Scheme provide...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Joint Policing Committees (29 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: The Deputy will be aware that my Department published the general scheme of the landmark Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill earlier this year. The Bill will provide for a key principle from the report of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland - that preventing crime and harm and making our communities safer does not rest with An Garda Síochána and my...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Crime Data (29 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: The budget provided by Government to the Garda Commissioner continues to increase to unprecedented levels, with more than €2 billion allocated this year, including funding for the recruitment of up to 800 additional Garda trainees and up to 400 Garda staff. This significant investment demonstrates the Government's commitment to increasing the Garda workforce to enable the organisation...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Local Community Safety Partnerships (29 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, I announced the establishment of three pilot Local Community Safety Partnerships in November 2020. These pilots schemes have been set up in Longford, North Inner City Dublin and Waterford. The pilots will run for a period of two years, and learnings from the pilot LCSPs will inform the eventual rollout of the model to every local authority area. The Community...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Residency Permits (29 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: Ireland welcomes international students who wish to live here in order to pursue a full-time course of study. Their primary purpose for being in the State is as a student. However, since April 2001, non-EEA students with an immigration Stamp 2 permission, and who are enrolled on courses with education providers listed on the Interim List of Eligible Programmes (ILEP) including English...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Crime Prevention (29 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: I am sure the Deputy will join me in condemning any attacks made on the men and women serving in An Garda Síochána, the Health Services and other frontline workers. The Deputy will agree that we are all immensely grateful to all our frontline workers for their outstanding dedication to serving the public, and for the important role that they play in our society, notably their...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Diplomatic Representation (29 Mar 2022)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 121 and 130 together. The Deputy will appreciate that, for sound reasons, it is not the practice to comment on security matters nor would it be in the public interest to do so.