Results 9,541-9,560 of 17,498 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: International Protection (19 Oct 2022)

Helen McEntee: In response to the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, my Department remains focused on processing applications for family reunification made under all admission avenues, including the Afghan Admissions Programme for family members of Afghan nationals living in Ireland. The Afghan Admissions Programme is an additional avenue open to the relatively small number of Afghan nationals...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: International Protection (19 Oct 2022)

Helen McEntee: Long Stay Join Family visa applications are processed in accordance with the guidelines set out in my Department's Policy Document on Non-EEA Family Reunification, which can be found on my Department's immigration website: www.irishimmigration.ie. The business targets for the processing of these applications reflect the detailed and often complex assessment that is required to be carried...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: International Protection (19 Oct 2022)

Helen McEntee: A person arriving in the State can seek to apply for international protection at a port of entry or at the offices of the International Protection Office (IPO). Where it appears to an immigration officer at the port of entry or the international protection officer at the IPO that the person seeking to make an application has not reached the age of 18 years and is not accompanied by an adult...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (19 Oct 2022)

Helen McEntee: Parliamentary Questions No. 221, 222 and 223 of 28 September 2022 refer to the number of public order units operating across each of the six Garda divisions in Dublin from 2017 to 2022 inclusive; the number of public order units operating full-time across each of the six Garda divisions in Dublin from 2017 to 2022; and the number of Gardaí assigned to each of the public order units...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (19 Oct 2022)

Helen McEntee: The statutorily based DSGBV agency, which is expected to be up-and-running at the start of 2024, will have a specific mandate to drive the implementation of the new Strategy on domestic, sexual and gender-based violence across Government, bringing the expertise and focus required to tackle this complex social issue. The new agency will work collaboratively with the NGO and DSGBV services...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legal Aid (19 Oct 2022)

Helen McEntee: Under the Criminal Justice Act 1984 (Treatment of Persons in Custody in Garda Síochána Stations) Regulations 1987, people arrested and detained in a Garda station must be informed of their right to consult a solicitor. The Garda Station Legal Advice Revised Scheme provides for the payment of fees to solicitors for telephone and in-station consultations with persons detained in...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (19 Oct 2022)

Helen McEntee: The person referred to by the Deputy created on-line Employment visa application on 5 July 2022. The supporting documentation and relevant fees were subsequently received on 13 July 2022 in the New Delhi visa office. The processing times for visa decisions are published on the visa pages of each Visa Office and the relevant Embassy website. Having contacted the Visa office, they have...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Domestic Violence (18 Oct 2022)

Helen McEntee: I thank Senator O’Loughlin for tabling this issue specifically and more generally raising the issue of domestic violence and the work we are doing collectively to respond to it. We can all agree it is an issue that has not had the attention or focus it should have had for many years, but that is changing. While I will respond on a number of different fronts to the Senator's...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Domestic Violence (18 Oct 2022)

Helen McEntee: I was looking at the clock thinking I had more time.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Domestic Violence (18 Oct 2022)

Helen McEntee: That is okay.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Domestic Violence (18 Oct 2022)

Helen McEntee: While this is obviously a key priority for Jason, I know there are many other issues he has been focused on and I am pleased to work with him and many others to make sure we can make those changes. We have seen an increase in reports and numbers of people going to the Garda reporting domestic violence and sexual offences over the last year. We can look at that in two ways. First,...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022: Committee Stage (18 Oct 2022)

Helen McEntee: We are amending it in the miscellaneous Bill. I can speak to the matter later. I was not sure what had been ruled in or out.

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022: Committee Stage (18 Oct 2022)

Helen McEntee: The Constitution provides for judicial independence and this Bill supports judicial independence. I support the Senator's last comments that we have an independent Judiciary, one that we can be very proud of and one that is held up right across the world. I thank the Senators for tabling this amendment. The amendment provides for a new section. It provides for an object of the Act being...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022: Committee Stage (18 Oct 2022)

Helen McEntee: What is very clear in this Bill is that a person cannot be and will not be appointed unless he or she has gone through the process. As the Senator has outlined, there may be a situation, as is currently the case or had been previously the case, where vacancies are not filled. For example, in the Supreme Court if a vacancy arises but it is not to be filled immediately, then it is not...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022: Committee Stage (18 Oct 2022)

Helen McEntee: There are a number of elements to this, as the Senators pointed out. One aspect I wanted to ensure was that there will not be a large commission whose number just continues to increase. There are a number of later amendments regarding specific numbers of lay persons who should be appointed and how to reduce that. I do not think the figure, therefore, would go from nine to 11 but rather to...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022: Committee Stage (18 Oct 2022)

Helen McEntee: I have to stress what we are talking about here. I appreciate that these amendments propose moving from nine to 11 people, but it would in fact become nine to 13, because I could not or would not accept that there would be a minority of lay persons.We have tried to strike a balance to ensure an equal number of laypeople and legal professionals on the commission. The Senator mentioned the...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022: Committee Stage (18 Oct 2022)

Helen McEntee: We are not talking about the degree of connection to the profession here. Regarding the two nominees from the Judicial Council, it is about an understanding of the role, how it operates, how people feel and an appreciation and understanding of what is required. This is why we have the interview process as well. It is not about the connection to the profession and removing that connection...

Seanad: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2022: Committee Stage (18 Oct 2022)

Helen McEntee: I thank Senators for their amendments. Amendment No. 4 very much relates to whether or not amendment No. 6 is passed and is to balance out the number. I appreciate that. I reiterate what many colleagues have outlined. The Attorney General is a constitutional officeholder. He or she is not there to represent the Government. He or she is not on the commission to represent the Government....

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (18 Oct 2022)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 633, 658 and 659 together. My Department's Registration Office in Burgh Quay is responsible for registering and renewing immigration permissions for customers residing in the Dublin area only. Registrations and renewals for persons resident outside of the Dublin area are processed by the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) through the Garda Station...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (18 Oct 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 decisions on the deployment of personnel among the various Garda Divisions. As Minister, I have no role in these matters. The Government is committed to ensuring that An...