Results 9,621-9,640 of 16,325 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (4 May 2022)

Helen McEntee: The Government takes the issue of sexual exploitation of children very seriously and there is comprehensive legislation in place to deal with these offences. The Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act was enacted in early 2017. It is a wide-ranging piece of legislation, which significantly enhances laws to combat the sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of children.  Specific offences...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Freedom of Speech (4 May 2022)

Helen McEntee: Firstly, I want to acknowledge the recent launch by Vice-President Jourová, of the European Commission’s package of proposed measures to combat SLAPPs - Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation - and the work undertaken by the Commission in this area. This refers to the strategic and abusive use by a powerful entity of vexatious litigation, to weaken and deter public...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Gender Equality: Recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly on Gender Equality: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Apr 2022)

Helen McEntee: I thank the Chair and committee for giving me opportunity to join them this morning to discuss the recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly, in particular, regarding domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. I thank them for their support and commitment on this issue. I want to take this opportunity to thank the chairperson, Dr. Catherine Day, and other members of the assembly for...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Gender Equality: Recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly on Gender Equality: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Apr 2022)

Helen McEntee: If I skip over any of the issues, the Chairman might remind me but I think I have made a note of most of what the Deputy mentioned. This will absolutely be published before the summer recess. I appreciate the intention was to publish it this month but we want to ensure we get a number of elements right. The change for the provision of services from the Department of Children, Equality,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Gender Equality: Recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly on Gender Equality: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Apr 2022)

Helen McEntee: In response to the last question, we are still finalising. I cannot say that we have the final budget but, yes, I am confident that there is a very clear commitment by all of the Government that the strategy will be funded. So if it is going to work, be implemented, have the desired effect and there is zero tolerance across all of government and all sectors, the strategy needs to be fully...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Gender Equality: Recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly on Gender Equality: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Apr 2022)

Helen McEntee: We are already linking in with managers and people who work in refuge spaces and learning from them in terms of other refuges and conditions. There are projects under way and anything that happens will be shared. A lot of good things are happening in this space. With everybody working together provision is targeted and physically give lots of what we need, when we can achieve it and, most...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Gender Equality: Recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly on Gender Equality: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Apr 2022)

Helen McEntee: On the vast majority of the recommendations, work is already in train or will be included in the strategy, which is really positive. The Chairman mentioned the completion of the first one in respect of a dedicated Minister, the agency and better co-ordinated structures that we are putting in place that I mentioned previously. In terms of the agency itself, the timeline we have set out is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Gender Equality: Recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly on Gender Equality: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Apr 2022)

Helen McEntee: It will not be mandatory mediation. The Senator is right that there are cases where mediation is not the answer and is not the appropriate forum for people to engage. She is also right that not enough people go through mediation. Often a calm situation can become quite adversarial when it goes to the court, and it is often not the appropriate setting for people to reach an agreement. The...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Gender Equality: Recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly on Gender Equality: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Apr 2022)

Helen McEntee: A group, chaired by my Department, has been working on that over the past year. It is linking in with the judicial system, the court structures and various representative groups, looking at best practice in other jurisdictions. It is taking that information that we are developing now, the overall plan and the strategy itself. Once we have it published, we will be able to go into it in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Gender Equality: Recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly on Gender Equality: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Apr 2022)

Helen McEntee: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Gender Equality: Recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly on Gender Equality: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Apr 2022)

Helen McEntee: I apologise that as three other justice Bills were being taken at the same time, I was only able to get into the Seanad for the end of the debate. I support the intentions of the Bill and anything that will encourage victims to come forward and to know that their voices will be heard even perhaps at the end when a decision has been made and sentencing is being passed. As the Minister of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Gender Equality: Recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly on Gender Equality: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Apr 2022)

Helen McEntee: All of these issues are being examined. Without going into detail about what is in the strategy, all of these issues are being looked at. I am very conscious that it is not just my Department but that the Department of Social Protection plays a significant role, and the Minister for Social Protection is very conscious of that as well. I assure the Deputy that all of these issues are being...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (28 Apr 2022)

Helen McEntee: The Deputy will be aware that, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána. The allocation of Garda resources is a matter for the Commissioner, in light of identified operational demands. As Minister, I have no role in these independent...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Naturalisation Applications (28 Apr 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. Due to the large number of applications on hand it is not possible to provide a definitive timeframe for a decision to issue. In order to be fair to all applicants, applications are processed in order of the date on which they...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Naturalisation Applications (28 Apr 2022)

Helen McEntee: The application for the person referred to by the Deputy was received by the Undocumented Unit of my Department on 4 March 2022 and continues to be processed. Due to the large number of applications on hand it is not possible to provide a definitive timeframe for a decision to issue. In order to be fair to all applicants, applications are processed in order of the date on which they are...