Results 961-980 of 8,947 for speaker:Jim O'Callaghan

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Public Sector Pay (11 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I can inform the Deputy that the salary payable to the Secretary General of my Department is in line with those as set out in by the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform which apply across the Civil Service. The Secretary General's current salary is Secretary General Level II (non-PPC) - €241,383. This scale was increased in 2024 in line with the Public...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Bench Warrants (11 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: The Deputy will be aware that the Garda Commissioner is, by law, responsible for the administration and business of An Garda Síochána, including the allocation of Garda resources in respect of identified operational demands. As Minister, I have no direct role in these decisions. The Deputy will appreciate that the execution of warrants, including bench warrants, can be impeded...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (11 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: The Government is committed to building stronger, safer communities, and strengthening An Garda Síochána is at the core of that. We will continue to provide An Garda Síochána with the resources it needs to ensure communities around Ireland are safe and feel safe, including to invest in recruitment, in equipment and technology and in buildings. This is reflected in the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Extradition Arrangements (11 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: As the Deputy will be aware, Ireland and the United Arab Emirates signed extradition and mutual legal assistance treaties in October 2024. These agreements emphasise the critical importance of having a sound legal basis grounded in international law for effective co-operation between judicial authorities in both jurisdictions in criminal matters, including criminal investigations,...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (11 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: The Government is committed to building stronger, safer communities, and strengthening An Garda Síochána is at the core of that. We will continue to provide An Garda Síochána with the resources it needs to ensure communities around Ireland are safe and feel safe, including to invest in recruitment, in equipment and technology and in buildings. This is reflected in the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Expenditure (11 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: My Department ensures that procurement of goods and services is carried out in compliance with Directive 2014/24/EU and in line with National Procurement Guidelines published by the Office of Government Procurement (OGP). All areas of expenditure are monitored on an ongoing basis to ensure that value for money is being achieved. The use of external service providers is essential to support...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Policies (11 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: It has not been possible to collate the information in the time requested. I will write to the Deputy directly once the information is available.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (11 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I can advise the Deputy that the application referred to was created on 18 April 2024. Supporting documentation was received on 02 May 2024. The application was forwarded to the Dublin Visa Office on 02 May 2024 where it awaits examination and processing. The person concerned can now directly check the status of visa application on the Immigration Service’s new Digital Contact Centre...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Family Reunification (11 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I understand that extended wait times can be frustrating for applicants and I want to assure anyone who has made an application for a join family visa that my Department is doing everything possible to progress applications as quickly as possible. The entitlement to family reunification varies depending on the permission granted to the sponsor of the application. Accordingly, there is not a...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Ministerial Responsibilities (11 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that Niall Collins TD has been appointed Minister of State at my Department with special responsibility for International Law, Law Reform and Youth Justice. It is intended that Colm Brophy TD will be appointed Minister of State with special responsibility for Migration following the enactment of the Ministers and Secretaries and Ministerial, Parliamentary,...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (11 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: The suspension of a requirement for re-entry visas for children under 16 was introduced in 2022. The processing of these applications required applicants to submit their passports, which, at times, resulted in significant processing times, delays and other issues arising. Suspending re-entry visa requirements for children under 16 allowed the Department to minimise potential disruption to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (11 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: All applications for a certificate of naturalisation are assessed individually in accordance with the provisions of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended. A determination on whether an applicant satisfies the statutory criteria for naturalisation can only be made after an application is received. Applicants are required to have 5 years reckonable residence in the State...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (11 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: The Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of Garda business under Section 26 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), including the recruitment and training of Garda members and staff. I am advised that, since the reopening of the Garda college in September 2014, a total of 4,993 Garda members have attested and have been allocated to Garda...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (11 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 451 and 452 together. As the Deputy will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the administration and management of An Garda Síochána, including human resourcing matters. As Minister, I have no role in such matters. I can, however, assure the Deputy that the Government is...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (11 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is by law responsible for all operational policing matters, including responses by An Garda Síochána to emergency calls. As Minister, I have no direct role in these matters. I am advised by the Garda authorities that An Garda Síochána operates a Regional Control Room strategy which ensures that Garda resources are...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Schemes (11 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: At the outset, it is important to note that, as Minister, I do not comment on individual Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP) applications. My Department does not currently publish the details of individually approved IIP projects or the investments received due to commercial sensitivities. The data requested by the Deputy is not collated in such a way as to differentiate ‘social...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Reviews (11 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: The majority and minority reports of the Independent Review Group, appointed to examine all aspects of the Offences Against the State Acts, were considered by Government and published in 2023. The Offences Against the State Acts are Ireland's primary counter-terrorism legislation. They have served, and continue to serve, the State well and fulfil a vital role in our criminal justice...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Policy (11 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: As the Deputy will be aware, the Temporary Protection Directive has been extended until March 2026 at a meeting of the European Council in June 2024, thereby providing certainty for Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection who can continue to avail of the protections that the Directive provides during this time. Consideration as to the arrangements to be put in place following the expiry of the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Functions (11 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: As the Deputy will appreciate, the Programme for Government commits to the establishment of a Public Transport Security force under the National Transport Authority. As the NTA rests under the remit of my colleague the Minister for Transport, at present my Department has no role in the establishment of this force. Officials will, of course, engage with colleagues in the Department of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Residency Permits (11 Feb 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 458 and 459 together. International students from outside the EU/EEA are granted a permission on Stamp 2 conditions where they have enrolled on, and commenced a course listed on the Interim List of Eligible Programmes (ILEP) issued by the Department of Education and Science. A stamp 2A permission is granted where a person has enrolled in full time study in...