Results 9,941-9,960 of 15,389 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Policy (19 Jan 2022)

Helen McEntee: Since the onset of the pandemic, immigration permissions have been extended nine times, which means that people who held a valid permission to be in the State in March 2020 are legally permitted to remain until 31 May 2022. As a result of the unavoidable delays that have resulted from closures and the reduced capacity of the Registration Office during Covid-19, a high number of customers...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Policy (19 Jan 2022)

Helen McEntee: Based on the information supplied, which does not include a name, it has unfortunately not been possible for my Department to identify the person referred to by the Deputy. If the Deputy wishes to provide further information to my Department it can examine the matter further.  More generally, the registration of a person with a stamp 5 immigration permission is granted on application to...

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

Helen McEntee: I thank the Deputy for tabling this question which I understand he has clarified refers to the nationwide rollout of the Divisional Protective Service Units. As the Deputy will be aware, Divisional Protective Services Units (DPSUs) support the delivery of a consistent and professional approach to the investigation of sexual and domestic crime. Personnel assigned to DPSUs have been provided...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Agreements (19 Jan 2022)

Helen McEntee: The person referred to by the Deputy made an online application to renew their immigration permission on 7 December 2021. The Registration Office of my Department is currently processing applications received on 17 November 2021. This application will be processed as soon as possible.  All applications are processed in chronological order, based on date order of receipt. While every...

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

Helen McEntee: As I have stated previously, any inappropriate cancellation of 999 incidents is a very serious issue. This falls significantly below the high standards that the public expect from the Gardaí and the high standards that An Garda Síochána set for themselves. I welcome the apology that has been made by the Garda Commissioner in this regard.  As the Deputy will...

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

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible by law for the recruitment and training of Garda members and staff. As Minister, I play no role in this independent function. The Commissioner is also independently responsible for the deployment of An Garda Síochána throughout the State. I have been advised by the Garda authorities that the tables below show...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (19 Jan 2022)

Helen McEntee: My Department estimated that it would finalise in the region of 12,000 citizenship applications in 2020. However, the Deputy will appreciate that these figures were projected before the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic and before my Department became aware of the impact the pandemic would have on its processing capabilities.  In January 2021, I introduced a temporary system to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Estimates Publication (19 Jan 2022)

Helen McEntee: I wish to advise the Deputy that the corresponding allocation for the subhead in question in the original revised estimates for 2021 was €9.154 million, so in effect the same allocation is available in the 2022 revised estimates. There was a technical supplementary estimate in the Justice Vote in late 2021. Through this process, surplus receipts of circa €13 million...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Policy (19 Jan 2022)

Helen McEntee: According to the records held by my Department, the person referred to by the Deputy already holds a Stamp 4 permission, which is valid until 10 November 2022. Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to my Department by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility at INISOireachtasMail@justice.ie, which has been specifically established for this...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Programme (19 Jan 2022)

Helen McEntee: The Programme for Government contains a specific commitment to “review and reform defamation laws to ensure a balanced approach to the right to freedom of expression, the right to protection of good name and reputation, and the right of access to justice”. The review of the Defamation Act 2009 is a legislative priority for the Government. The objective set for the review from...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Residency Permits (19 Jan 2022)

Helen McEntee: This application for naturalisation from the person referred to by the Deputy continues to 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 decision in due course. The granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is a privilege and an honour which confers certain rights...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Naturalisation Applications (19 Jan 2022)

Helen McEntee: Applications for a certificate of naturalisation were received from the persons referred to by the Deputy on 21 September 2020. These applications are currently being processed with a view to establishing whether the applicants meet the statutory conditions for the granting of naturalisation and will be submitted to me for decision as expeditiously as possible. ...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Naturalisation Applications (19 Jan 2022)

Helen McEntee: The Commencement Order for the Marriage Act 2015 was signed on 10 November 2015, which brought the provisions of the Marriage Act 2015 into effect from 16 November 2015. In line with general legal principles, the law does not have retrospective application. All fees payable under the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended, are kept under ongoing review by my...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Rental Sector (19 Jan 2022)

Helen McEntee: I am aware of reports of advertisements of the nature referred to by the Deputy and he can be assured that the issue is being given immediate attention by the Government. My colleague, the Minister for Housing, Darragh O’Brien TD has sought and received advice from the Attorney General’s office on the subject, and both of our Departments are now...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (19 Jan 2022)

Helen McEntee: I can advise the Deputy that on 12 January 2022 there were 3,729 people in custody. The Deputy may wish to note that a full breakdown of the number of people currently in prison is included in the Daily Population figures which are published on the website of the Irish Prison Service – www.irishprisons.ie.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (19 Jan 2022)

Helen McEntee: I have been advised by the Irish Prison Service that on 12 January 2022 there were 3,729 people in custody, of whom 2,153 have served prison sentences for previous convictions. 

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (19 Jan 2022)

Helen McEntee: I wish to advise the Deputy that in 2012 the Irish Prison Service began using the State Claims Agency's National Incident Management System (“NIMS”) for the  reporting of data relating to prisoner on staff assaults and prisoner on prisoner assaults. Prison staff are required to record all incidents that occur within a prison on this system and it allows for the more...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (19 Jan 2022)

Helen McEntee: I can advise the Deputy that the information relating to the number of persons who died while in custody and the cause of their deaths for the period 2011 to date is provided in the tables below. All deaths in custody are the subject to a Garda investigation and subsequently an inquest is held in a Coroner's Court. The cause of death is determined by a jury on the basis of the information...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Juvenile Offenders (19 Jan 2022)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will appreciate, matters relating to juvenile detention centres in the State are the responsibility of my colleague the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. 

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Social Workers Register (19 Jan 2022)

Helen McEntee: I wish to advise the Deputy that the Irish Prison Service do not employ social workers directly. The services of medical social workers, psychiatric social workers and additional multi-disciplinary support are provided by a variety of external agencies and are not provided by prison staff. Probation Officers, many of whom are social work qualified, are assigned to work in prison...