Results 10,021-10,040 of 15,389 for speaker:Helen McEntee

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

Helen McEntee: My Department's overall objective is to have decisions made on applications from people seeking international protection as quickly as possible. This ensures that those who are found to be in need of protection in Ireland can receive it quickly and begin rebuilding their lives here with a sense of safety and security.  However, efforts to improve processing times have...

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

Helen McEntee: I fully appreciate the concerns which members of the public have with regard to anti-social behaviour and criminal activity on public transport. It is essential that the public both feel safe and are safe while making use of transport services. As the Deputy may be aware, Garda management engages extensively with transport operators - including the National Transport Authority,...

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

Helen McEntee: The Covid-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on my Department's immigration service delivery.  In line with public health advice, my Department has implemented a suite of measures to help reduce the spread of the virus. This has unavoidably led to a reduction in processing capacity across many business areas. However, it is important to say that applications have continued to be...

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

Helen McEntee: I am pleased to say that considerable progress has been made on meeting the Programme for Government commitment to establish a high-level cross Departmental and cross agency taskforce to consider the mental health and addiction challenges of those imprisoned, and primary care support on release.  Last April, the Minister for Health and I, together with Minister of State Frank Feighan and...

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

Helen McEntee: From the details supplied by Deputy, it is unfortunately not possible to determine the nationality of the non-EEA spouse referred to. Any person that is unsure as to whether they require a visa/preclearance to enter Ireland can check their nationality on the list available on my Department's immigration website (www.irishimmigration.ie) to determine if they need to apply for a...

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

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1322, 1323 and 1325 together. I can advise the Deputy that the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform will be providing the number of civil service workers in County Clare in their response to this question and this will include civil servants in justice sector agencies other than An Garda Síochána. The table below sets out the...

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

Helen McEntee: As you will be aware, I am committed to undertaking a review of the Civil Legal Aid Scheme and my Department is currently working to finalise the mode and terms of reference of the review. As part of the review process, it is intended that there will be significant consultation to ensure that the insights of a range of stakeholders regarding the operation of the scheme – and how...

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

Helen McEntee: Records are not ordinarily maintained by my Department in a format that identifies whether or not an applicant for family reunification is in a same-sex marriage. However, following a manual search of family reunification records, I can confirm that no application has been identified where a same-sex couple has been approved for family reunification under Section 56 of the International...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Property Management Companies (16 Dec 2021)

Helen McEntee: The Multi-Unit Developments Act 2011 (MUD Act) was enacted with the primary purposes of reforming the law relating to the ownership and management of common areas of multi-unit developments and facilitating the fair, efficient and effective management of owners' management companies (OMCs). OMCs are companies registered under the Companies Acts, the members of which are the owners of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Policy (16 Dec 2021)

Helen McEntee: It is important to state that detention for immigration reasons only arises when all other possible options have been considered. In the case of persons refused leave to land to enter the State, arrangements are madeby the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) to return them to their point of embarkation at the earliest opportunity, which may take a number of days. Arrangements for...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: State Bodies (16 Dec 2021)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will appreciate, selection processes for appointments to State boards are now supported by the Public Appointments Service. The Deputy will be aware that the State boards process is designed to enable any person to apply for a position on a State board. My Department regularly advertises positions for appointment to State boards on www.stateboards.ie. In making appointments to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Data Protection (16 Dec 2021)

Helen McEntee: Under the EU General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018, the Data Protection Commission is independent in the performance of its tasks and the exercise of its powers. The Programme for Government commits to ‘recognise the domestic and international importance of data protection in Ireland’ and states that the Government ‘will ensure that...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Domestic Violence (16 Dec 2021)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 489 and 490 together. Any inappropriate cancellation of 999 incidents on the Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system is a very serious issue which 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 in this...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (16 Dec 2021)

Helen McEntee: The visa application for the person referred to by the Deputy was refused by the Visa Office in Abuja on 18 December 2019. The reasons for this decision were set out in the refusal letter sent to the applicants at that time. An appeal of this decision was made on 8 January 2020. Appeals for applications of this type are processed in the order in which they are received, to be fair to all...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Data (16 Dec 2021)

Helen McEntee: At the outset I would emphasise to the Deputy that prosecutions are a matter for the Director of Public Prosecutions who is independent in the performance of her functions. I am informed by the Garda authorities that a search of the PULSE database was conducted on 14 December 2021 for charges and summons associated with Part 4, Purchase of Sexual Services of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences)...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Human Trafficking (16 Dec 2021)

Helen McEntee: It has not been possible to obtain the information requested by the Deputy in the time permitted. Relevant information has been sought and I will send it to the Deputy directly when it has been compiled.

Appointment of Member and Chair of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission: Motion (15 Dec 2021)

Helen McEntee: I thank the Deputies for their contributions and their good wishes for Judge MacCabe. I wish to touch on a number of points that have been raised. We all recognise the vital role that GSOC plays in oversight. We all acknowledge that the vast majority of people working with An Garda Síochána do exceptional work in protecting us and keeping our communities safe. The vast majority...

Appointment of Member and Chair of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission: Motion (15 Dec 2021)

Helen McEntee: I move: That Dáil Éireann, noting that the Government on 7th December, 2021, nominated Judge Rory MacCabe for appointment by the President as a member of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission and as its chairperson, recommends, pursuant to section 65(1)(b)of the Garda Síochána Act 2005, that Judge Rory MacCabe be appointed by the President as a member and as...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Support Services (15 Dec 2021)

Helen McEntee: A new Immigration Service appointment and scheduling system, which will streamline and further improve the registration process, is currently being developed and is expected to be available to customers shortly. In the meantime, the online booking system is available to all customers who should continue to apply directly for appointments as they become available without charge, at:...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (15 Dec 2021)

Helen McEntee: I wish to reassure the Deputy that the accommodation of women prisoners in the Irish Prison Service is operated in full compliance with the Bangkok Rules passed at the United Nations in 2010. The ethos upon which Irish Prisons are operated is that women prisoners should live together in a community style setting with no categorisation of female prisoners and a regime very much focused on...