Results 10,081-10,100 of 15,389 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Closed-Circuit Television Systems (9 Dec 2021)

Helen McEntee: The rollout of community CCTV schemes across the country has benefitted many communities, helping people to feel safer in their local areas. It is a priority of mine to ensure that community groups continue to be supported in their valued contributions to their local CCTV schemes whilst ensuring sufficient, proportionate oversight of data protection statutory considerations. Since 2017,...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (8 Dec 2021)

Helen McEntee: As part of Government efforts to tackle the pandemic, I have signed an Order that imposes new entry visa and transit visa requirements on passport holders from South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Namibia, and Lesotho. This order and the associated measures came into effect at midnight, 26 November 2021. I signed a further Order to introduce transit visa requirements on passport holders from...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Status (8 Dec 2021)

Helen McEntee: Based on the information provided by the Deputy it is not possible to determine the immigration status or nationality of the child or the child's right to remain in the State. If the Deputy would like to provide additional details I would be happy to have my officials follow up on this matter. From the details provided, it is noted that the child is in primary school and consequently...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Covid-19 Pandemic (8 Dec 2021)

Helen McEntee: As part of Government efforts to tackle the pandemic, I have signed an Order that imposes new entry visa and transit visa requirements on passport holders from South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Namibia, and Lesotho. This order and the associated measures came into effect at midnight, 26 November 2021. This move is in line with the latest public health advice regarding new COVID-19 variants of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (8 Dec 2021)

Helen McEntee: Dublin based customers seeking to renew their immigration permission do not need to make an appointment at the office in Burgh Quay. Since July 2020, all renewals of permissions for Dublin based customers are being processed online at: inisonline.jahs.ie. Since then, over 98,000 applications have been processed online. Additionally, staff in the Registration Office have been working extra...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (8 Dec 2021)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 122 and 123 together. As the Deputy will be aware the Irish Prison Service opened a new prison in Cork in 2016 to replace the old prison. I can advise the Deputy that I have not held any meeting with the Irish Prison Service to date to discuss the development of the Old Cork Prison site. I also understand that my predecessor did not hold any such meeting with...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: International Protection (8 Dec 2021)

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 been seriously...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Policy (8 Dec 2021)

Helen McEntee: Last week, the Government approved my proposal for a once-in-a-generation scheme to regularise thousands of undocumented migrants and their families who are living in Ireland. The scheme will enable eligible applicants to remain and reside in the State and to regularise their residency status. It will bring some much-needed certainty and peace of mind to thousands of people who are already...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Residency Permits (8 Dec 2021)

Helen McEntee: I note that the person referred to by the Deputy will not arrive in the country until January. I can confirm that appointments have not yet been released for January and the person will, on arrival in the State, have a 90 day period within which to register their permission. Where a preclearance permission is required to facilitate their entry to the State, a person should ensure that they...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (8 Dec 2021)

Helen McEntee: The citizenship application from the person referred to by the Deputy was received on 7 February 2020. This application is being processed under the temporary statutory declaration process that I announced in January. The citizenship certificate fee was paid online on 30 November 2021, and the signed statutory declaration was received by my Department by post on 3 December 2021. As...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (8 Dec 2021)

Helen McEntee: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter and I know that he has campaigned over many years on behalf of the families of the victims of the Belturbet bombing. Like him and many others, I would also hold the view that the perpetrators of this appalling atrocity should be brought to justice and I wish to extend my most sincere sympathy to those who were bereaved and injured in that terrible...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (8 Dec 2021)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 130 and 131 together. I can inform the Deputy that both I and my senior officials are in regular and frequent communication with the Garda Commissioner and his senior management team in respect of all matters within the competency of the Commissioner under the Garda Síochána Act 2005. The Garda Commissioner is required by law to keep me, as...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (8 Dec 2021)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware the Garda Commissioner has responsibility for the general administration of An Garda Síochána under the Garda Síochána Act 2005. This responsibility includes the allocation of funding in support of all activities, operations and deployment of personnel. The Deputy may be aware that the budget provided by Government to the Garda Commissioner...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (7 Dec 2021)

Helen McEntee: Following full consideration by a Visa Officer, the visa application referred to was refused. The letter issued to the applicant outlines the reasons for this refusal. To date, no appeal of this decision has been received by the Visa Office. It is open to the applicant to appeal this decision, in writing, within two months of the date of the refusal. Appeals must be in written form and sent...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (7 Dec 2021)

Helen McEntee: An application for a certificate of naturalisation was received from the person referred to by the Deputy on 26 February 2021. This application is currently being 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 as expeditiously as possible. The granting of Irish...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Protected Disclosures (7 Dec 2021)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, the Protected Disclosures Act was enacted in 2014 to allow employees to bring alleged wrongdoing to the attention of the appropriate authorities. Section 22 of the Protected Disclosures Act 2014 requires public bodies to prepare and publish a report each year in relation to the previous year, on the disclosures received and dealt with under its policy, in an...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Social Enterprise Sector (7 Dec 2021)

Helen McEntee: In late 2020, my Department launched an innovative employment-focused strategy designed to increase the work options for people with a criminal past. The Working to Change social enterprise and employment strategy 2021-2023 is aligned with several national and international policies and is a sister strategy to the current National Social Enterprise Policy 2019 – 2022. It sets out my...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: International Protection (7 Dec 2021)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 431 to 434, inclusive, together. The International Protection Office (IPO) of my Department is responsible for examining all international protection applications received. Tusla, the Child and Family Agency has statutory responsibility for the care of any unaccompanied minors in the State. If an unaccompanied minor indicates that they wish to apply for...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Domestic Violence (7 Dec 2021)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 435 and 440 together. The Government is committed to tackling domestic, sexual and gender based violence in all its forms, and to supporting victims of this heinous crime. The Government's commitment to combatting domestic, sexual and gender based violence and to supporting victims is reflected in the funding allocated under Budget 2022, with a total of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Family Reunification (7 Dec 2021)

Helen McEntee: I share the Deputy’s concerns for the Afghan people and the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. The person referred to by the Deputy was granted family reunification in respect of two brothers and a grandmother in 2016. They subsequently applied for their mother to join them in 2020 and were advised by letter dated 28 July 2020 that this application was deemed ineligible...