Results 10,641-10,660 of 15,389 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Victim Support Services (31 Mar 2021)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy is aware, as part of the recently launched Justice Plan 2021, we have committed to ‘Strengthening community safety, reduce reoffending, support victims and combat domestic sexual and gender based violence’. It commits to placing victims at the centre of our criminal justice system and working to remove the fear that many victims have of coming forward to report...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Commissions of Investigation (31 Mar 2021)

Helen McEntee: The Deputy has requested a tabular breakdown of correspondence received from the Hickson Commission of Investigation. My Department is in contact with the Hickson Commission of Investigation on an ongoing basis regarding various administrative supports and requirements such as payment requests, as well as other ad-hoc issues that may arise for the Commission. As the Deputy will appreciate, to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Stardust Fire (31 Mar 2021)

Helen McEntee: The Government is committed to ensuring that the Stardust inquests will proceed as soon as it is safe to do so, having regard to public health guidelines. Extensive work has already been undertaken towards this end. Government funding of up to €8m has been allocated for the new inquests to cover a number of areas including legal aid for families. A bespoke courtroom has been built...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Expenditure (31 Mar 2021)

Helen McEntee: It has not been possible to collate the information requested by the Deputy within the time allowed. I will write to the Deputy to provide this information as soon as it is available.

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Revised)
Vote 41 - Policing Authority (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised) (30 Mar 2021)

Helen McEntee: I thank the committee for inviting me to this meeting. I am seeking its approval for the Revised Estimates for the justice sector Vote group to provide for much-needed expenditure across the sector. The Estimates provide for gross expenditure of approximately €3 billion across six Votes in the justice sector, €2.746 billion of which is current expenditure and €258...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Revised)
Vote 41 - Policing Authority (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised) (30 Mar 2021)

Helen McEntee: I will have to get a breakdown for the initial questions on pay and pensions. I will need a moment to get this. I will do the same for the question on clothing and accessories. I am unsure how often this happens but I know there is a request at the moment for new uniforms. We are looking at that as part of the overall request later on in the year. I will come back to the Chairman...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Revised)
Vote 41 - Policing Authority (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised) (30 Mar 2021)

Helen McEntee: Yes.

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Revised)
Vote 41 - Policing Authority (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised) (30 Mar 2021)

Helen McEntee: The Deputy referred to youth services. I highlight that there is an additional €500,000, which brings the total allocation to €14.5 million for youth justice interventions. That includes specific funding of €1.426 million through the Dormant Accounts Fund for the Greentown programme, which is specifically looking at protecting younger people from the influence of adult...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Revised)
Vote 41 - Policing Authority (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised) (30 Mar 2021)

Helen McEntee: Absolutely.

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Revised)
Vote 41 - Policing Authority (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised) (30 Mar 2021)

Helen McEntee: The issue does come under the Garda Vote to some extent. In my opening statement I referenced the implementation of the O'Malley report. Although specific funding has not been identified under the €8 million modernisation budget that was allocated to the courts, as part of the implementation of the O'Malley report a significant amount of work is being done in developing a training...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Revised)
Vote 41 - Policing Authority (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised) (30 Mar 2021)

Helen McEntee: Regarding the overall investment in Garda ICT, not just relating to the ANPR, the mobility project, €80 million has been allocated to upgrade the mobile devices. I am referring to cars but also to technology to ensure everything can be interconnected and to reflect the fact that we have now just joined the Schengen Information System, SIS II. Even though we only joined it on 15...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Revised)
Vote 41 - Policing Authority (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised) (30 Mar 2021)

Helen McEntee: The Deputy identified something that could apply to most of the Votes. Some of the changes brought about by Covid-19, be they in An Garda Síochána, the Irish Prison Service or the Courts Service, have been made out of necessity but, hopefully, they will remain and ensure the smoother and better running of the Irish Prison Service and other services. Regarding additional funding to...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Revised)
Vote 41 - Policing Authority (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised) (30 Mar 2021)

Helen McEntee: That scheme exists. The plan is to make sure we eliminate this practice. As I mentioned in my opening statement, significant funding is being allocated to Limerick Prison, where this practice remains in existence. Once that work is complete, we will eliminate this practice. I do not have the exact figure in terms of what has been allocated to date under this scheme but as soon as we can...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Revised)
Vote 41 - Policing Authority (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised) (30 Mar 2021)

Helen McEntee: In terms of compensation, my answer is similar to my previous answer in that it depends on what cases are dealt with in the year or what the overall request is. As is often the case, in some years, one will get more than one thinks or less than one asked for. For this year in particular, there was additional funding for in-cell sanitation cases going back to my answer to the question from...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Revised)
Vote 41 - Policing Authority (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised) (30 Mar 2021)

Helen McEntee: It is based on the requirement and the need. It is also based on the request from the Irish Prison Service to us and then us making that request and the allocation being either granted or not. Last year's spend was €1.4 million but the allocation is €1.2 million. That is not to say that will not cover the requirements for this year or that it will not cover the supports that...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Revised)
Vote 41 - Policing Authority (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised) (30 Mar 2021)

Helen McEntee: We have two different figures. The €8.5 million was allocated for the overall modernisation programme and that is something that is being developed by the Courts Service, led by Angela Denning. This is looking at the national plan but the €5 million specific Covid funding that had been allocated was feeding into that as well in supporting various courts in developing their own...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Revised)
Vote 41 - Policing Authority (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised) (30 Mar 2021)

Helen McEntee: A great deal of work has been done, as the Deputy will know, between the Courts Service and the local council to identify the best option here. They examined the possibility of the courthouse remaining where it is, as well as other options including the Island of Geese site, which appears to be the site that has been selected for many reasons, not least that the development of the courthouse...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Revised)
Vote 41 - Policing Authority (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised) (30 Mar 2021)

Helen McEntee: On the capital works, we have had significant carryover in this Vote and in the Votes for the Garda, the Prison Service and all the other agencies. There is an allowance for 10% carryover, so where that has been possible, that has been carried over and work is continuing where possible. On the Hammond Lane question, I am hopeful that once we conclude our engagement with the Courts Service...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Revised)
Vote 41 - Policing Authority (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised) (30 Mar 2021)

Helen McEntee: We have increased the funding for the Data Protection Commission five-fold since 2015. A significant portion of that increase has been directed towards additional staff, with the commission moving from a staff of 110 in 2018 to 150 to date. Recruitment to fill many of those posts is still under way. It is a competitive environment but I would expect that an additional 30 posts will be...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Revised)
Vote 41 - Policing Authority (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised) (30 Mar 2021)

Helen McEntee: The issue of pay and pensions was also raised. My understanding is that pensions come under a different subhead, but I can send the committee the breakdown on that as well. I will also send a note providing greater clarity in terms of the allocations around the training and services within the Prison Service. In terms of the allocation increasing and decreasing, I will try to provide a...