Results 1,061-1,080 of 10,057 for speaker:Jim O'Callaghan

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Wards of Court (29 Apr 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Management of the courts, operational matters and logistical functions are the responsibility of the judiciary and Courts Service, which are independent in the exercise of their functions. As the Ward of Court Office falls under the remit of the Courts Service, I have referred your question to the Courts Service for their direct reply. The Courts Service also has a dedicated email...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (29 Apr 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I am informed by the Garda authorities that the allocation of additional resources within An Garda Síochána, including the Garda College, is considered on an ongoing basis. The allocation of additional personnel will be considered in the context of the overall requirements of the organisation. I am further informed that there are no traffic policing unit/traffic corp posts at...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (29 Apr 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I am informed by the Garda authorities that the allocation of additional resources for specialist units within An Garda Síochána, including the Garda College, is considered on an ongoing basis. The allocation of additional personnel will be considered in the context of the overall requirements of the organisation including specialist bureau and frontline operational divisions. ...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (29 Apr 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I am informed by An Garda Síochána that Firearms Training is in place across three units in the Garda College, Garda H.Q. and the North Western Regional Headquarters, Galway. Currently there are 21 filled posts within the Firearms training unit, and 11 vacancies to be filled. Currently there is a panel of candidates created from a Firearms Instructors Competition and there...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (29 Apr 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I have sought the information requested by the Deputy from An Garda Síochána, and I will contact him when this is to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Data (29 Apr 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Implementing effective border security arrangements is a priority for me, and the Programme for Government commits to developing a border security strategy to deliver stronger border security. The Border Management Unit of my Department is responsible for frontline Immigration at Dublin Airport only. Other airports and other ports of entry are the responsibility of the Garda National...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (29 Apr 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I recently met with representatives of the Prison Officers Association, during which a range of issues was discussed, among them the fast accrual (uniformed) single public service pension scheme for uniformed services recruited after 2013. While policy and legislative responsibility for the fast accrual scheme for officers recruited after 2013 rests in the first instance with the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (29 Apr 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Public sector pensions, including Garda pensions, are a matter of Government policy overseen by the Department for Public Expenditure and Reform, who have a Pensions Policy Unit for this purpose. I understand that people who joined the Public Service post-January 2013 are all members of the Single Public Service Pension Scheme which provides for pension benefits based on career average...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Asylum Applications (29 Apr 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1509, 1510, 1512 and 1513 together. It has not been possible to collate the information requested by the Deputy in the time available. I will write to the Deputy directly once the information is to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legal Aid (29 Apr 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I can assure the Deputy that I am fully committed to ensuring that Ireland’s International Protection system is robust and rules based, and that our borders are protected. Legal advice and representation for people in the international protection process in Ireland is provided by the Legal Aid Board (LAB) where required. It is the statutory, independent, body responsible for the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Alcohol Sales (29 Apr 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: As the Deputy will appreciate, I cannot provide an interpretation of legislation, or deal in hypotheticals. The sale and supply of alcohol products in licensed premises is subject to specific conditions set out in the Licensing Acts 1833 to 2018. Section 32 of the Intoxicating Liquor Act 1988 provides for a prohibition on the purchase, provision, or consumption of intoxicating liquor by a...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (29 Apr 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: In the interest of transparency, figures related to the Garda workforce are published on my Department's website. This information is supplied by An Garda Síochána, is operational and subject to change. The latest date for which figures are available is the end of February 2025. These figures are regularly updated by my Department, upon receipt of the information from the Garda...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Reviews (29 Apr 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: In accordance with section 27 of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017, the review looked at: (a) information as to the number of arrests and convictions in respect of offences under section 7A of the Act of 1993 since commencement of that section, and (b) an assessment of the impact of the operation of that section on the safety and well-being of persons who engage in sexual activity...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Reviews (29 Apr 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: As the Deputy is aware, my Department commissioned an independent consultant to undertake the statutory review of Part 4 of Sexual Offences Act 2017 but, for a number of reasons, it was not possible for the review to be completed within the desired timeframe. The draft report provided to my Department by the original independent reviewer was incomplete and had not met the terms of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Ministerial Responsibilities (29 Apr 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1518 and 1519 together. The Ministerial briefs requested by the Deputy are available on my Department's website. The Ministerial brief given to Minister Humphreys in March 2021 is available at . The Ministerial brief given to Minister Harris in December 2022 is available at .

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Gambling Sector (29 Apr 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I was pleased to commence parts of the Gambling Regulation Act 2024 to enable the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (the Authority) to become operational on 5 March 2025. It is important to note that the majority of the provisions of the Act will commence only after gambling service providers are licenced under the legislation. The GRAI are responsible for ensuring the Authority...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (29 Apr 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I can advise the Deputy that the application referred to was created on 07 February 2024. Supporting documentation was received in the Addis Ababa office on 22 February 2024. This application was received by the Pre-clearance Team in the Dublin Visa Office on 23 February 2024 where it awaits examination and processing. While my Department's business target for join family visa applications...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Family Reunification (29 Apr 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: The Policy Document for Non-EEA Family Reunification, which was last amended in 2016, is currently under review. The review is examining a wide range of matters relating to applications for family reunification including the nature and suitability of current income thresholds and waiting periods. Officials from my Department have consulted with a wide variety of stakeholders, including...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (29 Apr 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 visa that my Department is doing everything possible to progress these applications as quickly as possible. In 2024, approximately 201,000 visa applications, of all types, were received by the Visa Division of my Department. This reflects an increase of 21%,...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Information and Communications Technology (29 Apr 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1524 and 1525 together. As Minister for Justice, I have regular engagement with the Garda Commissioner on the provision of policing services and security services most recently on 25 April 2025. The Deputy will however appreciate that for sound security and operational reasons, it is not the practice to comment on the detail of such engagement or the...