Results 10,821-10,840 of 15,389 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Passport Controls (10 Mar 2021)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 713 to 716, inclusive, together. The visa measures referred to by the Deputy are designed to support our current public health restrictions on movement, including into and out of Ireland. The travel restrictions and the measures introduced as part of the Government’s efforts to interrupt the transmission of COVID-19, mean that travel may not be...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Stations (10 Mar 2021)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is, by law, responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána and for the effective and efficient deployment of Garda resources, including the provision of Garda stations. Furthermore, the Office of Public Works (OPW) has responsibility for the provision and maintenance of Garda accommodation and works in...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Visiting Regulations (10 Mar 2021)

Helen McEntee: I wish to advise the Deputy that under the Irish Prison Service Framework for Restrictive Measures for Living with Covid-19, which was developed in line with the National Framework published by the Government in September last year, all physical visits to prisons are suspended under Level 4 and Level 5. The Irish Prison Service is fully committed to facilitating the return of physical...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Work Permits (10 Mar 2021)

Helen McEntee: I can inform the Deputy that there are currently no delays in the processing of applications for permission under the Atypical Working Scheme (AWS). The Scheme supports a vast array of industries who have a requirement for specialised or highly-skilled individuals. In addition, the AWS Unit of the Immigration Service of my Department processes a considerable number of applications for...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Status (10 Mar 2021)

Helen McEntee: An application for a certificate of naturalisation was received from the person referred to by the Deputy on 24 October 2018. 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. If any further documentation is...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (10 Mar 2021)

Helen McEntee: The visa sticker issued for the application referred to by the Deputy has a validity period from 21 October 2020 to 21 April 2021.In the normal course of events, the person concerned could travel to Ireland between the dates of validity, including the first and last dates on the visa, and travel outside of these dates would not be permitted. The travel restrictions and the measures...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (10 Mar 2021)

Helen McEntee: The visa sticker issued for the application referred to by the Deputy has a validity period from 21 October 2020 to 21 April 2021.In the normal course of events, the person concerned could travel to Ireland between the dates of validity, including the first and last dates on the visa, and travel outside of these dates would not be permitted. The travel restrictions and the measures...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service Staff (10 Mar 2021)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will understand, prior to making an appointment to the position of recruit prison officer, the Irish Prison Service is obliged to make such inquires as are deemed necessary to determine the suitability of candidates. Until all stages of the recruitment process have been fully completed, a final determination as to the success of any candidate cannot be made, nor can it be...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: International Protection (10 Mar 2021)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 724, 728 and 730 together. The information requested by the Deputy is provided in the tables attached to this response. Statistics in respect of single adults, couples and couples with extended families are not readily available. However, to be of assistance to the Deputy we have provided the number of applicants who, at time of application, were over 18...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: International Protection (10 Mar 2021)

Helen McEntee: The information requested by the Deputy is provided in the tables attached to this response.The figures relate to the year in which the decision was made, not the year in which the application was made. Decisions on international protection are made by the Ministerial Decisions Unit (MDU) of my Department. MDU processes the recommendations received from the International Protection Office...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: International Protection (10 Mar 2021)

Helen McEntee: There are two safe country concepts that can apply to applicants for international protection under EU law, namely Safe Country of Origin and Safe Third Country. Under section 72 of the International Protection Act 2015, and the International Protection Act 2015 (Safe Countries of Origin) Order 2018 (Statutory Instrument no 121 of 2018), the following countries were designated as safe...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: International Protection (10 Mar 2021)

Helen McEntee: I can confirm that in line with the clear commitments that both I and the Taoiseach have given, the position remains that no further deportation orders are being enforced during the Covid-19 pandemic, except in circumstances where an individual may be a threat to national security, and whose presence in Ireland would be contrary to the public interest. The table below outlines the number of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Coroners Service (10 Mar 2021)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, Coroners are independent in the conduct of their functions and neither I nor my Department have any role in the scheduling of inquests. Most coroners hold inquests in local court houses, and as a result of Covid-19 restrictions, activity in these facilities has unfortunately been severely curtailed. The Coroners Society of Ireland agreed that all inquests...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Asylum Seekers (10 Mar 2021)

Helen McEntee: Ireland has opted-in to what is commonly referred to as the Dublin III Regulation (Regulation (EU) No. 604/2013). The Dublin Regulation sets out the criteria and mechanisms for determining the Member State responsible for examining an application for international protection made in one of the Member States. The European Union (Dublin System) Regulations 2018 (SI No. 62 of 2018) came...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Advertising (10 Mar 2021)

Helen McEntee: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has been working closely with all government departments to support the national COVID-19 effort. My Department has contributed to, and participated in, the large scale cross-Government communications programme which has been running since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. This has involved supporting and amplifying Government and public...

Seanad: Children (Amendment) Bill 2020: Report and Final Stages (5 Mar 2021)

Helen McEntee: I thank all of the Senators for their contributions, particularly Senator McDowell. I have reflected on the points from last week and I appreciate the spirit of co-operation there has been. Senator McDowell's amendment has not been put forward to change policy or the context but to change the form. I know there are merits to this approach and it is not that we just go with what the norm is...

Seanad: Children (Amendment) Bill 2020: Report and Final Stages (5 Mar 2021)

Helen McEntee: I reassure the Senator there is flexibility. While I have said that subsection (a) does not apply where the child is deceased or where there is only one living child involved, a court may still apply a flexible approach where there is only one child living and it needs to give consideration to the impact on that child if their sibling is deceased. That flexibility remains within the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Naturalisation Applications (4 Mar 2021)

Helen McEntee: The Citizenship Division of the Immigration Service of my Department has corresponded with the person concerned on a number of occasions (by post on 13 September 2018 and again on 4 March 2019 and by email in January 2021). It should be noted that the address on record for the person concerned does not match the address provided in the details supplied by the Deputy. The person concerned...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Training (4 Mar 2021)

Helen McEntee: I have requested the information sought by the Deputy from An Garda Síochána, but I have not received this information in time. I will write to the Deputy as soon as the information is to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Parliamentary Questions (4 Mar 2021)

Helen McEntee: The Deputy will be aware that the Garda Commissioner is responsible, by law, for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána including recruitment and human resources matters, and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter. The Deputy has requested statistical information for each of the years 2018 to 2021 in relation to - 1. New recruits, actual and projected...