Results 10,961-10,980 of 15,536 for speaker:Helen McEntee

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

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, in accordance with the Garda Síochána Act 2005, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána. The allocation of Garda resources is a matter for the Commissioner, in light of identified operational demands. This includes the allocation of vehicles among the various Garda divisions. As...

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

Helen McEntee: Access to the labour market for international protection applicants is provided for under the European Communities (Reception Conditions) Regulations (S.I. No. 230 of 2018). These Regulations give effect to Directive 2013/33/EU of 26 June 2013, laying down standards for the reception of applicants for international protection (recast), and came into operation on 30 June 2018. The Regulations...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Court Sittings (10 Mar 2021)

Helen McEntee: The Government is committed to ensuring adequate resources for the courts in order to maintain access to justice for all citizens. This commitment was reinforced recently with the highest ever budgetary allocation for the Justice sector including €158.8 million for the Courts Service. This included €8 million for the new Courts Modernisation Programme along with an additional...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Deportation Orders (10 Mar 2021)

Helen McEntee: In line with the clear commitments both I and the Taoiseach have given, no Deportation Orders are being enforced during the pandemic, except in circumstances where there are national security or serious public policy concerns. My Department has consistently adopted a pragmatic approach in this area in the context of Covid-19. When a Deportation Order is made and served, the person...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Insurance Industry (10 Mar 2021)

Helen McEntee: Insurance reform is a key priority for this Government. That is reflected in the Programme for Government itself, in the Government’s Action Plan for Insurance Reform, which was launched last December, and in the Justice Plan 2021, which I published recently. The Government’s Action Plan for Insurance Reform sets out 66 actions designed to bring down costs for consumers and...

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

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy may be aware, the Office of the Inspector of Prisons is a statutory body, independent in how it carries out its work, set up under the Prisons Act 2007. The Inspector's key role is to carry out regular inspections of prisons. The Office is required to inspect the twelve prisons in Ireland to examine the treatment and conditions for prisoners and for staff. The Inspector may also...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Internships (10 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.

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...