Results 1,121-1,140 of 10,057 for speaker:Jim O'Callaghan

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

Jim O'Callaghan: The naturalisation application processing times of individual nationalities are not recorded by my Department. I can assure the Deputy that the Citizenship Division of my Department is doing everything possible to progress applications as quickly as possible. I understand that extended wait times can be frustrating for applicants, however, Citizenship Division have taken a significant...

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

Jim O'Callaghan: I understand that the Deputy's query relates to visa applications. 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...

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

Jim O'Callaghan: My Department is fully committed to reforming the family justice system in Ireland and as part of the Family Justice Strategy 2022-2025, which was published in November 2022. This ambitious Strategy outlines the steps needed to create a more efficient and user-friendly family justice system that puts the family and children at the centre of its work. As the strategy was developed, the...

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 join family visa that my Department is doing everything possible to progress these applications as quickly as possible. The entitlement to family reunification varies depending on the permission granted to the sponsor of the application. My Department aims...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Deportation Orders (29 Apr 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: It is a central priority for me that our immigration laws are robust and enforced. The enforcement aspects of our laws, including deportation orders, are an essential requirement for the system to work effectively and to ensure that our people have confidence in the application of our laws in this area. My Department has taken action to significantly improve immigration enforcement...

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

Jim O'Callaghan: My Department, where necessary, will assign additional resources to the Registration Office to handle the seasonal demands around the academic term and the high volume of international student registering. Following their arrival in Ireland, any new non-EEA national students have up to 90 days to register their immigration permission. All first-time registrations nationwide are being...

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

Jim O'Callaghan: As the Deputy may be aware, my Department is unable to publish any information that would identify any person as being an international protection applicant. This is a separate matter to the law dealing with data protection matters more generally. My officials and I are legally obliged, under Section 26 of the International Protection Act 2015, to ensure that the identity of any person...

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

Jim O'Callaghan: The naturalisation application from the person referred to by the Deputy continues to be processed by my Department. This application is based on Section 16 'Irish Association', which can take longer to process than applications based upon residency. Section 15 of the Act sets out the statutory conditions that must be fulfilled for a certificate of naturalisation to be granted....

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

Jim O'Callaghan: The presiding judge is entirely independent in the exercise of their judicial functions, and the decision to grant or refuse bail in a particular case is solely a matter for the court. However, I have made enquiries to the Courts Service regarding the information you have requested. The Courts Service cannot provide a report on “the number of occasions between 2015 and 2025 where...

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

Jim O'Callaghan: Women who commit crime comprise a relatively small yet increasing group within the Criminal Justice System in Ireland. I am informed that over 16% of all new referrals to the Probation Service are for women offenders, and we know that many women offenders have complex needs such as alcohol or drug problems, serious mental health difficulties, social disadvantage and dysfunctional...

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

Jim O'Callaghan: In 2025, the Probation Service is providing over €21m in funding from the Services to Offenders budget to community organisations to cover the cost of the provision of services and programmes by these organisations in the community. These organisations, which work alongside the Probation Service, provide a diverse range of services, including training and education, offender...

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

Jim O'Callaghan: The Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme continues to play an important and significant role in providing practical support by way of monetary compensation to victims of violent crime. Notwithstanding this, the Government is committed to reforming the Scheme, including placing it on a statutory footing as provided for in the Programme for Government, and work is currently being advanced...

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

Jim O'Callaghan: I can advise the Deputy that any visa required national that wishes to enter the State, and remain, for up to 90 days must have a Type C Short Stay Visa. A visa required national that wishes to reside in the State for longer than 90 days must have a Type D Long Stay Visa. My Department publishes information online regarding the number visa applications received, visa decisions issued and...

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

Jim O'Callaghan: I can advise the Deputy that Israeli citizens are not visa required for Ireland, therefore, they do not need to apply to the Immigration Service of my Department for a visa prior to travel. The Deputy may wish to note that the number of Israeli nationals who registered or renewed an immigration permission in the State was 729 in 2023 and 645 in 2024.

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

Jim O'Callaghan: Dormant Accounts Funding was approved under the 2021 Dormant Accounts Programme to provide financial supports for the establishment of a scholarship scheme to enable people with criminal records access third-level education. The KickStart Scholarship Fund was launched in 2022 and was administered via the Maynooth University Access Programme on behalf of the MEND (Midlands, East and North...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Road Traffic Offences (29 Apr 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1586 and 1588 together. I have endeavoured to provide the Deputy with an answer by seeking the relevant information from An Garda Síochána and the Courts Service. I am informed by Garda management that An Garda Síochána are not responsible for the disqualification or restoration of driving licences. Someone who has been...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Road Traffic Offences (29 Apr 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I have endeavoured to provide the deputy with an answer to their question by seeking the relevant information from An Garda Síochána and the Courts Service. I am informed by Garda management that An Garda Síochána are not responsible for Drivers Licence disqualification or restoration and that they do not hold this data. Management of the courts, operational matters...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Domestic Violence (29 Apr 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: One of the overarching goals of the Zero Tolerance Strategy to address domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (DSGBV), is ensuring that everyone who needs a refuge space will get one. To accelerate the delivery of additional refuge accommodation year on year, Cuan, the Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence Agency, was established in 2024. Cuan is now responsible for coordinating...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Residency Permits (29 Apr 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I can inform the Deputy that a decision issued from the Domestic Residence and Permissions Division of my Department to the person concerned granting them a permission on Stamp 4 conditions. If a non-EEA national has an existing valid permission to be in the State, then they do not need to seek an appointment to renew their permission. All renewals are being processed using my Departments...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: International Protection (29 Apr 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: It is a central priority for me as Minister for Justice that our immigrations laws are robust and enforced. The establishment of a person’s identity and nationality is an important feature of our immigration processes. This is especially so in the context of persons who make a claim for international protection. Applicants are photographed and have their fingerprints taken when...