Results 11,441-11,460 of 15,389 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: European Court of Justice Rulings (10 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: We all regret that this has taken so long and has been ongoing for a number of years. Other member states that have already introduced legislation in their jurisdictions based on the clarifications I just mentioned have had to change that legislation again. It is important that when we introduce and pass our legislation, it is the best it can be and that it provides absolute clarity for An...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Crime Prevention (10 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: I am strongly committed to tackling all forms of corruption and white-collar crime. The Deputy will be aware that last week I announced my intention to lead a new cross-Government plan to tackle these issues, following publication of the Review of Structures and Strategies to Prevent, Investigate and Penalise Economic Crime and Corruption. I intend to publish and start to implement an...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Crime Prevention (10 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: This is the reason we asked Mr. James Hamilton and those who worked with him to produce this report. It was to identify ways in which we can support the different agencies. This report will be implemented not just by my Department but also the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, the Department of Finance and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, working with An Garda...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: European Court of Justice Rulings (10 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, the Court of Justice of the European Union struck down the EU data retention directive in 2014 on the basis that it constituted a disproportionate interference with the rights to privacy and data protection enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights. Since that time, the court has continued to deal with a range of cases referred to it in what is a complex and...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Courts Service (10 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: I am committed, as is the Government, to ensuring adequate resources for the courts to maintain access to justice for all citizens, not just throughout this pandemic but at all times. 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...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Courts Service (10 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: I fully agree with the Deputy. We all heard this morning the figure of 122,000 as the initial backlog of summonses. Significant work has been done to clear that. There have been 97,000 cases heard since July alone in this particular area, but there was a backlog before Covid-19 started. That is why we need to make sure we have additional resources. It is why we need to look at the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Courts Service (10 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: Unfortunately, Covid-19 has impacted all our lives, and it is no different for the Courts Service, those who work in it and those who avail of its services. It is important to thank those who work in the Courts Service, our legal professions and An Garda Síochána because, while they have had to put a lot of cases on hold particularly since the summer, there have been meetings every...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Judicial Appointments (10 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: There are currently three vacancies on the national courts; one on the Supreme Court, one on a Circuit Court and one on a District Court. As I outlined to the House on 26 November, it has been the practice to maintain a vacancy on the Supreme Court due to the reduction in waiting times achieved in that court in recent years. However, this arrangement is always kept under review, having...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Judicial Appointments (10 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: I reassure the Deputy that bringing forward legislation to establish a new commission to replace the JAAB is a commitment of the programme for Government. I have committed to doing this as quickly as possible. It is important that we have a very clear process and that people understand it. I have just outlined the current process. I have adhered to that process at every stage of the six...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Judicial Appointments (10 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: I do not want to pre-empt this process but I hope to bring the legislation forward before the end of this term. If that does not happen, I will introduce it very early in the new year. I would like to see the legislation enacted in the first half of next year and avoid allowing the debate to go on throughout 2021.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Crime Data (10 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy may be aware, the Programme for Government commits to a health-led approach to drugs misuse. Substance abuse and addiction affects people from all walks of life. By treating the use of substances as a public health issue, rather than solely as a criminal issue, we can better help individuals, their families, and the communities in which we all live. The National Drugs Strategy,...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Inquiry into the Death of Mr. Shane O'Farrell (10 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: I once again offer my condolences to the family of the late Shane O'Farrell. As I said the last time I spoke on this issue, I understand that he was an exceptional young man and his death was a terrible tragedy. As the Deputy will be aware, a retired Judge, Gerard Haughton, is currently conducting the scoping exercise into the tragic circumstances surrounding the death of the late Shane...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Crime Prevention (10 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, An Garda Síochána has been allocated an unprecedented budget of €1.952 billion for 2021. The significant level of funding provided over recent years is enabling sustained, ongoing recruitment of Garda members and staff. As a result, there are now some 14,600 Garda members and over 3,000 Garda staff nationwide. Budget 2021 will allow for the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Rural Crime (10 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: I can assure the Deputy that I am very much aware of the impact of crime on rural communities and I am committed to ensuring that there is strong, visible community policing right across rural Ireland. The Programme for Government, Our Shared Future, underlines the need for close engagement between An Garda Síochána and local communities. This is an essential feature of the strong...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Measures (10 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: I am determined to overhaul the operation of the Family Justice system, to ensure we have more efficient and user-friendly family court system, that puts the family at the centre of its work. A Family Justice Oversight Group has recently been established in my department which, in addition to department officials, also includes representation from the judiciary, the Courts Service, the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Process (10 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: Since my appointment as Minister, I have made the enactment of the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Bill 2017, which I know will be known as Coco's Law, by the end of the year a top priority. I know from recent correspondence received from the Deputy that she fully agrees that legislation in this area needs to be enacted as quickly as possible. I am very grateful...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Courts Service (10 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: Under the provisions of the Courts Service Act 1998, management of the courts, including the provision of accommodation for court sittings, is the responsibility of the Courts Service which is independent in exercising its functions. However, in order to be of assistance to the Deputy, I have had enquiries made regarding the cases in Cork city and county. The Courts Service...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Commemorative Events (10 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, the Decade of Centenaries is a programme of commemoration of the period from 1912 to 1923.  The Programme is broad and inclusive, complementing the on-going programme of formal State commemorations with special centenary events on the anniversaries of key historical events. It seeks to record the economic and social conditions of the period, the shifts in...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Training (10 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: The Deputy will be aware that the report of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland, published in September 2018, emphasises the importance of policing being seen as a profession.  A commitment to continuous professional development, competence and a body of knowledge about policing, which is continuously developed and updated, and empowerment of all personnel were identified...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: International Protection (10 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: Since the coming into force of the International Protection Act 2015 on 31 December 2016, permission to remain is considered as part of the single procedure mechanism provided for under that Act. This encompasses the two international protection elements of refugee status and subsidiary protection as well as permission to remain. All applicants refused international protection have a...