Results 11,721-11,740 of 15,536 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Data (8 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible, by law, for the deployment of personnel and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter.  Garda management keeps this deployment under review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities to ensure optimum use is made of available resources. I am advised by the Commissioner that Garda Juvenile...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Youth Diversion Projects (8 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, Garda Youth Diversion Projects (GYDPs) are a fundamental support to the operation of the statutory Garda Diversion Programme and provide a vital ingredient in enhancing community policing partnerships. The projects are community based multi-agency crime prevention initiatives, which are funded directly by my Department. GYDPs seek to divert young people who have...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (8 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: The Long Stay Join Family Visa application for the person referred to by the Deputy was created by the applicant on 21 September 2020. The supporting documentation was received by the Abuja Visa Office on 12 October 2020 and is currently being processed there.  To be fair to all applicants, visa applications are dealt with in chronological order by...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Proposed Legislation (8 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: I hope to obtain Government approval to publish the Personal Insolvency (Amendment) Bill 2020 before Christmas. This short but urgent Bill makes a number of procedural and other changes to the Personal Insolvency Acts 2012 to 2015 that are needed, in the context of the current pandemic, to ensure that homeowners and other people who are in financial difficulties due to the economic...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Road Traffic Offences (8 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: The Deputy will appreciate that the Garda Commissioner is responsible, by law, for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána.  I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter. I have requested information from the Garda Commissioner in relation to this question in light of the information I previously provided to the Deputy in...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: International Protection (8 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: For reasons of maintaining full confidentiality, it is not my Department's practice to comment on whether an application for asylum or subsidiary protection has been made in the State. An applicant for international protection is awarded international protection, whether refugee status or subsidiary protection status, upon a declaration of status being issued from my Department. This is...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (8 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: In general, the current target is that it should take around 12 months for a standard application for a certificate of naturalisation to be processed from the date it is received to the date a decision is made. However, for a broad range of reasons, some cases will take longer than others to process.  In some instances, completing the necessary checks, including security...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Seirbhísí trí Ghaeilge (8 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: Is mian liom a chur in iúl don Teachta go bhforáiltear mar a leanas in alt 44 den Acht Cúirteanna Breithiúnais, 1924 (Uimh. 10 de 1924): ‘Sa mhéid gur féidir é agus gach ní a bhaineann leis an scéal d’áireamh, beidh ag an mBreitheamh Cuarda, a ceapfar d’aon Chuaird ina bhfuil an Ghaedhilg in úsáid...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (8 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: Under Section 9 of the Aliens Act, 1935 a person who wishes to assume a name other than that by which he or she was ordinarily known prior to reaching the age of majority is required to obtain a change of name licence from my Department to do so.  In order for this name change to take legal effect a deed poll would also need to be executed. Applicants wishing to apply for a change...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Staff (8 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy may be aware, Part 5 of the Disability Act 2005 provides for a statutory report on the employment of people with disabilities in the public sector. This report is compiled by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, from information provided by all public bodies staffed by civil servants, and gives details of the number of people with a disability employed in the Civil...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Covid-19 Pandemic (8 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: I would like to inform the Deputy that my Department has implemented the requirements of the Work Safely Protocol in each of its buildings and in particular, the requirements of Section D3.  My Department has the following infection prevention and control arrangements in place which provide for physical distancing across its essential operations where staff are required to attend...

Seanad: Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: I thank the Senators for their comments. Section 115 is connected with sections 116 and 117, the sections they oppose. Given that these are all integral parts of the functioning of Part 18, I might outline the reasons behind it. We are trying, inasmuch as possible in respect of this legislation in its entirety, not just of the justice parts, is to mirror arrangements we have with the UK....

Seanad: Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: The Bill sets out a clear set of criteria in accordance with EU law that we are requiring the UK to adhere to. Therefore, in order for us to assign it as a safe third country, it will have to fulfil those criteria. We are very clear that it is not just a blanket because we are trying to keep everything the same. That set of criteria still exists and we will expect it to adhere to it.

Seanad: Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: The reason we have the age of 14 is that under EURODAC, which is the European database for international protection and comparisons of fingerprints for applicants for international protection, the age is 14. We are complying with this EURODAC regulation from 2013. Therefore, it is the case at a European level but it is also the same within the UK, so, again, we are mirroring what we had...

Seanad: Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: It is an issue we can discuss in more detail later. This part is an integral part, and the overall Part 18 would not work without it.The amendment would delete a provision whereby an application for international protection is admissible if a person arrives from a safe third country and it is important that we have that provision within this legislation. It is necessary to provide the basis...

Seanad: Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: I will speak to the three amendments together and re-stress that we are trying to mirror what we currently have. I take the points that the Senators are making and apologise for not being able to take the Commencement matter to which the Senator referred. I hope to be in the House next week for the wider debate on the Private Members' Bill that has been put down. We are following EU...

Seanad: Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: I will come back to the Senator on the issue of family reunification. What we trying to do is mirror the existing process for family reunification. We must have a system whereby, if somebody is granted protection in a safe country, we continue to adhere to the regulations that have been set out. It might not necessarily be the Dublin regulation if the transition period ends without the...

Seanad: Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: What we are trying to do is mirror what we currently have in that sense. I will come back with more details, if that is acceptable.

Seanad: Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: There is a view that this perhaps is not necessary. What the Senator is trying to do, as she outlined, is put in place protections. The amendment would insert a new section 51A requirement to inform a person, who is the subject of a return order, of that legal assistance. However, a person who is the subject of a return order already should have received the information required under...

Seanad: Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2020)

Helen McEntee: Yes, that is my understanding.