Results 11,941-11,960 of 15,536 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Proposed Legislation (25 Nov 2020)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 168, 177, 179 and 181 together. I fully support the Programme for Government commitment to enacting legislation in this area and the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Bill is being progressed as a priority. The Bill is scheduled for Committee Stage in the Dáil on 1 December 2020. Yesterday, I secured Cabinet approval to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Victim Support Services (25 Nov 2020)

Helen McEntee: Supporting all victims of crime is a priority for this Government and for me as Minister for Justice. As the Deputy may be aware, Tusla, the Child and Family Agency under the aegis of my colleague, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, has statutory responsibility for child protection and welfare services, family support and educational welfare. In relation...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Victim Support Services (25 Nov 2020)

Helen McEntee: Supporting all victims of crime is a priority for this Government and for me as Minister for Justice. In relation to funding for victims of crime, my Department provides funding to promote and assist the development of support services to victims of crime. In 2020 this funding amounted to €1.9 million and is being increased under Budget 2021 to €2.1million. Organisations...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Data (25 Nov 2020)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 171 and 172 together. An Garda Síochána has been allocated an unprecedented budget of €1.952 billion for 2021. This level of funding is enabling sustained, ongoing recruitment of Garda members and staff. As a result, Garda numbers 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: Crime Data (25 Nov 2020)

Helen McEntee: With regard to the specific information requested by the deputy, the Garda authorities have provided me with the information in the tables attached. The figures for 2016-2019 inclusive are complete calendar years. The figures for 2020 are for the year to date, up to and including 23rdNovember. I am informed that there is no specific incident type which can be used to identify all incidents...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Victim Support Services (25 Nov 2020)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 174 and 175 together. My Department is currently supporting and overseeing the implementation of a uniform national domestic violence intervention programme under the Second National Strategy for the Prevention of Domestic, Sexual and Gender- based Violence, 2016-2021.The roll out of this programme, entitled the Choices Programme, began in 2017. The Choices...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Stations (25 Nov 2020)

Helen McEntee: I have requested information from the Garda Commissioner in relation to this matter and I will write to the Deputy directly when the information is to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Public Procurement Contracts (25 Nov 2020)

Helen McEntee: I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department is at an early stage of commencing an initiative to implement social and environmental clauses in public procurement contracts. My Department has made a commitment to secure social clauses within 10% of the Department’s procurement contracts within the lifetime of the upcoming strategy, which is from 2021 to 2023. I have sought the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Deportation Orders (25 Nov 2020)

Helen McEntee: Since the outbreak of Covid-19 in March 2020, a total of 469 Deportation Orders have been issued by the Immigration Service of my Department. The enforcement of Deportation Orders is an operational matter for the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB). I can assure the Deputy, that both my own Department, and the GNIB are taking a pragmatic approach in relation to the enforcement of...

Seanad: Combating Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence: Statements (24 Nov 2020)

Helen McEntee: I welcome this opportunity to make statements on domestic violence. It is fitting that we are making these statements and have the opportunity to raise this important issue given that tomorrow is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. I hope I have made it clear, or that it has been clear, to everyone that since my appointment as Minister for Justice I have...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Support Services (24 Nov 2020)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 691 and 721 to 723, inclusive, together. The Interim List of Eligible Programmes (ILEP) was introduced in 2015 as part of a series of reforms to the student immigration system for international education. Non-EEA nationals wishing to study in Ireland are provided with immigration permission if they are enrolled on a programme listed on the ILEP. The...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Judicial Appointments (24 Nov 2020)

Helen McEntee: The Judicial Appointments Advisory Board (JAAB) is an independent body set up to identify persons and inform the Government of the suitability of those persons for appointment to judicial office. Its functions are set out in section 16 of the Courts and Court Officers Act 1995, as amended. Under Section 20 of the 1995 Act, all proceedings of the Board and all communications to the Board are...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Judicial Appointments (24 Nov 2020)

Helen McEntee: Judicial appointments are made in accordance with Articles 13.9 and 35.1 of the Constitution, by the President acting on the advice of the Government. This is a Constitutional function that cannot be transferred or delegated. The Constitutional prerogative on advising the President on judicial appointments lies with the Government alone. It has been the practice to maintain a vacancy in...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Public Procurement Contracts (24 Nov 2020)

Helen McEntee: I wish to advise the Deputy that the information sought by the Deputy across the Justice Vote Group for 2019 is included within the Statement on Internal Financial Control, provided by the respective Accounting Officers, in the Appropriation Accounts for 2019 published by Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General and that can be accessed here: - - - - - - - Work is continuing...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Stations (24 Nov 2020)

Helen McEntee: The Deputy will be aware that the Garda Commissioner is by law responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, including personnel matters and the deployment of resources. As Minister, I have no role in these matters. I am assured, however, that Garda management keeps the distribution of resources under continual review in the context of crime trends and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Reviews (24 Nov 2020)

Helen McEntee: Incitement to hatred is a criminal offence under the Prohibition of Incitement to Hatred Act 1989. The Act is currently under review and the Programme for Government commits to introducing, within 12 months, legislation to address those who target victims because of their association with a particular identity characteristic, and to revise and update the Incitement to Hatred Act. My...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Training (24 Nov 2020)

Helen McEntee: The Deputy will appreciate that the Garda Commissioner is responsible for managing and controlling generally the administration and business of An Garda Síochána, and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter. I have requested information from the Garda Commissioner in relation to this matter but it was unfortunately not possible to compile it in the time available. I will...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Training (24 Nov 2020)

Helen McEntee: The Deputy will appreciate that the Garda Commissioner is responsible for managing and controlling generally the administration and business of An Garda Síochána, and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter. I have requested information from the Garda Commissioner in relation to this matter but it was unfortunately not possible to compile it in the time available. I will...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Programme (24 Nov 2020)

Helen McEntee: I refer the Deputy to the answer provided to Parliamentary Question Number 1057 of 3 November 2020 and I wish to confirm that the position as outlined remains unchanged. I am very aware of public concerns with regard to knife crime and I am determined to ensure similar problems do not develop in Ireland as have developed in neighbouring jurisdictions. It is worth noting that recent...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Process (24 Nov 2020)

Helen McEntee: My Department made applications to the Oireachtas Business Committee to waiver pre-legislative scrutiny on five pieces of legislation since 2017. Waivers were granted on 14 June 2018 for the General Scheme of the 37th Amendment of the Constitution (Removal of Blasphemy) Bill 2018 and on 17 January 2019 for the General Scheme of the Repeal of Offence of Publication or Utterance of...