Results 12,181-12,200 of 15,536 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: International Time Zones (3 Nov 2020)

Helen McEntee: Ireland switches to “summer time” on the last Sunday of each March and switches back to “winter time” on the last Sunday of each October. This year, “winter time” commenced at 1.00 a.m. on Sunday 25 October and will end at 1.00 a.m. on Sunday 28 March 2021. Ireland is currently party to an EU-wide arrangement on this issue. There is an ongoing...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Functions (3 Nov 2020)

Helen McEntee: A number of functions recently transferred from my Department to the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. This transfer came into operation on 14 October 2020. The specific details about the immigration and other functions that transferred to Minister O'Gorman's department are set out in the transfer of functions order, S.I. No. 436/2020 - Disability,...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prisoner Data (3 Nov 2020)

Helen McEntee: I can inform the Deputy that according to the latest analysed snapshot of the prison population, taken on the 30 September 2020, there was a total of 3,714 prisoners in custody, of which 154 were women. There were 2,918 prisoners serving a sentence, of which 109 were women. A breakdown of sentence length for all prisoners and the sentence length for female prisoners is set out in the tables...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Probate Applications (3 Nov 2020)

Helen McEntee: The Probate Office is an office of the High Court and management of the courts is the responsibility of the Courts Service, which is independent in exercising its functions under the Courts Service Act 1998. Probate functions are also carried out by County Registrars at District Probate Registries in 14 provincial court offices. However, in order to be of assistance, I have had enquiries...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Policy (3 Nov 2020)

Helen McEntee: The person concerned is the subject of a Deportation Order made on 1 February 2019. As the Deputy will be aware, the effect of a Deportation Order is that the person named on the Order is legally obliged to leave the State and to remain out of the State. The enforcement of the Deportation Order is an operational matter for the Garda National Immigration Bureau. Representations were...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Measures (3 Nov 2020)

Helen McEntee: A comprehensive and robust legal framework is in place with respect to knife crime, including heavy penalties for breaches of the laws concerned. Problems have emerged in neighbouring jurisdictions in relation to knife crime and the Government is determined to ensure similar problems do not develop here in Ireland. Although the problem is not of a similar scale here, any stabbing incident can...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Covid-19 Pandemic (3 Nov 2020)

Helen McEntee: The regulations concerning the nature and extent of restrictions necessary to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic are a matter for the Minister for Health. The latest regulations, in force from 22 October are the Health Act 1947 (Section 31A - Temporary Restrictions) (COVID-19) (No. 8) Regulations 2020 - S.I. 448 of 2020. These Regulations supersede relevant previous Regulations. S.I. 448 of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Passport Services (3 Nov 2020)

Helen McEntee: At various times, nationalities will have difficulties renewing or obtaining passports due to conflict, etc. The Immigration Service of my Department takes this into account when considering the renewal of an immigration permission of a person who does not hold a valid passport, if the applicant can provide a satisfactory explanation of any circumstances that may prevent them from producing a...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Transport Provision (3 Nov 2020)

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

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Equipment (3 Nov 2020)

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

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Juvenile Offenders (3 Nov 2020)

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

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Youth Justice Strategy (3 Nov 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 (3 Nov 2020)

Helen McEntee: The applications referred to by the Deputy were received by the Visa Office in Abuja on 20 August 2018. Visa applications are dealt with in chronological order by date of receipt within the particular category. I am advised that a decision should issue on these applications within the next two weeks. Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Residency Permits (3 Nov 2020)

Helen McEntee: The Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, provides the statutory periods of residence required in the State, and that the final year be continuous residence. However, it has long been recognised that many people may travel abroad for a holiday, or may have some unexpected or unavoidable reason to travel abroad. In this regard, it is considered, that a reasonable and generous...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Contracts (3 Nov 2020)

Helen McEntee: Details of contracts awarded by my Department without the use of a competitive process are outlined in the Department’s Appropriation Accounts for 2019 and are summarised as follows. In all, forty one contracts with a value of €8,641,259 (excluding VAT) in excess of the reporting threshold of €25,000 (excluding VAT) were awarded without a competitive process in 2019. A...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Measures (3 Nov 2020)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1067 and 1068 together. The Government is committed to taking action to tackle the non-consensual distribution of intimate images. The Programme for Governments commits to enacting the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Bill 2017, which has been sponsored by Deputy Brendan Howlin. The Bill provides for many of the legislative changes...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (3 Nov 2020)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1069 and 1070 together. As of 27October 2020, there are 2,258 applicants awaiting a ceremony granting citizenship. This figure does not include minors who are not required to attend a ceremony. Approximately 400 minor certificates recently issued by post with 292 minor certificates to be issued in the coming period. COVID-19 has unfortunately prevented the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prisoner Welfare (3 Nov 2020)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, the mission of the Irish Prison Service is to provide safe and secure custody, dignity of care and rehabilitation to prisoners for safer communities. My Department has taken steps to brings the Irish prison system into line with the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (known as ‘Mandela Rules’) in respect of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Courts Service (3 Nov 2020)

Helen McEntee: The Government is committed to ensuring adequate resources for the courts in order to maintain access to justice for all citizens. With this in mind, the Government endeavours to fill judicial vacancies at the earliest opportunity and to ensure our courts continue to operate as effectively and efficiently as possible. I recently announced the highest ever budgetary allocation for the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Status (3 Nov 2020)

Helen McEntee: In response to separate notifications pursuant to the provisions of section 3 of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended), the persons concerned have submitted written representations to the Immigration Service of my Department. These representations, together with all other information and documentation on file, will be fully considered, under section 3 (6) of the Immigration Act 1999 (as...