Results 12,361-12,380 of 15,536 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Data (13 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 391 to 394, inclusive, together. The Deputy will be aware that the Garda Commissioner is by law responsible for the management of An Garda Síochána, including personnel matters and 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...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (13 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: The application for a certificate of naturalisation from the person referred to by the Deputy, continues to be processed. The granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is a privilege and an honour which confers certain rights and entitlements not only within the State but also at European Union level and it is important that appropriate procedures are in place to preserve the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Direct Provision System (13 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: The Programme for Government commits to ending the current system of Direct Provision within the lifetime of the Government and replacing it with a new international protection accommodation policy centred on a not-for-profit approach. Dr Catherine Day has chaired an expert group with representation from asylum seekers and NGOs to examine best practice in the provision of services to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Youth Justice Strategy (13 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy may be aware, Part 4 of the Children Act 2001 (as amended) provides the statutory basis for the Garda Diversion Programme. The intention is to divert children and young people who have engaged in criminal or anti-social behaviour away from the Criminal Justice system and towards more positive life choices. Children who commit criminal offences are considered for admission to the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Courts Service (13 Oct 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 and the Courts Service has informed me that all county towns have dedicated...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Domestic Violence Policy (13 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: The Department of Justice is committed to combatting and addressing Domestic Abuse in all its forms, and coordinates the Second National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence, which is a whole-of-Government approach addressing the many actions necessary to address these matters fully. Provision for family leave currently falls under the remit of the Department of Justice and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (13 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: The processing of citizenship applications has had a number of challenges over the past 12 months. A legal challenge taken in the High Court last year by an applicant who was refused a certificate of naturalisation due to his absences from the State during the last year continuous prior to the date of his application. The outcome of this ruling – which was subsequently successfully...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (13 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: The information requested by the Deputy is not compiled in a manner to allow for the identification of applications for naturalisation made by students, including from those who have received results in this year's Leaving Certificate. The retrieval of this data would require a case by case examination of all applications received and would represent a significant diversion of resources from...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (13 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: The application for a certificate of naturalisation from the person referred to by the Deputy, continues to be processed. The Citizenship Division of the Immigration Service of my Department corresponded with the applicant in March of this year, advising that the application was undergoing further processing. The granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is a privilege and an...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Vetting (13 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: The Deputy will be aware that vetting applications are an operational matter for An Garda Síochána. Neither I, as Minister, nor my Department have any role in the processing of individual vetting applications. I would emphasise to the Deputy that the primary purpose of the employment vetting carried out by the National Vetting Bureau is to seek to ensure the safety of children...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (13 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: Appeals are processed in the order in which they are received in order to be fair to all applicants. While every effort is made to process appeals received as soon as possible, processing times will vary having regard to the volume of appeals received, the resources available to process them and the complexity of the application and subsequent appeal. Processing times may also increase...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (13 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: All visa appeals are processed in chronological order, based on date order of receipt. While every effort is made to process appeals as soon as possible, processing times will vary having regard to the volume and complexity of cases and the possible need for the Immigration Service of my Department to investigate, inquire into, or seek information, and the resources available. In line with...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Measures (13 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: The Programme for Government commits to ‘review and reform defamation laws to ensure a balanced approach to the right to freedom of expression, the right to protection of good name and reputation, and the right of access to justice’. The review of the Defamation Act 2009 is currently being completed by my Department. The objective set for the defamation review is to balance...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Travel Documents (13 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: Based on the information supplied, it has unfortunately not been possible to locate the application for the person referred to by the Deputy. If more information can be provided, my officials will re-examine the Deputy's request. Any person requiring their documents to be returned from the Registration Office should supply the An Post Reference Number and the Application Reference number...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Leave to Remain (13 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: On 18 September 2020, I announced that a further temporary extension of immigration and international protection permissions has been granted to 20 January 2021. This applies to permissions that are due to expire between 20 September 2020 and 20 January 2021. The person concerned should send their renewal application directly to repatadmin@justice.ie six weeks in advance of the new expiry...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Communications (13 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: My Department did not engage any third party company in 2017, 2019 and 2020 to conduct monitoring of or provide reports on social media coverage across Twitter or Facebook.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Covid-19 Pandemic (13 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, Covid-19 clearly provides unique challenges to congregated settings, including our prisons. Covid-19 in a prison setting would present significant challenges for prison management in terms of controlling the spread of the virus amongst staff and prisoners, the provision of appropriate medical treatment to affected persons and the maintenance of staffing levels....

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Registration of Wills (13 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: The possible establishment of such a register has been suggested on a number of occasions, including in a number of Private Members Bills. Consultations with a number of stakeholders, including the Law Society, have however, identified a number of important practical and legal obstacles to establishing such a mechanism. In the first instance, registration of a will would not guarantee its...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Courts Service (13 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: Under the provisions of the Courts Service Act 1998, management of the courts 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 and the Courts Service has informed me that the taxation of costs hearings was the first body of adjourned work to be dealt with by the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Courts Service (13 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: Legal Cost Adjudicators are independent office holders attached to the High Court. In order to be of assistance to the Deputy, I have had enquires made and the Office of the Legal Costs Adjudicator (OLCA) has informed me that, assuming all formalities have been completed, the current waiting times for a case to be listed for hearing by the Office currently stands at approximately 16...