Results 12,401-12,420 of 17,539 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (25 Nov 2021)

Helen McEntee: Prisoner care and rehabilitation is a core aim of the Irish Prison Service. Various forms of rehabilitative training within the prison system continue to be made available to all prisoners, including first time offenders. A range of programmes including education, vocational training, healthcare, psychiatric, psychological, addiction counselling, welfare and spiritual services are...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Measures (25 Nov 2021)

Helen McEntee: The Deputy will be aware that the Government is fully committed to the fight against racism, prejudice and bigotry, and strongly condemns the actions of those who abuse and attack others because of their own prejudices against a person’s religion, ethnic origins, sexual orientation or any other part of their identity as a human being. Ireland is a diverse and tolerant country, and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (25 Nov 2021)

Helen McEntee: The information requested by the Deputy is not available. However, I wish to advise the Deputy that I have asked my officials to discuss this request for information with the relevant Criminal Justice Agencies and the CSO to see what statistical information can be developed in this area. As the Deputy is aware, the decision to grant bail in a particular case is a matter for the presiding...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (25 Nov 2021)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy may be aware, the Central Statistics Office regularly publishes both prison and probation re-offending statistics on their website www.cso.ie. The Prison Re-offending Statistics measure the level of recorded re-offending by offenders who received a custodial sentence following their release from prison. The 3-year re-offending rate indicates the percentage of people who were...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (25 Nov 2021)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will appreciate, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, which includes the deployment of Garda members throughout the State. As Minister, I have no role in this independent function. I am assured however that Garda management keeps the distribution of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (25 Nov 2021)

Helen McEntee: I can advise the Deputy that the Irish Prison Service perform a quarterly census of the Prison estate and publish the results on their website, at www.irishprisons.ie/information-centre/statistics-informatio n/census-reports/ I can further advise the Deputy that according to the latest census which was carried out on 19 October 2021 there were 3,211 usable cells across the estate. Table 1...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (25 Nov 2021)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána under Section 26 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended). This includes any policy or procedure related to the logging of calls or contact made to a Garda station. As Minister I play no role in these independent functions. I am advised by...

Land and Conveyancing Law Reform Bill 2021 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (24 Nov 2021)

Helen McEntee: First, I thank colleagues for their co-operation and support. It is genuinely appreciated. We all have gone through the reasons for the need to implement this as quickly as possible. To assure Deputies of the timeframe as to what will happen next, we are working to ensure that this is implemented and enacted by Tuesday of next week. When the Bill has completed its passage, which is...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (24 Nov 2021)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will appreciate, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of Garda members and staff. As Minister, I play no role in these independent functions. As the Deputy will be aware, public health restrictions have unavoidably impacted on intakes to the Garda College, Templemore,...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (24 Nov 2021)

Helen McEntee: I have requested the information sought by the Deputy from An Garda Síochána, but I have not received this information in time. I will write to the Deputy as soon as the information is to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Crime Data (24 Nov 2021)

Helen McEntee: I am acutely aware of the sustained and significant damage that drug dealing has on communities across the country. Organised criminal activity, including drug dealing, represents a serious threat to community safety. As the Deputy will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005, the detection of and response to any criminal activity is an operational function for the Garda...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Crime Data (24 Nov 2021)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, the detection of and response to any criminal activity is an operational function for the Garda Commissioner, as per the Garda Síochána Act 2005. As Minister, I have no direct role in these matters. The operational review of crime statistics, at a national and regional level, is the responsibility of the Garda Commissioner under the Garda...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Vaccination Programme (24 Nov 2021)

Helen McEntee: I can advise the Deputy that the Irish Prison Service continues to engage with Public Health/Health Services Executive with regard to access to the Covid-19 booster vaccine. Prisoners will receive their booster vaccinations in line with the roll of the booster vaccination in the general community. The Deputy will be aware that a prison vaccination programme commenced on a prison by prison...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (24 Nov 2021)

Helen McEntee: An application for a certificate of naturalisation was received from the person referred to by the Deputy on 22 July 2020. This application is currently being processed with a view to establishing whether the applicant meets the statutory conditions for the granting of naturalisation and will be submitted to me for decision as expeditiously as possible. The granting of Irish citizenship...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (24 Nov 2021)

Helen McEntee: I am advised by the Irish Prison Service that the construction of the new women's prison forms part of a major redevelopment project currently underway at Limerick Prison. The construction of the new women's prison, which will provide accommodation for 50 female prisoners, is a core element of the project which also includes the construction of a new accommodation block for male...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (24 Nov 2021)

Helen McEntee: I can advise the Deputy that a total of 11,079 children physically visited an adult in prison in 2020 and 2,238 children physically visited an adult in prison in 2021. The Prison Service is acutely aware of the importance of assisting prisoners to maintain close contact with family and friends while in custody. Families and friends play an important and supportive role in the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (24 Nov 2021)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána under the provisions of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended). The Commissioner is also responsible for the maintenance of Garda discipline under the Garda Discipline Regulations. As Minister, I play no role in these independent functions. To be...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Asylum Seekers (24 Nov 2021)

Helen McEntee: My Department is currently reviewing all international protection applications on hand from Afghan nationals with a view to expediting their progress. This is in line with updated advice provided by UNHCR. These applications are already prioritised, as agreed with UNHCR. The processing of these applications takes full account of whether a person will be in danger if not provided with...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (24 Nov 2021)

Helen McEntee: I wish to advise the Deputy of the ten closed prisons under the remit of the Irish Prison Service, six have in-prison access to specialist hepatology services provided by St. James’s Hospital. I can further advise the Deputy that the Irish Prison Service, in conjunction with the HSE, have planned a pilot programme for two of the prisons who do not have in-prison access to specialist...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (24 Nov 2021)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, all prisoners committed to prison are subject to a medical assessment by the Prison Healthcare Team. Healthcare staff are guided by the infectious disease policy with support from prison and national committees to implement a range of infection control measures for TB, HIV, Hepatitis B and other infections. Hepatitis screening is offered to all new prisoners...