Results 12,641-12,660 of 15,429 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Direct Provision System (10 Sep 2020)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 41 and 166 together. The National Standards for Accommodation offered to persons in the protection process (“National Standards”) were published in August 2019. The National Standardsapply to the living conditions and services provided to residents within accommodation centres. They apply to all service providers contracted by the International...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: EU Directives (10 Sep 2020)

Helen McEntee: In September 2018, the EU Commission announced a proposal for a directive discontinuing seasonal clock changes and repealing Directive 2000/84/EC (which previously dealt with the matter). All member states were requested to consider whether they supported this proposal and to indicate whether they would opt for permanent summer time or winter time, initially with a 2019 deadline which was...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Court Accommodation (10 Sep 2020)

Helen McEntee: The total capital budget for the Courts Service in 2020 is €66.017 million, €15.380 million of which will be allocated for courthouse capital works for a variety of courthouses around the country and which will also allow for ongoing preparatory work on a dedicated Dublin Family Court complex on Hammond Lane. My Department has, working with the Courts Service, been able to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (10 Sep 2020)

Helen McEntee: The Immigration Services Delivery (ISD) Division of my Department is currently processing approximately 15,000 applications for the renewal of immigration registration. Significant demand accumulated during the four months that the Registration Office was closed due to Covid-19. To assist in addressing this demand, a new online system for the renewal of Registrations in the Dublin area...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Cumas Gaeilge sa Gharda Síochána (10 Sep 2020)

Helen McEntee: Mar a thuigfidh tú, is é Coimisinéir na nGardaí agus a fhoireann bhainistíochta amháin atá freagrach as dáileadh acmhainní, lena n-áirítear pearsanra, i measc Ranna éagsúla na nGardaí agus níl aon ról díreach agamsa, mar Aire, san ábhar. Coinníonn bainistíocht na nGardaí dáileadh seo...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Stations (10 Sep 2020)

Helen McEntee: The Deputy will appreciate that the Garda Commissioner is primarily responsible for the effective and efficient use of the resources available to An Garda Síochána, including responsibility for the formulation of proposals in relation to the opening and closing of Garda stations, taking into account crime trends and policing priorities, to ensure that the best possible use is made...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Emergency Services (10 Sep 2020)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy is aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for carrying on and managing the administration and business of the organisation as well as for the allocation of Garda resources, in light of identified operational demands. As Minister, I have no role in those matters. In relation to Computer Aided Dispatch, phase 1 is now...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Parental Alienation (10 Sep 2020)

Helen McEntee: The issue of parental alienation is highly complex. While there is no specific legislative provision regarding parental alienation in Irish family law, section 246 of the Children Act 2001 provides for an offence of frightening, bullying or threatening a child in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering or injury to the child's physical, mental or emotional health or wellbeing....

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Sex Offenders Treatment Programme (10 Sep 2020)

Helen McEntee: I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. I understand there can be concerns on the part of communities when it comes to the issue of rehabilitation of sex offenders and protection of public safety. First it is important to note that there are already provisions in existing law in relation to the management of sex offenders after they have been released from prison. The Sex...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Commission on the Future of Policing (10 Sep 2020)

Helen McEntee: I would like to assure the Deputy that the implementation of the report of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland (CoFPI) is a key priority for me as Minister for Justice. This opinion is shared by my colleagues across Government, and our commitment to implementation is reflected in the new Programme for Government - Our Shared Future. The Deputy will be aware that in September...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Crime Prevention (10 Sep 2020)

Helen McEntee: I can assure the Deputy that proactively tackling all forms of drug crime is a priority for An Garda Síochána. The Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB) is having significant success in disrupting drug trafficking and the supply of illicit drugs by organised crime groups. Its work is supported by Divisional Drugs Units nationwide, and by all Gardaí working...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Probation and Welfare Service (10 Sep 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. The Courts Service has received a €10 million increase in its capital budget in 2020, which has given additional flexibility for strategic infrastructural investment including in...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Consular Services (10 Sep 2020)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will appreciate, it would not be appropriate for me to comment on any matter which may be the subject of legal proceedings now or in the future. By way of assisting the Deputy with some information of general relevance, the International Child Abduction Unit is the Central Authority within my Department that provides assistance to parents and guardians of children who have...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Female Genital Mutilation (10 Sep 2020)

Helen McEntee: The Deputy will be glad to know that female genital mutilation has been an offence in Ireland since 2012. The Criminal Justice (Female Genital Mutilation) Act 2012, sponsored by the Minister for Health, made female genital mutilation and offence and created related offences. Addressing this serious issue in Ireland falls primarily under the remit of my colleague, Minister for Health,...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigration Controls (10 Sep 2020)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 169 and 170 together. Section 5 of the Immigration Act 2003 (as amended by the International Protection Act 2015), contains the main provisions dealing with the detention of persons refused leave to land. It specifies that a person to whom this section applies may be arrested by an immigration officer or a member of An Garda Síochána and detained in...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Social Media Monitoring (10 Sep 2020)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will appreciate, the spread of Covid-19 is unprecedented in almost every aspect for every sector, both private and public, and this includes communications. A key objective of Government throughout the Covid-19 pandemic has been to be able to provide regular updates in uncertain times to the public. As part of my Department’s initial response to the Covid-19...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (10 Sep 2020)

Helen McEntee: The Citizenship Division of the Immigration Service of my Department are accepting new applications. As part of the application form, a copy of the applicant's current IRP (GNIB) card is required and must be submitted. The one and two month periods of automatic renewals of immigration permissions announced during the pandemic will count as reckonable residence for citizenship purposes...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Strength (10 Sep 2020)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy is aware, the Garda Commissioner is by law responsible for the management and control of An Garda Síochána. This includes responsibility for the allocation of all Garda resources and I, as Minister, have no role in these matters. However the Garda authorities have informed me that the allocation of resources is kept under continuous review, in light of crime trends and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Covid-19 Pandemic (10 Sep 2020)

Helen McEntee: An Garda Síochána has been allocated an unprecedented budget of €1.88 billion for 2020, as well as capital funding of over €116 million this year. This level of funding is enabling sustained, ongoing recruitment of Garda members and staff and as a result, An Garda Síochána is a growing organisation with approximately 14,700 Garda members and over 3,000 Garda...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Closed-Circuit Television Systems (10 Sep 2020)

Helen McEntee: The Deputy will be aware that community-based CCTV is governed by section 38(3)(c) of Garda Síochána Act 2005 and the Garda Síochána (CCTV) Order 2006. This legal framework requires that any proposed community CCTV scheme must: - be approved by the local Joint Policing Committee, - have the prior support of the relevant local authority, which must also act as...