Results 12,761-12,780 of 15,429 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prisoner Rehabilitation Programmes (8 Sep 2020)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 964 and 966 together. I can advise the Deputy that the Community Prison Link service is a non-prison based service that works with people with addiction issues both in prison and in the community. In some cases the organisation continues to work with individuals in the event they enter into the custody of certain prisons in the State. As Community Prison...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Covid-19 Pandemic (8 Sep 2020)

Helen McEntee: The Deputy will be aware that licensed premises were allowed to reopen from 29 June 2020 under certain conditions, one of which is that a substantial meal must be served to any customer consuming alcohol. As I said in the Dáil last week, the vast majority of publicans and restaurateurs are fully compliant with the Covid-19 regulations which were introduced by my colleague, the Minister...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Youth Diversion Projects (8 Sep 2020)

Helen McEntee: 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 Garda Diversion Programme,...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Vetting (8 Sep 2020)

Helen McEntee: The Deputy will be aware that vetting applications are an operational matter for An Garda Síochána, and neither I 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 and vulnerable...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Ministerial Advisers (8 Sep 2020)

Helen McEntee: On the commencement of every Dáil, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform issues guidelines setting out the arrangements for the staffing of Ministerial Offices. The appointment of Special Advisers is subject to section 11 of the Public Service Management Act 1997. The Guidelines for the 33rd Dáil, which incorporate the principles of section 11 of the Public Service...

Criminal Justice (Enforcement Powers) (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (3 Sep 2020)

Helen McEntee: I will speak specifically to the amendment because the pros and cons of the legislation and the reasons for it have been well debated. Deputy McNamara is proposing that the House, rather than me as Minister, will decide whether to roll over the measures. It is this House and the Seanad that will make that decision. He asked me whether we will do so on 9 November. He asked me what the...

Criminal Justice (Enforcement Powers) (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (3 Sep 2020)

Helen McEntee: The Deputy is correct in that there are regulations that are not specifically mentioned in the legislation. We are in very difficult and unusual times and things are changing, meaning new regulations must be made. We hope things will get better and that penal provisions can be removed. If we had to put every single proposed provision in legislation, it would mean that at every stage we...

Criminal Justice (Enforcement Powers) (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (3 Sep 2020)

Helen McEntee: No.

Criminal Justice (Enforcement Powers) (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (3 Sep 2020)

Helen McEntee: I think the Deputy may have misunderstood the intention of the section. This section is essentially providing for the power that will prescribe the regulations that will apply to this particular Bill. As it currently stands, this does not allow myself as Minister for Justice and Equality or the Minister for Health to do anything new or for the Minister for Health in particular to do...

Criminal Justice (Enforcement Powers) (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (3 Sep 2020)

Helen McEntee: We are speaking about an immediate closure. This step would be taken following a failure to comply with Covid regulations. I will clarify that for the Deputy. The amendment addresses matters relating to criminal procedures and evidence, which is not what we are dealing with in this particular Bill. I am not sure we would want to set a precedent of setting out what a person could or...

Criminal Justice (Enforcement Powers) (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (3 Sep 2020)

Helen McEntee: What the Deputy is outlining, particularly in terms of subparagraphs (a) to (e), is what a defence can or cannot raise.

Criminal Justice (Enforcement Powers) (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (3 Sep 2020)

Helen McEntee: The matters proposed to be included are essentially matters that would form part of the State's proof in a criminal trial or hearing. This can be challenged by the defence and publicans or others in the usual way at a trial. That is already in place and it is applicable here. The Deputy suggests that by not including this the legislation could be unconstitutional. Constitutionally any...

Criminal Justice (Enforcement Powers) (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (3 Sep 2020)

Helen McEntee: Although I do not think it is the intention of Deputy Howlin, I point out that this amendment does not actually intend to provide for a right of appeal. The amendment seeks to include a provision in section 4, which the Deputy has rightly outlined deals with the immediate closure of a premises where the Garda determines there has been a serious breach of a Covid regulation despite previous...

Criminal Justice (Enforcement Powers) (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (3 Sep 2020)

Helen McEntee: When we refer to "or otherwise", it is only with regard to section 31A(7) of the Health Act 1947. The penal provisions have been signed into law and have been published by the Department of Health. They are clear for people to see. The "or otherwise" cannot refer to anything outside of those specific penal provisions that have been approved and have come before the Dáil, which are now...

Criminal Justice (Enforcement Powers) (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (3 Sep 2020)

Helen McEntee: To clarify, if we take the two lines separately - I think the Deputy accepts that the first line needs to be included - the purpose of giving a direction under section 31A(7) of the 1947 Act relates only to penal provisions. Under the overall Act, measures have been brought in that are law but are not penal provisions. Section 31A(7) is specific to penal provisions. In the second piece,...

Criminal Justice (Enforcement Powers) (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (3 Sep 2020)

Helen McEntee: Under section 31A(7) of the Health Act, which outlines the penal provisions, a garda can direct a person to comply with any penal regulations. That is already included in the Health Act, which is mentioned in the first sentence. Where the Bill refers to a direction, specific to the implementation of the closing of a pub, that is very specific to the penal provisions that will be connected...

Criminal Justice (Enforcement Powers) (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (3 Sep 2020)

Helen McEntee: I thank Deputy Howlin for tabling this amendment. I will touch on a few points that have been raised but are obviously relevant to this. It has been suggested that this legislation is anti-publican and anti-rural Ireland. As the Minister who is bringing this forward and as somebody who has worked in a pub for almost a third of her life, most of the time in a rural pub, I can reassure...

Criminal Justice (Enforcement Powers) (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Second Stage (2 Sep 2020)

Helen McEntee: I have not seen them yet.

Criminal Justice (Enforcement Powers) (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Second Stage (2 Sep 2020)

Helen McEntee: I thank Deputies for their contributions and for agreeing to waive pre-legislative scrutiny of the legislation. I accept that it is the second Bill I have brought forward in such circumstances but, as Deputies who are concerned about this have outlined, there is no committee structure currently in place and this legislation will only be in force until 9 November unless the House decides to...

Criminal Justice (Enforcement Powers) (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Second Stage (2 Sep 2020)

Helen McEntee: One should have been sent around.