Results 14,441-14,460 of 17,543 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Personal Injury Claims (6 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: The Law Reform Commission Report on Capping Damages in Personal Injuries which was published last Wednesday (30 September), considers whether it would be constitutionally permissible to legislate for capping general damages in personal injuries cases. It concludes that two possible legislative models – the current Judicial Council Act 2019 model and another based on Australian and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Social Media Regulation (6 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: In relation to defamatory publications, my Department is currently completing a review of the Defamation Act 2009. This review is included in the Programme for Government, which contains a commitment (p. 122) 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...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Social Media Regulation (6 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: I can inform the Deputy that the new Programme for Government,Our Shared Future, commits to reviewing and reforming 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. In relation to defamatory publications, my Department is currently completing a review of the Defamation...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Deployment (6 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: The Deputy will be aware that the Garda Commissioner is, by law, responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, including personnel matters and decisions on the deployment of resources. As Minister, I have no responsibility for these matters. I understand however that Garda management keeps the distribution of resources under continual review in the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Youth Diversion Projects (6 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: I am very conscious of how the impact of anti-social behaviour affects the quality of life for local communities. Preventing children getting involved in criminality and diverting children away from it when they have already become involved is a key priority for me as Minister for Justice and the Programme for Government contains a number of commitments with regard to tackling anti-social...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Student Visas (6 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: In March 2020, as part of the Government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, students who hold Stamp 2 permissions and who attended colleges that had physically closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, were allowed in those exceptional circumstances to work up to 40 hours a week. This was conditional on the student completing their course online if this service was provided by their college and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Staff (6 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: The following table sets out the number of staff on sick leave, the number of sick leave instances and number of sick leave days by month from March to September 2019 and January to September 2020. In respect of the pay arrangements in place, in general the Sick Pay scheme provides the following: - Full pay for the first 92 days of certified sick leave based on full pay in a 1 year period -...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2020: Engagement with the Minister for Justice (6 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: I thank the Chairman. I echo the Chairman's sentiments. I look forward to working with him and all the committee members, and to continued engagement in the months and years ahead. I thank the committee for the invitation to discuss the justice elements of the withdrawal legislation. It is timely to consider these provisions with less than 100 days to the end of the UK's transition...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2020: Engagement with the Minister for Justice (6 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: In terms of readiness, we are progressing this legislation, as a general Bill, as quickly as possible. The most recent publishing of it happened on 9 September. The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Coveney, is leading the Bill through his Department. It is intended that the legislation would be enacted and ready before the end of the year and before the transition period ends. As I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2020: Engagement with the Minister for Justice (6 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: I know that the most recent round of negotiations concluded last Saturday and, unfortunately, the view of Michel Barnier, our chief negotiator, is that while progress has been made again in some minor areas, there is still a way to go. I agree with the Deputy that this is concerning and that is why it is important that we move this legislation forward as quickly as possible. This...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2020: Engagement with the Minister for Justice (6 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: To respond to the Deputy's final question, the main area in which we would seek to engage in a bilateral arrangement is that of data sharing between An Garda Síochána and the PSNI, to ensure we can continue to co-operate and that the day-to-day functions and carrying out of the Garda Síochána's work can continue. It is not an ideal scenario for individual member states to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2020: Engagement with the Minister for Justice (6 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: That is my understanding, yes. It is my understanding that applications will be handled through the same administration system within the Department through which the European arrest warrant currently functions. The Garda Síochána office would examine a request and would then submit a request to the High Court, so it is not going to change in that regard.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2020: Engagement with the Minister for Justice (6 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: I thank Senator McDowell. I may have to come back to him on some of these, if that is okay.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2020: Engagement with the Minister for Justice (6 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: My understanding of the last question is that it will apply. In terms of the Dublin regulation, the situation as it currently stands is that the vast majority of cases that we see under the Dublin regulation are coming from the UK already. I do not think that will change. That is why it is important that we have these measures in place and that there is a reciprocal agreement in place....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2020: Engagement with the Minister for Justice (6 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: On the last point, that is something I could consider. Obviously, it is not something we are considering for the purpose of this Bill, where the particular section under Part 17 is to change an anomaly whereby those from the UK would automatically be termed as “non-national” and that would, of course, mean that citizens coming from the UK to Ireland would have to produce a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2020: Engagement with the Minister for Justice (6 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: I am assured that, as with all other Departments and State agencies, the Garda Síochána is preparing for potential outcomes by the end of the year. Obviously, we hope there will be a deal but they are also preparing for the potential of a no-deal between the UK and the EU. As the Senator mentioned, there has already been close co-operation between the Garda and the PSNI, with a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2020: Engagement with the Minister for Justice (6 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: I assure the Deputy that it is on my radar.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2020: Engagement with the Minister for Justice (6 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: The answer to the first question is that the existing infrastructure will continue to apply. I am not aware of any other proposed arrangements in that regard. With regard to the right of appeal, people will continue to have the same right to appeal as they do at present. The same timeframe will apply. On the section on marriages and divorces, this was simply a result of the timeline....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2020: Engagement with the Minister for Justice (6 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: I will come back to the Senator on his final point, as I am not aware of the details of the ruling in the Bosman case, or its implications. With regard to advocating on behalf of the legal profession or any other business community, we have been in a unique and lucky position at the centre of many of the negotiations as they have taken place. Granted, a huge focus has been on the Northern...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2020: Engagement with the Minister for Justice (6 Oct 2020)

Helen McEntee: It is not something for which we are preparing within my own Department. The First Stage of the United Kingdom Internal Market Bill has been progressed. If it is implemented, we will find ourselves in a very challenging situation should the UK breach international law and an international agreement. We know that there are already checks on certain amounts of goods coming from the UK...