Results 1,541-1,560 of 10,101 for speaker:Jim O'Callaghan

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Crime Prevention (20 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Serious offences committed while people are on bail should trigger my interest and that of other policymakers. The offences I outlined, including theft from shops, public order offences and drunkenness offences, are the offences committed by people on bail. With the greatest of respect to the Deputy, I do not think they are the issues he is concerned about. He is more concerned about...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Crime Prevention (20 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I do not have the information in respect of the Deputy's question on the other 41% and I apologise for that. If the Deputy asks another parliamentary question, that information may or may not be available. I am not sure at present. I note what the Deputy stated about the increase in figures between 2016 and 2024. Our population has increased so significantly during that period that it...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Sentencing Policy (20 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: The Deputy will be aware that sentencing is a complex matter, but people want to see some consistency in sentencing. I want to see that as well. The mechanism by which we are seeking to achieve this was set out in the Judicial Council Act 2019, under which there is a procedure for the Judiciary to set out sentencing guidelines. I look forward to receiving those sentencing guidelines from...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: An Garda Síochána (20 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I thank the Deputy for his question and for his interest in this important area. The question of Garda vetting of individuals who go on to become members of An Garda Síochána is an important issue. It is not like ordinary vetting where somebody wants to become a football coach or is involved with children because it is much more thorough. I am informed by the Commissioner that...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: An Garda Síochána (20 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: The objective is to ensure that, once people become attested members of An Garda Síochána, they will have been fully vetted. That will continue the way it did previously. We need to look at the three stages of it. The first stage, which is done before anyone enters Templemore, requires all candidates on their applications to become trainees to complete what is known as a form...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: An Garda Síochána (20 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: They will be fully vetted by the time they are gardaí.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: An Garda Síochána (20 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: What we are talking about, so people are aware-----

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: An Garda Síochána (20 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: -----is that part of the vetting process happens during the training process. The reason that is done is we are trying to increase the numbers going into An Garda Síochána.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: An Garda Síochána (20 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: We have a recruitment crisis.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: An Garda Síochána (20 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: They do not drop.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: An Garda Síochána (20 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: What the public is concerned about is the quality-----

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: An Garda Síochána (20 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Will the Deputy let me answer the question? What the public is concerned about is the quality of the garda on the street. Fortunately, the quality of the gardaí on the street in this country is excellent. They are fully vetted, more than any other official in the public service. They are vetted thoroughly. What is happening is we are changing the sequencing of the process. The...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: An Garda Síochána (20 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Let me finish the answer. Rather than saying to those individuals that they cannot start at Templemore until we have thoroughly got information about them, we are letting them start and then getting the information. We are getting fully vetted gardaí at the end of the process.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Crime Prevention (20 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I thank the Deputy for his question. It is important that policymakers, including Ministers, keep a close watch on the law in respect of bail. I note the answer the Deputy got, which stated that 40,348 crimes were carried out in 2024 while persons were on bail. Like him, I thought that was extremely high. I then asked for a breakdown of a description of the nature of the crimes. Of the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Inquiry into the Death of Mr. Shane O'Farrell (20 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I thank Deputy Carthy for tabling this question. I know how much pain the O’Farrell family have gone through since August 2011. Neither I, Deputy Carthy nor anyone else in the House can alleviate that pain, but what we can try to do is ensure that answers are provided to the O'Farrell family in respect of the issues of concern from that terrible evening. It is important to...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Inquiry into the Death of Mr. Shane O'Farrell (20 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: The Deputy has highlighted the issues of concern and he has correctly pointed out that not just the O'Farrell family, but the public is entitled to answers on these. The Deputy mentioned that the driver was on bail on charges of theft and possession of stolen property at the time of the collision. The Deputy also mentioned that Gridziuska's convictions for those theft offences in May 2011...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Inquiry into the Death of Mr. Shane O'Farrell (20 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I do not want to interfere with what the justice committee wants to do, but if a request comes from it to my Department, I will ensure that careful consideration is given to it. I have to make a broader point on scoping inquiries and reports. Generally, when there is a proposal in the House to establish a commission of investigation or a tribunal of inquiry, a scoping report is done in...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (20 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: The Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, including Garda resources. This includes the allocation of Garda members to a given Division, District or station. As Minister I have no role in this process and cannot seek to direct the Commissioner in relation to this matter. I am assured by the Garda Commissioner that the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (20 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: The Government is acutely aware of capacity restraints in our prisons and has committed, in the Programme for Government, to increasing capacity by 1,500. The report referred to by the Deputy sets out the current situation with regard to the impact of over-crowding. As a result of this, the Irish Prison Service budget was increased by €79 million, or 18%, in Budget 2025 and the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (20 Mar 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: My first priority as Minister for Justice is to have more Gardaí on our streets through increased recruitment and civilianisation where possible. While the Garda Commissioner is operationally responsible for the allocation of Garda resources, I look forward to engaging regularly with him to ensure our Gardaí have the resources they need. I am informed that when allocating and...