Results 161-180 of 10,013 for speaker:Jim O'Callaghan

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Whether it is a rule or not, I am the person who is making decisions in this area. I do not want to find myself in a situation where I am going around looking for new hotels. Obviously, it is a different situation if a hotel has been used already for accommodating Ukrainians or IPAS accommodation. There may be reasons why we would want to continue that. I have already terminated nine...

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Steel netting is used in prisons. The antidrone technology used at Dublin Airport has not been considered by the Prison Service. As I am sure the Deputy is aware, people getting drugs and other things into prisons using drones is a problem. The Prison Service recognises that it is an issue and it is bringing in measures to stop it. In some cases the steel netting is being burned through....

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: There could be an issue with residential areas and hospitals if drones are being flown in those areas. I will look into the matter. I will bring it to the attention of the Prison Service.

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Sorry, I do not have the information here but I think there is a proposal in respect of this. I will come back to the Deputy if I am wrong about it but I think I saw earlier when I was preparing for the meeting that there was an issue in respect of the progression unit. There is a lot of good work going on in prisons that we do not hear about that often. The education options provided in...

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: There is a permanent director of care and rehabilitation in the IPS and there is an acting executive clinical lead. They have been in place since January 2024. Progress is being made on critical recommendations, as outlined in the health needs assessment. I was also in Clover Hill. There is unit in the Central Mental Hospital in Portrane, which is a stunning new building, that I am trying...

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: That 900 figure the Deputy mentioned is in the short term. The proposal up to 2031 is that there will be 1,500 new prison spaces put in place. On top of that, I hope to start work on Thornton Hall.

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: To use the Deputy’s example of hospitals, somebody would not be taken into hospital because he or she will get sick in the future. He or she would be treated on the basis that he or she is sick now, even if it was known that he or she would get sick again. Prisons are there for two reasons. They are there for punishment and for rehabilitation. There are two functions. When we...

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Yes. As I said, I have visited prisons and there is a lot of excellent work going on in them. I do not know whether the Deputy has visited them. I am sure he has been into them. There is a lot of excellent work being done in terms of education and counselling. Obviously, it is all dependent on the services being there, but there is a lot of good work being done there.

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I always listen to what the Deputy says and I appreciate his comments. However, I recall about two months ago when I announced the international protection Bill was being brought in and we were going to expedite the process to three months, he said that was cruel. We cannot have it that expediting it to three months is cruel and that it is cruel to leave people for a long period. The...

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I am not taking it away.

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I am not taking away the oral appeal, by the way; I am restricting it.

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I understand the Deputy's request for more gardaí to come into Kerry. Everyone wants more gardaí. I thank Deputy Cahill for welcoming my visit there. It was great to see Castleisland Garda station and the excellent work being done by community gardaí. The more we recruit, the more gardaí we will have in every part of the country. The Deputy's second question related...

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I thank the Deputy. Regrettably, she is right. Unfortunately, younger children are getting involved in crime. Forcing a child to get involved in criminal activity at a very young age is, in itself, a form of child abuse. The Deputy is talking about funding community projects that will try to deter people from getting involved in criminal activity at a young age. Lots of excellent work is...

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I agree.

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Certainly, Chairman.

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I hope I have not been too frank.

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Yes.

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I take on board what the Chair said about parliamentary questions. I am happy to answer the questions asked here. I will reflect on what he said and I will mention it. On the Garda Síochána, I am not going to go back and forth with the Chair here today on it. It is a challenging thing to do. The funding is in place for 1,000 recruits a year and I am committed to trying to get...

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: They are just officials in the Department.

Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Revised)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Revised)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Revised)
Vote 44 - Data Protection Commission (Revised)
Vote 24 - Justice (Further Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Yes.