Results 1,941-1,960 of 15,060 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Family Reunification (3 Oct 2024)

Helen McEntee: I can advise the Deputy that my Department has not received an application from the person referred to. Information is available for EU citizens residing in Ireland who wish to have their family members join them, is available on my Departments website at the following link: www.irishimmigration.ie/coming-to-join-family-in-ireland/joi ning-an-eea-or-swiss-national/ Queries in...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Naturalisation Applications (3 Oct 2024)

Helen McEntee: The granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is governed by the provisions of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended. All applications for a certificate of naturalisation are processed and assessed individually in accordance with the provisions of the Act. It is open to anyone to make an application for citizenship once they meet the criteria as set out in...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Naturalisation Applications (3 Oct 2024)

Helen McEntee: The granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is governed by the provisions of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended. All applications for a certificate of naturalisation are processed and assessed individually in accordance with the provisions of the Act. It is open to anyone to make an application for citizenship once they meet the criteria as set out in...

Financial Resolutions 2024 - Financial Resolution No. 5: General (Resumed) (2 Oct 2024)

Helen McEntee: The record justice allocation for 2025 of €3.92 billion will help to keep our communities stronger and safer. This budget is a step change in investment across the entire criminal justice system, including the courts and prisons, and will build on a robust programme of new laws, policy delivery and significant capital investment in technology, equipment and buildings. I am pleased...

Seanad: Family Courts Bill 2022: Committee Stage (2 Oct 2024)

Helen McEntee: I thank the Senator for his overall support for the objective here, which is radical change. I do think it is needed and necessary. To the Senator's point, we have a situation where family law matters are often put at the end of a list. They are not reached by the end of the day and the next sitting is months later. As public representatives, all of us have countless people coming to us...

Seanad: Family Courts Bill 2022: Committee Stage (2 Oct 2024)

Helen McEntee: At the moment, despite the work of the wonderful people who work in family law, the system does not work for people. Families are waiting too long and seeing cases adjourned because it is not a family-friendly environment and the system was not built for these difficult situations or even for the less complex cases. Thankfully, we are starting to see the effect of the additional judges and...

Seanad: Family Courts Bill 2022: Committee Stage (2 Oct 2024)

Helen McEntee: These are technical drafting amendments. Amendment No. 2 takes account of the change of title and responsibilities of the relevant Minister since the Bill was published from Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform. Amendment No. 10 and others seek to address minor editing matters and punctuation.

Seanad: Family Courts Bill 2022: Committee Stage (2 Oct 2024)

Helen McEntee: I will respond to this and the other amendments as well. I thank the Senator for his amendment. At the outset, I am fully supportive of the objective and the intention to ensure the welfare of children is not in any way at risk of being overlooked throughout this Bill or in any family law proceedings. As he has rightly mentioned, Article 42A of the Constitution provides that "the best...

Seanad: Family Courts Bill 2022: Committee Stage (2 Oct 2024)

Helen McEntee: These are a series of amendments that reflect issues raised by stakeholder groups working with those affected by domestic violence. The amendments make provision to ensure that when considering the suspension of proceedings to enable mediation or other alternative dispute resolution mechanisms to occur, the court is required to endeavour to ensure that its suspension does not negatively...

Seanad: Family Courts Bill 2022: Committee Stage (2 Oct 2024)

Helen McEntee: These are a number of largely technical amendments to ensure appropriate consultation between judges but also the Courts Service. We are inserting amendment No. 11 as a new subsection to section 10 of the Courts (Supplemental Provisions) Act 1961, which sets down the functions of the principal judge of the Family High Court and takes account of the statutory functions of the Courts Service...

Seanad: Family Courts Bill 2022: Committee Stage (2 Oct 2024)

Helen McEntee: In section 15 I am providing for expressions of interest in an assignment as principal judge of the family High Court to be made to the president of the High Court by either existing ordinary judges of the High Court and-or from persons who are to be appointed to the High Court. While the published Bill provides, at section 16(4) for such persons to express an interest to the president of...

Seanad: Family Courts Bill 2022: Committee Stage (2 Oct 2024)

Helen McEntee: This is a technical amendment inserting the word “ordinary" before "judge of the High Court" in order to be consistent with how such judges are referred to generally in statute. There are a number of similar drafting amendments throughout the Bill.

Seanad: Family Courts Bill 2022: Committee Stage (2 Oct 2024)

Helen McEntee: I too acknowledge Councillor White and Deputy Coveney. I hope they have a good trip. I am absolutely cognisant of why the Senator is opposing the section but obviously, as I have clearly stated, the intention is not that we would send everybody to the District Court. I am very conscious of the need to respect the full and original jurisdiction of the High Court on all matters but I am...

Seanad: Family Courts Bill 2022: Committee Stage (2 Oct 2024)

Helen McEntee: The question being put to me on this point is why it has been set at €1 million, why it is so high for the District Court and it is for that exact reason. The fact is that someone may be in a more modest house but, because of the location, it is worth more. That does not mean the person has more disposable income or any greater ability than a person in a house that is twice the size...

Seanad: Family Courts Bill 2022: Committee Stage (2 Oct 2024)

Helen McEntee: It is overall.

Seanad: Family Courts Bill 2022: Committee Stage (2 Oct 2024)

Helen McEntee: Again, I hope to bring clarity that it is not the case, even taking into account the monetary situation, that everything will have to start there. Essentially, it will be a matter for the judge to be satisfied that the parties are in the right place, irrespective of the monetary position. I appreciate and understand the reason for the Senator's opposition to the section but I hope to be...

Seanad: Family Courts Bill 2022: Committee Stage (2 Oct 2024)

Helen McEntee: This group of amendments propose to amended sections 70 and 71. Amendment No. 84 qualifies section 70, which provides for the sending forward of a case from the family District Court to the family Circuit Court where the circumstances of the proceedings make it appropriate to do so. The amendment provides that where section 72 applies, the case shall not be sent forward to the higher court....

Seanad: Family Courts Bill 2022: Committee Stage (2 Oct 2024)

Helen McEntee: Again, it comes down to the overall objective that where a case is deemed not appropriate for the court that it goes to, whether that be the District Court or otherwise, a decision can be taken by the judge, with the agreement of the practitioners, that it would move to a different jurisdiction. Again, I hope to clarify that in future amendments.

Seanad: Family Courts Bill 2022: Committee Stage (2 Oct 2024)

Helen McEntee: Again, the overall objective here is to make sure that where it is appropriate in the case of maintenance or other matters that a decision can be taken by the judge but also by the practitioners, where there is agreement. If it is to be at the District Court, that can be with the agreement of the practitioners, the people involved, and the judge. At the same time, if it is not appropriate,...

Seanad: Family Courts Bill 2022: Committee Stage (2 Oct 2024)

Helen McEntee: The objective of the Bill is that we would have separate family District Courts. They will not be dealing with all of the lists and cases they are dealing with now. The sole focus and attention of the judges appointed to the family courts at all levels, but in particular to the District Courts, will be family law, as it should be, not dealing with the backlogs they are currently addressing....