Results 1-20 of 3,653 for garda speaker:Helen McEntee

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (25 Apr 2024)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 241 and 252 together. As the Deputy will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the administration and management of An Garda Síochána, including for the recruitment and training of Garda members and staff. As Minister, I have no role in such matters. I am committed to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (25 Apr 2024)

Helen McEntee: ...residence renewals for Meath, Kildare and Wicklow. Appointment times for first time registration applicants for these counties are readily available; there is an average wait time of 14 to 18 days. An Garda Síochána has oversight of the first registration and renewal of immigration residence permissions for non-EU/EEA nationals residing outside of these area. I have no role in...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (25 Apr 2024)

Helen McEntee: Community policing is at the heart of An Garda Síochána, and all Gardaí have a role to play in community policing in the course of carrying out their duties. Community policing is also fundamental to the new Garda Operating Model which is currently being rolled out across the country, and is fully commenced in thirteen Garda divisions. The new model will provide more...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Common Travel Area (25 Apr 2024)

Helen McEntee: .../UK co-operation, bringing together relevant subject matter expertise in various areas. There is also very good co-operation at operational level between the Irish Border Management Unit (BMU), Garda National immigration Bureau (GNIB) and colleagues in the UK Border Force and Immigration Enforcement. This includes a number of ongoing operations, in co-operation with the UK, tackling...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (25 Apr 2024)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of Garda business under Section 26 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended). This includes all internal Human Resources matters, and the maintenance of HR records for the organisation. I have contacted the Garda authorities and have been advised that An Garda...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (25 Apr 2024)

Helen McEntee: I am committed to ensuring An Garda Síochána have the resources they need to deliver on their mission of 'Keep People Safe'. This is reflected in the unprecedented allocation of over €2.35 billion in Budget 2024 which is allowing for sustained investment in recruitment, equipment and technology. This includes increasing the training allowance by 66% to €305 per week to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (25 Apr 2024)

Helen McEntee: I have sought the information requested by the Deputy from An Garda Síochána, however, this information was not available in time. I will write to the Deputy directly once it is to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (24 Apr 2024)

Helen McEntee: I have contacted the Garda authorities for the information requested by the Deputy. Regrettably, this information was not available in time and I will write to the Deputy directly once it is to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (24 Apr 2024)

Helen McEntee: As the Deputy will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, including the purchase, allocation, and effective and efficient use of Garda vehicles. As Minister, I have no role in these independent functions. The unprecedented allocation of over €2.35...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Regulatory Impact Assessments (24 Apr 2024)

Helen McEntee: ...permit. The inclusion of new grounds of objection in line with the Zero Tolerance Third National Strategy to Tackle Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence. Strengthening of the powers of An Garda Síochána to ensure that public safety and order are maintained. To provide that licensing applications, which are currently heard in the Circuit Court, will move to the...

Ceisteanna Eile (Atógáil) - Other Questions (Resumed): An Garda Síochána (23 Apr 2024)

Helen McEntee: Budget 2024 provided a budget allocation of more than €2.35 billion to An Garda Síochána. A 25% increase on 2020, this will allow for the sustained recruitment of Garda recruits. Recruitment is gathering real momentum. The number of recruits in the Garda training college continue to increase with a total of 747 trainees last year. That was the highest intake since...

Ceisteanna Eile (Atógáil) - Other Questions (Resumed): An Garda Síochána (23 Apr 2024)

Helen McEntee: ...applicants in the most recent campaign were over the age of 35. It has had a significant impact on those applying. A steering group has been established to see what more we can do around the Garda numbers around the Garda College and whether there is more that we need to do by examining hybrid training moving outside of Templemore. That might not be the answer but we need to make...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Closed-Circuit Television Systems (23 Apr 2024)

Helen McEntee: ...to engage further on this to see what the uptake is, whether people actually applied, who has been successful and how can we encourage more to apply for this fund. As I said, any member of An Garda Síochána I meet, and indeed community members, have always said that this is hugely beneficial when they have it. It is about encouraging them and highlighting the fact that this is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: An Garda Síochána (23 Apr 2024)

Helen McEntee: On a Dublin allowance, I do not think that could be applied to gardaí on their own. Deputy Ó Ríordáin reflected that it would have to apply across the board. It is something that we have looked at, which is not to say there are not challenges with it. How do we decide who gets it? If somebody is working in Dublin but living in the commuter area, do we put a parameter...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Closed-Circuit Television Systems (23 Apr 2024)

Helen McEntee: ...and feel safe in their communities. Community CCTV can play a vital role in achieving this goal. I think we will have all heard not just from community groups but from local representatives and gardaí as well just how important CCTV is. As the Deputy is aware, since 2017 my Department has administered the grant-aid scheme supporting groups wishing to establish a community-based...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Closed-Circuit Television Systems (23 Apr 2024)

Helen McEntee: ...Department's website at gov.ie. There are technical specifications, application forms and guidance notes. For any community group that has an interest in this, it is a matter of contacting local Garda management, their local divisional officer, or the relevant local authority for assistance. There is a requirement for approval through a joint policing committee at the moment. As the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Legislative Measures (23 Apr 2024)

Helen McEntee: ...and bring us into line with our European counterparts. We are one of the last countries in the European Union without hate crime legislation. This legislation is necessary and the figures from An Garda Síochána showing a significant increase in hate crimes in recent years are proof of that. Having hate crime laws in place is widely supported by the public. I assure the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: An Garda Síochána (23 Apr 2024)

Helen McEntee: I am absolutely committed to working with all members of An Garda Síochána at all ranks and levels to address the issues of concern to them. That will continue, irrespective of any meetings this week or otherwise. I have made that very clear to the representative organisations. I am committed to working with the Garda Commissioner as well to make sure gardaí have the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: An Garda Síochána (23 Apr 2024)

Helen McEntee: It is important to note that policing is a career that people are choosing. Across the recruitment campaigns this year and last year, we had 11,500 people apply to join An Garda Síochána. At a time of full employment, that is a significant number of people who still want to join. Obviously, that does not negate the fact that people are leaving on the other side. As well as...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: An Garda Síochána (23 Apr 2024)

Helen McEntee: ...work with the University of Limerick and this is an institutional level quality assurance system, it is important that we do not dilute or change that in any way, shape or form. This is what the Garda training steering group is looking at with regard to whether there are other options that we have not been using to increase the overall number. To date, it has not been the lack of...