Results 1-11 of 11 for other and baby speaker:Helen McEntee

Commissions of Investigation (Amendment) Bill 2023: Second Stage [Private Members] (15 Feb 2024)

Helen McEntee: I thank Deputies, in particular Deputy Funchion, for tabling this legislation and allowing us to have this debate. The Bill, as was said, proposes to amend the Commissions of Investigation Act 2004 to require former members of a commission of investigation, upon written request, to appear before the relevant Oireachtas joint committee within six months of the presentation of the commission's...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Peace Commissioners (20 Jun 2023)

Helen McEntee: Peace Commissioners are appointed and may be removed from that appointment by the Minister for Justice under section 88 of the Courts of Justice Act 1924. The office of Peace Commissioner is an honorary one for which there is no remuneration or compensation by way of fees or expenses for their services. My Department maintains the Roll of Peace Commissioners and while every effort is made to...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (8 Nov 2022)

Helen McEntee: I know that female offenders represent a particularly vulnerable group within the prison system and I can assure the Deputy that the Prison Service is acutely aware of the challenges that these vulnerable women face. The particular needs of women prisoners is reflected in how our modern prison facilities are developed.  The Dóchas Centre, which accommodates the majority of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Service (1 Feb 2022)

Helen McEntee: ...for this project was awarded in February 2019 with the construction element currently anticipated to be completed in the second quarter of this year. This will be followed by the installation and commissioning of the various security and safety systems with the new facility expected to be operational in Q2/Q3 of this year. This timeline assumes no further impact on construction activity...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (3 Feb 2021)

Helen McEntee: The Coroner is an independent quasi-judicial officer and it is a matter for him how to conduct any death investigation or inquest in accordance with his statutory functions, on the basis of the information made available to him and having regard to the circumstances of the death concerned. As Minister, I have no role in the coronial inquest process as set out in the Coroner Acts...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (20 Jan 2021)

Helen McEntee: I understand that the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes first formally notified the Coroner for North Galway on 2 March 2017 of its discoveries at the Tuam Mother and Baby Home. Both the Coroner and the Gardaí provided any cooperation requested by the Commission during its work at the Tuam site. However, I understand that there is no active investigation being...

Maternity Leave Benefit Extension: Motion [Private Members] (14 Jul 2020)

Helen McEntee: I move: To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following: "notes that the public health emergency has caused significant hardship and stress across our population, not least for parents and children, and acknowledges the issues raised by the #ExtendMaternityLeave2020 campaign established by mothers currently on maternity leave and by the National Women's...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Direct Provision System (14 Jul 2020)

Helen McEntee: My Department, the HSE and the management of all of our centres are doing everything that we can to protect the health and welfare of our residents and centre staff as well as that of the wider community at this time. We are working closely with the HSE in doing so, and while the HSE advice has evolved over time, we have been assured by both it and the Office of the Chief Medical Officer that...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Maternity Benefit (7 Jul 2020)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 642 to 644, inclusive, 647, 650, 654 and 657 together. As the law now stands, a mother is entitled to paid maternity leave of up to 26 weeks, and up to a further 16 weeks of unpaid leave. Two weeks must be taken before the baby is due, and at least four weeks must be taken after the birth. Any amendment to the legislation governing the provision of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Maternity Leave (30 Jun 2020)

Helen McEntee: I propose to take Questions Nos. 269, 273, 275 and 289 together. I am conscious of demands on parents at this time and hope that the additional measures to support working parents that we have introduced in recent years, including the new parent’s leave scheme and an extension of parental leave, are helping to ease some of these demands. As the law now stands, a mother is...

Children and Family Relationships Bill 2015: Second Stage (Resumed) (25 Feb 2015)

Helen McEntee: I also commend the Minister on bringing this extremely important and progressive legislation to the Chamber. I also commend her predecessor, Deputy Shatter, whom I listened to previously and who I know was and still is extremely invested in this. It is important to state at this stage that this Government has placed more emphasis on and done more to protect the rights of the child than any...