Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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485. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the main policy achievements of her Department since 27 June 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [61654/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Justice Plan 2022, published earlier this year, builds on the work outlined in Justice Plan 2021, and outlines a wide range of actions under the Department's five strategic goals, which are:

- Tackle crime, enhance national security and transform policing

- Improve access to justice and modernise the courts system

- Strengthen community safety, reduce reoffending, support victims and combat domestic, sexual and gender based violence

- Deliver a fair immigration system for a digital age

- Accelerate innovation, digital transformation and climate action across the justice sector

Under Justice Plan 2022, I am progressing a suite of policy and legislative reforms which are priorities for me as Minister, in line with the commitments set out in the Programme for Government. Some of the priority achievements of the Department since the formation of the Government are set out below.

Minister Helen McEntee led the development of the Government’s Zero Tolerance plan to tackle domestic, sexual and gender based violence which was published in June – and includes 144 actions across the pillars of protection, prevention, prosecution and policy co-ordination.

The government has introduced and is committed to enacting significant legislation. We are committed to:

- Enacting the Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill early in the new year:

- to make stalking and non-fatal strangulation standalone criminal offences

- to increase the sentence of conspiracy to murder from 10 years to life in prison, a key measure to tackle gangland crime and those who direct it

- to double the maximum sentence for assault causing harm – one of the most common offences in domestic violence cases – from five years to ten years

- Enacting the Sex offenders bill to strengthen the monitoring arrangements for convicted sex offenders – Passed all stages in Dáil, now going into Seanad

- Enacting the new Family court bill to put families at the centre of the family justice system - Bill agreed by Cabinet and awaiting second stage in the Seanad

- Enacting the new Hate Crime and Hate Speech Bill to reform and modernise the law through the introduction of new, specific hate aggravated offences for crimes motivated by prejudice against protected characteristics, with tougher sentences than ordinary forms of crime, and to legislate for Incitement to Hatred or Hate Speech – Bill has passed second stage, committee stage will take place early next year

- Enacting the Recording Devices Bill to improve use of CCTV, and to provide for Body worn cameras and Automatic Number Plate Recognition - to be brought into Dáil at second stage in the coming weeks

- Enacting law to establish a new Judicial Appointments Commission to ensure best practice in the way we appoint judges - completed Dáil, continuing at Seanad committee stage

- Modernising and updating 200 year old licensing law – General Scheme approved by Cabinet and published; scheme referred for pre-legislative scrutiny

- Updating sexual offences legislation, such as the law around consent and many reforms in line with commitments in Supporting a Victim's Journey, the plan to put the victim at the centre of the criminal justice system. This legislation will also introduce a revised National Referral Mechanism to help tackle human trafficking – General Scheme published during the summer, full Bill to be published in the coming period

- Introducing the landmark Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill to overhaul of structures and oversight of the Gardaí – Bill to be debated in the Dáil early in the new year

- Publishing Police Powers bill to improve effectiveness of police powers with new fundamental rights provisions – Bill to be published next year

Since 27 June 2020, several important pieces of legislation have been enacted, including:

- Enacted Coco’s Law to criminalise distribution of intimate images without consent

- Enacted the Perjury Bill to establish a statutory criminal offence for perjury

- Enacted a law to remove reporting restrictions which prevented parents from speaking publicly about their deceased child in cases where the child was unlawfully killed

- Enacted measures to introduce pre-trial hearing to ensure that victims are less likely to face stressful unexpected delays and adjournments to trial start dates

- Signed order to bring into the new personal injuries guidelines under the Judicial Council Act

- Enacted new law on Garda operating model to more front-line Gardaí, increased visibility, and a wider range of policing services for people in their local area

Other key initiatives include:

- Refuge accommodation brought under the Minister for Justice for the first time in advance of a new domestic violence accommodation agency being established

- Published a new Penal Policy Plan, to reduce re-offending and improve community safety, focus on the use of community sanctions, and introduce judicial discretion to set minimum tariffs for life sentences for the most serious cases

- Once in a generation scheme to regularise the status of long term undocumented migrants.