Results 741-760 of 11,583 for speaker:Jim O'Callaghan

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: EU Meetings (17 Sep 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: As advised in my response to Parliamentary Question 2108 on 25 July 2025, my Department and I engage extensively with EU counterparts on migration issues across a wide range of working groups and other formats, including meetings of the Justice and Home Affairs Ministers, the most recent meeting of which took place in Copenhagen in July. Migration is a shared European challenge that...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Cybersecurity Policy (17 Sep 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: My Department continuously evaluates and adapts its strategies to deal with ongoing cyber threats to Irish citizens and our essential national infrastructure. We are at an advanced stage of drafting the National Cyber Security Bill which will ensure a significant increase in the cyber security and resilience of the most essential sectors of Irish society. The National Cyber Security Centre,...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Probate Applications (17 Sep 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: The Probate Office is an office of the High Court. Management of the courts, operational matters and logistical functions are the responsibility of the judiciary and Courts Service, which are independent in the exercise of their functions under the Courts Service Act 1998 and given the separation of powers in the Constitution. Probate functions are also carried out by County Registrars at...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Probate Applications (17 Sep 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 806 and 807 together. As the Deputy will appreciate, management of the courts and operational matters, including matters pertaining to court buildings, are the responsibility of the Courts Service, which is independent in the exercising of its functions under the Courts Service Act 1998. However, to be of assistance to the Deputy, my officials have made...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Policies (17 Sep 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Local Community Safety Partnerships (LCSP) represent a significant step towards a more collaborative, responsive, and locally driven model of public safety and will play a major role in enhancing public safety alongside An Garda Síochána, residents, businesses and state agencies. I signed regulations which came into effect on 30 June 2025, that provide for the establishment of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: International Protection (17 Sep 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I can assure the Deputy it is my intention to continue the investment in the end-to-end international protection process to speed up decision making. In 2024 the International Protection Office (IPO) delivered over 14,000 first decisions compared to over 8,500 in 2023, while the International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT) closed around 3,100 appeals in 2024 compared to over 1,700 in...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Drug Dealing (17 Sep 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Tackling the scourge of drug dealing and targeting the work of organised crime groups, who inflict intimidation, violence and misery on families and communities across Ireland is a top priority for the government and my Department. The Government is fully committed to providing An Garda Síochána with the resources it needs to fight crime. This is reflected in the unprecedented...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Public Procurement Contracts (17 Sep 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 813 to 817, inclusive, together. My Department is fully committed to the principles of openness, transparency and the accountability of public bodies. I can inform the Deputy that the Department has committed to publishing reports of purchase orders over €20,000 on a quarterly basis on its website. It is expected that information relating to Q1 and...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (17 Sep 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: An Garda Síochána publishes data on the allocation of Gardaí by Division, Station and rank, including for Community Garda in Limerick division. This can be found at the following link: The Deputy should select the Garda Workforce figures for July and access the file titled “Community Garda by Division 2008 to 31 of July 2025” for a breakdown of Community...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Courts Service (17 Sep 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: The Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration is fully committed to reforming the family justice system in Ireland and as part of the Family Justice Strategy 2022-2025, which was published in November 2022. This ambitious Strategy outlines the steps needed to create a more efficient and user-friendly family justice system that puts the family and children at the centre of its work....

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Measures (17 Sep 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: The Family Courts Act 2024 is a key component of my Department's Family Justice Strategy and contains a number of provisions designed to make the family court process more user-friendly and less costly. The Act provides for the establishment of family court divisions within the existing court structures, namely a Family High Court, a Family Circuit Court and a Family District Court, each...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Crime Prevention (17 Sep 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Local Community Safety Partnerships (LCSP) represent a significant step towards a more collaborative, responsive, and locally driven model of public safety. They will play a major role in enhancing public safety alongside An Garda Síochána, residents, businesses and state agencies. I signed regulations which came into effect on 30 June 2025, that provide for the establishment of...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: An Garda Síochána (17 Sep 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 827 to 829 together. In the interest of transparency, An Garda Síochána publishes data on the allocation of Gardaí by Division, Station, and rank. This can be found at the following link: www.garda.ie/en/about-us/our-departments/human-resources-and -people-development/garda-hr-directorate/garda-strength-brea kdown-2025/. The Deputy...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: International Protection (17 Sep 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: Under the European Communities (Reception Conditions) Regulations 2018 (S.I. No. 230 of 2018), international protection applicants can apply for labour market access permission if they are fully cooperating with the IP process. While an application for labour market access can be made five months after the IP application, permission will only be granted once an applicant has waited six months...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Asylum Seekers (17 Sep 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I can assure the Deputy that I am fully committed to ensuring that Ireland's International Protection system is robust and rules based. The International Protection process decides if an applicant has a well-founded fear of persecution, or is at risk of serious harm in their country of origin. An assessment of the applicant's identity and the credibility of their application forms a key...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Asylum Seekers (17 Sep 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 832, 835, 839 and 842 together. It has not been possible to collate the information requested by the Deputy in the time available. I will write to the Deputy directly once the information is to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Asylum Seekers (17 Sep 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 833 and 840 together. I can assure the Deputy that I am fully committed to ensuring that Ireland’s International Protection system is robust and rules based, and that our borders are protected. My Department, has a strong commitment to resourcing the Tribunal through its budget and staffing. This has been particularly evident in the past two years...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Asylum Seekers (17 Sep 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 834 and 841 together. The management of the courts, operational matters and logistical functions are the responsibility of the judiciary and Courts Service, which are independent in exercising their functions under the Courts Service Act 1998 and given the separation of powers in the Constitution. As such the scheduling of judicial reviews is a matter for...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Asylum Seekers (17 Sep 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 836 to 838, inclusive, together. The State is providing accommodation to almost 33,000 people who have applied for international protection, and over 9,000 of these are children. Accommodation is provided in over 320 centres nationwide. It is a priority for my Department to have recommendations made on all international protection applications as soon as...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Asylum Seekers (17 Sep 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I can confirm that my Department takes all necessary steps to manage the international protection process efficiently and effectively, while ensuring the integrity of those processes is maintained at all times. There has been significant investment across the end-to-end international protection process in the last number of years with additional staffing as well as increased financial and...