Results 1-20 of 1,158,593 for in 'Dáil debates' OR (speaker:Áine Brady OR speaker:Mary Lou McDonald OR speaker:Darragh O'Brien OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh OR speaker:Aindrias Moynihan OR speaker:Leo Varadkar OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh22 OR speaker:Pádraig O'Sullivan OR speaker:Niamh Smyth OR speaker:Chris Andrews OR speaker:Danny Healy-Rae OR speaker:Jim O'Callaghan OR speaker:Cormac Devlin OR speaker:Michael Collins OR speaker:John Brady OR speaker:Catherine Murphy OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh01 OR speaker:Willie O'Dea OR speaker:Roderic O'Gorman OR speaker:Áine Brady36 OR speaker:Gino Kenny OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh08 OR speaker:Áine Brady4 OR speaker:Áine Brady06 OR speaker:Mary Butler OR speaker:Áine Brady20 OR speaker:Pippa Hackett OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh6 OR speaker:Chris Andrews7 OR speaker:Catherine Connolly OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh14 OR speaker:Áine Brady33 OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh10 OR speaker:Richard Bruton OR speaker:Richard Bruton8 OR speaker:Eoin Ó Broin OR speaker:James Lawless) in 'Committee meetings'

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary) (22 Oct 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: I welcome the Minister and her officials before the committee. What appears to be the most significant part of the Supplementary Estimates is the significant additional capital allocation of €517 million in respect of the schools building programme. I very much welcome the significant activity on the part of the programme, not just in my constituency but throughout the country. The...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary) (22 Oct 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: How is the school building unit doing in terms of projects coming in on time and on budget? Sometimes we only hear of capital developments by the State that do not come in on time and on budget, but am I correct in saying very many of them do come in on time and on budget?

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary) (22 Oct 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: The Minister mentioned already the provision of accommodation for children with special educational needs. I think I am right in saying it is now the case that any new schools being developed will automatically have special educational needs classrooms.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary) (22 Oct 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: What is the Department's role in trying to facilitate and assist schools that have been there for a longer time and may have difficulty in identifying space for SEN classrooms?

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary) (22 Oct 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: This is not a question but a comment. I am not sure whether the Minister has had an opportunity yet to look at the new school on Harcourt Terrace. Harcourt Terrace Educate Together National School is an absolutely fantastic building. I commend the planning and building unit on it and hope to see the Minister out there shortly so she can see the benefit of the good work being done by her...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: Apologies have been received from Deputies Niamh Smyth and Alan Farrell. This meeting has been convened to consider Supplementary Estimates for Vote 20 - Garda Síochána, Vote 21 - Prisons, Vote 22 - Courts Service and Vote 24 - Justice. The Supplementary Estimates were referred on 15 October 2024. Under Standing Orders, the role of the committee is to consider the...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: I thank the Minister. We will give consideration to Vote 20 first, which concerns An Garda Síochána. Do Members have any questions?

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: I thank Deputy Pringle. With regard to the superannuation underspend of €16.5 million I am pleased to hear there has been a lower than expected number of retirements from the Garda. Is this related to the increase in the retirement age? What type of figure are we looking at for the numbers of gardaí who reached 60 and who are now staying on?

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: I am very pleased to hear that 1,800 people applied for the Garda Reserve competition. How many are we recruiting? Under the legislation the Garda Commissioner has complete responsibility for what the Garda Reserve will or will not do, but do we see any role for the political body in trying to make decisions as to how we should direct them? The Garda Reserve was not effectively used by...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: I thank the Minister. The committee will now consider Vote 21 for the Irish Prison Service. Do any members have any questions for the Minister?

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: When the Minister looks at our rising population, it is unsurprising that the prison population has increased quite significantly. I welcome the fact that the capital budget for the Prison Service recognises that we need 1,100 more prison spaces between now and 2030. Where are they going to be built? Where in Dublin will they be built? I know the Minister is talking about a location...

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: Even by way of remand prisoner or convicted prisoner.

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: We will move on to consider Vote 22 - Courts Service.

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: The final Vote we will consider is Vote 24, governing the Department of Justice.

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: I call Deputy Pringle.

Select Committee on Justice and Equality: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 20 - Garda Síochána (Supplementary)
Vote 21 - Prisons (Supplementary)
Vote 22 - Courts Service (Supplementary)
Vote 24 - Justice (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: Regarding the International Protection Office on Mount Street, I welcome the fact, as the Minister has told us previously, that applications can now be made in Citywest. As the Minister will be aware, though, there has been a significant increase in the numbers of people applying. Yet all of them, aside from those people who go to Citywest, must apply in Mount Street. If we look at the...