Jim O'Callaghan

The programme for Government commitment is that we will recruit 5,000 gardaí during the five-year term of the Government. I am not too worried about whether we get to 1,000 each year and if they are evenly spread over the five years. The priority is to get to 5,000. We need to increase the numbers within the force. On the retention crisis, the number of resignations from An Garda Síochána is pret…

On the intakes this year, there will be four. There was one in June, there will be another in August and there will be another before the end of the year. There will be approximately four intakes this year. Some years, there can be five but it is dependent upon each year and how the schedule operates. On the proposal to increase the training allowance, that is something I will certainly look at. …

I thank Deputy Connolly for her question. As she knows, the Women's Aid report was published last week. I had the privilege and responsibility of launching it. The statistics within it are very concerning. There were 32,144 contacts made with Women's Aid services last year. That was a 12% increase on the previous year. I was also aware of the statistic contained within it that 44% of women were no…

This is a societal problem. However, my own assessment of it is that there is a growing recognition of the extent of this problem and there is a greater sense of confidence and capacity on the part of women to no longer tolerate this and therefore, to report it. There is a debate as to whether the increased numbers are due to an increase in violence against women or a greater sense of confidence …

There is mandatory training for trainees in Templemore, as I outlined in my answer. Second, I have instructed officials in my Department to prepare the heads of Bill amending the Domestic Violence Act to ensure that, with respect to persons convicted of serious offences on indictment, the detail will be published in court judgments. This will entail a decision by the judges hearing the case. Effor…

I thank Deputy Ward for asking this question. He will recall that about six weeks ago, during the last round of oral questions to the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, his colleague Deputy Ó Snodaigh raised a similar question. During the course of an exchange between me and Deputy Ó Snodaigh, I stated that we should look to see if there is some mechanism of expediting this process …

I thank the Deputy. Just to add to the statistics, because it is important we know the extent of what we are potentially talking about, it is hard to be definitive but research indicates that between 1950 and 1993, when homosexuality was decriminalised, approximately 940 men received convictions under the Offences Against the Person Act or the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act 1885. The Deputy is absol…

My view is that since the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration has been working on a particular Bill up to now, and I have asked the officials to expedite this matter to see if we can get it into the miscellaneous provisions Bill, that is probably the speedier method of getting it done. There is an advantage to being in government from the point of view of trying to get legislation th…

That could not be quashed.

That is where the complexity is. I am positive about the fact that something is going to be done shortly.

I thank Deputy Brabazon for the question. I am very aware of the capacity issues that exist in our prisons, and challenges faced by those who work and live in our prisons as a result. The current programme for Government commits to increasing the capacity of our prisons by an additional 1,500 spaces, and the Irish Prison Service has already begun work to achieve this. Since January 2022, capacity …

This is one area of the criminal justice system where there are capacity issues that need to be addressed fundamentally and rapidly. We invest huge resources in An Garda Síochána and the courts to ensure we get cases on for hearing in the criminal courts as quickly as possible. The whole system will not operate effectively if, at the end of those processes when a person has received a significant …

I want the House to be aware that there are some very fine prisons in Ireland. We talked about Cork Prison. The new Cork Prison, which I have visited, is an excellent prison. Similarly, I have visited both the men's and women's prisons in Limerick. Huge investment went into them. The Irish Prison Service deserve to be commended on getting these prisons built on time and on budget. When we do priso…

I thank Deputy McGreehan for this timely question. The reason I say it is timely is that, as she is aware, last week marked the anniversary of the murder of Veronica Guerin, which, as the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach, Deputy Maxwell, will be aware as well, had a transformative effect on the policing of Irish criminals. One of the consequences of her murder was that laws were changed whereby we could go…

I have had the honour of going to Walter Scott House to meet Superintendent Gubbins, who heads up CAB. I am very impressed by the work it is doing. Although Walter Scott House is a fine new building, I am aware that the work of CAB is expanding and I am conscious that the expansion of its numbers will require further facilities. My Department has submitted a proposal as part of the review of the n…

I agree with Deputy McGreehan. One of the reasons many serious criminals from Ireland have left and gone further afield is the threat they were exposed to from CAB. That is a positive development. I want the Deputy to know there is no part of the country that is free from CAB's supervision or surveillance. In all communities around the country, CAB has initiated proceedings against individuals wh…

I thank Deputy Carthy for that. As he stated, the civil legal aid review group completed its reports recently. In April, I received a majority report from the group and a minority report from former Chief Justice Frank Clarke. I had the opportunity to read both and am discussing within my Department how I will progress them. I am satisfied with the need to increase the thresholds available to tho…

Yes, it will be addressed. When a very detailed report comes in - or indeed two reports; I have no objection to receiving majority and minority reports - it must be carefully considered. There is no point in me announcing I will implement the report and then people asking when this will be done and how that implementation will take place. As the Deputy will be aware, civil legal aid is provided b…

I accept there is an issue in terms of solicitors being available to do this very important work. Part of the problem is that because the Irish economy is doing so well, it is attractive for solicitors to get work elsewhere, other than in the areas the Deputy is discussing here or other areas such as criminal legal aid under the criminal legal aid scheme. We need to ensure the fees that are payabl…

I thank Deputy McAuliffe for raising this question. I acknowledge his long-standing interest in this issue and his persistent raising of the matter, which is of significant importance. I have confirmed with my officials that there have been two historic allegations of child sexual abuse made in relation to staff of the Probation Service. Both relate to alleged incidents in the 1970s by a former s…

I thank the Deputy. He put that very sensitively and appropriately. I am aware of the allegations made against Scouting Ireland. I recall the "RTÉ Investigates" programme and, indeed, I very much recall the very powerful work done by Joe Duffy on his programme in interviewing people who had been subject of abuse while they were in the scouts. On the Probation Service, there was a slight overlap, c…

I will make inquiries in respect of the case that is ongoing at present. If it is the case that there is clearly liability on the part of the State, I would like to see that case resolved in a mediated fashion. I will speak to the Attorney General in respect of that case. Obviously, the Deputy is correct that it puts many burdens on people to sue the State, but a couple of years ago the Attorney …

I thank Deputy Currie. I am pleased to be able to answer the Deputy's question this time as opposed to the previous time.

If I am answering the wrong question, my very vigilant Ministers of State will tell me I am doing something wrong. The Deputy is correct in stating that last week, I signed the regulations giving effect to the local community safety partnerships, LCSPs. They came into force on Monday of this week. As the Deputy will be aware, much work has already been done in respect of local community safety pa…

I will be taking an active role. It is an important time and occasion, now that these regulations have been signed and are being rolled out. The community partnerships will not be on their own trying to formulate their own guidance because, as I said, there will be a National Office for Community Safety, which is a statutory office that will be based within my Department. That office will be provi…