Written Answers Nos. 921 to 942
921. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if, under the Private Security Services Act 2004, a person in the security business operating as a sole trader with no employees and who holds a contractor's security licence from the Private Security Authority also requires an individual licence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17054/13]
View answerThe Private Security Authority, an independent agency under the remit of my Department established under the Private Security Services Acts 2004 and 2011, is the regulatory body with responsibility for regulating and licensing the private security industry in the State.
There are two types of licence issued by the Authority: 'Contractor Licences' are required by companies, partnerships and sole traders providing security services, whereas 'Individual Licences' are required by all those working in the security sector, e.g. a person who is employed by a licensed contractor or a person employed directly by a business as in-house security personnel. Currently contractors operating in the Cash-in-Transit, Door Supervisor, Security Guarding and Installer of Security Equipment sectors need a licence while individuals working in the Door Supervisor and Security Guarding sectors must be licensed.
Consequently where a sole trader provides a security service as a contractor in the Door Supervisor or Security Guarding sectors but also performs the security guarding/door supervisor duties on the ground (i.e as an individual) both licences are then required. The reason this is necessary is because such a sole trader must meet the same set of standards as any other contractor while at the same time having the required qualifications to perform those duties as any individual.
922. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the arrangements being put in place by An Garda Síochána and the Revenue Commissioners whereby it is proposed that the Gardaí will be allowed to use seized vehicles; the way this will work and what exactly is being proposed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17100/13]
View answerI have requested the Garda authorities to provide information in relation to the matters raised by the Deputy and I will contact him directly as soon as possible.
923. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will provide the whole full-time equivalent of Gardaí in Swords Garda Station, County Dublin, for the years, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and to date in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17115/13]
View answer925. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the current operational strength whole full-time equivalents at non-peak times, that is 7 a.m., in Swords Garda Station, County Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17118/13]
View answer926. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of Garda sergeants attached Swords Garda Station, County Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17119/13]
View answer927. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of Garda sergeant vacancies in Swords Garda sub-district. [17120/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 923, 925, 926 and 927 together.
The Deputy will be aware that the detailed allocation of resources, including personnel, throughout the organisation is the responsibility of the Commissioner. I have no direct function in this matter. This allocation of resources and the assessment of policing needs in particular areas are constantly monitored in the context of crime trends and other operational strategies in place on a District, Divisional and Regional level. The objective at all times is to ensure that optimum use is made of Garda resources and the best possible Garda service is provided to the public.
I have been informed by the Garda Commissioner that the personnel strength of Swords Garda Station, on 31 December 2008 to 2012 and on 28 February 2013, the latest date for which figures are readily available, was as set out in the following table:
|
Year |
Strength |
|
2008 |
82 |
|
2009 |
87 |
|
2010 |
84 |
|
2011 |
77 |
|
2012 |
77 |
|
28/02/2013 |
76 |
The total number of sergeants attached to the Swords Garda Station on 28 February 2013 was 11. Personnel strength in a station or District is determined at all times by the Commissioner and can vary in accordance with priorities and available resources. There are therefore no fixed levels of assigned strengths.
For security and operational reasons, it is Garda policy not to disclose the number of Gardaí on duty at any given time.
924. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of official Garda vehicles that are attached to Swords Garda district; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17116/13]
View answerDecisions regarding the provision and deployment of Garda transport are matters for the Garda Commissioner. Responsibility for the efficient deployment of official Garda vehicles in each Division is assigned to the Divisional Officer, who may allocate vehicles between stations, as required by operational circumstances. The Deputy will appreciate that a degree of flexibility in allocating and re-allocating vehicles among stations, so as to best match the allocation of resources with policing priorities, is essential to the efficient management of the Garda fleet. As a consequence it is not practicable to provide a breakdown of Garda vehicles by individual station.
However, I am informed that on 11 April 2013 there were 30 Garda vehicles allocated to the Coolock District, which includes Swords Garda Station. The Deputy will be aware that I made an additional €3 million available to An Garda Síochána towards the end of last year enabling the Commissioner to procure a further 171 Garda vehicles. This brought total investment in the Garda fleet in 2012 to €4 million and resulted in a total of 213 new vehicles being procured during the year. In addition, a further allocation of €5 million has been provided for the purchase and fit-out of Garda transport in 2013. This represents a very considerable financial investment in Garda transport, particularly at a time when the level of funding available across the public sector is severely limited. It is a clear indication of my commitment to ensure that, to the greatest extent possible, An Garda Síochána are provided with sufficient resources to enable them to provide an effective and efficient policing service.
928. Deputy Eric Byrne asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the position regarding the provision of chaplaincy services by his Department; the amount of money spent on these services; the denominations involved; if humanist chaplains are provided by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17129/13]
View answerI can inform the Deputy that there are currently three denominations providing pastoral care in the Irish Prisons Service. Requests from other denominations to visit prisoners are facilitated by the Governor of the prison, where possible.
The spend for 2011 and 2012 for Chaplaincy services across the prison system is outlined in the following table:
|
- |
2011 |
2012 |
|
Roman Catholic |
€1,393,675 |
€1,218,722 |
|
Methodist |
€900 |
€800 |
|
Church of Ireland |
€1,855 |
€3,297 |
There are in excess of 20 Chaplains, representing Roman Catholic, Church of Ireland and Methodist denominations. However, Chaplains are responsible for the pastoral and spiritual care of the entire prison community, regardless of denomination.
929. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the consequences of a survivor not registering with the Magdalen Fund/Commission during the three months of Mr Justice Quirke’s review; if non registration will result in exclusion from further engagement with the process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17137/13]
View answer935. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he intends to advertise the existence of the Magdalen Fund/Commission, as well as the requirement that women register with the Commission, in media outlets at home and abroad, in view of the lessons learned form the Residential Institutions Redress Board, where applicants living abroad came forward after the deadline claiming that they were never informed about the scheme; if he will commit to placing advertisements in national and local newspapers here as well as Irish Diaspora newspapers in the UK, USA, Canada and Australia in order that those not affiliated to groups have an equal chance to gain entitlements as survivors of abuse in the Magdalen Laundries; and in this year of The Gathering, if he will do everything in his power to reach out to survivors living abroad and empower them to avail of the Magdalene fund. [17150/13]
View answer936. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will detail consequences of a survivor not registering with the Magdalen Fund/Commission during the three months of Mr Justice Quirke's review; and if they will be excluded from further engagment with the process. [17151/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 929, 935 and 936 together.
There are no consequences for women not registering their interest during the three months Mr. Justice Quirke has been asked to conduct his examination. However registration will facilitate any consultation process undertaken to take women's views into account and will also facilitate such women being kept informed of any developments.
No decision on advertising will be made until after the Government has received the recommendations of Judge Quirke and made a decision on how best to implement a scheme.
932. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will put in place measures to assist family members of deceased Magdalen women in engaging with the Quirke process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17140/13]
View answerThe Government has decided that any scheme introduced will only apply to living persons who were in the institutions. It will not extend to the families of persons now deceased.
933. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will ensure that copies of the Report of the Inter-Departmental Committee on the Magdalen Laundries are provided to survivors with no internet access, including survivors who provided testimony to the Committee but are yet to receive the Report. [17141/13]
View answerThe report was published on two websites - www.idcmagdalen.ie and www.justice.ie. While only a limited number of copies were printed, I can assure the Deputy that my Department will do its best to facilitate people with access where possible.
938. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the plans that are in place to ensure permanent advocacy for women in institutionalised settings in their places of residence in view of the 2010 Health Information and Quality Authority inspection of one such setting found that some institutional practices were observed which requires to be reviewed, these include empowering residents to make decisions and choices in their daily lives, reviewing forms of address used and ensuring the confidentiality of residents' information. [17153/13]
View answerThe regulation and inspection of homes for the elderly or persons lacking full decision making capacity does not fall within the remit of the Department of Justice and Equality.
In respect of individuals requiring assisted decision making the proposed Assisted Decision - Making (Capacity) Bill will replace the Wards of Court system with a modern statutory framework to support persons who need assisted decision-making. The main proposals under development in the proposed Bill are to provide a legal framework to support persons with impaired decision-making capacity to better manage their personal welfare, property and financial affairs; change existing law on capacity from the current all or nothing status approach to a functional one, whereby decision-making capacity is assessed on an issue- and time-specific basis; provide that the Circuit Court will have jurisdiction to deal with determinations of capacity and to make orders consequent on such declarations, including the appointment of suitable persons authorised to take decisions on specified matters in support of the person lacking capacity; provide, in circumstances where it is not possible for a person to exercise their capacity even with support, that another person appointed by the Court may act as their representative; clarify the law for carers who take on responsibility for persons who lack capacity; establish an Office of Public Guardian, with supervisory powers to protect vulnerable persons; and subsume into the Bill the provisions in the Powers of Attorney Act 1996 on enduring powers in order to bring them into line with the general principles and safeguards in the Bill.
940. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the steps that are being taken to ensure that Magdalen grave records are accurate and up to date. [17155/13]
View answer941. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the steps that are being taken to ensure that there is access to Magdalen graves. [17156/13]
View answer942. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the steps that are being taken to ensure the upkeep of Magdalen graves. [17157/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 940 to 942, inclusive, together.
The maintenance of records relating to deaths and burials and the question of upkeep and access to graves, whether in private or public graveyards, do not fall within the remit of my Department.
The general position regarding the graves of those who were in Magdalen institutions is addressed in Chapter 16 of the Report of the Inter-Departmental Committee to establish the facts of State involvement with the Magdalen Laundries.
