Written Answers Nos. 227-237
227. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the residency status and entitlement to naturalisation in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26531/13]
View answerThe person concerned was granted permission to remain in the State for the three year period to 14th June, 2010. This permission was renewed for a further three year period, to 14th June, 2013. On 27th May, 2013 the person concerned submitted an application to have his permission to remain in the State renewed for a further period. This application is currently under consideration.
I am advised also that a valid application for a Certificate of Naturalisation was received from the person concerned in December, 2012. This application is being processed with a view to establishing whether the person concerned meets the statutory conditions for the granting of a Certificate of Naturalisation, in areas such as good character and lawful residence, and will be submitted to me for decision as soon as possible.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to the INIS by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response from the INIS is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.
228. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he has received any indicative figure from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform regarding the fiscal adjustments his Department will be asked to make in 2014 and 2015; the size of those adjustments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26552/13]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware the vote for the Department of Justice and Equality is one of five Votes in the Justice Vote Group. The scale of the adjustments for 2014 were set out at vote group level in part 1 of the Expenditure Report 2013, which was published in December 2012. In the context of the forthcoming Budget, there will be further communication with the Department of Public Expenditure & Reform which will feed into the expenditure decisions by Government for the Estimates 2014 and the setting of future Ministerial ceilings. Government will make decisions on the future ceilings as part of the forthcoming budgetary deliberations.
229. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if records of Garda briefings to him or the Department concerning members of the Oireachtas are recorded and archived by his Department. [26578/13]
View answerI refer the Deputy to my reply to Questions Nos. 147 and 148 of 23 May 2013. The position is unchanged.
In the course of my statement in this House on 21 May I made it perfectly clear that there is no suggestion of my being routinely provided with information on members of the Oireachtas. I gave the House a solemn assurance that I am not in the business of receiving, seeking or maintaining confidential, sensitive information from An Garda Síochána about Members of this House, the Seanad or, indeed, anyone in political life. Nor are the Gardaí in the business of providing it. I also repeat my view that it would be entirely unacceptable if the Gardaí were to collect information about anyone, whether in public life or not, for political purposes.
I did make the point that the House would appreciate that there could be exceptional circumstances, which the Deputy will appreciate, where it would be necessary for the Minister for Justice of the day to receive confidential information about the activities of members of the House - for example if members of the House were involved with organisations carrying out terrorist activities.
As I indicated to the House Section 41 of the Garda Síochána Act, 2005 provides a clear statutory basis for the information which is provided to me by An Garda Síochána. In turn, I am subject to the laws of the land in relation to what use I make of that information but, more importantly still, I am responsible to the House for how I discharge my office.
230. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he has requested a report from the Commissioner on an incident (details supplied) under section 41 of the 2005 Garda Síochána Act. [26580/13]
View answerThe matter to which the Deputy refers in his Question has been comprehensively addressed by me in statements to this House on 21 and 28 May 2013 respectively. There was no question of my seeking a report of the kind referred to by the Deputy.
231. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Defence if grass cut on lands at Baldonnel, County Dublin, or any lands under the control of is Department, will be made available to farmers, whose animals are suffering as a result of the shortage of fodder; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26400/13]
View answerThe question of making grass available to farmers for fodder on Defence lands, including Casement Aerodrome Baldonnel, does not arise as leases and lettings are currently in place with third parties for lands suitable for grass harvesting.
232. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Defence further to Parliamentary Question No.180 of 23 May 2013, the exact current location of the plaques and the details of the relevant contact person. [26425/13]
View answerThe plaques are currently in the care of RDF personnel who served with the Unit in Kells prior to its closure. Arrangements are being made to relocate the plaques to Cathal Brugha Barracks, Rathmines in the near future. Any future queries or correspondence on the matter should be addressed to the Property Management Branch of my Department, telephone 045-492075.
233. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Defence if he has received any indicative figure from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform regarding the fiscal adjustments his Department will be asked to make in 2014 and 2015; the size of those adjustments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26545/13]
View answerIn the context of the forthcoming Budget, the Department of Public Expenditure & Reform has asked my Department to identify savings which will feed into the expenditure decisions by Government for the Estimates 2014 and the setting of future Ministerial ceilings. The identification of savings options should ensure that a sufficient range of proposals are made by all Departments to help the Government make well-informed choices about spending priorities and allocations. The scale of the adjustments for 2014 was set out in part 1 of the Expenditure Report 2013, which was published in December 2012. Government will be making decisions on the future ceilings as part of the forthcoming budgetary deliberations.
234. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payment will issue on a suckler welfare scheme in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26301/13]
View answerThe person named registered 7 animals in 2011 and 9 animals in 2012 under the Suckler Welfare Scheme.
Applicants undertake to carry out all of the measures required under the Terms and Conditions of the Scheme on all eligible suckler cows and the calves. Applicants also undertake to record and notify my Department, or its agents, of the details of each measure through the Animal Events System for the full 5 year duration of the Scheme. In August 2011, applicants were informed of the requirement to notify all of the measures within one year from the date of birth of each animal.
The required data was not received within the prescribed timeframe for the animals born during 2011 and therefore the animals are not eligible for payment. It is, however, open to the person named to seek a review, if he feels there are mitigating circumstances for the late supply of data. As regards 2012, data has not yet been received in respect of 3 of the 2012 born animals and errors have been identified with the remaining 6 animals. The case cannot be progressed until these outstanding issues have been resolved.
235. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the criteria adopted by local authorities when dealing with stray horses; the timeframe involved from a local authority taking a stray horse to the local authority putting down that animal; if this rule also applies to horses in foal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26326/13]
View answerMatters relating to stray or abandoned horses in urban and rural areas come within the scope of the Control of Horses Act, 1996 under which Local Authorities have been given extensive powers. These powers include the making of bye-laws for the control and welfare of horses in the local authorities’ functional area, together with provisions on licensing of horses within control areas and seizure and detention of stray or abandoned horses. In order to ensure greater uniformity in practice throughout the country, a Protocol, agreed between my Department and Local Authorities in May 2012 to ensure greater efficiencies in control of horses operations, recommended that all local authorities amend their bye-laws to allow for a maximum of five working day retention period for horses seized under the act prior to disposal. The advice to euthanize animals, where no possibility of re-homing or returning to owner exists, is in keeping with advice on humane disposal of horses from the Farm Animal Welfare Advisory Council (which comprises representatives from a wide range of stakeholder organisations including farming, equine and welfare bodies).
236. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of cattle slaughtered in the period from January to May 2012 compared to that in the period of January to May in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26349/13]
View answerThe numbers of cattle slaughtered in plants supervised by my Department in the months concerned are set out in the following table:
|
- |
2012 |
2013 |
|
January |
117,872 |
128,869 |
|
February |
112,178 |
121,058 |
|
March |
106,689 |
110,231 |
|
April |
104,539 |
120,347 |
|
May |
111,820 |
125,000 (est) |
|
Total |
553,098 |
605,505 (est) |
The numbers slaughtered are primarily a function of commercial considerations and I understand that cattle prices in 2013 are higher than in 2012. I am advised that other factors which may be contributing to the increased numbers being slaughtered include the fact that cattle disposals through live exports have been on a downward trend since 2010; that cattle slaughterings in 2012 were considerably lower than previous years; and fodder shortage issues in the period concerned.
237. Deputy Patrick O'Donovan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the availability of a vaccine to the farming sector (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26388/13]
View answerLicensing of veterinary medicines and vaccines is subject to a comprehensive EU legislative code under which individual products may not be marketed or used in individual Member States in the absence of the requisite authorisation. Such authorisations can only be granted following submission by the sponsoring company of an application dossier to the required standard and no such application has as yet been lodged in Ireland.
The Irish Medicines Board (IMB) is designated as the competent authority in Ireland for the grant of full marketing authorisations for veterinary vaccines. Any application for a marketing authorisation which is submitted to IMB will be examined in accordance with the legislation and associated scientific standards. However, in certain circumstances, including while a validated application for a full marketing authorisation is being considered, my Department is enabled under the EU legislation to consider an application for an exceptional, interim, authorisation, should the sponsoring choose to pursue this option at the appropriate time. My Department will examine any application for an exceptional marketing authorisation in respect of a vaccine against Schmallenberg in the context of this legislation.
