Written Answers Nos. 112-118
112. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if his Department has considered putting in place an earned regularisation scheme for undocumented workers as outlined by the Migrant Rights Centre of Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51128/13]
View answerI am familiar with the proposals put forward by the Migrant Rights Centre in this area but at present I have no plans to introduce any form of earned regularisation scheme. It remains the responsibility of all non-EEA nationals who are resident in the State to ensure that they have an appropriate permission from the Minister for Justice and Equality and the great majority of migrants comply with this condition.
If a person is undocumented his /her case can be considered on its merits by officials in the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service of my Department. Sometimes this consideration will result in a positive outcome for the applicant. In other cases, the decision by the Irish authorities, subject to the oversight of our Courts, would be that the person has to go home. That decision should be respected.
Broad regularisation programmes are problematic. They could give rise to unpredictable and potentially very costly impacts across the full range of public and social services. At EU Level, the Member States, in agreeing the European Pact on Immigration and Asylum at the European Council in October 2008 made specific commitments "to use only case-by-case regularisation, rather than generalised regularisation, under national law, for humanitarian or economic reasons". While the Pact is not legally binding, the political commitment among Member States, then and now, is clearly against any form of process that would in any way legitimise the status of those unlawfully present without first examining the merits of their individual cases. In our case there are also significant considerations based on maintaining the integrity of the Common Travel Area with the UK which must be taken into account.
113. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if the Garda Commissioner is drawing up a report on the implications of the new sick pay scheme and the way it applies to the Garda Síochána; when he hopes to receive the report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51145/13]
View answer114. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he has any concerns regarding the implications of the proposed new sick pay scheme for the Garda Síochána in view of the nature of its job; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51146/13]
View answer115. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he or his Department has considered exempting An Garda Síochána from the proposals on the sick pay scheme from 1 January 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51147/13]
View answer116. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the reason An Garda Síochána will be in receipt of half the sick pay entitlements from 1 January 2014 of their colleagues in the PSNI; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51148/13]
View answer117. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the reason Labour Court recommendation (details supplied) is being applied to An Garda Síochána when gardaí have no access to the Labour Court; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51149/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 113 to 117, inclusive, together.
My Department is currently in discussion with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on proposals for revised sick leave measures, including the application of these measures to the Garda Síochana, which are to be included in the Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Amendment Bill 2013. These measures will, I understand, be provided for in amendments to the Bill which will be considered in the normal way.
118. Deputy John Halligan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons that were put off the road for drunk driving offences under the Intoxicating Liquor Act over the past five years, 2008 to 2012, inclusive; the number of these persons that have since re-offended and have once again been put off the road for similar offences; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51150/13]
View answerThe Garda Síochána Act 2005 makes provision for the compilation and publication of crime statistics by the Central Statistics Office (CSO), as the national statistical agency, and the CSO has established a dedicated unit for this purpose. I have requested the CSO to provide the relevant available statistics directly to the Deputy.
