Written Answers Nos. 111-120
111. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Defence if Irish Defence Forces personnel are still working in Afghanistan; and whether, considering the British decision to remove its troops from the country, he has plans to withdraw Irish troops from the country. [42644/14]
View answerIreland has participated in the NATO–led UN mandated International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan since 5 July 2002. Since then, the Government has reviewed and approved, on an annual basis, the continued participation by seven (7) members of the Permanent Defence Force in ISAF.
On 25 June 2013, the Government agreed to continue to provide seven members of the Permanent Defence Force for service with ISAF for a further period from July 2013, subject to ongoing review by the Minister for Defence. The seven (7) personnel currently serving with the force are all located in ISAF HQ, Kabul and work in staff appointments in planning and administrative roles.
In March 2011, the transition process whereby the Afghan security forces would gradually take on more security responsibility from ISAF was launched. On 18 June 2013, the final phase of the transition was instigated. This process is due to be completed at the end of December 2014, when ISAF’s mission will end. NATO will then lead a follow on training and support operation called Resolute Support Mission with effect from 01 January 2015.
Defence Forces participation in all overseas missions is reviewed on an ongoing basis. The overall drawdown of ISAF personnel is currently underway and the withdrawal of the Defence Forces personnel will be coordinated in this context. Irish personnel will complete their service with the mission in December 2014.
The proposed NATO-led mission in Afghanistan, post 2014, will be a follow on training advisory and assistance mission in support of the Afghan National Security Forces capacity. The question of Ireland contributing to the follow on mission in Afghanistan is currently being considered in the context of what other contributing countries are planning. Any participation by Ireland in the follow on training mission will be subject to Government approval.
112. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Defence his plans for the future use of Columb Barracks, Mullingar, County Westmeath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42690/14]
View answerAs I have previously outlined in the House the former barracks in Mullingar is currently used by Westmeath GAA Board under a short term licence. The former barracks is also currently used by An Garda Síochána and the Customs Service for training purposes and it is intended that these arrangements will remain in place. A number of other organisations and individuals have also made enquiries/suggestions in the recent past as to the possible use of the barracks and these are being looked at in the context of an overall plan for the barracks under a long term lease with Westmeath GAA Board. I expect that these arrangements will be finalised over the coming weeks.
113. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Defence if he will provide the details of average cuts paid by his Department and those under his aegis to recruitment and temporary employment agencies, that is the proportion of the fee paid from State funding to such agencies received by the worker and the proportion by the agency. [42705/14]
View answer114. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Defence if he will provide an annual breakdown of the fees paid to recruitment and employment agencies by his Department and those under his aegis. [42718/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 113 and 114 together.
My Department uses employment agencies to provide agency nursing staff when required, to provide cover for army nurses at military installations. The costs on an annual basis in the period 2011 to date are as follows:
|
Year |
Total Payment |
|
2011 |
€133,850 |
|
2012 |
€283,685 |
|
2013 |
€286,261 |
|
2014 (to date) |
€226,238 |
The payments to these agencies include the following elements:
- Gross Nurse Pay;
- Employer PRSI payment (10.75 % of gross nurse pay);
- Administration Fee (10 % of the total of gross nurse pay and employer PRSI);
- VAT at 23 % of the total fee charged by the employment agency.
Agency staff are only employed where there are compelling reasons to engage a person on either an urgent or temporary basis.
My Department does not have any contractual arrangements with recruitment or employment agencies in respect of recruitment to Civil Service posts. The Public Appointments Service (PAS) is an independent body established under the Public Service Management Act 2004 to provide recruitment, assessment and selection services for the Civil Service. My Department engages with PAS when required to recruit administrative staff for the Department and to facilitate the provision of the Psychometric Testing for General Service Recruitment campaigns for the Defence Forces.
The Defence Forces engage the services of companies to carry out specialist psychometric and psychomotor testing for Army, Naval Service and Air Corps Cadetship Competitions as the expertise in these areas of testing is not available in the Defence Forces or in PAS. Amongst the companies engaged to provide these services was CAE PARC Aviation, a specialist aviation recruitment company. The breakdown of fees paid to this recruitment company is set out in the table below:
|
Year |
CAE PARC Aviation € |
|
2011 |
52,169 |
|
2012 |
53,031 |
|
2013 |
Nil |
|
2014 (to date) |
Nil |
In reply to Dáil Question Number 207 on the Order Paper for answer on 26 September 2013, a figure of €52,000 was provided in respect of payments to CAE PARC Aviation in 2012. Further examination of payments to this company show that the actual payments to the company were €53,031.
115. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the impact that the establishment of the charities regulator will have on schools and specifically if the boards of management of all schools with charitable status have to register with the regulator by April 2014; the level of registration fee; the documentation and information they will be required to provide; her plans to ensure that the new arrangements do not place an excessive burden on schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42542/14]
View answerThe Charities Regulatory Authority (CRA) was established on the 16th October 2014 under the terms of the Charities Act 2009. One of the statutory functions of the CRA is to establish and maintain a public register of all charities operating in the State.
The advancement of education is recognised as a charitable purpose in Section 3 of the Act. Charities established for the furtherance of that purpose will be required to register with the CRA. Under Section 40 of the Act, any organisation holding a valid charitable tax exemption (CHY number) from the Revenue Commissioners on the 15th October 2014 was deemed to be registered with the CRA. Schools and other education bodies that had a valid CHY number from Revenue on 15th October 2014 are therefore deemed registered with the CRA by virtue of this provision. These charities do not have to register with the CRA as they are already registered, but they will be asked by the CRA to supply certain information.
The CRA has begun a process of writing to all deemed charities, including schools and education bodies, to invite them to provide additional information for inclusion in the Register of Charities. These charities do not need to contact the CRA until they receive a letter from the CRA. The information that will be required is set out in the letters being issued to charities by the CRA and may also be viewed on its website, www.charitiesregulatoryauthority.ie.
Education charities that did not have a CHY number on 15th October 2014 are not automatically registered and will need to apply to the CRA before 16 April 2015.
I am advised that the CRA is not yet inviting applications from such education charities. Further information and guidance on the registration process for these charities will be provided before they are invited to apply. Registration and annual filing fees have not yet been put in place.
116. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the current and-or expected residency status in the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 1; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42550/14]
View answerThe question of residency status does not arise at this time in the case of the persons whose details were supplied. If the persons concerned have made applications for asylum or subsidiary protection, the Deputy will be aware that it is not the practice to comment on such applications for so long as they remain in the protection process.
117. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the current position in the matter of residency status-eligibility to apply for naturalisation in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Meath whose spouse is an Irish citizen; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42551/14]
View answerI am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that there is no record of an application having been received for residency in the State arising from marriage to an Irish citizen in respect of the person concerned based on the information supplied in the Deputy's question.
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 Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response from INIS is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.
118. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if and when stamp 4 status will issue to facilitate their employment in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42554/14]
View answerI am advised by the Irish Naturalisation & Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the person in question made an application for Long-Term Residence on 27 February 2013.
By letter dated 2 August 2013, the person in question was advised by INIS that they did not qualify for long-term residence on the basis that they did not have the necessary 60 months reckonable residence required, as evidenced by the appropriate Stamp 1 and/or Stamp 4 endorsements on their passport. At the time of their application, the person in question had not renewed their permission to remain since 16 August 2011. It is a requirement of the Long-Term Residency scheme that an applicant be in employment at the time of applying and that they keep their permission to remain up-to-date at all times.
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 Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response from INIS is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.
119. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the position regarding residency status in the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 24; if their next application for naturalisation has been received by the relevant authorities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42555/14]
View answerI am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that a valid application for a certificate of naturalisation has been received from the person referred to in the Deputy's question, who currently has permission to reside in the State until 14 June 2017.
The application is currently being processed with a view to establishing whether the applicant meets the statutory conditions for the granting of naturalisation. It is a statutory requirement that, inter alia, applicants for naturalisation be of good character. In some instances that can be established relatively quickly and in other cases completing the necessary checks can take a considerable period of time.
As the Deputy will appreciate, the granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is a privilege and an honour which confers certain rights and entitlements not only within the State but also at European Union level and it is important that appropriate procedures are in place to preserve the integrity of the process.
The Deputy may wish to note that queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to INIS by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been established specifically 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 INIS is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.
120. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the progress to date in determination of eligibility for naturalisation in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Carlow, who has been employed here on foot of work permit for several years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42556/14]
View answerI am informed by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that this application is being processed with a view to establishing whether the applicant meets the statutory conditions for the granting of naturalisation, such as good character and lawful residence, and will be submitted to me for decision as expeditiously as possible.
As the Deputy will appreciate, the granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is a privilege and an honour which confers certain rights and entitlements not only within the State but also at European Union level and it is important that appropriate procedures are in place to preserve the integrity of the process.
The Deputy may wish to note that queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to INIS by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been established specifically 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 INIS is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.
