Seán Ó Fearghaíl
Question:111. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Defence the number of additional recruits the Defence Forces have taken on to date in 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48690/14]
View answerDefence Forces Records
Questions (111)
Written answers
A new recruitment campaign for Enlisted Personnel in both the Permanent and Reserve Defence Force was launched in March 2014. The Military Authorities have advised that, to date, from this recruitment campaign a total of 443 recruits have been inducted to the Permanent Defence Force, of which 360 remain in training. A total of 152 personnel have been inducted to the Reserve Defence Force.
General Service recruitment to the Permanent Defence Force will continue in 2015 from the recruitment panels formed from the current General Service recruitment competition .
As a continuation of the March 2014 recruitment campaign the Defence Forces were accepting applications for the RDF up to 14 November 2014. The selection process for enlistment in the Reserve Defence Force is continuing. Future recruitment into the RDF will be informed by Reserve strength figures.
With the support of the Chief of Staff and within the resources available, I intend to retain the capacity of the Defence Forces to operate effectively across all roles and to undertake the tasks laid down by Government both at home and overseas.
Driver Licence Data
Questions (112)
Clare Daly
Question:112. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of professional drivers prosecuted to date for not complying with the requirement to have acquired a driver certificate of professional competence, CPC, card. [48538/14]
View answerWritten answers
I am making enquiries with An Garda Síochána and the Road Safety Authority in relation to the matter referred to by the Deputy. I will contact the Deputy directly as soon as the information is to hand.
Rights of the Child
Questions (113)
Ciaran Lynch
Question:113. Deputy Ciarán Lynch asked the Minister for Justice and Equality her views on concerns that the Children and Family Relationships Bill 2014 commodifies children, undermines the right of a child to a mother and father whenever possible, and deliberately disrupts the natural ties between parents and children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48564/14]
View answerWritten answers
The General Scheme of the Children and Family Relationships Bill will significantly reform family law, and is intended to secure the legal rights of a child in her or his family setting. Many children live in families other than with their married biological parents, and up to now there has been very little legal recognition or protection for children living in these families.
The Children and Family Relationships Bill is a child-centred Bill which will have a real and meaningful effect on the lives of many children, especially those born through donor-conception, whether they are born to opposite-sex or same-sex couples. Under the law as it stands, parentage cannot be secured by a same-sex couple. As a result, the non-biological parent does not have the rights and responsibilities of a parent in relation to the child. Opposite-sex couples can benefit from presumptions of paternity in relation to the intending father, but this is rebuttable, which means that the child remains in a vulnerable position as regards his or her parentage.
The Bill will change this situation. The measures in the Bill will ensure that a donor-conceived child born to a couple has rights in relation to both of his or her parents, and that both parents have corresponding rights and responsibilities to the child. The rights of the child to know his or her identity, including as to his or her genetic origins, are also secured. A key aim of the Bill is to secure the child's best interests and to ensure that they and their families have legal recognition and protection.
The General Scheme also includes a number of provisions aimed at supporting the relationship between parents and children. Many unmarried fathers will benefit from the provisions, for example, enabling them to become guardians of their children automatically if they have lived with the child's mother for 12 months, including 3 months following the child's birth. The provisions on making parenting orders work recognise the importance of supporting parents to maintain meaningful relationships with their children even in the context of relationship breakdown between the adults. To this end, the General Scheme proposes a series of measures to ensure better compliance by both parents with custody and access orders.
In light of these points, I would not, therefore, accept any of the propositions behind the concerns set out in the Deputy's question.
Alcohol Sales Legislation
Questions (114, 115)
John Lyons
Question:114. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Justice and Equality when the consultation process will begin for the draft statutory code of practice relating to the sale and display of alcohol in mixed trading premises; if she will provide an update on plans for the structured separation of alcohol from other products in such premises; and if the draft code will include measures to separate alcohol in this regard. [48496/14]
View answerJohn Lyons
Question:115. Deputy John Lyons asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if the new statutory code of practice relating to the sale and display of alcohol in mixed trading premises will include measures to restrict the advertising of bulk alcohol offers and below-cost alcohol in large quantities. [48497/14]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 114 and 115 together.
The position is that my Department is currently finalising the content of the draft statutory Code of Practice on the display and sale of alcohol products in mixed trading outlets. I hope to be in a position to launch the consultation process on the contents of the Code, as required under section 17 of the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2011, in the coming weeks. It is intended that the statutory code will operate for a two year period, after which its effectiveness will be jointly evaluated by my Department and the Department of Health. The results of this joint evaluation will inform any future decision on implementing the statutory provisions on structural separation which are set out in section 9 of the Intoxicating Liquor Act 2008.
With regard to volume-based alcohol promotions, the position is that section 16 of the 2008 Act contains separate provisions for the making of regulations concerning the sale, supply and consumption of alcohol products. From the outset it was recognised, however, that a joint North/South approach to restricting alcohol promotions would be desirable; otherwise, the effectiveness of any measures introduced in this jurisdiction could be undermined by means of increased cross-Border shopping if similar measures were not introduced in Northern Ireland. During discussions in early 2012 between my predecessor and the Minister for Social Development in Northern Ireland, the desirability of implementing a joint North/South approach to restricting certain 'volume-based' alcohol promotions was agreed.
The Department of Social Development in Northern Ireland subsequently launched a consultation process on draft proposals to restrict bulk purchases of alcohol products in supermarkets and other premises with off-licences. Arising from this consultation process, and following the expression of concerns by the Assembly's Social Development Committee, the Minister announced that he had decided not to proceed with restrictions on bulk purchases from off-licences.
As regards future action, the position is that the Government has agreed that the forthcoming Public Health (Alcohol) Bill will give Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) statutory enforcement powers in relation to regulations made under section 16 of the 2008 Act. Following enactment of this legislation, I will consider how best to proceed with the making of such regulations. In this context, I remain conscious that the effectiveness of any future restrictions on volume-based promotions in this jurisdiction could be undermined by the lack of corresponding measures in Northern Ireland.
In so far as 'below cost' selling is concerned, the position is that the Government has approved an extensive package of measures to deal with alcohol misuse in response to the Report of the Steering Group on a National Substance Misuse Strategy, including minimum unit pricing measures which will be included in the forthcoming Public Health (Alcohol) Bill.
Prisoner Data
Questions (116)
Éamon Ó Cuív
Question:116. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of life sentence prisoners released from prison in 2013; the average length of time served by these life sentence prisoners prior to release in 2013; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48505/14]
View answerWritten answers
I can inform the Deputy that a total of four life sentenced prisoners were released into the community in 2013. The average length of sentence served by these four prisoners prior to release was seventeen and a half years.
Life sentenced prisoners who are released into the community continue to serve their sentences, subject to a subject to a number of stringent conditions. While in the community, a life sentenced prisoner will be on reviewable temporary release under the supervision of the Probation Service. Reviewable temporary release is where a prisoner is granted a specific period of temporary release from prison. This can be at varying intervals, for example, weekly, monthly or annually. The period of release is reviewed when the prisoner returns to prison and a decision is made whether to refuse or grant a further period of reviewable temporary release.
The Probation Service provide progress reports to the Irish Prison Service outlining resettlement and reintegration progress and will report on any risk management concerns a Life Sentenced prisoner may present. Where it is reported to the Irish Prison Service that the prisoner in the community is failing to abide by the conditions of their release, that person may be refused a further period of temporary release and be taken back into custody.
An Garda Síochána may return a prisoner to prison where they are of the view that the prisoner is in breach of their temporary release conditions. When this happens, the Governor will conduct an oral hearing. If the Governor is satisfied, taking into account evidence presented and comments made, that a breach of temporary release conditions has occurred the prisoner should be notified accordingly. The reviewable temporary release is then revoked and the prisoner is taken back into custody.
Fines Data
Questions (117)
Sandra McLellan
Question:117. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the revenue that is raised on speeding fines annually since 2011; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48558/14]
View answerWritten answers
The Deputy will appreciate that, under the provisions of Section 4(3) of the Courts Service Act, 1998 the Courts are independent in their performance of its functions, which includes the provision of statistics. However, to be of assistance, I have had enquiries made and am informed by the Courts Service that the following table outlines the amount paid in respect of fines imposed for speeding offences from 2011 to October 2014. The Deputy will appreciate that substantial revenue is also received in respect of payments made on foot of fixed charge notices issued by the Garda authorities for speeding offences, which do not proceed to Court. I have sought up to date Garda information on the income arising from these payments and I will forward this information to the Deputy when it is available.
|
Year |
Amount paid |
|
Jan - Dec 2011 |
€708,085.00 |
|
Jan - Dec 2012 |
€812,922.00 |
|
Jan - Dec 2013 |
€775,476.00 |
|
Jan - Oct 2014 |
€602,840.00 |
Asylum Applications
Questions (118)
Bernard Durkan
Question:118. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 352 of 2 December 2014, if an application for asylum or refugee status has been made in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Laois; when such application was made; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48560/14]
View answerWritten answers
My response to Parliamentary Question No. 352 of 2 December, 2014 clearly states the policy of my Department with regard to not providing information in respect of individual applications for asylum or subsidiary protection for so long as they remain in the protection process. Section 19 (1) of the Refugee Act, 1996 states that "The Commissioner, the Board, the Tribunal, the Minister, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and their respective officers shall take all practicable steps to ensure that the identity of applicants is kept confidential".
Citizenship Applications
Questions (119)
Sandra McLellan
Question:119. Deputy Sandra McLellan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the amount of revenue raised through citizenship applications annually since 2011; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48561/14]
View answerWritten answers
The amount of revenue raised annually through citizenship applications between 2011 and 2013 was €9,592,000, €17,009,000 and €23,106,000 and is estimated at approximately €20m for 2014.