Written Answers Nos. 134-141
134. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Defence further to Parliamentary Question No. 13 of 14 January 2015, the purpose of the deployments of armed soldiers; if it was to protect US military or state aircraft; and the reason this would be necessary if the aircraft are not carrying weapons, or involved in military operations (details supplied). [3058/15]
View answerAs outlined in my response to the previous question referred to, deployments of members of the Defence Forces to Shannon Airport occur as a consequence of Aid to the Civil Power requests from An Garda Síochána. The reasons for such requests being made are an operational matter for An Garda Síochána, who have primary responsibility for the internal security of the State.
135. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the present status of the Spent Convictions Bill. [2893/15]
View answerThe Spent Convictions Bill has passed Committee Stage in the Dáil, having passed all stages in the Seanad. However, before the Bill could be taken at Report Stage, a 2013 UK Court of Appeal judgment necessitated a review of the disclosure provisions in both the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012 and the Spent Convictions Bill. That review has been completed and amendments to the Vetting Act and consequential amendments to the Spent Convictions Bill are currently being drafted. The Bill will be enacted at the earliest opportunity. Pending the amendment of the Bill, an Administrative Filter for Garda Vetting Disclosures has been introduced, which provides that certain minor offences that are over 7 years old are no longer disclosed.
136. Deputy Seán Kenny asked the Minister for Justice and Equality her plans to provide unmarked motorcycles for the Garda traffic corps; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2901/15]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that decisions in relation to the provision and allocation of Garda vehicles are a matter for the Garda Commissioner in the light of her identified operational demands and the availability of resources.
The Garda authorities have indicated that the motorcycles attached to the Garda Traffic Corps play an important role in An Garda Síochána's strategy of providing high visibility traffic policing. Accordingly, they have no plans to introduce unmarked motorcycles to the Traffic Corps Fleet.
137. Deputy Seán Kenny asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of firearms and knives seized by An Garda Síochána in each of the past three years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2902/15]
View answerI have asked the Garda Commissioner for a report in relation to the matter and will write to the Deputy when I have further information.
138. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the procedure to be followed to obtain citizenship in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2908/15]
View answerOfficials in the Citizenship Division of the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) inform me that there is no record of an application for a certificate of naturalisation from the person referred to in the Deputy's question.
Section 15 of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended, provides that the Minister may, in her absolute discretion, grant an application for a certificate of naturalisation provided certain statutory conditions are fulfilled. The conditions are that the applicant must be of full age; be of good character; have had a period of one year's continuous residency in the State immediately before the date of application and, during the eight years; immediately preceding that period, have had a total residence in the State amounting to four years; intend in good faith to continue to reside in the State after naturalisation; have, before a judge of the District Court in open court, in a citizenship ceremony or in such manner as the Minister, for special reasons, allows (i) made a declaration, in the prescribed manner, of fidelity to the nation and loyalty to the State, and (ii) undertaken to faithfully observe the laws of the State and to respect its democratic values.
A foreign national who is married to, or is the civil partner of, an Irish citizen for at least three years may apply for naturalisation under section 15A of the Irish Naturalisation and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended, where they have been continuously resident in the island of Ireland for the year immediately prior to the date of their application and for two out of the four years prior to that year. The marriage or civil partnership must be subsisting and recognised under Irish law. Section 15A provides that the Minister may waive certain conditions for naturalisation if satisfied that the applicant would suffer serious consequences in respect of his or her bodily integrity or liberty if not granted Irish citizenship.
Section 16 of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended, provides that the Minister may, in her absolute discretion, waive some or all of the statutory conditions in certain circumstances i.e. where an applicant is of Irish descent or of Irish associations; where an applicant is a person who is a refugee within the meaning of the United Nations Convention relating to the Status of Refugees; or where an applicant is a Stateless person within the meaning of the United Nations Convention relating to the Status of Stateless persons.
It is open to any individual to lodge an application for citizenship if and when they are in a position to meet the statutory requirements as prescribed in the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended.
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 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 INIS is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.
139. Deputy Michael Colreavy asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons who have died while residing in direct provision during the years 2002 to 2014 inclusive; if she will provide a breakdown of cause of death, location of death (that is hospital), age and gender of deceased. [2927/15]
View answerThe Reception and Integration Agency (RIA) of my Department is responsible for the accommodation of asylum seekers under the Government policy of direct provision and dispersal.
The collation of statistics on deaths of asylum seekers living in direct provision commenced in 2002. During the period 2002 to 2014, there have been 61 deaths of asylum seekers who were residing in direct provision accommodation prior to their deaths. The cause of death is recorded on death certificates. There was one case of suicide involving a newly arrived asylum seeker taking his own life in 2008 while in hospital.
The number of asylum seekers, gender and age profile of those who died between 2002 and 2014 while being provided with accommodation by RIA in direct provision centres are set out in the tables below. While all of these deaths are, of course, tragic, they need to be viewed proportionately and against the background that RIA has provided accommodation for almost 53,000 persons over the course of the fourteen years the direct provision policy has been in place.
|
Year |
Gender |
Number of Deaths |
|
2002 |
3 Females, 3 Males |
6 |
|
2003 |
1 Female, 5 Males, 2 infants (believed to be stillbirths) |
8 |
|
2004 |
2 Males, 1 infant (believed to be stillbirth) |
3 |
|
2005 |
2 Females, 4 Males |
6 |
|
2006 |
1 Female, 3 Males |
4 |
|
2007 |
1 Female, 7 Males |
8 |
|
2008 |
2 Females, 6 Males |
8 |
|
2009 |
1 Female, 1 Male |
2 |
|
2010 |
2 Females, 4 Males |
6 |
|
2011 |
1 Male |
1 |
|
2012 |
2 Females, 4 Males |
6 |
|
2013 |
1 Female, 1 Male |
2 |
|
2014 |
1 Male |
1 |
|
Total |
61 |
|
Age Profile |
Number of Deaths |
|
0-5 |
16 |
|
6-10 |
0 |
|
11-15 |
0 |
|
16-20 |
4 |
|
21-25 |
3 |
|
26-30 |
6 |
|
31-35 |
9 |
|
36-40 |
6 |
|
41-45 |
3 |
|
46-50 |
6 |
|
51-56 |
4 |
|
56-60 |
2 |
|
61-65 |
2 |
|
Total |
61 |
140. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of serving and former members of the Garda who have been disciplined for telling lies to the forensic division; and the sanctions that are placed on members who are found to have been lying. [2928/15]
View answerIt is not possible to give a response to the specific question tabled by the Deputy on the basis of the information provided. If the Deputy could clarify the nature of the information he is seeking, I would be happy to see to what extent it is available.
141. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the value of non-illegal goods destroyed by An Garda Síochána for each of the past five years. [2937/15]
View answerI have requested the information sought from the Garda authorities and I will revert to the Deputy in due course as soon as the information is to hand.
