Written Answers Nos. 106-114
106. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the progress to date in the determination of an application for naturalisation in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3077/15]
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 by the Deputy.
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. I am informed that processing of this application is well advanced and the applicant will be informed of my decision in due course.
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.
107. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the progress to date in the determination of an application for citizenship in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Carlow; the documentation that remains outstanding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3078/15]
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 by the Deputy.
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. I am informed that processing of this application is well advanced and the applicant will be informed of my decision in due course.
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.
108. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will issue a substantive reply to correspondence (details supplied); her views on the matter in view of the recent correspondence between her Department and the person; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3080/15]
View answerWhile a substantive response to the Deputy's correspondence has yet to issue due to the ongoing nature of the case, the Deputy will be aware that the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department has been engaged with the proprietor of the two colleges regarding major concerns on their operation of undergraduate and post graduate degree programmes accredited by a University in the United Kingdom.
I am informed that, following a routine check to compare student numbers registered with the Garda National Immigration Bureau and the student numbers the corresponding provider in Ireland had registered with the overseas accreditation body, significant discrepancies were uncovered between the non-EEA students registered to the colleges concerned and the overall student numbers registered with the accrediting University. The proprietor was alerted to this discrepancy on 14 August 2014 and requested to provide comprehensive statistics of the recruitment of non-EEA nationals. The proprietor responded on 5 September 2014.
My officials met with the proprietor, his solicitor and a senior manager from the college to discuss issues of serious concern on 20 October 2014. There has been subsequent correspondence between INIS and the proprietor in the intervening period which I understand has been copied to the Deputy.
My officials are continuing to engage with the proprietor of the colleges concerned. I understand that the Deputy has been copied on the most recent correspondence between INIS and the proprietor. A full response will issue to the Deputy's various queries once the various matters have been clarified with the proprietor. In the meantime, I have asked my officials to issue an interim response to the Deputy.
109. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality when the PULSE system of An Garda Síochána will be replaced; the amount this will cost; the tendering process that will be put in place for the replacement of PULSE; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3095/15]
View answerUnder the Garda Síochána Act, 2005 the Garda Commissioner is responsible for controlling the general management and administration of the Force within the context of agreed annual policing plans. This includes the procurement and maintenance of various technologies utilised to support frontline Gardaí and intelligence led operations against organised crime, including PULSE.
With regard to major information technology projects, the Commissioner is supported in her decision making process by advice from the Garda ICT Steering Committee which comprises senior representatives from my Department, An Garda Síochána, the Garda Inspectorate and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. In that regard I have been informed that no decision has been made to replace PULSE. Any such decisions on the future of PULSE will have due regard to the Garda Inspectorate report on Crime Investigation, published last year and I have clearly signalled my intention to support the Garda Síochána in their efforts to address the various IT issues which were identified in the report. I understand a separate internal in-depth examination of all the recommendations in the Garda Inspectorate report has also been commenced by the Garda Commissioner and this will also encompass those relating to technology.
110. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Justice and Equality her views on the enforcement of the requirement for drivers to have a valid national car test certificate in view of the current waiting period for the NCT test. [3108/15]
View answerThe Deputy will appreciate that as I have no direct role in road traffic enforcement, which is an operational matter for An Garda Síochána, it would not be appropriate for me to comment on this matter.
111. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Justice and Equality when a sergeant will be appointed to Mullagh Garda station, County Cavan, as this station needs to have a full complement of gardaí due to the very rapid growth in population in that catchment area over the past number of years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3120/15]
View answerOne of the primary functions of the Garda Commissioner under the Garda Síochána Acts, is to direct and control An Garda Síochána. The Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution of personnel among the Garda Regions, Divisions, and Districts. Garda management keep this distribution under continuing review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities so as to ensure that the best possible use is made of these resources.
I have been informed by the Garda Commissioner that the personnel strength of Mullagh Garda station on 30 November 2014, the latest date for which figures are readily available was one. Mullagh forms part of the Bailieboro Garda District in the Cavan/Monaghan Garda Division. The personnel strength of Bailieboro Garda District and the Cavan/Monaghan Garda Division on the same date was 62 and 324, respectively. There are also 22 Garda Reserves and 36 civilians attached to the Cavan/Monaghan Division of which three Garda Reserves and six civilians are attached to the Bailieboro District.
As the Deputy will be aware, 100 new recruits entered training at the Garda College in Templemore in September 2014, the first intake of Garda recruits since 2009. This was followed by an intake of a further 100 new recruits in December. A further intake of 100 is due to enter training at the end of this month. This will bring to 300 the number of recruits in the Garda College since last September and is a measure of this Government's commitment to the Garda Síochána. The first intake of recruits will attest as members of An Garda Síochána in May of this year and will be assigned to Garda Stations by the Garda Commissioner. The Garda Commissioner, will of course, continue to keep the needs of the Mullagh Garda station under review within the overall context of the needs of Garda Divisions throughout the country.
112. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí stationed in County Limerick by station in each of the past five years; the number of vehicles in same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3131/15]
View answerOne of the primary functions of the Garda Commissioner under the Garda Síochána Acts, is to direct and control An Garda Síochána. The Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution of personnel among the Garda Regions, Divisions, and Districts. Garda management keep this distribution under continuing review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities so as to ensure that the best possible use is made of these resources.
Details regarding the personnel strength of each station in the Limerick Division are currently being collated and will be forwarded directly to the Deputy.
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. Responsibility for the efficient deployment of Garda vehicles in each Division is assigned to the Divisional Officer, who may allocate vehicles between stations, as required by operational circumstances. The Deputy will appreciate that a degree of flexibility in allocating and re-allocating vehicles among stations, so as to best match the allocation of resources with policing priorities, is essential to the efficient management of the Garda fleet. As a consequence the number of vehicles deployed to Garda stations within each Garda District and Division is subject to ongoing change in response to An Garda Síochána's operational requirements. As a consequence it is not practicable to provide a breakdown of Garda vehicles by each individual Garda station.
However, details regarding the number of vehicles assigned to each Garda District for the periods concerned are being collated and will be forwarded directly to the Deputy.
113. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 115 of 27 November 2014 if she will review the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3132/15]
View answerI am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the person referred to is the subject of a Deportation Order and therefore has no entitlement to residency in the State.
Representations were received asking that her Deportation Order be revoked, in accordance with the provisions of Section 3 (11) of the Immigration Act, 1999 (as amended). Following consideration of the information submitted, the Deportation Order was affirmed.
The person concerned has been evading deportation since 21st February, 2012 and, as such, is liable to arrest and detention for the purposes of having the Deportation Order enforced. The person concerned should, therefore, 'present' to the Garda National Immigration Bureau without further delay.
Queries in relation to the Status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to the INIS by Email 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 to long awaited.
114. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if there is a compensation scheme to assist victims of violent crimes (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3157/15]
View answerWhile I am not in a position to advise the Deputy in relation to the specific incident to which he refers I wish to inform him that the Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal administers the Scheme of Compensation for Personal Injuries Criminally Inflicted. The Tribunal considers applications from people who suffer a personal injury or death as a result of a crime of violence. Compensation may be awarded on the basis of any vouched out of pocket expenses, including loss of earnings, experienced by the victim or, if the victim has died as a result of the incident, by the dependants of the victim.
I can also inform the Deputy that the Tribunal is entirely independent in the matter of individual applications that may fall to be considered under the Scheme.
Further information concerning the Scheme may be accessed on my Department's website via the following link. http://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/Criminal_Injuries_Compensation_Scheme
