Jack Wall
Question:113. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Justice and Equality when a person (details supplied) in County Kildare will receive Garda Síochána clearance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40803/15]
View answerGarda Vetting Applications
Questions (113)
Written answers
I am informed by the Garda authorities that a vetting application in respect of the person referred to by the Deputy was received by the Garda Central Vetting Unit on 11 November 2015. This application is currently being processed and will be returned to the Authorised Signatory in the registered organisation upon its completion.
In general, applications for Garda vetting are processed on a first come, first served basis in chronological order from date of receipt. This is with a view to observing equity and fairness in respect of all vetting subjects.
The current average processing time for vetting applications is four weeks. However, in some individual cases additional enquiries may be necessary and this may result in processing times in excess of the average.
Garda Recruitment
Questions (114)
Barry Cowen
Question:114. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Justice and Equality when An Garda Síochána will begin its next round of recruitment; and if applicants for the last round will automatically be considered for a place, or if it is necessary for them to re-apply. [40812/15]
View answerWritten answers
This Government is committed to the ongoing recruitment of trainee Gardaí, and to this end the first intake since 2009 of new recruits commenced training at the Garda College, Templemore, in September of last year. To date there has been five intakes of Garda trainees to the Garda College, giving a total intake of 475. A further 75 trainees will enter college by year end, bringing total recruitment to 550. So far 295 of the new Garda trainees have attested as members of An Garda Síochána. The Budget provision for 2016 provides for the recruitment of an additional 600 Gardaí. This will bring to 1150 the total recruitment of Garda trainees since the reopening of the Garda College in September 2014.
The Public Appointments Service (PAS) manages the Garda Trainee competition for the Garda Commissioner and I have no direct involvement in the matter. I am advised, however, that as the panel of successful candidates from the current competition is expected to be exhausted early next year, a new competition will be required to ensure the ongoing recruitment of trainee Gardaí throughout 2016. The competition will be announced shortly, including on the PAS website (www.publicjobs.ie), and will be open to all eligible candidates.
Applicants who were unsuccessful, or who have not been offered a position from the current competition and who are interested in becoming a member of An Garda Síochána should apply through the PAS website when the new competition is announced.
International Summits
Questions (115, 116)
Ruth Coppinger
Question:115. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will report on her participation in the Valetta Summit on migration held in Malta on 11 and 12 November 2015; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40813/15]
View answerRuth Coppinger
Question:116. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will report on any bilateral meetings she had with representatives from other European states and from African states that participated in the Valetta Summit on migration held in Malta on 11 and 12 November 2015. [40814/15]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 115 and 116 together.
I wish to advise the Deputy that I represented Ireland at the Valletta Summit in Malta on 11 and 12 November 2015 on behalf of An Taoiseach who was unable to attend. This important Summit brought together leaders and senior government representatives from 31 European countries and 35 African nations in an effort to strengthen cooperation and address both the current challenges and opportunities of migration.
At the Summit leaders recognised that migration is a shared responsibility of countries of origin, transit and destination and we worked together to find common solutions to the challenges we are faced with. I am please to report that a range of substantive actions were agreed at the Summit. A Political Declaration was adopted and an Action Plan was agreed. The Action Plan is designed to :
- Address the root causes of irregular migration and forced displacement;
- Enhance cooperation on legal migration and mobility;
- Reinforce the protection of migrants and asylum seekers;
- Prevent and fight irregular migration, migrant smuggling and trafficking in human beings; and
- To work more closely and improve cooperation on return, readmission and reintegration.
A list of 16 concrete actions to be implemented by end 2016 was agreed. The existing mechanisms of the Rabat Process, the Khartoum Process and the Joint EU-Africa strategy will be used to monitor the implementation of the action plan.
In addition, the EU Emergency Trust Fund for stability and addressing root caused of irregular migration and displaced persons in Africa to which Ireland will contribute €3m was formally launched at the Valletta Summit.
In relation to bilateral meetings, I had the opportunity in the course of the Summit to exchange views with a number of other participants, including Prime Minister Cameron of the UK, Chancellor Merkel of Germany, Prime Minister Lofven of Sweden, the Eritrean Minister for Foreign Affairs - Minister Mohammed and Minister Shoukry the Foreign Minister of Egypt. In the course of my conversation with Minister Shoukry I raised the Halawa case.
Domestic Violence Refuges Provision
Questions (117)
Niall Collins
Question:117. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the action he will take to prevent the closure in December 2015 of the Cuan Álainn women's refuge at the Respond housing association development in Tallaght in Dublin 24; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40816/15]
View answerWritten answers
I facilitated a meeting with Respond on 3rd November to hear from them with regard to the nature of the service provided, the reasons for the intended cessation of the service, and to get a better understanding of Respond’s previous interaction with state bodies in relation to the Cuan Álainn facility.
The Cuan Álainn Centre, in the main, provides second stage residential accommodation for persons whose emergency needs arising from domestic violence have been met.
Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, in discharging its statutory responsibility, funds emergency refuge services for adults and children fleeing domestic violence, as well as providing a range of ongoing community supports. Tusla will continue to provide such supports in the future.
Respond informed me that there were five families in residence at the Cuan Álainn Centre. Accommodation has recently been secured for two of the families. The remaining three families residing at the Centre required to be housed. The local housing authorities are best placed to address such needs.
I advised Respond that I would contact my colleague, the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government to establish what can be done to assist the families involved, particularly in light of the housing needs of the families who reside at Cuan Álainn Centre. I have done that and also asked Minister Kelly to ensure that there is further engagement by the relevant local authorities with Respond regarding the future of the service.
I would also like to assure the Deputy that Tusla will continue to work closely with these families by providing appropriate community supports.