Written Answers Nos. 120-125
120. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will provide the necessary resources to increase Garda Síochána strength at the various Garda Síochána stations including in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3443/16]
View answerAs the Deputy will appreciate the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution of personnel among the Garda Regions, Divisions, and Districts. Garda management keep this distribution under continual review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities so as to ensure that the best possible use is made of resources. I am informed by the Garda Commissioner that the overall number of personnel available to An Garda Síochána at the end of December 2015 was close to 16,000 comprising 12,817 Gardaí, 953 Garda Reserve members and over 2,000 civilians.
This Government is committed to ensuring that An Garda Síochána has the capacity to provide effective and visible policing throughout the country. A crucial element of the Government's strategy is ensuring ongoing seamless recruitment to renew An Garda Síochána. With this in mind Budget 2016 made provision for the recruitment of 600 new Gardaí this year bringing to 1,150 the number of new Gardaí who will have been recruited since the reopening of the Garda College in Templemore in September 2014. Budget 2016 also made provision for the recruitment of additional civilians, in particular to develop the Garda ICT investment programme.
So far 296 of the new Garda recruits have been fully attested and are undertaking Garda duties in communities nationwide. I am assured by Garda management that the needs of all Garda Divisions are fully considered when determining the allocation of newly attested Gardaí and in this context I have been informed by the Commissioner that of these newly attested Probationer Gardaí, 15 have been assigned to the Kildare Garda Division.
I am very pleased that the 2016 recruitment campaign announced last November and which closed on 6 January has attracted strong interest with in the region of 16,500 applications received by the Public Appointments Service which is organising the competition on behalf of the Garda Commissioner.
121. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of prosecutions for the illegal possession of guns in each of the past eight years to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3444/16]
View answerI have asked the Garda Commissioner for a report in relation to this matter and I will write to the Deputy when I have further information.
123. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the status of a case pursuant to section 3(11) of the Immigration Act 1999, as amended (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3446/16]
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 21 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.
124. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his views on a submission (details supplied); if he will reply to the requests in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3282/16]
View answerNo such cases have arisen in my Department. My officials have asked the bodies under the aegis of my Department to respond to the Deputy directly in relation to this question as this information is not readily available in my Department.
125. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the measures he is taking to reduce the number of children who are in care but who have not yet received a written care plan, which according to the advocacy group, Empowering People in Care, currently stands at 604; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3329/16]
View answerA care plan for each child who is received into care is required under the Child Care Regulations, 1995. The regulations stipulate that all care plans are to be reviewed and updated on a regular basis and sets out the frequency for these reviews to take place. A review of the care planned for a child under the Child Care Act 1991 is a process to monitor and review the progress of the plan and to update it if required. A key consideration for the social worker is to consult with the child, family members, foster carers, and other people involved with the child to ensure that his or her needs are being met and that the care being provided is optimal.
At the end of October 2015, there were 6,331 children in care in Ireland. The Child and Family Agency, Tusla, reported that over 90% (5,727) of these children had a written care plan with 604 (9.5%) of children in care without a care plan. This figure includes children waiting for their first official care plan to be agreed, and those children whose care plan has not been reviewed/signed off within the regulatory dates. Considerable progress has been made in decreasing the numbers of children in care without a care plan which stood at 855 (13.2%) at the end of January 2014.
It is known that outcomes for children in care are better when there is evidence of a careful assessment, thoughtful planning and proactive case management. Tusla is working to improve this figure and to ensure all children in care have a care plan. The increased budget for Tusla for 2016 should result in an increase in the number of written care plans.
