Written Answers Nos. 123-133
123. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the appropriate application form which a person (details supplied) requires to apply for naturalisation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9018/16]
View answerAs the person referred to by the Deputy will be eighteen years of age next July it will be open to her to apply for a certificate of naturalisation using the Form 8 application, which is the appropriate application form for a certificate of naturalisation by a person of full age.
Section 15 of the Act 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.
It is open to any individual to lodge an application for citizenship if and when they are in a position to meet the all the statutory requirements. An on-line residency calculator is available on the website www.inis.gov.ie which may be of assistance in establishing if the residency requirements are met.
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.
124. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the actions she proposes to take regarding gangland crime and recent murder, especially those committed in County Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9064/16]
View answerAs the Deputy may be aware, the Taoiseach and I met recently with senior Garda management in relation to these serious matters, and were briefed on the significant progress being made in investigations into recent organised crime related murders in the Dublin region. The Deputy will appreciate that as these appalling crimes are the subject of ongoing Garda investigations it would not be appropriate for me to make any more detailed comment at this time.
However, I can assure the Deputy that I remain committed to ensuring that An Garda Síochána have the necessary resources to pursue the robust strategy which the Commissioner and her senior officers have put in place to oppose those who have perpetrated such heinous crimes in our capital city. The Garda response includes highly visible policing, the use of armed checkpoints, and targeted and intelligence based operations, with a view to disrupting and preventing incidents as well as detecting and prosecuting those involved. Work is also progressing on the establishment of the additional, dedicated Armed Support unit for Dublin which I first announced in February and pending the establishment of which armed support is being provided on an overtime basis. These measures are in addition to the intensive Garda recruitment programme which is currently underway.
I might add that heavy penalties are provided for weapons offences in our criminal law and mandatory minimum penalties have been introduced for certain firearms offences. The considerable powers already available to Gardaí have been supplemented further by the newly established DNA Database which will have the capacity to link suspects to unsolved crimes using forensic evidence, and will greatly assist Gardaí in investigating serious gun crimes and a whole range of other serious offences.
Needless to say there are very real challenges in counteracting those who are determined to perpetuate a cycle of mindless violence without any regard to human life of public safety. However, we should not lose sight of the fact that An Garda Síochána have in the past successfully faced-down criminal gangs who believed they were above the law. I trust that all in this House will agree that the State must continue to take all appropriate measures to oppose and dismantle such operations and to disrupt the drugs trade which is at the heart of much of their activities.
125. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of members of An Garda Síochána in Dublin north in each of the past ten years, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9075/16]
View answerAs the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution of resources, including personnel, among the various Garda Divisions and Districts and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter. Garda management keeps this distribution of resources under continual review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities so as to ensure that the optimum use is made of these resources.
I have been informed by the Garda Commissioner that the number of Gardaí assigned to the Dublin Metropolitan Region (DMR) North Garda Division on the 31 December 2006 - 2015 and on the 29 February 2016, the latest date for which figures are readily available, are as set out in the following table.
The Deputy will appreciate that it is vital that An Garda Síochána is renewed in order to ensure that it has the capacity to provide effective and visible policing throughout the country. Since the Garda College reopened in September 2014, there have been seven intakes of Garda Trainees giving a total intake of 700, with a further 450 to be recruited this year. This does not, of course, take account of any proposals that may be agreed as part of the ongoing discussions on the formation of a Government.
So far 395 of the new Garda Trainees have attested as members of An Garda Síochána and have been assigned by the Garda Commissioner to Garda stations throughout the country to carry out mainstream uniform policing duties. I have been informed that of these, 29 have been assigned to the DMR North Garda Division. I am assured by Garda management that the needs of all Garda Divisions are fully considered when determining the allocation of newly attested Gardaí.
|
Dublin Metropolitan Region North Garda Division 2006 to 2016 |
|||||||||||
|
Year |
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
*2016 |
|
Strength |
640 |
755 |
779 |
826 |
798 |
774 |
744 |
714 |
681 |
668 |
666 |
* as of 29 February 2016
126. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if she is considering the re-opening of Garda Síochána stations in Ballymore Eustace and Ballytore in County Kildare; if she is using crime statistics to evaluate this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9136/16]
View answerThe formulation of proposals in relation to the opening and closing of Garda Stations is a matter, in the first instance, for the Garda Commissioner and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter.
During 2011 and 2012, An Garda Síochána completed a comprehensive review of its district and station network. The objective of this review was to identify opportunities to introduce strategic reforms to enhance service delivery, increase efficiency and streamline practices within the organisation. The review concluded that a revised district and station network commensurate with the organisation’s resource base would best meet public demand. As a result, the Garda District and Station Rationalisation Programme was implemented in 2012 and 2013. This was reflected in An Garda Síochána’s Policing Plans for 2012 and 2013 which set out the details of the closure of 39 Garda stations in 2012 and 100 Garda stations in 2013.
The closures have allowed front line Garda to be managed and deployed with greater mobility, greater flexibility and in a more focused fashion particularly with regard to various targeted police operations.
I am informed by the Garda Authorities that the current consolidation process is largely completed. There are no proposals to either re-open or close any Garda stations in the Policing Plan for 2016.
The Garda Station Building and Refurbishment Programme 2016-2021, which I announced in late October with my colleague the Minister of State at the OPW, is based on agreed priorities which are established by An Garda Síochána. Over thirty locations around the country will benefit from the Programme which includes major refurbishment of stations and facilities including facilities for meeting victims of crime, essential remedial works to existing stations, development of large scale property and exhibit management stores, the upgrade of cells and provision of improved custody management facilities. The Programme will be delivered by the Garda Authorities in cooperation with the OPW which has responsibility for capital expenditure in this area.
127. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the status of a section 49 application to the tegistrar of the Property Registration Authority by a person (details supplied) who suffers from a number of illnesses and is currently in receipt of disability allowance. [9146/16]
View answerI can inform the Deputy that under the Registration of Deeds and Title Act 2006, the Property Registration Authority (PRA) was established as and from 4 November 2006. The PRA replaces the Registrar of Deeds and Titles as the registering authority in relation to property registration in Ireland and, subject to the above Act, is independent in the performance of its functions.
The Deputy will be aware of the service to T.D.s and Senators which provides information on the current status of applications, such as the subject of this question, which was introduced in May 2006. The service provides a speedier, more efficient and more cost effective alternative to submitting Parliamentary Questions. It is operated by the PRA and is available all year round.
I can further inform the Deputy that his query has been forwarded to the PRA for attention and direct reply via the above mentioned service.
128. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the financial support available for a child care facility that wishes to provide an after-hours service to develop or secure a premises for its service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8846/16]
View answerCapital funding of more than €420 million was provided by the State to support the development of childcare infrastructure in the period up until 2008. Since the economic downturn the limited funding available to this Department has been targeted to support the refurbishment and maintenance of childcare facilities in which there has already been considerable investment.
I announced earlier this year the introduction of an Early Years Capital Programme 2016 with total funding of €4 million available. This funding is targeted at early years pre-school providers that are making alterations to their services to accommodate the increased numbers of children eligible for the free pre-school provision following my decision to expand the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme. The number of children availing of the programme will increase from approximately 67,000 per year to 127,000 per year following the full roll out of the expanded pre-school provision.
Last year, I established the Inter-Departmental Group to consider options for future investment in early years and after-school childcare and to set out a range of options for future investment which would enhance affordability, increase the accessibility and improve the quality of early years and after-school childcare.
Several recommendations of the Group, including a number which relate to after-school childcare, were considered as part of the Estimates process for the Budget and will also be funded in 2016. These include a €3 million capital fund, which will be provided to enable both community/not-for-profit and private providers to develop after-school childcare services using existing school and other accessible community facilities. The terms and conditions for this €3 million capital fund are currently being drafted.
A number of support programmes are implemented by this Department to support parents to access quality after-school childcare services. These include:
- The After-School Childcare (ASCC) programme that provides after-school care for primary school children of eligible parents for a period of 52 weeks. Eligibility for the programme is determined by the Department of Social Protection. The programme contributes €40 per week for an after-school place or €80 per week in situations where the childcare service provides a pick-up service that collects the child from school. The programme also provides a full day care rate of €105 per week, for a maximum of 10 weeks, to cater for school holiday periods. In all cases, the maximum fee payable by parents is €15 per week per child.
- The Community Employment Childcare (CEC) programme, which is targeted specifically at participants in the Community Employment (CE) schemes operated by the Department of Social Protection. Under this programme, €80 per week is provided for pre-school places for children up to the age of 5 and €40 per week for after-school places for primary school children up to the age of 13, with a set charge of €15 per week to the parent in either case. The programme also provides a part time day care rate of €80 per week, for a maximum of 10 weeks, to cater for school holiday periods. Places are approved for 50 weeks. Eligibility for the CEC programme is determined by the Department of Social Protection.
- The Childcare Education and Training Support (CETS) programme, which provides childcare places, including part-time and after-school places, to qualifying Solas or Education and Training Boards (ETB) trainees or students for the duration of their courses. Eligibility for the CETS programme is determined by the Department of Education and Skills.
- The Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme provides funding to childcare services to enable them to provide quality childcare, including after-school care, at reduced rates to disadvantaged and low income working parents.
129. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he received a submission from the Children's Rights Alliance in respect of the serious issues for children and young persons as outlined in the programme for Government 2011 to 2016; his plans to implement any recommendations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8853/16]
View answerI have received from the Children's Rights Alliance a copy of its recently published Report Card 2016. I gather that the CRA sent a copy to each member of the Oireachtas.
The Deputy will be aware that the Report Card is an established accountability tool for the CRA and its more than 100 member organisations through which it has, since 2009, scrutinised progress on the commitments to children in the Programme for Government. The most recent Report Card explores progress during 2015 against commitments in the 2011-2016 Programme for Government.
Each year, the CRA evaluates Government's delivery of its promises in six key areas - children's constitutional rights, the right to education, to health, to an adequate standard of living, to protection from abuse and neglect and the right to equality and non-discrimination. The grading is carried out by a high-level independent panel, comprising some of Ireland's leading experts in children's rights, child law, education, early years and from the trade union sector. The Report Card also provides an important resource for politicians, policy makers, service providers and non-governmental organisations and academics. The recommendations contained therein traverse the remits of my colleagues across other Government Departments as well as covering issues under the direct remit of my Department.
I would also note that a considerable number of recommendations are reflected in the commitments contained within Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures, the National Policy Framework for Children and Young People, with responsibility for implementation again falling to the respective Government Departments. My Department is responsible for monitoring progress on the implementation of Better Outcomes Brighter Futures and supporting its key implementation structures across Departments and sectors. An annual report on progress towards those commitments to April 2015 was published in 2015 with the second report covering the following year to April 2016 currently in preparation.
I can inform the Deputy that the CRA recently contacted the Secretary General in my Department to arrange a meeting to discuss issues arising from the Report Card 2016. A meeting is being arranged for the coming weeks. In addition, the Department engaged in a funding arrangement with the CRA in 2015 to support the implementation of Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures. The Department has recently received correspondence from the CRA with regard to an ongoing funding support. This proposal is under active consideration. This funding arrangement recognises the work of the CRA in the areas of consultation, representation and consensus building, which has in turn supported the work and shared objectives of my Department.
130. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 359 of 14 April 2016, the length of time each site listed has been vacant. [8892/16]
View answerI can confirm that the only known sole occupancy property currently owned by Tusla, and which is vacant, is located at 69 Amiens Street, Dublin 1 in the Dublin City Council area and has been vacant for two years. Tusla is endeavouring to secure funding for a change of use from residential to office accommodation in order to meet future office accommodation requirements for the Agency. Funding is required for change of use and remodelling/fit-out of approximately 310m2 accommodation.
131. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the degree to which he liaises with the voluntary child and youth support agencies in County Kildare, with particular reference to addressing ongoing issues and challenges; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8918/16]
View answer132. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the extent to which he will continue support for Kildare Youth Services in line with increased demands and requirements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8919/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 131 and 132 together.
My Department administers a range of funding schemes and programmes to support the provision of youth services to young people throughout the country including those from disadvantaged communities. The funding schemes support national and local youth work provision to some 380,000 young people and involve approximately 1,400 youth work staff in 477 projects and 40,000 volunteers working in youth work services and communities throughout the country. In 2016, funding of €51m has been provided to my Department for these schemes.
In 2016, an amount of €500,405 has been allocated for the projects and services under Kildare Youth Services, which operates under Youth Work Ireland, an increase of more than €12,000 on the 2015 allocation. My Department provides funding to Kildare Youth Services under the Special Projects for Youth Scheme in respect of six local youth projects in Athy, Naas, Leixlip, Newbridge, the Curragh and Kildare town and a Youth Information Centre in Naas.
In addition, €2.6m in capital funding has been allocated to my Department for 2016. In the main, this funding will be used to support smaller scale projects, such as refurbishments, health and safety works, and accessibility improvements in youth services. Details of the capital grant scheme are available from my Department's website, www.dcya.gov.ie.
I, and officials of my Department have met, and continue to meet, regularly with many voluntary organisations and groups providing services to children and young people to see how we can work together to bring about the best possible outcomes for young people, having regard to resources available to us and to ensure that the programmes and services being provided are relevant and responsive to young people’s needs. Ongoing engagement and dialogue with the youth sector organisations and with young people themselves are priorities in the development of the policies and services to support young people’s development and learning. Most recently, on 28th April 2016 I and officials from my Department met with representatives of over 30 national and major regional voluntary youth organisations that work with children and young people, throughout the country. The purpose of the meeting was to provide an opportunity to share knowledge and information about developments to support the provision of services to secure improved outcomes for children and young people.
The National Youth Strategy 2015-2020, published last October was developed in close consultation with statutory youth interests and the voluntary youth organisations and services that work with young people. The strategy sets out Government’s aims for young people, aged 10 to 24 years, so that they are active and healthy, achieving their full potential in learning and development, safe and protected from harm, have economic security and opportunity and are connected and contributing to their world. The implementation structures established by my Department under Better Outcomes Brighter Futures will oversee the roll-out of the National Youth Strategy.
National voluntary organisations that work with children and young people are represented at the Advisory Council for the implementation of Better Outcomes Brighter Future.
At local level, Youth Officers of the Education and Training Boards have an important support role on behalf of my Department, to local youth services. My Department works closely with them to address issues that arise for local services. Officials of my Department met Kildare Youth Services and have visited their Kildare Youth Service to hear about their work and their proposals, for the provision of services in County Kildare.
133. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs why there is a delay in forwarding mother and baby files from St. Patrick's on the Navan Road to the Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, office in Blanchardstown in Dublin 15; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8992/16]
View answerThe records from Saint Patrick's, on the Navan Road, Dublin 7 are currently in the TUSLA Child and Family Agency office in Blanchardstown, Dublin 15.
