Written Answers Nos. 83-99
83. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality when she will announce funding calls for and the duration of the new grant round under the new asylum migration and integration fund which the European Commission signed in 2015. [14269/16]
View answerI hope that a call under this Fund can take place in early September. Full details have yet to be decided but I would envisage that the duration of the projects selected will be up to three years.
Separate arrangements will apply to the Return area of the Fund.
84. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the role of Garda youth diversion projects as part of a long-term strategy to tackle gangland crime in north inner city Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14271/16]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that I recently announced a range of additional measures to tackle organised crime. These include the drafting of new legislation to further target the proceeds of crime and to strengthen the powers of the Criminal Assets Bureau. In addition I intend to bring forward proposals to enhance and update the legislative framework for the lawful interception of communications and for covert electronic surveillance, to combat the threats from serious and organised crime and terrorism.
The Commissioner has also announced the establishment of a special crime Task Force, in cooperation with other agencies including the Revenue Commissioners and Department of Social Protection. The purpose of the Task Force will be to focus relentlessly on persons involved in gangland activities.
As the Taoiseach announced, a separate task force will be set up in close consultation with community groups in the north inner city to identify the best means of tackling the various long-term problems to which the Deputy refers, including social exclusion, drugs, education and employment."
I have consistently made clear that we would fund whatever measures were needed for An Garda Síochána to best tackle the critical and unprecedented challenges they currently face. I was glad to secure substantial additional funding today of €55 million for the remainder of 2016.
The Deputy will be aware that statutory provision in relation to young offenders is set out in the Children Act 2001 (as amended). Accordingly, where a young person under the age of 18 comes into conflict with the law, the principles of the Act apply. A key principle in the Children Act relating to young offenders is that detention should be a last resort. In support of this principle, the legislation facilitates the incremental application of a series of measures, ranging from diversion in the first instance through community based sanctions, to detention.
The operation of the above statutory framework is substantially supported by the significant investment by my Department in community based programmes which are directed at diverting young people from further involvement in criminal or anti-social behaviour. These youth justice community programmes proceed on the basis of evidence that diversion programmes in the form of high quality preventative intervention can do more to reduce crime than more costly custodial sanctions. In 2016, just under €17 million has been allocated by my Department to the Irish Youth Justice Service (IYJS) to administer Garda Youth Diversion Projects (GYDPs), Young Persons Probation Projects (YPPs) and a number of other youth diversion community-based projects.
The evidence indicates that Diversion Projects are a sound investment. The GYDPs tackle behaviours such as impulsiveness which are associated with the bulk of youth crime; for example public order offending and minor theft. The GYDPs have a critical role to play in reducing youth crime. Their role is to prevent or 'divert' young people from the onset of repeat or serious offending, including potential future involvement in gangland crime, and they do this very effectively and efficiently. The Annual Reports of the Committee appointed to monitor the effectiveness of the Diversion Programme provide an overview of youth crime in the particular year in question. As such, the reports include details of, inter alia, the number of incidents and individual children and young people referred to the Diversion Programme and the outcomes of such referrals. The reports also include details in relation to the resources deployed by the Garda Commissioner to support the operation of the Programme. Arrangements in relation to the publication of the 2014 Report of the Monitoring Committee are currently being finalised. In its 2014 Report the Committee reports that 9,991 children and young people were referred to the Diversion Programme. This compares with 10,420 children and young people referred in 2013 and continues the downward trend in the number of children and young people referred to the Programme in recent years.
The officials from my Department assigned to the Irish Youth Justice Service (IYJS), in partnership with An Garda Síochána, are responsible for the management of the GYDPs and in partnership with the Probation Service in the case of YPPs. Through quantitative and qualitative analysis each GYDP, in conjunction with An Garda Síochána, develops a youth crime profile of the catchment area and of the young people who live there so that services are targeted effectively. The focussed targeting of young people in this way is complemented by the application of a risk assessment to identify the needs of the young people referred to the projects. This assists each project to focus on the continued development of targeted evidence based intervention and planning, leading to improved outcomes for the young people coming to the attention of An Garda Síochána.
I can inform the Deputy that five GYDPs and two YPPs operate in the Dublin north inner city area and almost €900,000 is being provided this year to support these important initiatives. The GYDP projects in the area provided support and services to over 140 young people who were referred in 2015.
Of course there are very real challenges in confronting violent criminals, but we should not lose sight of the fact that An Garda Síochána has in the past successfully faced down criminal gangs who believed they were above the law. Major investigations are underway in relation to recent shooting incidents, and I have made it clear to the Garda Commissioner that all necessary financial resources will continue to be made available to An Garda Síochána to support them in facing down the threat from criminal gangs.
85. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the State bodies under her remit which have developed memoranda of understanding with her counterpart in Northern Ireland with regard to the efficient delivery of services on the island of Ireland; if she has carried out a cost-benefit analysis of the development of further memoranda of understanding and the details of this; and the new memoranda of understanding she will create between State bodies in accordance with their remit. [14286/16]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy is set out below. Both memoranda of understanding and information sharing protocols have been developed in the policing and probation areas.
Policing
In accordance with the provisions of the 2002 Agreement between the Government of Ireland and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on Police Co-operation, An Garda Síochána and the Police Service of Northern Ireland have established a number of Protocols. The purpose of these Protocols is to enhance police cooperation aimed at improving public safety throughout Ireland, disrupting criminal activity and enhancing the policing capability of both police services on the island of Ireland. The current excellent cooperation between An Garda Síochána and the PSNI is kept under continuous review with a view to identifying enhancements building on experience and the evolution of crime trends.
The Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) has a current Memorandum of Understanding with the Police Ombudsman Northern Ireland (PONI) and GSOC’s other oversight partners (IPCC in England/Wales and PIRC in Scotland) for conducting peer reviews of each other’s cases where required.
GSOC also has a written Memorandum of Understanding / agreement between all four oversight bodies (including PONI) for joint standards and training / accreditation - this is commonly known as "LEOBAB" which stands for the Law Enforcement Oversight Bodies Accreditation Board. It is LEOBAB that coordinates joint training initiatives between the four partners and the group meets twice a year with the chair of the group rotating amongst its members every 1-2 years.
GSOC has informal agreements in place between the four partners (including PONI) concerning mutual assistance where required (for example, in the taking of statements from witnesses that reside outside the State).
GSOC has a written Memorandum of Understanding with FSNI (Forensic Science Northern Ireland) for the provision of certain forensic services.
Probation
An information sharing protocol between the Probation Service and the Probation Board for Northern Ireland in respect of the Management of Sex Offenders and Offenders assessed as a Risk of Serious Harm to Others was signed in July 2014. The protocol facilitates the exchange of personal data and other information to enhance public safety and enable both Agencies to:
- agree voluntary arrangements for community sentences.
- agree voluntary arrangements for post custodial supervision.
- share information for the preparation of pre-sanction reports.
I can inform the Deputy that my Department has not carried out a cost/benefit analysis of the development of further Memoranda of Understanding but there are excellent relationships and ongoing cooperation between relevant agencies.
86. Deputy Seamus Healy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if she will address a matter (details supplied) regarding an eviction; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14291/16]
View answer104. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if any member of An Garda Síochána has been disciplined for working for private security firms; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14603/16]
View answer105. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the role that An Garda Síochána have in assisting private security firms with house evictions. [14605/16]
View answer106. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if members of An Garda Síochána are permitted to transfer members of a private security firm to or from the location of an eviction from a private home.. [14606/16]
View answer107. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if she is aware of a heavy-handed eviction of a person (details supplied) by a private security team, footage of which is available on social media; if An Garda Síochána was permitted to assist the security team in this manner; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14607/16]
View answer108. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if any members of An Garda Síochána have been disciplined for their role in a house eviction; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14608/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 86 and 104 to 108, inclusive, together.
As set out in the Programme for a Partnership Government, the new Government wants to keep families in their homes, avoid repossessions insofar as is possible and introduce a number of further measures to help those in long-term mortgage arrears.
It is worth pointing out, for the sake of clarity, that the incident referred to occurred in the context of the execution of a repossession order at the home of an individual.
As the Deputies are aware, I have no role in relation to executing court orders. The courts are, subject only to the Constitution and the law, independent in the exercise of their judicial functions. It is therefore not open to me to comment on or intervene in any way in the conduct or decision of a particular court case which is a matter entirely for the presiding judge.
The County Registrar, acting as Sheriff, is responsible to the Court for the Enforcement of the Court Orders and the law and procedures governing the execution of Court Orders is contained in the Enforcement of Court Orders Acts, 1926 to 1940 and the Rules of Court made thereunder and I have no function in this matter. Any dispute in relation to the enforcement of a Court Order is a matter for the Courts.
The Garda Commissioner is directly responsible for Garda operational matters, including the direction and control of Garda members, which encompasses issues of discipline. I have no direct role in relation to these matters.
It is of course open to any person who has a concern about the behaviour of members of the Garda Síochána to register a complaint with the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) which is the independent body established by law, with extensive powers, to investigate any allegations of Garda wrongdoing.
87. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the status of the review initiated in 2011 by an expert group within her Department to conduct an examination of the proceeds of crime legislation, including if it is complete; if not, the reason; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14303/16]
View answerThe Deputy and I had a productive meeting to discuss new legislation in this area and I look forward to carrying on this work.
An Expert Group was established under the auspices of the Department of Justice and Equality to review the Proceeds of Crime legislation with a view to identifying possible improvements which would serve to enhance the powers of the Bureau.
The areas under review in this regard included:
- Decreasing the amount of time which must elapse before criminal assets which have been frozen become the property of the State;
- Increasing the powers of receivers over properties so as to immediately deprive criminals of the use of those properties;
- Short term seizure of assets believed to be the proceeds of crime pending determination by the courts; and
- Further improving measures supporting international cooperation.
Further to that work, a broader review of proceeds of crime legislation was undertaken to examine the recommendations contained in the Mahon Planning Tribunal Report concerning asset recovery and confiscation and to take account of the EU Directive on the freezing and confiscation of proceeds of crime in the European Union which was agreed in 2014.
Work on the preparation of proposals arising from the work of the Expert Group for consultation with the Office of the Attorney General is continuing and a final report will be prepared in due course.
As the Deputy is aware, part of the Government approved proposals to strengthen the measures in place to target organised crime is a proposal to provide the Criminal Assets Bureau with a power of administrative restraint reflecting one of the measures under examination by the Expert Group. In addition, it is further proposed to reduce the threshold which applies under the Proceeds of Crime Act 1996 from €13,000 to €5,000. These proposals will form part of a package of measures to effect immediate changes in this area that would be particularly effective in helping to target current gangland activity.
88. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality her plans to replace the 140 members of An Garda Síochána who were not replaced in Dublin north inner city in recent years. [14314/16]
View answerAs the Deputy will appreciate, it is the Garda Commissioner who is responsible for the distribution of resources, including personnel, among the various Garda Divisions and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter. I am assured by the Garda Commissioner that the allocation of Gardaí is continually monitored and reviewed taking into account all relevant factors including crime trends, demographics, and security assessments relating to the area in question so as to ensure optimal use is made of Garda human resources.
The area mentioned by the Deputy is patrolled by members assigned to the Dublin Metropolitan Region (DMR) North Central Division. I have been informed that the number of Gardaí assigned to the DMR North Central Division on the 31 March 2016, the latest date for which figures are readily available, was 598. Of these, 251 members were assigned to Store Street, 161 in Bridewell and 186 in Mountjoy. The reduction in numbers cited by the Deputy relates to the period since September 2009 at which time 730 members were assigned to the Division concerned.
As the Deputy will be aware, when the financial crisis hit, the Government of the time introduced a moratorium on recruitment and the four year National Recovery Plan, published in 2010, envisaged a steady reduction in Garda numbers. Thankfully, in a recovering economy, we were able to reopen the Garda College in September 2014, and a total of 700 Garda trainees have been recruited with a further 450 planned to be recruited during the remainder of this year. So far 463 of the new Garda trainees have attested as members of An Garda Síochána and have been assigned to mainstream uniform duties nationwide. Another 76 will attest on the 7 July with 150 more to attest in November. I am informed by the Garda Commissioner that 38 newly attested Gardaí have been assigned to the DMR North Central Garda Division to date.
This Government is committed to ensuring a strong and visible police presence throughout the country in order to maintain and strengthen community engagement, provide reassurance to citizens and deter crime. Key to achieving this goal is the commitment in the Programme for Government, "A Programme for a Partnership Government" to continue the ongoing accelerated Garda recruitment programme with a view to increasing Garda numbers to 15,000. Taking account of projected retirements, the current rate of recruitment will bring Garda numbers to around the 13,000 mark this year. We must, I believe, endeavour to make more rapid progress than this to reach our target of 15,000 and I am engaging with my colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, in relation to increasing the planned annual intake this year and in coming years.
In relation to DMR North Central it is important to note that the work of local Gardaí is augmented when necessary by a number of Garda national units such as the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (NBCI), the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) and the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB). In addition, at the request of the Commissioner earlier this year, the Government moved decisively to strengthen Garda resources to deal with gang-related crime in the Dublin area. Funding was approved for the establishment of a dedicated Armed Support Unit for the Dublin Metropolitan Region given the identified need to enhance armed support capability in Dublin and to free up the resources of the Emergency Response Unit. The Dublin Armed Support Unit is, as a matter of priority, in the process of being set up and trained and I understand that it will have a complement of some fifty-five Garda members. Steps are also being taken to ensure that the Unit is fully equipped and to upgrade the equipment available to the Emergency Response Unit and the Special Detective Unit.
As the Deputy will be aware, after discussions with my Government colleagues, on Tuesday 31 May I announced a range of additional measures to tackle organised crime including the strengthening of the powers of the Criminal Assets Bureau, new legislation to target proceeds of crime and the setting up of a new Special Crime Taskforce that will focus relentlessly on persons involved in gangland activities. I am also meeting with counterparts from Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain this week to discuss the transnational dimension to this organised criminal activity.
The Government has consistently made clear that we would fund whatever measures were needed for An Garda Síochána to best tackle the critical and unprecedented challenges they currently face. In this regard I was pleased to announce today that I have secured Government approval for substantial additional funding to be provided to An Garda Síochána. An additional allocation of €55 million will be made available for the remainder of 2016 including €5 million previously announced in February. These additional monies are made available based on information from Garda management regarding the level of funding required to maintain the necessary policing response to the current situation on an ongoing basis including concentrated policing targeting gang related crime.
89. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality her plans to ensure that recruitment to An Garda Síochana matches the pace of retirement. [14315/16]
View answerThis Government is committed to ensuring a strong and visible police presence throughout the country in order to maintain and strengthen community engagement, provide reassurance to citizens and deter crime. Key to achieving this goal is the commitment in the Programme for Government, "A Programme for a Partnership Government" to continue the ongoing accelerated Garda recruitment programme with a view to increasing Garda numbers to 15,000.
As the Deputy will be aware, when the financial crisis hit, the Government of the time introduced a moratorium on recruitment and the four year National Recovery Plan, published in 2010, envisaged a steady reduction in Garda numbers. Thankfully, in a recovering economy, we were able to reopen the Garda College in September 2014. Since then a total of 700 Garda trainees have been recruited with a further 450 planned to be recruited during the remainder of this year. So far 463 of the new Garda trainees have attested as members of An Garda Síochána and have been assigned to mainstream uniform duties nationwide. Another 76 will attest on the 7 July with a further 150 to attest by the end of this year.
I can assure the Deputy that projected departures from An Garda Síochána are kept under continuing review and the level of recruitment adjusted as necessary in order to achieve the desired strength of An Garda Síochána. I am advised, based on a thorough analysis of the data, that the Garda authorities project retirements overall this year to be around the 300 mark with similar projections for the coming years. Taking account of the projected retirements for this year and the number of new recruits who will attest I expect Garda numbers to reach the 13,000 mark by the end of this year. We must, I believe, endeavour to make more rapid progress than this to reach our target of 15,000 and I am engaging with my colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, in relation to increasing the planned annual intake this year and in coming years.
90. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of members of An Garda Síochána who are qualified to drive Garda cars as a percentage of the force; her plans to improve this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14316/16]
View answerAs the Deputy will appreciate, it is the Garda Commissioner who is responsible for carrying on and managing and controlling generally the administration and business of An Garda Síochána, including by arranging for the training of its members and civilian staff and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter.
I have requested the information sought by the Deputy from the Commissioner and I will write to him on receipt of same.
91. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality her views on the statement the Policing Authority issued following its meeting with the Garda Commissioner; if she has directed the Garda Commissioner to comply with the authority's requests; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14317/16]
View answer95. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality when she will publish a formal Garda response to the O'Higgins report, as requested by the Policing Authority. [14321/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 91 and 95 together.
It is important to say that the Policing Authority is an independent statutory body responsible for overseeing the performance of An Garda Síochána, in relation to policing services. Requests made by the Authority of An Garda Síochána are primarily a matter for the two bodies concerned and it would not be appropriate for me as Minister to insert myself, in the manner the Deputy suggests, into a process that is on-going.
As the Deputy is aware, the Policing Authority met the Garda Commissioner on 26 May 2016 in relation to the O'Higgins report. Following that meeting, the Authority issued a statement in which it said that it expects to see a formal Garda Síochána response to the findings and recommendations in the report. The Deputy will also be aware that the Authority has scheduled two public meetings with the Commissioner on 13 and 30 June, at which the report and the Commissioner's response to it will be discussed.
Separately, I have asked the Garda Commissioner to examine the O'Higgins report and to indicate to me what further measures might be taken to try to prevent the type of difficulties outlined in it in relation to An Garda Síochána from arising again. I have also sought her proposals concerning the recommendations which it contains in relation to the Garda service.
92. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the date on which the Garda Commissioner asked her to refer the matter of two members of An Garda Síochána allegedly misrepresenting a meeting in Mullingar, County Westmeath with a person (details supplied) to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission; if she has made this referral yet; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14318/16]
View answerOn 19 May, 2016 the Garda Commissioner wrote to me asking that I use the legal powers available to me to ask the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission to investigate matters alleged to have occurred in relation to a meeting in Mullingar involving certain officers. I informed the House that I intended to do this and that I was consulting with the Attorney General about the precise nature of such a referral.
In recent days the Garda Commissioner provided me with more detailed information and I am now proceeding with the formal referral of the matter to GSOC.
93. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality her plans to enhance An Garda Síochána’s cautioning scheme for drug possession as part of treating drug use as a public health issue. [14319/16]
View answerThe Garda Adult Cautioning Scheme makes provision for the administering of a caution by a senior Garda officer for certain minor offences, as an alternative to prosecution in the District Court, where prosecution is not required by the public interest and it is determined that a caution would be a more appropriate and effective response.
The Scheme currently applies to a range of offences including, inter alia, offences contained in the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994, the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001, the Intoxicating Liquor Act 2003, the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997 and the Criminal Damage Act 1991.
The Scheme, which was drawn up in the first instance in agreement between the Garda authorities and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, is kept under review and any proposal to expand the scheme is a matter, in the first instance, for the Garda authorities and the Director of Public Prosecutions.
However, I can advise the Deputy that a group of relevant criminal justice agencies, including representatives of An Garda Síochána and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, is currently examining issues in this area including the scope of the Garda Adult Cautioning Scheme.
This work is ongoing and I expect to receive a report later this year.
More broadly, our response to the complex problem of drug misuse is set out in the current National Drugs Strategy 2009-2016. The Strategy adopts a comprehensive and balanced pillar based approach to the issue, involving the implementation of a wide range of measures across the five pillars of drug supply reduction, prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and research.
It is through this balanced approach that we seek to effect comprehensive measures across all pillars with the aim of tackling the problem in a manner that achieves the best outcomes for those who misuse drugs and more broadly for society generally. The Department of Health is currently leading the development of a new Drugs Strategy which will provide our national drug policy framework post 2016.
94. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality her plans for an external independent culture audit of An Garda Síochána, as requested by the Policing Authority, including the name of the auditor and when the audit will be completed. [14320/16]
View answerThe responsibility for undertaking the proposed external independent culture audit is a matter for the Garda Commissioner and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter. I am advised by the Garda Commissioner that the proposal for this audit is currently being developed by An Garda Síochána, in consultation with the Policing Authority. When this process has been finalised, a procurement process will commence to obtain the services of an organisation to undertake the audit.
96. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality her plans for the reform of legislation governing the Criminal Assets Bureau. [14322/16]
View answerThe Programme for a Partnership Government contains a commitment to review the existing Proceeds of Crime legislation.
An Expert Group was established under the auspices of the Department of Justice to review the Proceeds of Crime legislation with a view to identifying possible improvements which would serve to enhance the powers of the Bureau. Work on the preparation of proposals arising from the work of the Expert Group for consultation with the Office of the Attorney General is continuing and a final report will be prepared in due course.
The Deputy may however wish to note that as part of the Government approved proposals to strengthen the measures in place to target organised crime is a proposal to provide the Criminal Assets Bureau with a power of administrative restraint reflecting one of the measures under examination by the Expert Group. In addition, it is further proposed to reduce the threshold which applies under the Proceeds of Crime Act 1996 from €13,000 to €5,000. These proposals will form part of a package of measures to effect immediate changes in this area that would be particularly effective in helping to target organised crime activity.
97. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the supports she is providing to Syrian refugees resettling here, including access to individualised, regular and adequate language support; the introduction to norms and practices of public services such as health and education, and access to finance so they may purchase household items. [14358/16]
View answer112. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if she will examine a matter raised in correspondence (details supplied) regarding support given to refugees; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14651/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 97 and 112 together.
The Irish refugee resettlement programme has been in operation since 2000. 1,400 vulnerable persons from 27 different countries, including Iraq and Syria, have been resettled under this programme in Ireland to date. Refugees have been resettled in 29 different communities throughout Ireland and in all four Dublin local authorities.
The key elements of the programme are:
- The programme is overseen at national level by an Inter Departmental Working Group chaired by the Office for the Promotion of Migrant Integration (OPMI) in the Department of Justice and Equality and at the local level by an inter-agency working group established in each receiving community and chaired by the Local Authority.
- The OPMI resettlement team meets the refugees on arrival in the airport and accompanies them to a Resettlement Reception Centre where they are accommodated for 8 to 10 weeks.
- An 8-10 week language training and orientation programme is provided by the Education and Training Board in cooperation with OPMI.
- Crèche facilities are also provided to allow the adults to attend the programme.
- Education provision is also made for school age children by the Department of Education and Skills.
- GP services are provided and refugees are assisted to apply for medical cards.
- Programme refugees have, in general, the same rights and entitlements as an Irish citizen. OPMI works in consultation with all relevant agencies at the national and local level to ensure that refugees can access services to which they are entitled and that the necessary services are put in place as quickly as possible.
- Accommodation is provided for each family. Cutlery, dishes, pots and pans, beds, cots (where appropriate) and bedding are provided for each family in their new homes.
- Families are entitled to the same social welfare payments as Irish citizens when they move into the community.
- Language training is provided in the receiving community by the Education and Training Board for a period of 12 months post arrival.
- The OPMI resettlement team supports the local interagency working group for approx 18 months after the transfer of the refugees to the receiving community. Grants are made by the OPMI to the receiving community to employ a resettlement support worker for a period of up to one year to support the integration of the refugees into their local communities.
98. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if further legislation is required to facilitate An Garda Síochána tackling the illegal sale of prescription drugs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14365/16]
View answerThe illegal street selling of prescription medicines is currently a feature of the illegal drug trade in this jurisdiction. This is closely linked to the increased prevalence in polydrug use which has emerged in recent years.
A challenge which can arise for An Garda Síochána in tackling the illegal sale of such medicines relates to the nature of the controls in place under the Misuse of Drugs legislation. It is from the Misuse of Drugs legislation that An Garda Síóchána draws certain powers in tackling drug related offences.
As the Deputy will be aware the Misuse of Drugs legislation comes under the remit of the Minister for Health.
I am advised by the Department of Health that a Bill to amend the Misuse of Drugs Act to bring a number of new substances, including certain prescription medicines, under the scope of that legislation is currently being drafted and it is the intention to publish before the House rises for the summer.
Regulations will also be made to introduce substantial additional controls on certain prescription drugs being traded illicitly, such as benzodiazepines and z-drugs medicines. The planned measures include introducing import and export controls, tighter prescribing and dispensing controls as well as an offence of possession, thereby assisting the law enforcement roles of the Customs authorities and An Garda Síochána.
99. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality her plans to review the fees associated with applications for Irish citizenship and to introduce a separate application process for certain categories of applicants where, for example, one spouse is an Irish citizen, the person has been in Ireland for a prolonged period or Irish-born children are involved; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [14376/16]
View answerThe fees to be paid by an applicant for a certificate of naturalisation are governed by the provisions of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Regulations 2011 (S.I. No. 569 of 2011). The application fee, stipulated at €175, is payable on application for a certificate of naturalisation and a certification fee is payable on the issue of a certificate of naturalisation. The standard certification fee is set at €950, while a reduced fee of €200 applies in the case of an application made on behalf of a minor or in certain cases where the application is made by a widow, widower or surviving civil partner of an Irish citizen. In the case of recognised refugees and stateless persons the certification fee is nil.
The standard fees payable by an applicant are designed to reflect the effort and cost involved in processing applications for a certificate of naturalisation. I might also add that following the grant of citizenship it is no longer necessary for the person to register their presence in the State with the Garda National Immigration Bureau which requires the payment of a fee of €300 per registration.
The Deputy will be aware that formal citizenship ceremonies have been introduced at no extra cost to applicants. These have been universally well received by participants as the ceremonies provide a sense of dignity and occasion that serves to underscore the importance to both the State and the applicant of the granting of Irish citizenship.
All of the fees payable under the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956 are kept under ongoing review by my Department; however, there are no immediate plans to adjust these fees. I have no plans to introduce a separate application process for different categories of applicant in the manner suggested.
