Written Answers Nos. 68-75
68. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív den Taoiseach cén líon státseirbhíseach atá earcaithe le bliain anuas ina Roinn a bhfuil Gaeilge agus Béarla acu; cén grád ar a earcaíodh iad; cén líon iomlán státseirbhíseach a earcaíodh i rith an ama sin agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [20449/16]
View answerIdir an 1 Meitheamh 2015 agus an 31 Bealtaine 2016, earcaíodh 16 ball foirne i mo Roinnse. Seo a leanas briseadh síos na ngrád:
6 Oifigeach Riaracháin;
1 Oifigeach Feidhmiúcháin;
7 Oifigeach Cléireachais; agus
2 bhall foirne Seirbhísí.
Tá caighdeán Gaeilge na hArdteistiméireachta ag 13 den 16 ball foirne a earcaíodh. Tá 1 duine amháin de na baill foirne sin ainmnithe mar oifigeach a labhróidh Gaeilge chun críocha seirbhísí do chustaiméirí.
Ba cheart a thabhairt ar aird gurb é an phríomhsprioc a bhaineann le hobair mo Roinnese ná déileáil leis an Rialtas agus le Ranna Rialtais is le hÁisíneachtaí Rialtais eile. Mar thoradh air sin, ní bhíonn mórán éilimh ón bpobal ar ár gcuid seirbhísí i nGaeilge.
69. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality her plans to reintroduce the Gambling Control Bill 2013; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19883/16]
View answerThe General Scheme of the Gambling Control Bill was published in July 2013 following approval by the Government and is currently in drafting by the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel. The Bill, as proposed, will update all existing laws on the regulation of gambling, including betting and gaming but excluding the National Lottery. It will provide for the licensing of all forms of on-line gambling.
The Gambling Control Bill will, as set out in the General Scheme, confer responsibility for all regulatory matters on the Minister for Justice and Equality. The Minister's functions will include licensing, inspections and prosecutions, and it is envisaged that these functions will be carried out by a body located within my Department. The General Scheme also provides for a dedicated inspectorate to ensure compliance by licence holders with the terms of their licences and with the new legislation generally.
The proposed legislation will have consumer protection generally as one of its core principles, and it is envisaged that it will include several measures aimed at the protection of vulnerable persons, including children, from risks to their well-being arising from gambling. In particular, the Scheme of the Bill envisages the establishment of a Fund to promote socially responsible gambling and to assist in counteracting the ill-effects of irresponsible gambling. The purposes of the Fund may also include public education and awareness programmes, research and treatment programmes.
It would remain the intention to proceed with this legislation at the earliest feasible opportunity and, in that light, I expect that this will be given renewed consideration in the preparation of the next legislation programme. At the same time, and pending the bringing forward of the main Bill, I have also asked my Department to examine whether there are any individual pressing areas of concern, intended to be dealt with in the Bill, which could be dealt with sooner by separate legislative measures.
70. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the reason for the delay on an application for entry to the Defence Forces by a person (details supplied) which has been with the Garda vetting unit for in excess of seven months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19987/16]
View answerI am informed by the Garda Authorities that a vetting application in respect of the person to whom the Deputy refers was received on 14 September 2015. The application was processed and returned to the Authorised Signatory in the relevant organisation on 30 September 2015. In the circumstances the applicant is advised to contact the registered organisation to ascertain the current position.
71. Deputy Bobby Aylward asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the average processing time for vetting applications for entry to the Defence Forces by the Garda vetting unit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19988/16]
View answerI am informed by the Garda authorities that the current average processing time for vetting applications is four weeks. However, in some individual cases additional enquiries may be necessary, which may involve seeking information from abroad, and this may result in processing times in excess of the average.
The primary purpose of the Garda employment vetting service is to seek to ensure the safety of children and vulnerable adults. Accordingly, the vetting process demands rigorous procedures to safeguard its integrity and to maintain the highest level of confidence by the public and organisations availing of the service. Any vetting process will take a certain minimum amount of time to complete and, taking into account the importance of measures to protect children and vulnerable adults while providing an effective and efficient service, the current processing period is not unreasonable.
The Deputy may also wish to know that An Garda Síochána launched an 'e-vetting' system on 29 April 2016 which will facilitate the processing of applications in an on-line format, thus removing the current time-consuming process of manual applications. E-vetting will further streamline the vetting process and contribute to sustaining reduced processing times for vetting applications. The e-vetting system is designed to be compatible with the requirements of the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Acts 2012 to 2016 and, in this regard, was launched in tandem with the commencement of the Acts.
72. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of vacancies which exist within An Garda Síochána for positions of superintendent or higher ranking, by rank; when she will fill these positions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19993/16]
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 keep 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.
The agreed strength for the rank of Superintendent and above as approved by my Department in conjunction with the Department of Public Expenditure is as outlined in the following table, together with actual strength as of the end of May 2016.
It is my intention to bring proposals to Government shortly in relation to the filling of vacancies in the superintendent and chief superintendent ranks. It is of course an operational matter for the Garda Commissioner to decide how to allocate and deploy these resources.
31 May 2016
|
Rank |
Actual strength |
Approved max. strength |
|
Commissioner |
1 |
1 |
|
D/Commissioner |
2 |
2 |
|
A/Commissioner |
8 |
8 |
|
C/Superintendent |
36 |
45 |
|
Superintendent |
157 |
166 |
73. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons in direct provision, by men, by women, by children, by length of time in direct provision, by average waiting time in having an application for asylum finalised, by centre and by county; the overall cost of maintaining direct provision centres; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19995/16]
View answerAs at 26 June, 2016 there were 4,284 persons residing in accommodation provided by the Reception & Integration Agency (RIA). The latest published detailed monthly statistics are for 31 May 2016 which show that there were 4,499 persons residing in Direct Provision accommodation of which 1,177 were under the age of 18.
While centre by centre details on age and gender are not compiled for the monthly reports, the overall total of 4,499 persons comprise of 1,203 adult females, 2,119 adult males, 565 minor females and 612 minor males.
The vast majority of residents in the Direct Provision system who are awaiting a protection decision are in the system for less than three years. This is a marked change from when the matter was considered by the Working Group on Improvements to the Protection Process, including Direct Provision which reported on the matter just over a year ago. In that regard, significant progress has been made in the processing of caseloads by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of those longest in the system and this is reflected in both the reduction in the length of time persons are in the system and the overall reducing numbers in Direct Provision accommodation.
In respect of duration of stay in the Direct Provision system, it should be noted that RIA provides accommodation supports for persons who have been granted a protection status and are in the process of transitioning out of the system. It also provides accommodation for failed protection applicants who are the subject of a Deportation Order and who are legally obliged to remove themselves from the State.
The median processing time in respect of asylum decisions taken during the period 1 January 2016 to 30 April 2016 for those in Direct Provision accommodation was 25 months approximately, a reduction of over 3 months on the corresponding period in 2015.
In 2015, the total amount paid for direct provision accommodation was €53.143m. As the Reception and Integration Agency is currently engaged in a tendering process for the provision of services at the seven State owned accommodation centres, it is not considered prudent to provide any further breakdown of the total figure provided at this time. Furthermore while the number of persons accommodated can appear relatively static at times, it masks considerable daily and weekly fluctuations in numbers arriving and leaving.
Further statistics on those in RIA accommodation including centre-by-centre statistics can be found in the Monthly and Annual Reports on the Agency's website www.ria.gov.ie.
74. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if she supports the request by Greystones municipal district for an immediate increase in Garda resources in Greystones, County Wicklow; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20025/16]
View answer77. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if she supports the request by Wicklow Chamber of Commerce for an immediate increase in Garda resources in County Wicklow; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20084/16]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 74 and 77 together.
As 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 keep 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.
Greystones forms part of the Bray District which is within the Wicklow Garda Division. I am informed that the distribution of Gardaí throughout the Division on the 31 May 2016, the latest date for which figures are readily available, was as set out in the following table.
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 851 Garda trainees have been recruited with a further 300 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 71 will attest tomorrow, 7 July, with 150 more to attest in November. Of these, 10 newly attested members have been assigned to the Wicklow Garda Division.
The Programme for Government, "A Programme for a Partnership Government" commits to continuing 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.
WICKLOW GARDA DIVISION 31 May 2016
|
DISTRICT |
STATION |
TOTAL |
|
BALTINGLASS |
34 |
|
|
BLESSINGTON |
22 |
|
|
CARNEW |
4 |
|
|
DUNLAVIN |
2 |
|
|
SHILLELAGH |
1 |
|
|
BALTINGLASS |
TINAHELY |
2 |
|
BALTINGLASS Total |
65 |
|
|
BRAY |
116 |
|
|
ENNISKERRY |
3 |
|
|
GREYSTONES |
26 |
|
|
BRAY |
NEWTOWNMOUNTKENNEDY |
3 |
|
BRAY Total |
148 |
|
|
ARKLOW |
33 |
|
|
ASHFORD |
9 |
|
|
AUGHRIM |
2 |
|
|
AVOCA |
2 |
|
|
RATHDRUM |
4 |
|
|
ROUNDWOOD |
3 |
|
|
WICKLOW |
WICKLOW |
43 |
|
WICKLOW Total |
96 |
|
|
WICKLOW DIVISION TOTAL |
309 |
75. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality when she will allocate the next budget for the Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal and the amount she will allocate for its awards; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20050/16]
View answerI can inform the Deputy that the 2017 estimates process is currently under way and the amount allocated will be a matter to be settled as part of that process.
