Written Answers Nos. 77-97
77. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Social Protection the most up to date figures on the refusal rates for those persons applying for a carer's allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2768/17]
View answerCarer's Allowance (CA) is a social assistance payment made to carers who are providing full-time care and attention to someone who has a disability such that they require that level of care. As well as providing full-time care and attention, applicants must satisfy a means test and be habitually resident in the State.
In November 2016, the latest month for which figures are available, 3,362 applications for CA were decided on. Of these, 1,255 were disallowed by a deciding officer as the qualifying criteria were not satisfied.
An application for CA can be disallowed because one or more of the qualifying conditions are not satisfied or because insufficient evidence is provided at application stage to establish the need for full-time care and attention or the means of the applicant.
Applicants are advised of their right to review or appeal when a decision is made on their entitlement and in many cases further evidence is subsequently submitted, leading to a revised decision to award CA.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the deputy.
78. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Social Protection the steps he is taking with regard to pension reform, including closing the gender pension gap; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2767/17]
View answerMy Department will develop, publish and commence the implementation of an Action Plan for the reform of pensions this year. This Action Plan will include a road map for the reform of the State pension, rationalisation and reform of the Defined Benefit pension landscape, transposition of the IORP2 directive and the introduction of auto-enrolment Defined Contribution pensions for all working people.
All reforms we will propose to the pension system will be based on the idea of fairness and equality. The current gap between State pension payments made to men and women over the age of 66 averages out to a difference of 2%. Although this 2% gap between genders is not ideal, it does compare favourably to our EU counterparts.
The National Pensions Framework (2010) proposed that a “Total Contributions Approach” (TCA) should replace the yearly average approach for new pensioners from 2020. The aim of this approach is to make the rate of contributory pension more closely match contributions made by a person. Officials of my Department are currently working on the detailed development of the TCA. It is planned that, following receipt and analysis of data from the forthcoming independent Actuarial Review of the Social Insurance Fund, a consultation process will be conducted in the middle of this year, and following this, proposals on the final details of the scheme will be made by the Government to the Oireachtas before the end of the year.
It’s worth noting that this is a very significant reform with considerable legal, administrative, and technical elements in its implementation. An important element in the final design of the scheme will be the position of people who have gaps in their contribution records for various reasons, and this factor is being considered very carefully in developing this reform.
The Pensions Authority is the independent body responsible for regulating occupational pension schemes and ensuring compliance with the Pensions Act. My Department and the Pensions Authority are working on proposals for the reform and simplification of pensions, the purpose of which is to impose higher standards on all occupational schemes. The reform proposals are intended to apply equally to defined benefit (DB) provision to ensure that those charged with running DB schemes do so in a manner which provides greater security for their members. Standards in respect of pension schemes will be further enhanced by the transposition of the new IORPS 2 Directive within the next two years.
In relation to supplementary private pensions and the gender gap, the rate of coverage in Ireland is almost equal at approximately 47% of those in employment for both men and women. However, it would be true to say that there are gender gaps in terms of the value of private pensions savings. Given that private pensions are largely a function of the amount contributed by employees, this gap reflects gender differences in employment patterns, notably in pay, working hours and career duration.
In relation to the supplementary coverage of 47% more generally, despite the considerable efforts by Governments and the pensions industry to promote and incentivise voluntary participation in supplementary pensions, the marginal changes in coverage over the last 20 years indicates that the voluntary approach to pensions participation is not achieving the desired goal in terms of increasing coverage to an appropriate level. Therefore, it is my intention to bring forward proposals for an auto-enrolment system for those workers without retirement savings. This is to address a situation where future retirees will suffer unwanted reduction in living standards at retirement.
Detailed analysis and consultation will be required in order to ensure that any system proposed adequately addresses the needs of the target membership and the gender issue will be closely considered as part of this process.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
79. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection the supports in place for persons on jobseeker's payments who wish to take up a higher degree to improve their employment potential. [2578/17]
View answerThe Back to Education Allowance Scheme (BTEA) is designed to support second chance education. It enables eligible persons to pursue approved education courses and to continue to receive income support for the duration of a course of study, subject to meeting certain conditions. The objective of BTEA is to assist those who are distant from the labour market to acquire the necessary education to improve their chances of becoming independent of the social welfare system. The BTEA should not be viewed, however, as an alternative to the student grant system.
The focus of the BTEA scheme is on providing assistance to the highest possible number of those in greatest need in terms of meeting the requirements of a modern labour market. People in possession of a third-level qualification have already achieved a high level of academic attainment which should impact positively on their employment prospects.
Other than the Professional Masters in Education, which is a pre-requisite to taking up a teaching post, the BTEA does not provide income support to jobseekers seeking to pursue a higher degree qualification at Masters Level. Having a Masters degree is not regarded as a prerequisite to re-entering the workforce and, at present, I have no plans to extend the scheme to cover courses leading to a Masters degree.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
80. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will report on the operation of the community employment scheme; if he will report on his earlier commitment to assist community employment sponsors in ensuring maximum utilisation of community employment places in 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2729/17]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, CE schemes provide part-time temporary work in local communities, including opportunities for training and development as a stepping-stone back to employment, for people in receipt of a range of social welfare payments, including those on a long-term jobseeker’s payment.
These schemes help to break the cycle of unemployment and improve a person’s chances of returning to the labour market. My Department is also conscious of the valuable contribution the schemes are making in the provision of services to individuals and communities across Ireland. At the end of December 2016, there were 22,356 participants employed on CE schemes nationally.
The CE Sponsors advertise their vacancies free-of-charge on the Department's JobsIreland website - www.jobsireland.ie. Posting vacancies is a relatively simple process and a dedicated video tutorial is available on the site to assist sponsors. Anyone requiring further assistance can contact my Department’s National Contact Centre by phone at Lo Call 1890 800 024 or (01) 248 1398, or by email at jobsireland@welfare.ie. Further enhancements will be made to the way in which CE vacancies are displayed on the site in the coming months.
Jobseekers can also view CE vacancies online. Eligible candidates are referred to sponsors by case officers in the local Intreo Centres. My Department continues to refer candidates so I would advise sponsors, who have any recruitment concerns, to contact their local DSP office.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
81. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to reduce long-term unemployment. [2754/17]
View answerThe Government’s primary strategy to tackle unemployment – including long-term unemployment – is twofold. The Action Plan for Jobs support continuing strong economic recovery and employment growth. Policies and actions to ensure that unemployed people benefit from the increase in employment are set out in the strategy paper Pathways to Work 2016-2020.
To date, these policies have been effective in reducing both overall and long-term unemployment. The most recent data show that unemployment has fallen from a peak of 15% in 2012 to 7.2% in December 2016. The long-term unemployment rate peaked at 9.5% in Q1 2012 before falling to 4.2% in Q3 2016. At the latter date, the long-term unemployed accounted for 52% of all those unemployed, down from almost 65% in early 2012. The number of long term unemployed in Q3 2016 was 92,300; this compares to 204,300 in early 2012.
Long-term unemployment can be expected to fall further this year in line with the forecast fall in overall unemployment.
The Government recognises the importance of a continued focus on measures to facilitate long-term unemployed people find and sustain employment. This is the rationale behind the Government’s Pathways to Work 2016-2020 strategy (published January 2016).
A range of measures were introduced under previous Pathways to Work strategies for long-term unemployed people. This included a structured process of engagement with long-term unemployed people being referred to the activation process (Group Engagement followed by regular one-to-one case officer contact); wage subsidies in JobsPlus; the roll-out of a payment-by-results contracted employment services in JobPath, to provide additional capacity in order to engage more systematically with long-term unemployed jobseekers; and reserved places for long-term unemployed jobseekers on a range of Further Education and Training (FET) and public employment programmes.
A core focus of Pathways to Work 2016-2020 is on consolidating and improving the quality and consistency of reforms undertaken in previous strategies, with continued prioritisation of those long-term unemployed.
I am confident these measures, and continuing economic recovery, will support further reductions in long term unemployment to add to the substantial improvements that have already been seen over the last few years.
82. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Social Protection when the changes announced to farm assist in budget 2017 will take effect; the date on which the 15% income disregard announced in budget 2017 will apply to all current farm assist recipients; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2581/17]
View answerThe farm assist scheme provides support for farmers on low incomes and recipients retain the advantages of the jobseeker’s allowance scheme such as the retention of secondary benefits and access to activation programmes. The 2017 Revised Estimates for my Department provide for expenditure of almost €83 million on the farm assist scheme.
I am very pleased that, with the agreement of my colleagues in Government, Budget 2017 introduced new measures in relation to the assessment of means for farm assist. These include that 70% of farm income will now be assessed as means, down from 100% being assessed as means (which is a 30% income disregard) and an additional annual means disregard of €254 for each of the first two children and €381 for the third and subsequent children. These measures fully reverse the cuts to the farm assist means test that were introduced in Budgets 2012 and 2013.
All existing farm assist recipients currently assessed with means will have their payments adjusted so that the new measures contained in Budget 2017 will come into effect from the 8th March implementation date with relevant payments changing on the 15th March. (Farm Assist is paid weekly in arrears). It is estimated that the measure will cost €8.5 million in 2017.
Farm Assist recipients also benefitted from the following measures announced in Budget 2017 - the €5 per week increase in the weekly rates of payment; the 85% Christmas Bonus and Farm Assist recipients are eligible to avail of the 500 additional places on the Rural Social Scheme.
84. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Social Protection if his attention has been drawn to specific difficulties being experienced by supervisors and sponsors in managing special community employment schemes for drugs-related projects; if he will examine a more streamlined approach for these projects; the number of persons currently on drugs-related project community employment schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2770/17]
View answerA new Programme Framework for Community Employment (CE) drug rehabilitation schemes was introduced in January 2016. Before finalising the Framework, there was an important consultation process both within my Department and with the community and voluntary sector and the HSE.
One of the main issues discussed in detail during this consultation was that addiction is a complex, bio-psycho-social phenomenon. Accordingly, a range of factors will affect participant’s progression towards recovery and an integrated response is required to ensure effective outcomes for participants, supervisors and sponsors. I believe that the Framework provides the necessary flexibility and support both to participants entering the CE drug rehabilitation programme and to supervisors and sponsors.
At the end of December 2016, there were 987 referred clients on drug rehabilitation places (697 male and 290 female) and 138 support workers (50 male and 88 female). In total, at the end of December 2016 therefore, there were 1,125 places taken up on CE drugs schemes.
As the Deputy is aware, under the National Drugs Strategy, it is also recognised that the response to substance misuse is a cross-cutting issue. No single agency has the range of competencies or expertise to provide all the supports needed to assist recovering drug users to complete their rehabilitation. While CE has an important role to play, it needs to be supplemented by support from other bodies such as the HSE, the Department of Education and Science and relevant agencies that play a key role in the overall integrated response to this client group in terms of rehabilitation.
If the Deputy is aware of particular issues affecting CE drugs schemes, he should bring them to my attention and I will ask my officials to examine them.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
85. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Social Protection the nature and the scope of the review he and his Department are carrying out on lone parents; the timeframe for this report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2771/17]
View answerWe are still at an early stage of the implementation of the reforms to the one parent family payment (OFP) and it will take several years before the full impact can be assessed. This is because many lone parents, on foot of the reforms, are taking up education, training or employment support programmes, which will take time for them to complete.
However, given the issues raised during the debate on the Social Welfare (SW) Bill 2016, I agreed that my Department would commission an independent report on the OFP reforms to examine the financial and social effects of the amendments to the scheme made since 1 January 2012, taking into account the poverty rates and welfare dependency of those impacted by the reforms. I am committed to producing the report as quickly as possible, and no later than August 2017 so that it can inform Budget 2018 discussions.
Under procurement rules it is not yet possible to provide further information on the nature of the report. However, I can say that my Department has already liaised with the Office of Government Procurement (OGP) on the most efficient way forward. On their advice an outline of the Request For Tender (RFT) was issued in December to potential providers seeking expressions of interest by 11th January 2017. The responses received confirm that the RFT can issue under an existing OGP framework. The drafting of the RFT has commenced and officials are working with the OGP to complete the procurement process. The timeframe for this report is ambitious but my Department is making every effort to progress this quickly taking account of the procurement rules.
86. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection if his attention has been drawn to the fact that rural social scheme supervisors are on notably different pay scales to community employment supervisors; the reason for such a discrepancy in view of the fact they carry out similar duties and responsibilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2727/17]
View answerThe Rural Social Scheme (RSS) was introduced in 2004. It is managed by 35 Local Development Companies (LDCs) and by Údarás Na Gaeltachta. As the Deputy will be aware, many rural areas benefit from the services provided by the RSS and the positive impact the scheme has on the livelihoods of farming families and rural communities.
I recently announced an additional 500 places on the RSS which is the first increase in participant numbers since 2006. This brings the number of participant places to 3,100.
The setting of terms and conditions of supervisors employed to support RSS participants are matters for each LDC. Each supervisor will have a contract of employment with the partnership company, in line with statutory requirements. Any issues regarding the pay rate of RSS supervisors are a matter for discussion with the LDCs.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
87. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to extend PRSI benefits to self-employed persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2725/17]
View answerCore to the Programme for Government is improving the position of the self-employed generally, including the commitment to introduce an enhanced PRSI scheme for the self-employed.
Making progress on this commitment has been one of my key priorities since becoming Minister in this Department. On Budget Day, I was pleased to announce a number of important measures which will benefit the self-employed.
From March 2017, the self-employed will have access to the treatment benefit scheme which includes free eye and dental exams, and contributions towards the cost of hearings aids. Treatment benefit entitlements will also be extended from October 2017 so as to provide further dental and optical benefits (these improvements will benefit both the self-employed and employees).
More significantly, self-employed contributors will be eligible for the Invalidity Pension from December 2017. For the first time, this will give the self-employed access to the safety-net of State income supports if they become permanently incapable of work as a result of an illness or disability without having to go through a means test. This is a real advance in the level of cover available to the self-employed.
The self-employed will also benefit in 2017 from the further increase in Earned Income Tax Credit announced by my colleague, the Minister for Finance, as well as the extension of entrepreneurship supports. These measures are all part of the Government’s policy of making work pay and encouraging self-employment and entrepreneurship.
I plan to continue extending cover for the self-employed to other benefits on a phased basis in future Budgets. In 2017, my Department will examine the extension of social insurance to cover new risks and contingencies, including developing proposals on a form of jobseeker’s benefit where a person's business fails or they can no longer continue working in their profession or trade.
88. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to introduce a new working family payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2724/17]
View answerThe Programme for Government contains a number of commitments to improve the take-home pay of families on low incomes. One such commitment is the proposed “Working Family Payment” targeted at low-income families.
My Department’s approach to developing the Working Family Payment will be guided by two principles. First, that it should ensure that work pays and that no family is better off on welfare than at work, and second, though equally important, that it have a positive effect on child poverty.
An open call for submissions on the Working Family Payment will issue shortly on the Department's website. An Interdepartmental Working Group is in place to assist the work of my officials in developing proposals. This work will also be informed by the consultation process.
Considerable work and analysis needs to be completed along with the consultation. It is intended that developed proposals will be prepared and will be considered in the context of discussions for Budget 2018.
89. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection if personal information collated by Seetec working on behalf of his Department is stored on databases outside Ireland, which are soon to be outside EU jurisdiction; and his views on whether this infringes on the privacy of persons by allowing their personal information to be stored on databases over which the State has no control. [2577/17]
View answerNo personally identifiable client information is stored outside Ireland by either company.
As the Deputy will be aware, JobPath is an employment activation service that supports people who are long-term unemployed and those most at risk of becoming long-term unemployed to secure and sustain paid employment. The service is delivered by two companies, Seetec and Turas Nua.
Information is shared with these companies to enable them to provide employment services on behalf of the Department. The purpose of sharing this information is to assist in the development of tailored personal progression plans, for individual jobseekers in order to support them back into paid employment. Under the contracts for the provision of these services, there are strict obligations placed on these providers by the Department with regard to data protection. The companies are also contractually required to register with the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner and are subject to the same provisions of data protection legislation as Departmental staff. Data protection legislation requires that personal data shall be kept only for one or more specified and lawful purposes and that personal data shall be used and disclosed only in ways compatible with these purposes. Any breaches or suspected breach of the data protection legislation may, in addition to being investigated by the Department, also be referred to the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner.
It should also be noted that the contracts in place are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Ireland and the courts of Ireland have exclusive jurisdiction over these contracts.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
90. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection if his attention has been drawn to a report which proposes a €50 annual charge on the free travel pass; if he will give a commitment that no such charge will be introduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2723/17]
View answerThe free travel scheme provides free travel for those with eligibility on the main public and private transport services which includes road, rail and ferry services provided by companies such as Bus Átha Cliath, Bus Éireann, Iarnród Éireann, Luas and services provided by over 80 private transport operators. There are currently approximately 873,000 customers with direct eligibility with an annual allocation of €80 million.
I am aware of the report to which the Deputy refers. In 2012, my Department along with the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, set up an interdepartmental working group to review the free travel scheme. The purpose of the review was to examine and report on the current operation and future development of the free travel scheme.
The review was carried out at a time of fiscal constraint, to examine and report on the operation and future development of the Free Travel scheme. The review analysed the Free Travel scheme in terms of sustainability, fairness and effectiveness. The options and recommendations outlined in the review were therefore to be considered as providing a range of choices in the context of the sustainability of the scheme in the medium to long term. Economic circumstances have changed significantly since those which prevailed when the review was conducted.
I am aware that the free travel pass is a valuable support for older people and people with disabilities, and that it has a significant role in promoting social inclusion and preventing their isolation. I have no plans to make any changes or introduce any surcharge to the free travel scheme at this time and I am committed to its full retention.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
91. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Taoiseach if he has recently met the UUP, SDLP and other Northern Ireland opposition parties; and his plans to do so. [2784/17]
View answerFollowing Martin McGuinness’s resignation, I met with Deputies Adams and MacDonald of Sinn Féin to explore how the difficulties might be addressed. I also spoke by phone with both Martin McGuinness and Arlene Foster.
I spoke with Prime Minister May and we agreed that our two Governments would do what we could to help the parties over the coming period and that we would keep in close contact. Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Charlie Flanagan, and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, James Brokenshire, worked together to see if a way forward could be found.
Minister Charlie Flanagan spoke with SDLP Leader Colum Eastwood and Alliance Party Leader Naomi Long on January 10 and with UUP Leader Mike Nesbitt the following day. In parallel, there have been very close contacts at official and diplomatic level.
Unfortunately, a way forward could not be found and the date for Assembly elections has now been set for 2 March.
92. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Taoiseach the number of Secretaries General in his Department; the annual pay of each Secretary General in his Department at 1 January 2017; and the expected change in that pay as a consequence of the provisions of the Lansdowne Road agreement. [2915/17]
View answer93. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Taoiseach the number of assistant secretaries general in his Department; the annual pay of each assistant secretary general in his Department at 1 January 2017; and the expected change in that pay as a consequence of the provisions of the Lansdowne Road agreement. [2931/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 92 and 93 together.
The Secretary General in my Department is also the Secretary General to the Government and is paid €185,350 per annum.
There is one Second Secretary General and five Assistant Secretaries General in my Department. The Second Secretary General is paid €167,300 per annum. Of the five Assistant Secretaries General, two are paid €136,496 annually, while three receive €130,706 annually.
A range of measures have impacted on the pay position of public servants since 2009. Significant salary reductions have been applied, the most recent of which were under the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2013 (FEMPI Act 2013) which came into effect on 1 July 2013. The effect of these reductions is that the gross annual salary of a Secretary General Level I (PPC) has been reduced by 38%, and that of a Secretary General Level I (non-PPC) by 35% from peak levels.
Pay restoration will be governed by the provisions of Section 3 of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2015 (FEMPI Act 2015). Under the provisions of that Act, for those on salaries in excess of €110,000, the salary reductions imposed under the FEMPI Act 2013 will be restored in three equal phases on 1 April 2017, 1 April 2018 and 1 April 2019. A Circular setting out the revised salary rates applicable from 1 April 2017 to general Civil Service grades, including Secretaries General and Assistant Secretaries General, is currently in preparation and will be issued by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in due course.
94. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if her attention has been drawn to media reports of allegations of sexual assault by members of An Garda Síochána (details supplied) in Limerick; the course of action she intends to take; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2538/17]
View answerI am aware of the media reports referred to by the Deputy. While I would of course be concerned about the serious allegations therein, I have, as the Deputy is aware, no role in relation to the investigation of criminal complaints. That is a matter for either the Garda Síochána or, in relevant cases, the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission. The Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission is the independent body established by law, with extensive powers, to investigate allegations of Garda wrongdoing.
Furthermore, where issues of discipline in An Garda Síochána arise, these are for the Garda Commissioner to deal with in accordance with the appropriate regulations. Again, I have no role in this process.
The Deputy will appreciate that any member of An Garda Síochána who is the subject of any allegation is entitled to due process, as is any person against whom allegations, serious or otherwise, are made. In these circumstances and in order not to prejudice any investigation which may be ongoing it would not be appropriate for me to comment further.
95. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the current waiting time for the processing of Garda vetting applications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2553/17]
View answer96. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if she will consider the use of Pobal when processing Garda vetting applications for those persons seeking work in the early years sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2554/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 95 and 96 together.
As the Deputy will be aware, Garda Vetting is conducted by the Garda National Vetting Bureau on behalf of relevant organisations that are registered with the Bureau whose employees, paid or otherwise, are carrying out any work or activity, a necessary and regular part of which consists mainly of the person having access to, or contact with, children or vulnerable persons. It is a service designed to enhance the protection of children and vulnerable persons. The Garda National Vetting Bureau carries out this function in accordance with the provisions of the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Acts 2012 to 2016. The organisation referred to by the Deputy is registered with the Garda National Vetting Bureau for the provision of vetting services to organisations that are in receipt of the relevant funding only and organisations meeting this criterion are referred by the Vetting Bureau to the organisation for processing.
I am informed by the Garda Authorities that at present, 80 percent of vetting applications are processed by the Garda National Vetting Bureau in under five working days. This represents a significant improvement in turnaround times for the processing of vetting applications in recent years, falling from an average of 14 weeks in mid-2013. This improvement has come about as a result of an unprecedented investment by the Government and the Garda Authorities in providing this service, including an increase of over 80 percent in staffing levels and the roll out earlier this year of an e-Vetting system.
In April last year I commenced the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Acts 2012 to 2016 and in tandem with that, An Garda Síochána launched the e-Vetting system. E-Vetting facilitates the on-line processing of applications and this has significantly streamlined the vetting process and contributed to a sustained reduction in processing times for vetting applications. The e-Vetting system is available to all registered organisations and the Garda Authorities are ready to assist those organisations who are not yet using the e-Vetting system to do so.
Processing times for any given application can be longer in individual cases when, for example, additional enquiries may be necessary or where errors have been made in the application. It is important to note that delays can also occur in other aspects of the application process which are outside of the control of the Garda Authorities, for example, in the submission or return of applications by the registered organisations.
97. Deputy James Lawless asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the status of a visa application for a person (details supplied). [2597/17]
View answerI have been informed by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the person concerned had permission to remain in the State under the Irish Third Level Graduate Scheme. This permission expired on 30 August 2016.
I have also been informed that the person concerned subsequently made a separate application in 2016 for permission to remain in this State. This application does not fall under the Irish Third Level Graduate Scheme. I understand that this distinct application is under consideration and INIS will be in contact in due course.
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 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 Question 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.
