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Thursday, 15 Feb 2018

Written Answers Nos. 150-158

EU Funding

Questions (150)

Mick Wallace

Question:

150. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the contracts and projects awarded to companies since 2009 that have been supported or co-financed by the EU under the Internal Security Fund; the names of the companies that have been awarded the contracts; and the costs associated with same, in tabular form. [7901/18]

View answer

Written answers

The purpose of the Internal Security Fund (ISF) is to promote the implementation of the EU’s Internal Security Strategy, law enforcement cooperation, and the management of the Union's external borders. The Finance Directorate of An Garda Síochána is the designated Responsible Authority of the ISF.

I am advised by the Garda authorities that as prescribed by EU Procurement Directives certain exemptions can be invoked, in particular, in the areas of Defence and Security contracts for goods and/or services. To provide details of these contracts would give rise to unnecessary risk to the essential security interests of the State.

However, I am informed by the Garda authorities that, since 2009 total expenditure for the ISF is €2,529,630.

Garda Vetting Applications

Questions (151)

Imelda Munster

Question:

151. Deputy Imelda Munster asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the reason an application for Garda vetting has not been processed by Bus Éireann for a person (details supplied). [7906/18]

View answer

Written answers

As the Deputy will be aware, I have contacted her office to request additional information in respect of the person who is the subject of his question in order to make the necessary enquiries with the Garda Authorities regarding this vetting application. When that information is to hand, I will make the necessary enquiries and revert directly to the Deputy when they have been completed.

Liquor Licence Data

Questions (152)

Mick Wallace

Question:

152. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of liquor licensing offences disclosed annually, by Garda district, in each of the years 2010 to 2017 and to date in 2018, in tabular form. [7907/18]

View answer

Written answers

I have requested a report from the Garda authorities in relation to this matter and I will contact the Deputy directly when the report is to hand.

Road Traffic Accidents Data

Questions (153)

Thomas P. Broughan

Question:

153. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will report on the 89 road traffic fatalities which should have been classified as homicides between 2003 and 2017; the criteria used on the 89 fatal road traffic collisions, RTCs, leading them to be classified as less serious offences; the location where each of these fatal collisions occurred; the number of fatalities in each, by Garda district; the details of the less serious offence classification attributed to those 89 fatal RTCs; if the families have been identified and notified by An Garda Síochána; the number of persons who were seriously injured in these collisions and the classification for those; the criteria An Garda Síochána is using for the recording of serious and fatal RTCs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7916/18]

View answer

Written answers

I have requested a report from An Garda Síochána in relation to the information and statistics sought by the Deputy and I will be in contact with the Deputy directly on receipt of a Garda report.

Garda Youth Diversion Projects

Questions (154)

Eamon Ryan

Question:

154. Deputy Eamon Ryan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the status of the tendering process for the forthcoming Kerry GYDP scheme; the process for selection; when the information will be available on all projects; if they will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7931/18]

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Written answers

I take it that the Deputy is referring primarily to the upcoming call for proposals process for the provision of Garda Youth Diversion Project (GYDP) services throughout the country.

I can inform the Deputy that my Department is obliged to carry out a call for proposals process in relation to GYDP services in 2018, to comply fully with requirements related with the co-funding of projects by the European Social Fund Programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning 2014-2020.

GYDPs deliver a valuable service to young offenders and provide an effective and essential support to the operation of the statutory Garda Diversion Programme by An Garda Síochána. The call for proposals provides the opportunity to update and improve the operating model of a very valuable service. The new model will ensure access in all areas of the State to GYDP services for young people who have committed a crime or engaged in anti-social behaviour.

While certain aspects of the new service model have been determined, IYJS is currently undertaking an extensive consultation process with relevant stakeholders in relation to all aspects of the GYDP change programme with a view to informing further development of the model prior to the call for proposals being issued.

I am advised that, following the current consultations, the Irish Youth Justice Service (IYJS) intend to publish full details of the call for proposals and the selection process. This is expected during Quarter 2 of this year.

As the Deputy may also be aware, an independent evaluation report is awaited on a pilot GYDP service delivery model that was introduced in County Kerry in 2015. The outcome of this examination will assist IYJS in the development of GYDP services generally.

Garda Data

Questions (155)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

155. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí in County Kildare by division, district and rank; the number of Garda vehicles based full-time in County Kildare, by vehicle type, division and-or district; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7943/18]

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Written answers

As the Deputy will appreciate, it is the Garda Commissioner who is responsible for the distribution of resources, including personnel and vehicles, among the various Garda Divisions 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.

The Garda strength of the Kildare Division on 31 December 2017 was 360 with 20 Garda Reserves and 30 Garda civilian staff attached to the Division. When appropriate, the work of local Gardaí is supported by a number of Garda national units such as the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the Armed Support Units, the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau and the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau.

As the Deputy will be aware, 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 to deter crime. To achieve this the Government has put in place a plan for an overall Garda workforce of 21,000 personnel by 2021 comprising 15,000 Garda members, 2,000 Reserve members and 4,000 civilians. We are making real, tangible progress on achieving this goal.

I am informed by the Commissioner that since the reopening of the Garda College in September 2014, just under 1,600 recruits have attested as members of An Garda Síochána and have been assigned to mainstream duties nationwide, of whom 80 have been assigned to the Kildare Division. I am pleased to say that Garda numbers, taking account of retirements, increased to 13,551 at the end of 2017 - a net increase of over 600 since the end of 2016.

I am also pleased that funding is in place to maintain this high level of investment in the Garda workforce to ensure that the vision of an overall workforce of 21,000 by 2021 remains on track. This year a further 800 new Garda Recruits will enter the Garda College. Also 800 Garda trainees are scheduled to attest during the year which will see Garda numbers, taking account of projected retirements, reach 14,000 by the end of 2018.

In addition, a further 500 civilians will also be recruited to fill critical skills gaps across the organisation and to facilitate the redeployment of Gardaí from administrative and technical duties to front-line operational duties. There are plans to strengthen the Garda Reserve with new Reserves expected to commence training in 2018.

This focus on investment in personnel is critical. The moratorium on recruitment introduced in 2010 resulted in a significant reduction in the strength of An Garda Síochána. We are now rebuilding the organisation and providing the Commissioner with the resources needed to deploy increasing numbers of Gardaí across every Division, including the Kildare Division.

The investment in personnel I have outlined is complemented by substantial investment in resources across the board for An Garda Síochána. The Capital Plan 2016 – 2021 provides for an investment of €46 million the Garda fleet to ensure that An Garda Síochána has a modern, effective and fit for purpose fleet. This is in addition to the investment of almost €30 million in the period 2013 to 2015.

In the period 2013 to end of 2017 almost €44 million will have been invested in the fleet with some 2,000 vehicles coming on stream in that period.

For the Deputy’s information the following tables set out the number of Gardaí attached to the Kildare Division on 31 December 2017 and the number of Garda vehicles allocated to the Kildare Divisional fleet as of 14 February 2018.

Kildare Divisional Fleet as on 14 February 2018

-

Cars

Vans

Motorcycles

4 x 4

Others

Total

Marked

Unmarked

Marked

Unmarked

KILDARE DISTRICT

11

9

3

0

0

2

1

26

LEIXLIP DISTRICT

4

5

2

0

0

0

0

11

NAAS DISTRICT

8

5

4

2

2

1

0

22

DIVISIONAL TOTAL

23

19

9

2

2

3

1

59

STRENGTH OF THE KILDARE DIVISION 31 DECEMBER 2017

DISTRICT

STATION

GD

SG

IN

SU

CS

TOTAL

KILDARE

ATHY

26

3

1

30

CASTLEDERMOT

3

1

4

KILDARE

30

6

1

1

38

MONASTEREVIN

4

1

5

NEWBRIDGE

46

6

52

RATHANGAN

2

1

3

TOTAL

111

18

2

1

132

LEIXLIP

CARBURY

6

1

7

CELBRIDGE

10

1

11

KILCOCK

9

1

10

LEIXLIP

48

8

2

1

59

MAYNOOTH

12

1

13

TOTAL

85

12

2

1

100

NAAS

CLANE

6

1

7

KILCULLEN

1

1

NAAS

100

14

2

1

1

118

ROBERTSTOWN

2

2

TOTAL

109

15

2

1

1

128

KILDARE TOTAL

305

45

6

3

1

360

Residency Permits

Questions (156)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

156. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the progress or eligibility for stamp four of an application for long-term residency for a person (details supplied) in view of the fact that the person has been here for 11 years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7945/18]

View answer

Written answers

I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that, in response to a notification pursuant to the provisions of Section 3 of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended), written representations have been submitted on behalf of the person concerned.

These representations, together with all other information and documentation on file, will be fully considered, under Section 3 (6) of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended) and all other applicable legislation, in advance of a final decision being made.

Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to the INIS of my Department by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response from the INIS is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.

Naturalisation Applications

Questions (157)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

157. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the procedure to be followed to regularise residency stamp 4 eligibility for naturalisation in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7946/18]

View answer

Written answers

I have been informed by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the person concerned currently has an application pending for residency in the State arising from their marriage to an Irish national.

Applications of this type, in fairness to all other such applicants, are dealt with in chronological order and a decision will issue on their case in due course.

Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to the INIS of my Department by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response from the INIS is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.

Deportation Orders

Questions (158)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

158. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if the deportation order in the case of a person (details supplied) will be revoked; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7947/18]

View answer

Written answers

I am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Services (INIS) of my Department that the person concerned is the subject of a Deportation Order made on 8 April 2016 as she remained in the State without the permission of the Minister. That Order remains valid and in place.

Representations were received from the person concerned and her legal representative requesting that the Deportation Order be revoked, pursuant to the provisions of Section 3(11) of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended). Following the consideration of that request, a decision was taken in September 2017 that the Deportation Order should be affirmed and this decision was communicated to the person concerned and her legal representative by registered post dated 20 September 2017.

It is open to the person concerned to submit further representations requesting that the Deportation Order be revoked, pursuant to Section 3(11) of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended). However, I wish to make clear that such an application would require substantial grounds to be successful.

The Deputy might wish to note that the effect of a Deportation Order is that the person named on the Order is legally obliged to leave the State and to remain outside of the State. The enforcement of the Deportation Order in this case is now an operational matter for the Garda National Immigration Bureau.

Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to the INIS of my Department by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response from the INIS is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.

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