Written Answers Nos. 205-220
205. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to ensure that data capture for the Property Price Register includes Eircode postcodes, if available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32041/18]
View answerThe Residential Property Price Register is published by the Property Services Regulatory Authority (PSRA) pursuant to section 86 of the Property Services (Regulation) Act 2011. Section 86(1) of that Act provides that:
"The Authority shall, as soon as is practicable after the commencement of this section, maintain and publish particulars of residential property sales prices in the State, including—
(a) the address of the property,
(b) the price at which the property was sold, and
(c) the date of the sale of the property".
The Register, as currently provided for, is designed to provide accurate prices of residential properties purchased on any given date.
The Register is compiled by the PSRA from data received by the Revenue Commissioners in relation to stamp duty. As Minister for Justice and Equality, I have no statutory remit with regard to the categories of data requested by the Revenue Commissioners for stamp duty purposes.
206. Deputy Eamon Ryan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the initial cost of recruiting 2,000 new gardaí; and the cost per annum thereafter to maintain that additional number. [32162/18]
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 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 and Garda numbers are on track to reach 14,000 by the end of 2018. Taking account of projected retirements, reaching a strength of 15,000 by 2021 will require some 1,600 more Garda members to be recruited on a phased basis over the next two years.
It is important to note that this is an ambitious and challenging programme of accelerated recruitment. It is considered that it would not be feasible to increase this rate to recruit and induct Gardaí at the level of 2,000 in the period of a year.
Regarding the particular issues raised by the Deputy, I have requested the specific information from the Commissioner and I will write to him directly on receipt of same.
207. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the reason for the significant fee for persons to become naturalised here (details supplied); his plans to introduce a sliding scale of fees for the certificate based on an applicant’s length of stay here if the applicant is self-supporting at all stages; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31668/18]
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.
There is no provision in the Regulations for the discretionary waiver or reduction of fees, or for differing fees to apply to different nationalities, or based on length of residency. While the operation of the Act is kept under review, there are no plans to amend the fees.
The standard fees payable by an applicant are designed to reflect the effort and cost involved in processing applications for a certificate of naturalisation. 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.
208. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of applications submitted from counties Cavan and Monaghan for funding under the CCTV community scheme; the date of receipt of each application; the number of applications approved to date; the date of approval of each; the funding drawn down to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31680/18]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that the Programme for a Partnership Government commits to supporting investment in CCTV systems. In pursuance of this commitment, a grant-aid scheme was launched by my Department in 2017 to assist groups in the establishment of community-based CCTV systems in their local areas. It is intended that the scheme will run for 3 years with funding of some €1 million being made available each year.
Under the scheme, eligible community groups can apply for grant-aid of up to 60% of the total capital cost of a proposed CCTV system, up to a maximum grant of €40,000.
It should be noted that community CCTV is governed by section 38 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 and the Garda Síochána (CCTV) Order 2006 (SI No 289 of 2006). This legal framework requires that any proposed community CCTV scheme must:
- be approved by the local Joint Policing Committee,
- have the prior support of the relevant Local Authority, which must also act as data controller, and
- have the authorisation of the Garda Commissioner.
This is the legal basis for all community CCTV schemes, regardless of how they are funded.
Of the applications submitted to my Department to date, 1 was received from Cavan while none has been received from Monaghan to date.
The application from Cavan was received on 29 June 2017. The application as submitted did not meet the requirements either for proposed community CCTV systems or to qualify for grant aid funding. Following consideration of the application, a response issued from my Department on 13 July 2017, returning the documentation to the applicant to provide the opportunity to bring the application within the eligibility criteria of the scheme and to provide the information necessary to qualify for grant-aid.
Full details of the grant aid package are available to download from my Department's website www.justice.ie. I am keen to ensure that all interested groups, in both rural and urban areas, take advantage of the availability of this grant-aid scheme and I encourage any interested groups to make contact with my Department with any queries or if they require assistance in relation to the scheme. A dedicated email address is available for that purpose communitycctv@justice.ie.
209. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of prosecutions on an annual basis for the use of unauthorised drones; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31683/18]
View answerThe Deputy will appreciate that decisions about whether or not a person is prosecuted, and for what crime, is solely a matter for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and I have no role in this regard.
However, to be of assistance to the Deputy, I have requested a report on this matter from the Garda authorities and I will contact the Deputy again when the report is to hand.
210. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of prosecutions on an annual basis for cyclists failing to stop at traffic lights; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31684/18]
View answerThe Deputy will appreciate that decisions about whether or not a person is prosecuted, and for what crime, is solely a matter for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and I have no role in this regard.
However, to be of assistance to the Deputy, I have requested a report from An Garda Síochána in relation to the statistics sought by the Deputy, insofar as they are available, and I will be in contact with the Deputy directly on receipt of this report.
211. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the ratio of men and women at each civil service grade within his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31697/18]
View answerThe following table outlines the numbers of men and women at each civil service grade within my Department as of 31/12/2017.
|
Grade* |
Male |
Female |
Total |
|
Acting Secretary General |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
Deputy Secretary** |
1 |
1 |
2 |
|
Assistant Secretary |
12 |
3 |
15 |
|
Principal Officer |
62 |
34 |
96 |
|
Assistant Principal Officer |
130 |
152 |
282 |
|
Higher Executive Officer |
123 |
161 |
284 |
|
Administrative Officer |
91 |
228 |
319 |
|
Executive Officer |
170 |
253 |
423 |
|
Clerical Officer |
333 |
501 |
834 |
|
Service Officer |
29 |
16 |
45 |
|
Total |
951 |
1350 |
2301 |
*Posts have been included with the general Civil Service grade for which they are analogous.
** Remuneration for these positions (Director General of the Irish Prison Service and State Pathologist) are analogous to Deputy Secretary pay scale.
212. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons living in direct provision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31701/18]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that the Direct Provision system is a whole of Government approach to the provision of supports and other services to persons seeking international protection. These supports and services are delivered directly to persons in the protection process in the same manner as to other residents in Ireland by the relevant Government Department or Agency. For example education services are delivered through the Department of Education and Skills and health services are delivered by the Health Service Executive.
My Department, through the Reception & Integration Agency (RIA), is responsible for the provision of accommodation and related services to protection applicants while they await a decision on their claim for international protection. There are currently 5,442 persons residing in 34 accommodation centres located nationwide.
We have invested in improving the standard of services and facilities provided to residents in a number of key ways.
The McMahon report was published in June of 2015. This report forms the basis for ongoing improvements across the entirety of the system involving all Government Departments and Agencies.
We are implementing a large number of these commitments within two broad themes. The first of these was by way of reforming legislation with the commencement of the International Protection Act 2015 on 31 December 2016.
A key feature of this new legislation was the introduction of a new single application procedure which will significantly accelerate the protection determination process and by extension will reduce the length of time which applicants spend in State provided accommodation.
The second major theme of improvements is in the area of the delivery of services.
Following from the McMahon report and, in particular, since the publication of the Programme for a Partnership Government, a number of recommendations in relation to physical improvements to accommodation are being rolled out. The following are some examples:
- The introduction of full independent living at the Mosney Accommodation centre - each family is now able to acquire fresh food to their liking so they may prepare meals themselves. The new home cooking arrangements in Mosney went live on 23 January 2017.
- The full independent living model was subsequently rolled out in Ballyhaunis and Clonakilty in 2017 and in Athlone and Millstreet to date in 2018. The independent living model is scheduled to commence in Bridgewater House in Carrick-On-Suir, Montague Hotel in Emo and the Birchwood Accommodation Centre in Waterford City by the end of Q3 2018.
- Communal cooking facilities are being rolled out to other centres including the State owned centres (Killarney, Tralee, Knocklisheen in Limerick and Kinsale Road in Cork) and St Patrick’s in Monaghan, Ocean View in Tramore and any other centres in which families are resident.
- A complete refurbishment consisting of triple glazed windows and doors and refurbished interiors and cooking facilities in each accommodation unit at the Athlone Accommodation Centre.
- Improvements to a number of outdoor playgrounds and football pitches to provide for ‘all-weather’ facilities.
- Teenagers rooms in centres to provide social areas for this age group.
Recommendations of the McMahon report that involve structural changes or improvements continue be implemented as quickly as possible, with due consideration of possible fire safety, building regulation and planning issues.
In addition to the foregoing the Deputy will be aware that the Government recently transposed the EU (recast) Reception Conditions Directive 2013 into Irish Law. Under the Directive, asylum seekers will have access to the labour market nine months from the date when their protection application was lodged, if they have yet to receive a first instance recommendation from the International Protection Office and if they have cooperated with the process. This also gives effect to the recommendation in the McMahon report on this matter.
The Directive will bring the State into line with standards across the EU Member States for reception conditions for international protection applicants, including standards in accommodation centres. This continues the recent and ongoing positive work (set out above) carried out to enhance living arrangements for applicants and their families, and to further provide a wide range of supports and services to asylum seekers. Participation in the Directive is another important step in the reform of our international protection and reception systems.
213. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the amount paid to each direct provision operator in each of the years 2015 to 2017 and to date in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31702/18]
View answerAll accommodation centres for those persons seeking protection, whether State-owned or privately owned, are operated by commercial companies. There are currently 34 accommodation centres being operated under the direct provision system.
Extensive and detailed information on the amount paid by my Department to each company contracted to provide direct provision accommodation every year up to and including 2014 can be found on the RIA website www.ria.gov.ie under the 'Contract Values' section of the website at this link. The 2015 information will be available shortly.
This is in accordance with the Reception & Integration Agency's policy on disclosure of financial information which was agreed with the Office of the Information Commissioner. The Deputy will appreciate that it is not appropriate to provide values for current contracts entered into by my Department. Negotiations take place with a number of commercial entities on an ongoing basis with a clear focus on achieving the best value for money in respect of each contract. It is not in the interests of yielding best value for the taxpayer that details of current individual contracts are made available to other commercial bodies who are, or may be in the future, engaged in these negotiations.
214. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the average running costs associated with a functioning Garda station; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31705/18]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, it is the Garda Commissioner who is responsible for managing and controlling generally the administration and business of An Garda Síochána. Further, the programme of replacement and refurbishment of Garda accommodation is progressed by the Garda authorities working in close co-operation with the Office of Public Works (OPW). As Minister, I have no direct role in these matter.
I have been informed by the Garda authorities that the Garda estate comprises 564 Garda Stations, over 200 official accommodation properties as well as a significant number of central facilities such as Garda Headquarters, Harcourt Square and the Garda College in Templemore.
The budgets allocated to An Garda Síochána and the OPW respectively to provide for enhancements and upkeep of the buildings in the Garda estate are allocated to the totality of the Garda estate as outlined above. In addition, running costs arise in connection with services such as electricity, fuel, broadband and so on.
As the Deputy will appreciate, Garda stations range in scale from large Regional and Divisional Headquarters accommodating high levels of personnel delivering multiple policing functions, down to small stations operating predominantly in rural areas that may in some cases accommodate one or two Gardaí and perform public-facing functions with limited opening hours only.
In the circumstances, I am advised by the Garda authorities that it is not possible to determine a cost that would accurately represent the average running cost of a Garda station given their widely differing sizes, the variety of functions conducted in each type of station, the number of personnel attached to stations and the cost of services provided.
215. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the average cost of community based CCTV schemes as detailed in applications for grants under the grant scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31706/18]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that the Programme for a Partnership Government commits to supporting investment in CCTV systems. In pursuance of this commitment, a grant-aid scheme was launched by my Department in 2017 to assist groups in the establishment of community-based CCTV systems in their local areas. It is intended that the scheme will run for 3 years with funding of some €1 million being made available each year.
Under the scheme, eligible community groups can apply for grant-aid of up to 60% of the total capital cost of a proposed CCTV system, up to a maximum grant of €40,000.
A total of 13 applications have been received to date and I understand that a significant number of other applications are currently being finalised for early submission.
The average total cost of the systems in relation to which applications have been received by my Department is over €46,000. However, this average total cost would include systems which have not yet reached the statutory requirements for community CCTV or the eligibility requirements for the scheme. It may interest the Deputy to note that the average total cost of the community CCTV systems which have met the criteria and have been approved for grant-aid to date is approximately €65,000.
I am keen to ensure that all interested groups, in both rural and urban areas, take advantage of the availability of this grant-aid scheme. Full details of the grant aid package are available on my Department's website www.justice.ie. In addition, my officials are available to provide assistance and guidance to any interested party in relation to the scheme, with a dedicated email address available for that purpose - communitycctv@justice.ie.
216. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the average cost of installing a Garda operated and controlled CCTV system at a motorway junction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31707/18]
View answerAs the Deputy will appreciate, decisions in relation to the provision and allocation of Garda resources are a matter for the Garda Commissioner in the light of his identified operational demands. As Minister, I have no direct role in the matter.
I have been informed by the Garda authorities that it is difficult to provide a specific figure as the requirements for each proposed CCTV system depend on a range of location-specific factors. A specification and associated projected cost could be estimated only following full survey and design.
In particular, I am informed that CCTV systems are complex by their nature. I am informed that among the key items to be considered in any case and which would impact on the costs involved are the number of lanes to be covered by CCTV, provision of a suitable gantry or pole, the availability of electrical power and availability of a network route to transmit the CCTV images to the Garda control point and to transmit commands to the camera in the case of remote control.
Accordingly, given the range of factors which can impact on costs, it is not possible to provide an initial costing for Garda CCTV systems on motorway junctions. However, I can confirm that the Garda Vote contains an annual allocation of some €1.5 million for the maintenance and upgrade of Garda CCTV systems.
217. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if An Garda Síochána uses robotic drones to aid policing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31708/18]
View answer218. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if the purchase of drones to aid policing has been costed; if so, the estimated costs of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31709/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 217 and 218 together.
As the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is statutorily responsible for the allocation and management of Garda resources in the State and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that An Garda Síochána do not currently use drones to aid policing. It is understood, however, that a working group within An Garda Síochána is examining the matter.
Estimated costs for the purchase or use of drones are not available at this time. I am informed by the Garda authorities that if in future there is a decision in relation to the use of drones to aid policing, a business case will be developed by An Garda Síochána setting out the operational justification for the purchase and the total costs involved, i.e. the purchase costs in addition to maintenance and support costs.
219. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the average number of persons out on bail on a given day; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31710/18]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, under the provisions of the Courts Service Act 1998, management of the courts is the responsibility of the Courts Service, which is independent in exercising its functions, which include the provision of information on the courts system.
However, in order to be of assistance to the Deputy, I have had enquiries made and the Courts Service has informed me that court statistics are not compiled in such a way as to provide the detail sought by the Deputy.
The Courts Service has advised that it can provide statistics on how many people are granted bail. However, the Courts Service cannot say how many people have taken up the bail, how many people have breached their bail conditions or how many people are granted bail on one offence but are in custody on other offences. Therefore, it is not possible for the Courts Service to calculate the number of persons that are actually "out on bail".
220. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the amount spent on external information technology training for members of An Garda Síochána in 2008, 2012, 2015, 2017 and to date in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31711/18]
View answerAs you 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 the members and civilian staff of An Garda Síochána and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter.
I have requested the specific information sought by the Deputy from the Commissioner and I will write to him directly on receipt of same.
