Written Answers Nos. 249-268
249. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the steps he will take to expedite an application for vetting clearance to enable a person (details supplied) to take up a job appointment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2756/19]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that the primary purpose of Garda vetting for employment purposes is to support protection for children and vulnerable adults and that the processing of vetting applications by the Garda National Vetting Bureau is an operational matter for the Garda Authorities and is carried out in accordance with the provisions of the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Act 2012-2016 and other relevant law. My Department has no role in the processing of individual vetting applications.
However, in order to assist the Deputy I have had enquiries made and I am advised by the Garda Authorities that, as of 17 January 2019, records at the Garda National Vetting Bureau indicate that no valid Garda vetting application has been received in respect of the person who is the subject of the Deputy's Question. In the circumstances, I would advise the person concerned to contact the relevant Registered Organisation to ascertain the status of their vetting application.
251. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 449 of 7 September 2018, if he will report on the additional resources assigned to process visa applications from India (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2780/19]
View answerI have been advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that visa processing times have improved in the New Delhi Visa Office in recent weeks. The Embassy website has been updated to reflect current processing times for each visa category.
As outlined previously, the Policy Document on Non-EEA Family reunification contains a stated business target that visa applications to join family members should be dealt with between 6 to 12 months of the application being made. This business target reflects the detailed and often complex assessment that is required to be carried out in relation to applications for family reunification. The processing time for this type of visa is currently 8 months (the medium of the business target timeframe).
The Deputy can be assured that every effort is made to keep processing times to a minimum. As I have previously indicated, additional staff were allocated to the New Delhi Visa Office to process rising numbers of visa applications in addition to the streamlining of visa processing where possible. I understand this is making a difference and the position continues to be kept under review.
252. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 251 of 6 February 2018, the enforcement role An Garda Síochána has in regard to unlicensed gaming activities and the availability of gaming machines in locations in which gaming is prohibited; when the report he requested from the Garda authorities on this matter in February 2018 will be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2789/19]
View answerAs set out in, and attached to my response to the Deputy in Parliamentary Question number 70 of 5 July 2018, the following table from the Garda authorities sets out the number of incidents recorded for offences under the Betting Acts 1853/1931, as amended, as well as offences under the Gaming and Lotteries Act, 1956 for the period 2010-2017.
As the Deputy will appreciate, An Garda Síochána is responsible for the investigation of allegations of criminality in relation to unlicensed gaming activities and I, as Minister, have no role in such matters. However, I can assure the Deputy that any reports made to An Garda Síochána alleging possible breaches of gaming law will be fully investigated by Gardaí. Where appropriate, the independent Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), having examined the evidence, will then decide what charges are to brought forward and for what crime.
|
Year |
Betting Acts |
Gaming & Lotteries |
|
2017 |
3 |
13 |
|
2016 |
0 |
14 |
|
2015 |
6 |
27 |
|
2014 |
15 |
47 |
|
2013 |
15 |
61 |
|
2012 |
9 |
21 |
|
2011 |
6 |
34 |
|
2010 |
7 |
96 |
Statistics provided are operational, provisional and liable to change and are valid to 1 st February, 2018
Incidents include the following offences:
- A person operating a betting office without a licence.
- A betting Office open on Easter Sunday.
- A bookmaker makes a bet or engages in a betting transaction with a person under 18 years of age.
- The licensee of a public house is found to have a gaming machine in operation in his pub and therefore commits an offence under the Gaming and Lotteries Act 1956.
- A person is found selling lottery tickets for a charity without ID or authorisation.
The National Lottery is not covered under these Acts.
253. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the average cost to purchase each type of specialist dog (details supplied) used by the Garda dog unit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2797/19]
View answerAs the Deputy will appreciate, in accordance with Section 26 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005, as amended, it is the Garda Commissioner who is responsible for carrying on and managing and controlling generally the administration and business of An Garda Síochána. Further, the allocation of Garda resources is a matter for the Commissioner, in light of the availability of resources and his identified operational demands. As Minister I have no direct role in these matters.
I have been advised by the Garda authorities that the Garda Dog Unit is based at Kilmainham Garda Station, in the Dublin Metropolitan Region (DMR) and has a national remit. I am pleased to confirm that dog units have also been established in the Southern Region based at Togher Garda Station, Cork, and Henry Street Garda Station, Limerick. I understand that facilities for a future regional dog unit have also been included in the Western Region Garda Headquarters, Galway.
I am informed that there are currently 25 dogs attached to the Garda Dog Unit, comprising general purpose (search), drugs and explosive detection dogs. Of these I understand that 20 dogs are currently located in the DMR and 5 are located in the Southern Region.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that the cost of purchasing Garda Dogs varies, ranging from approximately €1500 to €3000 in respect of a German Shepherd, and from approximately €1000 to €1500 in respect of a Springer Spaniel and Labrador.
I understand that the duration and cost of training for dogs in the Garda Dog Unit varies depending on what purpose the dog in question will be used for and that training of Garda dogs is provided in house.
254. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the estimated cost of increasing the funding to the Garda National Technical Bureau by 15%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2798/19]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, there has been unprecedented investment in An Garda Síochána in recent years, in support of the Government’s commitment to ensuring a strong and visible police presence throughout the country in order to maintain and strengthen community engagement and provide reassurance to citizens and deter crime.
The resources provided by Government to An Garda Síochána have reached unprecedented levels, with an allocation for 2019 of €1.76 billion. This represents an increase of over 6% over the initial allocation for 2018.
Very significant capital investment is also being made in An Garda Síochána. This includes investment of €342 million in Garda ICT infrastructure between 2016 and 2021 to enable An Garda Síochána to deliver on reform and deploy the latest cutting edge technologies in delivering professional policing and security services for the community; investment of €46 million in the Garda Fleet over the same period; as well as considerable capital investment in addressing the deficiencies in the Garda estate.
As the Deputy will appreciate, in accordance with the Garda Síochána Act 2005, it is the Garda Commissioner who is responsible for carrying on and managing and controlling generally the administration and business of An Garda Síochána. Further, the allocation of Garda resources is a matter for the Commissioner, in light of the availability of resources and his identified operational demands. As Minister I have no direct role in these matters.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that the expenditure for the Garda Technical Bureau Division in 2018 was €6,718,762. Using that expenditure as the basis for the calculation, I am informed that a 15% increase in funding would involve additional funds of approximately €1,007,814 (rounded), for a total of approximately €7,726,576.
255. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the estimated cost of increasing the funding to the Garda National Protective Services Bureau by 15%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2799/19]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, there has been unprecedented investment in An Garda Síochána in recent years, in support of the Government’s commitment to ensuring a strong and visible police presence throughout the country in order to maintain and strengthen community engagement and provide reassurance to citizens and deter crime.
The resources provided by Government to An Garda Síochána have reached unprecedented levels, with an allocation for 2019 of €1.76 billion. This represents an increase of over 6% over the initial allocation for 2018.
Very significant capital investment is also being made in An Garda Síochána. This includes investment of €342 million in Garda ICT infrastructure between 2016 and 2021 to enable An Garda Síochána to deliver on reform and deploy the latest cutting edge technologies in delivering professional policing and security services for the community; investment of €46 million in the Garda Fleet over the same period; as well as considerable capital investment in addressing the deficiencies in the Garda estate.
As the Deputy will appreciate, in accordance with the Garda Síochána Act 2005, 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 recruitment and training of members of An Garda Síochána. Further, the allocation of Garda resources is a matter for the Commissioner, in light of the availability of resources and his identified operational demands.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that the expenditure for the Garda National Protective Services Bureau in 2018 was € 5,903,718. Using that expenditure as the basis for the calculation, I am informed that a 15% increase in funding would involve additional funds of approximately €885,558 (rounded), for a total of approximately € 6,789,276.
256. Deputy Lisa Chambers asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the amount of funding allocated to the traffic corps in each of the years 2006 to 2018 and to date in 2019 in County Mayo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2816/19]
View answer257. Deputy Lisa Chambers asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the amount of funding allocated to An Garda Síochána excluding the traffic corps in each of the years 2006 to 2018 and to date in 2019 in County Mayo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2817/19]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 256 and 257 together.
As the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for managing and controlling generally the administration and business of An Garda Síochána as well as for decisions in relation to the allocation and management of Garda equipment and resources. As Minister, I have no direct role in these matters.
I have asked the Garda Commissioner for the specific information requested and when it to hand, I will write directly to the Deputy.
|
Year |
Expenditure (million) |
|
2006 |
€21.7 |
|
2007 |
€28.5 |
|
2008 |
€29.0 |
|
2009 |
€28.1 |
|
2010 |
€23.8 |
|
2011 |
€24.5 |
|
2012 |
€23.3 |
|
2013 |
€23.2 |
|
2014 |
€22.9 |
|
2015 |
€24.1 |
|
2016 |
€24.5 |
|
2017 |
€26.3 |
|
2018 |
€28.6 |
258. Deputy Lisa Chambers asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of RTAs in each of the years 2006 to 2018 and to date in 2019 in County Mayo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2818/19]
View answerI have sought a report from the An Garda Síochána in relation to the statistics requested by the Deputy.
I will contact the Deputy directly on receipt of said report.
|
Year |
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
|
Material Damage Only Collisions |
929 |
1253 |
1310 |
1203 |
979 |
896 |
905 |
921 |
883 |
1018 |
1010 |
1107 |
1057 |
32 |
|
Non - Serious Injury Collision |
137 |
155 |
181 |
154 |
145 |
116 |
133 |
129 |
114 |
121 |
101 |
113 |
124 |
7 |
|
Serious Injury Collision |
28 |
25 |
26 |
19 |
19 |
8 |
12 |
8 |
11 |
5 |
32 |
27 |
26 |
0 |
|
Fatal Collisions |
8 |
9 |
10 |
9 |
6 |
11 |
6 |
6 |
11 |
13 |
4 |
9 |
8 |
0 |
259. Deputy Lisa Chambers asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of break-ins and burglaries in each of the years 2006 to 2018 and to date in 2019 in County Mayo by location of the report of the break-ins and burglaries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2819/19]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, the Central Statistics Office (CSO), as the national statistical agency, is responsible for the compilation and publication of recorded crime statistics, and the CSO has established a dedicated unit for this purpose.
However, to be of assistance, I have asked the CSO to forward any information they might have on this subject directly to the Deputy.
260. Deputy Lisa Chambers asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí employed in the traffic corps in each of the years 2006 to 2018 and to date in 2019 in County Mayo; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2820/19]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, the manner in which the resources of the Garda Síochána are deployed is solely a matter for the Garda Commissioner and his management team and I, as Minister, have no direct role in this regard.
The information sought by the Deputy is currently being collated and I will write to the Deputy when it is available in the format requested.
|
DIVISION |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
Jun-19 |
|
D.M.R. EAST |
18 |
19 |
17 |
15 |
15 |
15 |
14 |
9 |
9 |
11 |
9 |
|
D.M.R. NORTH |
27 |
22 |
21 |
18 |
18 |
17 |
17 |
13 |
14 |
16 |
15 |
|
D.M.R. NORTH CENTRAL |
22 |
20 |
19 |
19 |
17 |
18 |
18 |
17 |
18 |
16 |
16 |
|
D.M.R. SOUTH |
19 |
16 |
15 |
13 |
13 |
12 |
12 |
12 |
10 |
12 |
12 |
|
D.M.R. SOUTH CENTRAL |
27 |
25 |
25 |
25 |
23 |
17 |
16 |
11 |
7 |
15 |
12 |
|
D.M.R. WEST |
22 |
22 |
22 |
21 |
19 |
19 |
16 |
13 |
12 |
19 |
14 |
|
D.M.R. TRAFFIC |
156 |
155 |
149 |
144 |
138 |
106 |
118 |
107 |
101 |
112 |
108 |
|
KILDARE |
36 |
40 |
41 |
41 |
39 |
36 |
34 |
25 |
24 |
28 |
25 |
|
LAOIS / OFFALY |
42 |
35 |
31 |
26 |
24 |
25 |
25 |
22 |
19 |
27 |
25 |
|
MEATH |
30 |
31 |
29 |
22 |
20 |
19 |
16 |
17 |
14 |
18 |
15 |
|
WESTMEATH |
27 |
29 |
26 |
24 |
21 |
23 |
20 |
28 |
18 |
18 |
18 |
|
WICKLOW |
30 |
30 |
25 |
24 |
23 |
20 |
21 |
17 |
16 |
22 |
21 |
|
CAVAN / MONAGHAN |
38 |
36 |
29 |
30 |
27 |
24 |
25 |
25 |
18 |
26 |
24 |
|
DONEGAL |
34 |
42 |
32 |
30 |
29 |
31 |
27 |
20 |
20 |
24 |
23 |
|
LOUTH |
30 |
25 |
25 |
22 |
19 |
17 |
16 |
14 |
14 |
21 |
20 |
|
SLIGO / LEITRIM |
34 |
34 |
33 |
34 |
31 |
24 |
24 |
23 |
23 |
27 |
23 |
|
KILKENNY/CARLOW |
39 |
38 |
37 |
36 |
32 |
31 |
28 |
26 |
26 |
24 |
23 |
|
TIPPERARY |
40 |
31 |
28 |
26 |
22 |
23 |
21 |
21 |
21 |
27 |
26 |
|
WATERFORD |
31 |
26 |
25 |
22 |
19 |
18 |
14 |
14 |
13 |
16 |
11 |
|
WEXFORD |
29 |
25 |
21 |
16 |
16 |
15 |
14 |
15 |
13 |
22 |
20 |
|
CORK CITY |
51 |
48 |
49 |
45 |
40 |
38 |
36 |
39 |
37 |
36 |
32 |
|
CORK NORTH |
41 |
40 |
39 |
37 |
35 |
34 |
33 |
33 |
33 |
29 |
26 |
|
CORK WEST |
27 |
28 |
28 |
25 |
21 |
22 |
18 |
22 |
21 |
22 |
23 |
|
KERRY |
35 |
35 |
31 |
25 |
22 |
20 |
18 |
17 |
18 |
21 |
20 |
|
LIMERICK |
33 |
34 |
30 |
32 |
31 |
29 |
26 |
23 |
24 |
31 |
29 |
|
CLARE |
29 |
24 |
25 |
18 |
17 |
16 |
18 |
17 |
15 |
19 |
19 |
|
GALWAY |
47 |
51 |
41 |
40 |
39 |
41 |
41 |
39 |
37 |
39 |
36 |
|
MAYO |
29 |
27 |
22 |
17 |
12 |
11 |
11 |
11 |
11 |
25 |
24 |
|
ROSCOMMON / LONGFORD |
23 |
23 |
25 |
23 |
22 |
21 |
19 |
19 |
17 |
21 |
18 |
|
TOTAL |
1046 |
1011 |
940 |
870 |
804 |
742 |
716 |
669 |
623 |
744 |
687 |
261. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his views on the need to provide additional staffing resources to the Border region in 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2835/19]
View answer262. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his views on the need to provide additional staffing and financial resources to the Border region in 2019, in view of the unique policing needs of a border area and the concerns regarding cross-Border criminal activity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2836/19]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 261 and 262 together.
Since the reopening of the Garda College in September 2014, almost 2,400 recruits have attested as members of An Garda Síochána and have been assigned to mainstream duties nationwide. This accelerated recruitment of Gardaí saw Garda numbers reach just over 14,000 by the end of 2018. Furthermore, a total budget of €1.76 billion has been provided to An Garda Síochána in 2019, an increase of over €100 million on the 2018 allocation. This substantial investment will provide new and leading edge technology to support our front line Gardaí in carrying out their work and increasing visibility in both rural and urban communities.
The Garda Commissioner has informed me that it is his intention to recruit a total of 600 trainee Gardaí in 2019 along with a net 600 Garda Staff (civilians). The recruitment of these additional Garda staff will allow the Commissioner to redeploy this year a further 500 fully trained Gardaí from administrative duties to the frontline duties for which they are trained. I believe that the injection of this large number of experienced officers into the field, along with the new recruits, will be really beneficial in terms of protecting communities. This and on-going recruitment will clearly provide the Commissioner with the resources needed to deploy increasing numbers of Gardaí to deliver a visible effective and responsive policing service to communities across all Garda Divisions, including those located alongside or close to the Border.
The Deputy will also be aware that there is close and ongoing cooperation between An Garda Síochána and the PSNI on all aspects of policing, with a particular focus on combatting security threats and cross-border crime. The Garda Commissioner and the Chief Constable of the PSNI, who are responsible for operational policing cooperation, have repeatedly emphasised the scope and the value of the close and high quality cooperation between the two police services in combating crime, protecting community safety and saving lives. The two police services operate a joint Cross-Border Policing Strategy which has as its aims to improve public safety throughout Ireland, to disrupt criminal activity and to enhance the policing capability of both police services on the island.
263. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his views on a matter and if he will provide clarification on it (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2851/19]
View answerIt is important to note that the Government has always been, and continues to be, supportive of the principle of parental leave. In fact, as part of Budget 2019, the Government announced the introduction of a new paid parental leave scheme which will commence later this year. This new scheme will initially provide two weeks of paid, non-transferable leave per parent, with a view to expanding the scheme and increasing the number of weeks of paid leave for both parents in future years.
During the debate in Dáil Éireann on the Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2017, which is a Private Member's Bill, I strongly suggested that the relevant Oireachtas Committee would carry out detailed pre-legislative scrutiny on this Bill. If this had occurred, it would have allowed all stakeholders to scrutinise the proposed legislation and to report on any policy or legal issues which may have to be identified.
As the Government is not the sponsor of a Private Member's Bill, I cannot advise on the progress of the Parental Leave (Amendment) Bill 2017.
264. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the protocols and procedures in place for children in State care to visit parents who are imprisoned in Mountjoy Prison; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2871/19]
View answerI am informed by my officials in the Irish Prison Service that the Service is committed to prisoners maintaining the relationships they have with their children.
To that end, the former Director General of the Irish Prison Service established the Families and Imprisonment Group, which is chaired by a prison Governor and includes representatives from Tusla, The Childhood Development Initiative, the Probation Service, the Prison Officers Association and representatives from various prisons. The group was tasked in particular to address the needs of children and families as highlighted in the report published by the Irish Penal Reform Trust entitled ‘Picking up the Pieces: The rights and needs of children and families affected by imprisonment'.
An important element of addressing these needs is the provision of family friendly visits, and refurbishment of visit spaces.
The Visitor Centre in Mountjoy offers a child centred and supportive environment for guardians and children visiting an imprisoned parent. Mountjoy has designated areas to facilitate family visits which include a family friendly space, round tables/family seating and access to play materials. In addition temporary release for access/visits to children for family occasions is regularly approved in most prisons.
The Irish Prison Service also targets family friendly training to ‘front of house’ staff, which aims to improve staff awareness of the effects of imprisonment on families and allows staff to appropriately support families and children visiting prisons.
Upon committal to prison all prisoners are provided with a visitor nomination form which they fill out stating the names of the persons they wish to have visit them in prison. Prisoners are then allowed to change two visitors per month on their visitor panel. All adult visitors (over 18) are required to produce photographic ID upon arriving at the prison for a visit in order to gain access. All children (under 18) are recorded numerically on a visit as opposed to by name but must be accompanied by a guardian. All visitors must pass through the security screening area and may also be searched by staff. Information in relation to children visiting prisons is not recorded in the manner which would allow the prison service to extrapolate if a child visiting a prison was under the care of the State at the time of visit.
Finally, I can also inform the Deputy that the Irish Prison Service has enacted the provisions of the Children First Act 2015 in respect of all visit areas. Staff have received mandatory training in Children First and Designated Liaison Persons are located in every prison. There is continual liaison between the Prison Service and Tusla regarding child protection and welfare issues. Where concerns for child welfare arise, the Irish Prison Service report to Tusla, as required under Children First.
265. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the road traffic fatalities to date for 2019 published by An Garda Síochána to 16 January 2019 are incorrect (details supplied); his views on whether the issues with same are ongoing in view of long-standing controversies in relation to Garda statistics; and when corrected figures will be published by An Garda Síochána. [2895/19]
View answerYou will appreciate that I, as Minister for Justice and Equality, have no role in relation to the collection of Garda statistical data; however, to be of assistance, I have asked An Garda Síochána for a report on the matter.
I am informed by An Garda Síochána that statistics on road traffic fatalities, published on An Garda Síochána's website, are provisional, operational and subject to change. There are a number of reasons why such statistics can change on a daily basis, for example:
- It may be established during the investigation of a collision that the person died as a result of a medical condition un-related to the collision rather than as a result of the collision. In such cases, the death will not be recorded as a road fatality and the collision may be downgraded from a Fatal Road Traffic Collision.
- In other cases, a Serious Injury Road Traffic Collision can be adjusted upwards to a Fatal Road Traffic Collision were a victim dies within 30 days from the date of the incident.
- There are also cases, where the incident is changed from a Public Road Fatality to a Private Road Fatality, which is reported separately and may not be reflected in published statistics.
I am informed that An Garda Síochána work with all relevant stakeholders in the development of accurate statistics in respect of road traffic fatalities, which are recorded in line with international best practice.
266. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of new marked and unmarked Garda cars, vans and marked motorcycles that were allocated to the roads policing unit in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3017/19]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that the resources provided by Government to An Garda Síochána have reached unprecedented levels, with an allocation for 2019 of €1.76 billion. This represents an increase of over 6% over the initial allocation for 2018.
Very significant capital investment is also being made in An Garda Síochána, including investment of €342 million in Garda ICT infrastructure between 2016 and 2021 to enable An Garda Síochána to deliver on reform and deploy the latest cutting edge technologies in delivering professional policing and security services for the community; and significant investment is also being made to address the deficiencies in the Garda estate.
The Deputy will be aware that the Government's Capital Plan 2016 – 2021 provides €46 million for investment in 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 fleet in the period 2013 to 2015.
As the Deputy will appreciate, decisions in relation to the provision and allocation of Garda vehicles across the various Garda divisions are a matter for the Commissioner in light of his identified operational demands and the availability of resources. As Minister, I have no direct role in that matter.
I understand however that Garda management keeps the distribution of resources under continual review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities, to ensure their optimum use.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that a total of 40 vehicles were allocated for Roads Policing duty in 2018, comprising 5 marked cars, 4 marked motorcycles and 31 marked 4 x 4 vehicles.
267. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the transport fleet budget for the Prison Service in each of the years 2015 to 2018; the amount allocated for same in 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3018/19]
View answerI wish to inform the Deputy that information in relation to both the transport fleet budget and expenditure for the Irish Prison Service for the years 2015 to 2018 is outlined in the table below. The 2019 allocation has yet to be agreed.
|
Year |
FLEET MANAGEMENT (Budget) |
FLEET MANAGEMENT (spend) |
|
2015 |
€1,400,000 |
€1,576,130 |
|
2016 |
€2,250,000 |
€3,201,356 |
|
2017 |
€3,150,000 |
€3,158,084 |
|
2018 |
€2,700,000 |
€2,790,583 |
In addition to the purchase of vehicles, expenditure for the fleet covers items such as Maintenance & Repairs, Motor Tax and Insurance, Fuel for Prison Vehicles and Toll Charges/Parking Fees.
Following the award of a contract for services to assist in the development of fleet management systems, a rolling programme commenced in 2016 to replace the existing fleet. While this resulted in additional expenditure in 2016, efficiencies in the purchasing and disposal of vehicles are expected to save money in the longer term.
268. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if funding has been made available in 2019 for the replacement of aircraft or helicopters in the Garda air support unit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3019/19]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, there has been unprecedented investment in An Garda Síochána in recent years, in support of the Government’s commitment to ensuring a strong and visible police presence throughout the country in order to maintain and strengthen community engagement and provide reassurance to citizens and deter crime.
The resources provided by Government to An Garda Síochána have reached unprecedented levels, with an allocation for 2019 of €1.76 billion. This represents an increase of over 6% over the initial allocation for 2018.
Very significant capital investment is also being made in An Garda Síochána, including investment of €342 million in Garda ICT infrastructure between 2016 and 2021 to enable An Garda Síochána to deliver on reform and deploy the latest cutting edge technologies in delivering professional policing and security services for the community.
Investment of €46 million is also being made in the Garda Fleet over the same period to ensure that An Garda Síochána has a modern, effective and fit-for-purpose fleet. This is additional to the investment of almost €30 million in the fleet in the period 2013 to 2015.
The Government is also making considerable capital investment in addressing the deficiencies in the Garda estate.
As the Deputy will appreciate, in accordance with the Garda Síochána Act 2005, it is the Garda Commissioner who is responsible for carrying on and managing and controlling generally the administration and business of An Garda Síochána. Further, the allocation of Garda resources is a matter for the Commissioner, in light of his identified operational demands.
I understand that the Garda Air Support Unit was established in September 1997 with the delivery of a Pilatus Britten-Norman BN 2T-4S Defender 4000 fixed wing aircraft and a Eurocopter AS355N Eceuriel helicopter. In 2001 the Unit acquired a second helicopter - a Eurocopter EC 135 T2. In 2007 the Eceuriel helicopter was replaced by a second EC135 T2+.
As the Deputy will appreciate, the question of prioritising the upgrading or replacement of these aircraft is in the first instance for the Commissioner, in the context of the investment being made in An Garda Síochána and his operational priorities. I am informed by the Garda authorities that neither the two helicopters nor the Fixed Wing Aircraft have reached the end of their operational lives and as such, no funding has been provided in the 2019 budget for their replacement.
My Department will of course continue to engage with Garda management on an ongoing basis in relation to current and capital resource needs.
