Wednesday, 27 Jan 2021

Written Answers Nos. 622-641

Legal Aid Service

Questions (622)

Richard Boyd Barrett

Question:

622. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Justice the amounts the Legal Aid Board has spent on personal insolvency practitioners, solicitors and barristers under the PIA review legal aid service for 2020; the details of these payments; the companies and persons that received same; the amount received by each company and person; the amounts that have been incurred but are as yet unpaid by the Legal Aid Board to personal insolvency practitioners, solicitors and barristers under the PIA review legal aid service since its inception; the details of these liabilities; the companies and persons to which they are owed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3614/21]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

Unfortunately it has not been possible in the time available to collate the information requested by the Deputy. I will write to the Deputy directly with the information when available.

Garda Equipment

Questions (623)

Jim O'Callaghan

Question:

623. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice her plans to introduce body-worn video systems to be worn by the Garda armed support unit in the first instance along with a comprehensive set of rules on body camera usage; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3620/21]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

As the Deputy may be aware, the use of video recording devices, or so called 'body worn cameras', by An Garda Síochána was one of the recommendations made in the report of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland.

The Commission's recommendations were accepted by Government and are currently being implemented through the Government's four-year implementation plan, “A Policing Service for the Future” .

I can inform the Deputy that the deployment of body worn cameras by An Garda Síochána will be provided for in a Garda Síochána (Digital Recording) Bill. The Bill will provide for a Code of Practice that will address:

- The circumstances when it is appropriate to use the cameras and the circumstance when it is not;

- All procedures and standards including confidentiality rules, security of recordings, storage details, access rights, issues around the retention of data, and data subject rights.

It is important to emphasise that this legislation will be an overt policing bill and there will be a requirement that the cameras must be visible on the clothing of the Garda officer.

The Code of Practice will be prepared by the Garda Commissioner who will ensure that a Human Rights Impact Assessment and a Data Protection Impact Assessment are carried out. The Code will then be submitted for Ministerial approval and for inclusion in a Statutory Instrument.

Work on the General Scheme of the Bill is well progressed within my Department and I hope to be able to bring it to Government shortly for approval to draft the Bill and to publish the Scheme.

It should be noted that the deployment of body worn cameras envisaged in the Commission's report would not be limited solely to specialist units such as the Armed Support Unit. The Bill allows for this organisation-wide deployment as determined by the operational needs of An Garda Síochána, which would be a matter for the Commissioner.

Ministerial Correspondence

Questions (624)

Fergus O'Dowd

Question:

624. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Justice if she will address the issues raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3622/21]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

I extend my deepest sympathies to all those impacted by the tragic event in Hartstown, and in particular to the family of the late Mr George Nkencho. All fatal shootings are deeply distressing, and I know that the local community are experiencing real trauma as a result of these events.

As is the case in every incident involving a member of An Garda Síochána that results in the death of a person, the shooting is of course being fully and independently investigated by the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC), which is chaired by a High Court Judge, the Hon Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring.

Such incidents are very rare in Ireland but all are fully investigated independently. GSOC have written to my Department to confirm that they have begun a criminal investigation under section 98 of the Garda Síochána Act, 2005. As the Deputy may be aware, GSOC can make wider systemic recommendations on issues they investigate and they are free to do that in this instance also.

I know that Gardaí have also been engaging with the local community with regard to the trauma caused by the incident, and family liaison officers from both GSOC and An Garda Síochána are available to the Nkencho family.

At the same time, Gardaí are investigating the incidents at Hartstown Shopping Centre and the events leading to the shooting. There are well established protocols in place between GSOC and the Gardaí to allow these parallel but separate investigations to take place.

Given that these processes are ongoing, it would not be appropriate to consider a separate inquiry at this time. I will of course give any further consideration appropriate to this matter when the GSOC investigation is completed.

Departmental Functions

Questions (625)

Alan Dillon

Question:

625. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Justice if she plans to change the fees payable for certificates (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3624/21]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

The 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, there is no certification fee.

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 classes of applicant. All of the fees payable under the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended are kept under ongoing review by my Department. However, there are no current plans to amend the fees.

Direct Provision System

Questions (626)

Matt Shanahan

Question:

626. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Justice the number of persons availing of direct provision; the number from this cohort who have applications for refugee or asylum status; the present application period averages to a finding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3679/21]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

As the Deputy will be aware, responsibility for the Direct Provision accommodation system transferred to my colleague, Minister O'Gorman on 14 October last. My Department retains responsibility for the processing of international protection applications.

3,335 people whose applications are being examined by the International Protection Office (IPO) and 1,046 people who are at appeal stage with the International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT) are currently being provided with accommodation by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.

The median processing time for all international protection applications determined in 2020, by the IPO was 17.6 months and 12.7 months for prioritised applications. For cases decided in the Ministerial Decisions Unit in 2020, the median processing time was 1.6 months.

The median processing time for all international protection appeals determined in 2020, by the IPAT was 9 months.

While the figures above are correct at the time of issue, they are subject to data cleansing.

Efforts to improve processing times have been seriously impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has reduced the output of decisions considerably and has impacted on the target set by the IPO to make first instance decisions in the vast majority of cases within 9 months. The return to Level 5 restrictions from 26 December 2020, has resulted in the postponement of protection interviews until an easing of the public health measures permits their safe resumption.

I welcome the key recommendation of reducing processing times for both first instance decisions and appeals to 6 months each respectively as far as possible in line with the recommendations of the Expert Advisory Group. Work is underway in my Department towards achieving this objective, which includes an end to end process review of the international protection and related immigration processes.

Notwithstanding the progress being made on implementing the recommendations there are certain current constraints and challenges for my Department in delivering some of the recommendations of the Advisory Group for reduced processing timelines given the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on current operations.

Human Trafficking

Questions (627)

Holly Cairns

Question:

627. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Justice if her attention has been drawn to the US State Department's repeated criticism of the State's treatment of trafficking victims; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3738/21]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

Combatting the terrible crime of human trafficking is a priority for Ireland and we attach great importance to the work of multilateral international organisations who are active in tackling human trafficking, including the UN, Council of Europe, OSCE and the European Union and Ireland continues to work with all our partners in those forums to combat this heinous crime.

The Government is fully committed to addressing human trafficking in all forms, including through the provision of supports for victims of human trafficking and by educating the public to recognise the signs of trafficking. We have partnered with the UN IOM Office in Dublin on a campaign to raise awareness that victims of trafficking can be found anywhere and can be hidden in plain sight. My Department continues to engage with the US Embassy here on Human Trafficking issues and we are currently working on our contribution to the 2021 Trafficking in Persons Report.

Addressing human trafficking in a comprehensive way requires the engagement of various stakeholders and a number of key actions have recently been undertaken or are due to be completed soon, including -

- The designation of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) as Ireland’s independent National Rapporteur for Anti-Human Trafficking under article 19 of the EU Human Trafficking Directive;

- The commencement of a review of Part 4 of the Criminal Justice (Sexual Offences) Act 2017, which criminalised the purchase of sex as part of a wider approach to protection of persons trafficked into prostitution;

- Providing funding to NGOs for their work to provide support to victims of trafficking, and to develop targeted awareness training programmes;

- The engagement of an NGO to identify solutions to the provision of accommodation to victims of trafficking, particularly female victims of sexual exploitation. This was at an advanced stage but post the transfer of functions in October 2021, the follow up and implementation is now for Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth;

- The reaching of an agreement with another NGO to provide off-site support and counselling services for the victims to be accommodated in this new facility, which is now in place and will be funded by my Department.

- The establishment of a Human Trafficking Stakeholders Forum to consider the current policies, procedures and practices of State services and non-governmental organisations in supporting victims of human trafficking. The Forum will review the existing National Action Plan on Human Trafficking, including to respond to the commitment in the Programme for Government to adopt and implement a comprehensive strategy to combat trafficking of women and girls;

- Working with the Forum in a review of the National Referral Mechanism in Ireland, learning from best practice models in other EU Member States;

- Drafting legislation to strengthen the penal framework on people smuggling thereby giving effect to the Programme for Government commitment to enact legislation that encompasses relevant EU measures and enables Ireland to ratify the UN Protocol against the smuggling and trafficking of migrants. The Criminal Justice (Smuggling of Persons) Bill 2020 is on the Government priority list for publication by Easter of this year and my officials are working proactively with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel to draft this Bill which is well advanced;

- The hosting of a joint multimedia campaign between the Department of Justice and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to raise public awareness about Human Trafficking. The awareness campaign has two primary objectives;

1. Raising public awareness around the existence of Human Trafficking in Ireland and educate people to recognise the signs of trafficking;

2. Raising awareness of victim supports. The campaign highlighted for victims that help is available and how to seek it - in the first instance by contacting An Garda Síochána but also by providing information on how to contact victim support services offered by the state, NGOs and international organisations.

The campaign website can be accessed at www.anyonetrafficked.com

The Second National Action Plan to Prevent and Combat Human Trafficking was launched in 2016. The Action Plan involves a victim-centred and human rights based approach with the ultimate aims of preventing human trafficking, ensuring an effective criminal justice response and delivery of supports to victims. In line with the Programme for Government Commitment, work to review this strategy will commence early this year. Great importance is also attached to the work of multilateral international organisations who are active in tackling human trafficking, including the UN, Council of Europe, OSCE and the European Union and Ireland continues to work with all our partners in those forums. A copy of the Second National Action Plan along with an executive summary can be downloaded from http://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/human_trafficking.

In addition, An Garda Síochána has committed significant resources to the investigation and prosecution of human trafficking in Ireland. A specialised Garda Unit, the Human Trafficking Investigation and Co-ordination Unit (HTICU), has been has been in place since 2009 to conduct investigations into human trafficking and provide advice, support and where necessary, operational assistance to investigations at district level. An Garda Síochána is also active in relation to trafficking gangs through work targeting organised crime - targeting their finances, their use of the internet and by working closely with other jurisdictions.

Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries

Questions (628)

Holly Cairns

Question:

628. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Justice the number of active criminal investigations into alleged crimes committed in mother and baby homes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3739/21]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

At the outset, I would like to express my deepest sympathies to all those who suffered both during their time in mother and baby homes, and as a result of those experiences during the years that followed.

As the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management of An Garda Síochána, including the investigation of alleged crime, and I as Minister have no role in this matter.

I am informed by the Garda authorities that An Garda Síochána will now examine the detailed and extensive final report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes, and will consider if there are grounds for criminal investigation.

Property Services Regulatory Authority

Questions (629)

Richard Bruton

Question:

629. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Justice if she is satisfied that companies that have acquired a number of leases for onward rental should be treated as letting agents in order to require them to have a protection fund and to be supervised by the PSRA. [3748/21]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

The provision of property services to consumers in Ireland is subject to a detailed legislative framework of licensing, regulation, monitoring and enforcement, under the Property Services Regulation Act 2011 (afterwards ‘the Act’). The Act also established the Property Services Regulatory Authority (PSRA), a statutory regulatory body specifically tasked with responsibility for licensing and regulating property services providers (auctioneers, estate agents, letting agents and property management agents).

Under the Act, any business or individual who provides a property service (other than those who are subject to a similar licence or authentication scheme in another EU Member State) must hold a valid licence from the PSRA. A property service is defined as the provision, for consideration, in the State, in respect of property within or outside the State, of any of the following: the auction of property other than land; the purchase or sale, by whatever means, of land; the letting of land; or property management services.

The licensing of property services providers ensures that licensees comply with certain standards aimed at ensuring protection for their clients. For example, licensees must possess specified minimum qualifications, have available to them professional indemnity insurance and pay an annual contribution to the Property Services Compensation Fund. The Compensation Fund is funded by annual contributions from licensees, and maintained and administered by the PSRA. A person who has suffered financial loss as a result of dishonesty on the part of a licensee, or any principal officer, employee or agent or former principal officer, employee or agent of a licensee arising from the provision of property services on behalf of the licensee, is entitled to apply to the PSRA for a grant from the Compensation Fund to compensate him/her for the loss sustained as a result of the dishonesty.

The PSRA is empowered to investigate complaints of improper conduct made against licensed property services providers, and to launch investigations on its own initiative for the purpose of ensuring compliance by property services providers with their statutory obligations. Where a finding of improper conduct is made by the PSRA, it can impose a range of sanctions.

The relationship of landlord and tenant is governed by separate legislation including, in the case of residential property, the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 (as amended). This Act imposes obligations on both landlords and tenants, including in respect of the refund of deposits. Disputes arising between landlords and tenants are generally a matter for adjudication by the Residential Tenancies Board. My colleague, the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government is responsible for the Residential Tenancies Act.

Residency Permits

Questions (630)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

630. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice the current and-or expected residency status in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3776/21]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

An application for a certificate of naturalisation was received from the person referred to by the Deputy on 21 May 2018. On 26 February 2019, a letter was sent from the Citizenship Division of the Immigration Service of my department to the person concerned and the status of the application for naturalisation remains as outlined in this letter.

The granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is a privilege and an honour which confers certain rights and entitlements not only within the State but also at European Union level and it is important that appropriate procedures are in place to preserve the integrity of the process.

Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to 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 Question process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in the cases where the response is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.

Domestic Violence Services

Questions (631)

Cian O'Callaghan

Question:

631. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice if the stillhere.ie website and resources will be provided in other languages; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3852/21]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

I wish to advise the Deputy that tackling domestic abuse and supporting victims is a key priority for the Department of Justice and for the Government as a whole. This is true in terms of commitments and additional resources made available during the pandemic as well working collectively to put in place a comprehensive range of supports and services to meet the needs of victims of domestic abuse.

In October last year, I published Supporting A Victims Journey - A plan to help victims and vulnerable witnesses in sexual violence cases, which is a detailed roadmap for the implementation of the recommendations contained in the O'Malley review. A key action of the plan is to increase public awareness of the rights of victims of crime, and of the supports and services available to them. This will be done through the promotion of the Victims Charter, including by the redesign of the Victims Charter website, which will be launched shortly, and the translation of printed material, developed to promote the Charter, into Irish and a number of other major languages, which will be delivered in Q2 of this year.

The ‘Still Here’ awareness campaign was designed and launched by the Department of Justice last March, to ensure those at risk of domestic abuse throughout the pandemic were aware that supports remain available regardless of the level of restrictions in place. The campaign was launched in partnership with the NGO sector and consists of one TV ad, two radio ads and the campaign website. It does not include any printed resources that can be translated into other languages.

The 'Still Here' website, which is accessible from the Victims Charter website, has not been translated into other languages and there are currently no plans to do so. However, as outlined above, the work to implement the O’Malley recommendations will include information relevant to victims of domestic abuse and will be translated into a number of other major languages.

International Protection

Questions (632)

Catherine Connolly

Question:

632. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Justice the median processing times for applications for protection to the International Protection Office from date of application to decision; the median processing times for appeals to the International Protection Appeals Tribunal from date of appeal to decision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3953/21]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

The median processing time for all international protection applications determined in 2020, by the International Protection Office (IPO) was 17.6 months and 12.7 months for prioritised applications. For cases decided in the Ministerial Decisions Unit in 2020, the median processing time was 1.6 months.

The median processing time for all international protection appeals determined in 2020, by the International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT) was 9 months.

All figures for 2020 are provisional and subject to an element of data clean-up.

Efforts to improve processing times have been seriously impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has reduced the output of decisions considerably and has impacted on the target set by the International Protection Office (IPO) to make first instance decisions in the vast majority of cases within 9 months. The return to Level 5 restrictions from 26 December 2020, has resulted in the postponement of protection interviews, until an easing of the public health measures permits their safe resumption.

I welcome the key recommendation of the Expert Advisory Group on reducing processing times for both first instance decisions and appeals to 6 months each, as far as possible. Work is underway in my Department towards achieving this objective, which includes an end to end process review of the international protection and related immigration processes.

Notwithstanding the progress being made on implementing the recommendations, there are certain current constraints and challenges for my Department in delivering some of the recommendations of the Advisory Group for reduced processing timelines given the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on current operations.

Property Services Regulatory Authority

Questions (633)

Cian O'Callaghan

Question:

633. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice if she will amend current legislation in order to bring in a no-conflicts-of-interest duty for estate agents and ensure high minimum standards of service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3996/21]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

The provision of property services to consumers in Ireland is subject to a detailed legislative framework of licensing, regulation, monitoring and enforcement, under the Property Services (Regulation) Act 2011. The Act also established the Property Services Regulatory Authority (PSRA), a statutory regulatory body specifically tasked with responsibility for licensing and regulating property services providers (auctioneers, estate agents, letting agents and property management agents).

Under the Act, any business or individual who provides a property service (other than those who are subject to a similar licence or authentication scheme in another EU Member State) must hold a valid licence from the PSRA. The licensing of property services providers ensures that licensees comply with certain standards aimed at ensuring protection for their clients. For example, licensees must possess specified minimum qualifications, have available to them professional indemnity insurance and pay an annual contribution to the Compensation Fund.

The PSRA is empowered to investigate complaints of improper conduct made against licensed property services providers, and to carry out investigations on its own initiative for the purpose of ensuring compliance by property services providers with their statutory obligations. Improper conduct is defined in the Act as the commission by a licensee of an act which renders him or her no longer a fit and proper person to provide property services, the commission of a contravention of a specified provision of the Act or of a provision of regulations made under the Act, or the giving by the licensee of a statement of advised market value or advised letting value of land (including buildings) which is clearly unreasonable.

The Property Services (Regulation) Act 2011 (Minimum Standards) Regulations 2020 (S.I. No. 564 of 2020), which came into effect on 30 November 2020, set out a range of minimum standards to be observed in the provision of property services by licensees to their clients. These Regulations include, amongst other provisions, requirements that licensees act in a fair, reasonable and just manner, respond to all communications from a client by whatever means agreed within a reasonable timeframe, and act in the interests of their client. Moreover, a licensee is required to inform the client in writing, as soon as reasonably possible on becoming aware of any conflict of interest, or potential conflict of interest, in the provision of a property service. I am therefore satisfied that the Regulations adequately address the issues of high minimum standards of service, including conflicts of interest, in the provision of property services.

As I have already stated, failure to comply with the standards set out in the Regulations amounts to improper conduct. Where a finding of improper conduct is made by the PSRA, it can impose a range of sanctions: namely, issue a reprimand, warning, caution or advice, suspend or revoke a licence. It can also direct the licensee to pay a financial penalty of up to €50,000 into the Property Services Compensation Fund, up to €50,000 to the PSRA towards the cost of the investigation, and up to €250,000 to the PSRA by way of financial penalty or any combination thereof.

Naturalisation Applications

Questions (634)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

634. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice the progress to date in the determination of an application for naturalisation in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4001/21]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

An application for a certificate of naturalisation was received from the person referred to by the Deputy on 9 April 2018. This application is at an advanced stage of processing and will be submitted to me for decision as expeditiously as possible.

The granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is a privilege and an honour which confers certain rights and entitlements not only within the State but also at European Union level and it is important that appropriate procedures are in place to preserve the integrity of the process.

It is recognised that all applicants for citizenship would wish to have a decision on their application without delay. However, the nature of the naturalisation process is such that, for a broad range of reasons, some cases will take longer than others to process. In some instances, completing the necessary checks can take a considerable period of time.

Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to 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 Question process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in the cases where the response is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.

Citizenship Applications

Questions (635)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill

Question:

635. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Justice the timeline for the citizenship application of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4002/21]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

An application for a certificate of naturalisation was received from the person referred to by the Deputy on 18 September 2018. This application is at an advanced stage of processing and will be submitted to me for decision as expeditiously as possible. If any further documentation is required, it will be requested from the person in due course.

The granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is a privilege and an honour which confers certain rights and entitlements not only within the State but also at European Union level and it is important that appropriate procedures are in place to preserve the integrity of the process.

It is recognised that all applicants for citizenship would wish to have a decision on their application without delay. However, the nature of the naturalisation process is such that, for a broad range of reasons, some cases will take longer than others to process. In some instances, completing the necessary checks can take a considerable period of time.

Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to 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 Question process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in the cases where the response is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.

Crime Prevention

Questions (636)

Jackie Cahill

Question:

636. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Justice if there is assistance available for a person living alone in a secluded area who is in receipt of a widow's pension (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4014/21]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

I can inform the Deputy that my Department does not provide funding for the installation of intruder alarms.

However, I understand that the Department of Social Protection, under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance Scheme, may make an exceptional needs payment to help meet essential, once-off expenditure which a person could not reasonably be expected to meet out of their weekly income. An urgent needs payment may be made to persons who may not normally qualify for supplementary welfare allowance but who have an urgent need which they cannot meet from their own resources or where an alternative is not available at that time.

As the Deputy may be aware, the Department of Rural and Community Development funds the Senior Alert Scheme, which provides grant assistance towards the purchase and installation of personal monitored alarms for persons aged 65 or older and of limited means.

The objective of the Seniors Alert Scheme is to encourage community support for vulnerable older people in our communities through the provision of personal monitored alarms to enable older persons, of limited means, to continue to live securely in their homes with confidence, independence and peace of mind. I am advised that the grant assistance is made available through community, voluntary and not-for-profit organisations that are registered with Pobal. Any decision to extend the scheme to house alarms, rather than personal alarms, would be a matter for the Minister for Rural and Community Development.

The Deputy may be interested in the work of the National Rural Safety Forum, which brings together An Garda Síochána, my Department and the Department of Rural & Community Development, alongside national and local organisations including the Irish Farmers Association, Muintir na Tíre and the GAA. The purpose of the Forum is to develop a nationwide network for the distribution of crime prevention advice, increase engagement within communities and prevent and reduce opportunities for crime.

The Department of Justice has also for many years provided funding for the employment and associated costs of the national Community Alert Programme, including the employment of regional Development Officers. These Development Officers provide support to Community and Text Alert schemes and offer advice on how to establish new schemes.

This year, the Department of Justice has committed in the region of €150,000 to local communities who wish to apply for a rebate towards the costs associated with running their local Text Alert Scheme, which is administered by Muintir na Tíre. This is a continuation of the annual funding made available by my Department for the Text Alert Rebate scheme each year since 2016.

The Deputy will be aware of Operation Thor, which is designed to specifically tackle the increase in the number of burglaries and associated criminal activity that usually occurs in the winter months by undertaking targeted enforcement and preventative activity. This year's Winter Phase of Operation Thor began on 1 October 2020 and will run until the end of March 2021. This initiative, which also features the Lock Up and Light Up public awareness campaign encouraging homeowners to protect their homes over the winter months when burglaries tend to increase, has led to a very significant and sustained decline in burglaries and property-related crime since its introduction in 2015.

A key pillar of the Programme for Government, Our Shared Future, is building stronger and safer communities and, I can assure the Deputy that the government are committed to ensuring that there is strong, visible community policing right across Ireland, both rural and urban.

To this end, the Department has secured an unprecedented €1.952 billion for An Garda Síochána in Budget 2021. This level of funding is enabling sustained, ongoing recruitment of Garda members and staff. There are now approximately 14,500 Garda members and over 3,100 Garda staff nationwide.

While An Garda Síochána has provided very dedicated service to assisting in the national effort to combat the threat of COVID-19, ordinary policing has of course also continued throughout the period.

Finally, my Department is developing a community safety policy, which is aimed at ensuring communities are safe and feel safe, through the establishment of inter-agency structures called Local Community Safety Partnerships. These proposals are contained in the Policing and Community Safety Bill, which is being worked on at present in my Department and the proposed approach will be rolled out and tested in three pilot locations this year.

Immigration Controls

Questions (637)

Louise O'Reilly

Question:

637. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Justice when persons (details supplied) can expect to get their passports and documentation back from immigration services. [4027/21]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

The person concerned made an application for permission to remain in the State as the spouse of an Irish national in September 2019. This application is currently being examined by the Immigration Service of my Department and arrangements are being made to have all original documents returned to them in the coming days.

To be fair to all applicants, applications received are dealt with in chronological order. The Immigration Service endeavours to process applications as quickly as possible. However, processing times may vary due to a number of factors, such as the number of applications on hands, individual circumstances, the complexity of applications, whether further information is required, and the resources available.

Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to 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 is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.

Local Authority Funding

Questions (638)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

638. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Justice the specific funding streams available to local authorities to apply for; the amount that has been given by county; the amount awarded under each scheme in each of the years 2018 to 2020 and to date in 2021, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4060/21]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

There are no specific funding streams for Local Authorities provided by my Department. However, payments have been made to a number of Local Authorities under a number of programmes managed by my Department as follows:

2018

Irish Refugee Protection Programme - Housing and Urban Regeneration	€527,988
Leitrim County Council	€39,889
Longford County Council	€82,500
Mayo County Council	€90,259
Mayo County Council	€55,172
Offaly County Council	€153,518
Roscommon County Council	€106,650

Traveller Support Initiative	€23,314
Carlow County Council	€17,360
Cork County Council	€449
Cork County Council	€2,760
Offaly County Council	€273
South Dublin County Council	€2,472

Migrant Integration - Housing and Urban Regeneration	€15,000
Fingal County Council	€5,000
Waterford City & County Council	€5,000
Wexford County Council	€5,000

Crime Prevention	€46,624
Dublin City Council	€46,624

Total

€612,935

2019

Asylum Migration & Integration Fund - Housing and Urban Regeneration	€45,000
Monaghan County Council	€45,000

Accommodation for Asylum Seekers – Housing and Urban Regeneration	€163,287
Donegal County Council	€163,287

Irish Refugee Protection Programme – Housing and Urban Regeneration	€594,176
Cavan County Council	€124,849
Clare County Council	€18,623
Cork County Council	€112,627
Cork County Council	€5,000
Cork County Council	€5,000
Donegal County Council	€23,407
Kerry County Council	€19,048
Laois County Council	€100,000
Mayo County Council	€72,207
Mayo County Council	€43,518
Monaghan County Council	€69,897

Traveller Support Initiative – Recreation and other local services	€17,188
Carlow County Council	€8,681
Carlow County Council	€787
Carlow County Council	€5,000
South Dublin County Council	€2,720

Migrant Initiative – Housing and Urban Regeneration	€12,000
Mayo County Council	€7,000
Waterford City & County Council	€5,000

Total

€946,654

2020

#P&W Projects – Housing and urban regeneration	€38,881
Dublin City Council	€38,881

Total

€38,881

While payments under programmes for Traveller Support Initiatives, Migrant Integration and Traveller Support Initiatives were made in 2020, my Department's responsibility for those functions transferred to the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth on 14 October last, and will be reflected in the accounts for that Department for the entirety of the financial year.

There is currently no expenditure to date this year.

Prison Staff

Questions (639)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Question:

639. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Justice the name of each prison governor and the place of detention in which each was appointed; and the date of each respective appointment. [4070/21]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

I am advised by the Irish Prison Service that the following Governors were appointed to their respective prisons on the dates outlined below:

Location	Governor	Appointment Date
Arbour Hill	Desmond O'Shea	19/09/2020
Castlerea	David Conroy	15/08/2020
Cloverhill	Anthony Harris (acting)	17/04/2020
Cork	Peter O'Brien (acting)	14/11/2020
Limerick	Mark Kennedy	26/09/2015
Loughan House	Mark Lydon	05/01/2019
Midlands	Patrick Dawson – (acting)	14/11/2020
Mountjoy	Edward Mullins (temporary assignment)	07/11/2020
Portlaoise	Ultan Moran	28/03/2020
Shelton Abbey	Joseph Donohue	04/01/2019
Wheatfield	Maria Connolly – (acting)	05/12/2020

Immigration Policy

Questions (640)

Mick Barry

Question:

640. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Justice if she will report on commitments for a scheme to regularise undocumented migrants; when such a scheme is expected to commence; the criteria that will apply to the scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4123/21]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

The Programme for Government contains a commitment to bring forward a regularisation scheme within 18 months of the formation of the Government, to create new pathways for long-term undocumented people and their dependents, meeting specified criteria and bearing in mind Ireland's European Union (EU) and Common Travel Area (CTA) commitments.

Work is underway in my Department to give effect to this commitment. This work is being informed by an assessment of international best practice and having regard to our EU and CTA commitments. I intend to consult with relevant Government Departments, civil society and other interested parties, before finalising the Scheme, which I expect to be in a position to launch in the Autumn.

In the meantime, I would encourage any person who is resident in the State without permission to contact my Department or their local immigration office and to take all appropriate steps to regularise their own and their family's status. In all cases, people must engage with the authorities if they wish to be permitted to remain here legally.

Citizenship Applications

Questions (641)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

641. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice the progress to date in the determination of an application for citizenship in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4197/21]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

It has been noted on the applicant's file that she cannot provide a mortgage statement/residential tenancy agreement. Correspondence issued to the applicant in November 2020, requesting additional documents as proof of residency. Once these documents have been received the application will continue to be processed by the Immigration Service of my Department. The onus is on the applicant to submit sufficient proof of residence with their application.

A list of documents that can be used as proof of residency are detailed on the Citizenship website at https://www.irishimmigration.ie/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Proofs-of-residence.pdf.

Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to 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 Question process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in the cases where the response is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.