Written Answers Nos. 201-220
201. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Justice the number of gardaí assigned to each station in Cork city and county; the role of each, that is, community garda, traffic corps and so on in tabular form; and the opening times of each station. [4579/21]
View answerAn Garda Síochána has been allocated an unprecedented budget of €1.952 billion for 2021. The significant level of funding provided over recent years is enabling sustained, ongoing recruitment of Garda members and staff. As a result, there are now approximately 14,600 Garda members and over 3,000 Garda staff nationwide.
Budget 2021 will allow for the recruitment of up to 620 new Gardaí. The Budget allocation also provides for an increase in supervisory ranks at Sergeant and Inspector level.
More Garda recruits and more Garda staff means extra members of the service on the frontline and in specialist units battling organised crime groups, supporting victims, and keeping people safe.
The Deputy will be aware that the Garda Commissioner is by law responsible for the management of An Garda Síochána, including personnel matters and deployment of resources. As Minister, I have no role in decisions on such matters. I am assured, 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.
A detailed breakdown of Garda numbers by Division, District and Station is available on my Department’s website, in the interests of transparency and for the convenience of Deputies and the wider public. This information is updated every month with the latest data provided by An Garda Síochána. The Information on Garda members requested may be accessed at the following link:
http://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/Garda_Workforce
The attached spreadsheet sets out the opening times of Garda Stations in the Cork Division as provided by Southern Region in October 2020. The opening hours of all Garda stations are a matter kept under ongoing review by senior Garda management, and as such I have no role in this matter.
I am informed that overall policing arrangements and operational strategies are continually monitored and reviewed. Such monitoring ensures that optimum use is made of Garda Resources and the best possible Garda service is provided to the general public.
As the Deputy is aware the allocation and transfer of Garda Personnel is determined by a number of factors, including crime and non-crime workload, minimum establishment, population, area, policing arrangements, operational strategies and transfers applications, including welfare issues. When allocations are taking place, comprehensive consultation is carried out with Local Management during which all factors are taken into consideration. Where a deficiency in resources is identified, the matter is considered fully and addressed accordingly.
202. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Justice the number of 1200cc, 1400cc and 1500cc motorcycles, respectively, in the Garda fleet. [4628/21]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that in accordance with the Garda Síochána Act 2005, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána. In addition, the allocation of Garda resources is a matter for the Commissioner, in light of identified operational demands. This includes responsibility for the allocation of motorcycles. As Minister, I have no role in these matters. I am assured, 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 pleased to have secured significant capital investment to be made in An Garda Síochána, including a total of €46 million specifically for the Garda fleet between 2016 and 2021. This continuing investment is intended to ensure that An Garda Síochána has a modern, effective and fit-for-purpose fleet and that Gardaí can be mobile, visible and responsive on the roads and in the community to prevent and tackle crime. The allocation of these and all other vehicles in the fleet is entirely a matter for the Commissioner and his management team.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that at 31 December 2020, the most recent date for which figured are readily available, there were 127 motorcycles assigned to the Garda fleet.
I am further advised that of these 127 motorcycles, there are five 1250cc motorcycles and forty eight 1200cc motorcycles in the fleet. There are no 1400cc and 1500cc motorcycles within the Garda fleet at present.
203. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Justice the costs for security, electricity and maintenance of the old Cork prison building from 2016 to date in tabular form. [4662/21]
View answer204. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Justice her future plans to develop the site of the old Cork Prison in view of the need for community amenities in the area. [4663/21]
View answer205. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Justice the engagement and contribution the Irish Prison Service has with those in the vicinity of the old and new Cork prisons. [4664/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 203, 204 and 205 together.
I am advised by the Irish Prison Service that the old prison at Rathmore Road, Cork was closed in February 2016 following the construction of new prison facilities on a site opposite the old prison as part of the Irish Prison Service modernisation programme and capital plan for the prison estate.
Since the opening of the new prison, there have been no material costs for security, electricity and maintenance in relation to the old prison as the site has been mothballed.
The Irish Prison Service has no current strategic plan for the future use of the old prison. While preliminary discussions have taken place with the Land Development Agency for the future use of the site, these discussions are exploratory in nature at this stage.
It should be noted that options on the future use of the facility are very limited due to the age and condition of the buildings which date back to the 19th century and taking into consideration the requirement to comply with current building standards and health and safety requirements.
With regard to community engagement, there was extensive engagement with the local community during the planning and construction of the new prison. The Governor of the Prison has also regular engagement with the local community and An Garda Síochána on an ongoing basis in relation to matters of mutual concern.
206. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice if gardaí are equipped with scanners to read microchips on horses and dogs; if so, the number of scanners possessed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4708/21]
View answerThe Deputy will appreciate that the Garda Commissioner is responsible, by law, for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána including the provision of equipment for use by Garda members. As Minister, I have no direct role in the matter.
I am advised by the Garda authorities that microchip scanners are not supplied and there is currently no plan for the roll out of these scanners to individual stations. I understand that when the need arises, Gardaí seek the assistance of local vets to ascertain if animals have a microchip inserted on them and the vet also provides details of the registration as it pertains to the chip, if available.
207. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice the number of road traffic collisions in each of the years 2018 to 2020 in each of the Garda districts in Cork; the number which resulted in a fatality, serious injury and fatality; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4710/21]
View answerI have requested a Garda report on the figures requested by the Deputy. I will write to the Deputy once the report is received.
|
Year |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
|
Cork City |
56 |
57 |
56 |
|
Anglesea Street |
14 |
8 |
8 |
|
Gurranabraher |
8 |
9 |
10 |
|
Mayfield |
13 |
15 |
15 |
|
Togher |
21 |
25 |
23 |
|
Cork North |
45 |
40 |
30 |
|
Fermoy |
10 |
10 |
7 |
|
Mallow |
22 |
20 |
15 |
|
Midleton |
13 |
10 |
8 |
|
Cork West |
42 |
40 |
34 |
|
Bandon |
16 |
18 |
13 |
|
Bantry |
7 |
5 |
7 |
|
Clonakilty |
8 |
9 |
4 |
|
Macroom |
11 |
8 |
10 |
208. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice when a decision in respect of residency status will issue in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4730/21]
View answerI understand that the person concerned has ongoing legal proceedings before the High Court in relation to their immigration case. As a result, it would not be appropriate for me to make any further comment at this 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 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.
209. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Justice if applicant members of An Garda Síochána are required to have full Irish citizenship. [4788/21]
View answerI can inform the Deputy that admission to An Garda Síochána is governed by the Garda Síochána (Admissions and Appointments) Regulations 2013 (SI 470 of 2013), which addresses the citizenship requirements for admission as a trainee to An Garda Síochána.
Under these regulations, a trainee must:
a) Be a national of a European Union Member State, or
b) Be a national of an European Economic Area State or the Swiss Confederation, or
c) Be a refugee under the Refugee Act, 1996, or
d)Have a period of one year's continuous residence in the State on the closing date of the advertisement for the competition for the vacancy to which the admission relates, and during the eight years immediately preceeding that period, has had a total residence in the State amounting to four years, or
e) Have been granted subsidiary protection/is a family member of such a person.
I can further inform the Deputy that these Regulations were recently amended by the Garda Síochána (Admissions and Appointments)(Amendment) Regulations 2020 (SI 602 of 2020), which address admissibility issues arising as a result of Brexit and which now extend eligibility for admission as a Garda Trainee to citizens of the United Kingdom.
210. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Justice the engagement that has taken place between the local authority and her Department in relation to transferring the old Bray Courthouse, Boghall Road, Bray, County Wicklow to Wicklow County Council for public and community use; the estimated timeframe for this transfer of ownership to be completed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4793/21]
View answerUnder the provisions of the Courts Service Act 1998, management of the courts, including the provision of accommodation for court sittings, is the responsibility of the Courts Service which is independent in its functions. However, in order to be of assistance to the Deputy, I have had enquiries made regarding the former courthouse at Boghall Road, Bray and the Courts Service has provided the following update on this matter.
The position in relation to this courthouse remains unchanged from the response I provided to the Deputy on 10 December 2020. The former courthouse has been vacant since 2006 when court sittings and services were relocated to alternative accommodation in the town centre. While the National Development Plan provides for the construction of county town type court facilities at various locations including Bray, the Boghall Road site is considered unsuitable in terms of both size and location. I understand that the Courts Service did examine the possibility of using the building to augment existing court facilities in Bray; however, this was not considered feasible. The Courts Service has no plans for this building at present and it is considered to be surplus to requirements. In these circumstances, I am informed that the Courts Service, in the first instance, offers the property to the relevant local authority or the OPW for alternative public use.
I am advised that the Courts Service would be willing to explore transferring ownership of the building to Wicklow County Council so that it can be made available for alternative public/community use. The Courts Service have further advised that, to date, no engagement has been undertaken by either party in relation to this matter.
In relation to transferring the old Bray Courthouse, Boghall, the next step is for the local authority and the Court Service to engage directly with each other.
Within the County of Wicklow, the current priority is the refurbishment and extension of Wicklow Courthouse in Wicklow Town. This building has been closed since 2010 for health and safety reasons due to its condition. The Courts Service's long term requirements in Bray will be assessed after the Wicklow Town project has commenced. While there is a long term need for additional court capacity in Bray, the current leased premises which contains the current courthouse is a modern building that was fitted out specifically for court business.
211. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Justice when the terms of reference and the structure of a cross-agency taskforce to consider the mental health and addiction challenges of those in prison following on from the Council of Europe committee on the prevention of torture report, will be finalised and the task force will be set up; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4815/21]
View answer212. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Justice if the proposed cross-agency taskforce to consider the mental health and addiction challenges of those in prison will be engaging in a public consultation as part of their work; the proposed nature of the consultation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4816/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 211 and 212 together.
I wish to inform the Deputy that collaboration with the Minister for Health on the development of Terms of Reference and structure for the establishment of the Task Force is now at an advanced stage.
The Terms of Reference have been agreed in principle between our two Departments and work is now underway to identify a Chair and put in place other administrative details.
Both I and the Minister for Health recognise the urgent need to design and put in place proper systems to care for the most vulnerable people who come into contact with the criminal justice system and establishment of the Task Force is a priority objective to move forward in the first quarter of 2021.
Membership of the Task Force however is not yet finalised and this is not expected to be done before the Chair is appointed.
The Deputy will wish to be aware that apart from membership, it is expected that the work of the Task Force will require wide consultation with relevant stakeholders and I hope to be in a position to provide further details in relation to this issue in the coming weeks.
213. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Justice if there has been a change of policy since 2019 in relation to the prison regime in the Dóchas Centre in Dublin; if there is a policy to align the regime there with the regime in men’s prisons; if so, the reason for this given Ireland voted along with 192 other nations to unanimously pass the Bangkok Rules at the United Nations relating to the need to respect and meet the special characteristics and needs of women in the criminal justice system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4817/21]
View answerI wish to refer the Deputy to my previous reply to Parliamentary Question number 697 of 13 January 2021, which is set out below. I can confirm that this positon remains unchanged.
I wish to reassure the Deputy that the Dóchas Centre is operated in full compliance with the Bangkok Rules passed at the United Nations in 2010.
The ethos upon which the Dóchas Centre is operated is that the women prisoners should live together in a community style setting. The women are accommodated in houses rather than cell blocks and there is no categorisation of female prisoners. The regime in the Dóchas Centre is very much focused on training and rehabilitation.
However, the requirement to ensure the safety and security of all those who live and work in our prisons is universal and in that regard there were changes made in 2019 to enhance the structure of the prison day in the Dóchas. I am informed by the Irish Prison Service that this has enhanced the regime in the prison and allowed for greater access to vital rehabilitative services. As a result, the women accommodated in the Dóchas now have better access to important services such as mental health services, Psychology Service and Addiction Counsellors.
The Prison Service is acutely aware of the fact that women prisoners are a vulnerable group within the prison system and is aware that the supports for female offenders and their rehabilitative needs are very different to male offenders.
The Deputy will wish to be aware that staff working with female offenders are provided with bespoke training and in February 2020 the Prison Service introduced a new tailored programme for staff to address the special needs of women prisoners called ‘Working with Women in Custody’.
To enhance the rehabilitative opportunities for female offenders a new programme in partnership with the Probation Service, called the Outlook Programme which is a step down unit for women offenders, was opened in May 2019. The project is managed by Focus Ireland and the vision of the programme is to promote the rehabilitation and re-integration of women leaving prison and those who have accommodation needs requiring support in the community.
Finally, it may interest the Deputy to know that the construction of a new prison facility to provide accommodation for 50 female prisoners in Limerick Prison is scheduled to become operational in Q4 2021. The design of the facility is based on the principle of rehabilitation and normalisation recognising the unique requirements of female offenders.
214. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Justice the number of animals reported stolen or missing to An Garda Síochána nationally in the ten years up to and including 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4850/21]
View answerI have requested a Garda report on the figures requested by the Deputy. I will write to the Deputy once the report is received.
|
Reported Year |
Number of Incidents (Stolen Animals) |
Number of Incidents (Lost Animals) |
|
2010 |
330 |
1698 |
|
2011 |
331 |
1728 |
|
2012 |
315 |
1671 |
|
2013 |
337 |
1883 |
|
2014 |
293 |
2069 |
|
2015 |
267 |
1937 |
|
2016 |
213 |
1897 |
|
2017 |
184 |
2082 |
|
2018 |
177 |
2357 |
|
2019 |
160 |
2260 |
|
2020 |
223 |
2386 |
|
Reported Year |
‘Stolen’ Animals |
‘Lost’ Animals |
|
2010 |
2514 |
3166 |
|
2011 |
1944 |
3201 |
|
2012 |
1705 |
3126 |
|
2013 |
2318 |
3590 |
|
2014 |
2577 |
3782 |
|
2015 |
1711 |
3531 |
|
2016 |
1377 |
3481 |
|
2017 |
1146 |
3922 |
|
2018 |
569 |
4667 |
|
2019 |
576 |
4403 |
|
2020 |
986 |
4503 |
215. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Justice further to Parliamentary Question No. 445 of 20 January 2021, the reason for the discrepancy in the figures provided; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4851/21]
View answerI have reviewed the figures queried and wish to inform the Deputy of the following.
PQ 445 of 20 January 2021 is worded as follows “To ask the Minister for Justice her plans to review the current legislation on the theft of dogs; and if she will make a statement on the matter.” Consequently only statistics relating to the theft of ‘dogs’ as determined by the description provided on PULSE by An Garda Síochána were provided in answer to PQ 445.
The Deputy has referred to PQ No. 600 to 603 of 06 October 2020, which I answered together as a single question. The information requested and provided in answer to those PQs was in relation to the total number of animals reported stolen to An Garda Síochána nationally over a defined period (PQ 602. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of animals reported stolen or missing to An Garda Síochána nationally; and if she will make a statement on the matter. )
As such, the information provided for answer in these PQs did not have a breakdown and included the theft of all animals reported to An Garda Síochána, including livestock and domestic pets, where there was at least one PULSE object type within the ‘Animals/Livestock/Poultry’ category that was linked to an incident as ‘Stolen’ or ‘Lost’.
216. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Justice if the family settlement unit has been established and is operational; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4861/21]
View answerI recognise that family reunification contributes towards the integration of foreign nationals in the State. Accordingly, in this area, the focus of the Immigration Service of my Department continues to be on the facilitation of family reunification with an Irish citizen or certain categories of non-EEA persons lawfully resident where such persons meet the appropriate criteria, having regard to the individual merits of their case.
As with all immigration schemes, family reunification operations are subject to ongoing review and as part of these reviews, the consolidation of family reunification processing units into a single unified Family Settlement Unit is under consideration, pending the outcome of these considerations. Notwithstanding the restrictions arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, the staff in the relevant processing units within the Immigration Service will continue to process all types of applications for family reunification received, in a professional and efficient manner.
217. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Justice if de facto partnership immigration permission applications are currently being processed by her Department; if so, the unit processing same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4862/21]
View answer218. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Justice the average length of time between receipt of a complete de facto partnership immigration permission application in 2020 and the provision of a decision on the application; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4863/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 217 and 218 together.
The average length of time in 2020, between receipt of a completed De Facto Partnership Immigration Permission application and the issuing of a decision on the application was six months.
De Facto Partnership applications are being accepted and processed and have been throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. These applications are processed by Unit 5 Residence Division in the Immigration Service of my Department. The Unit deals with applications from people who are legally present in the State and wish to apply for permission to remain on the basis of De Facto Partnership with an Irish National or legal resident in Ireland on a Stamp 1, 4 or 5, as set out in the Policy Document on Non-EEA Family Reunification. The application form is available on the Immigration Service website (www.inis.gov.ie).
Correspondence can be addressed to Unit 5 Domestic Residence and Permissions Division, Immigration Service Delivery, PO Box 12695, Dublin 2 or via email to INISdefacto@justice.ie.
A pre-clearance process is also in place for De Facto Partners of Irish Nationals / Critical Skills Employment Permit Holders / Non EEA researchers on a Hosting Agreement who intend to travel to Ireland for the purpose of joining their De Facto Partner. They must apply for immigration pre- clearance to enter the State prior to travelling to Ireland. The Pre Clearance Unit in the Visa Division of the Immigration Service processes these applications. The average processing time for De facto pre-clearance applications is approximately 12 weeks. Pre-clearance application forms are also available on the Immigration Service website.
219. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Justice further to Parliamentary Question No. 342 of 10 December 2020, the progress made to address the unsuitable detention of immigration detainees in prisons and the need for a specifically designed centre for immigration detainees with specific immigration rules in accordance with the Council of Europe anti-torture committee's seventh periodic visit report on Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4965/21]
View answerI can advise the Deputy that detention for immigration reasons only arises when all other possible options have been considered.
In the case of persons refused leave to land to enter the State, arrangements are madeby the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) to return them to their point of embarkation at the earliest opportunity, which may take a number of days.
All refusal of leave to land cases in detention are formally reviewed daily to ensure the return of such passengers is progressed as expediently as operationally possible.
As the Deputy is aware, one area highlighted by the Committee for attention is the issue of immigration detention facilities.
At the time of visit of the Committee work was being completed on Block F in Cloverhill prison. It was proposed that, upon completion, Block F could be used to accommodate persons detained for immigration purposes so that they would be separate from other remand prisoners.
The outbreak of the COVID19 pandemic required significant measures within IPS to manage and control infection risk, and it was necessary to re-purpose Block F as an isolation unit for those prisoners who have, or are suspected of having, the virus. It is intended that when the need for infection control arrangements has passed, Block F will revert to its original intended use, subject to the availability of staff and the impact on resources.
Work is also proceeding on the consideration of a longer term sustainable and compliant solution. However, there are complex issues arising and a detailed assessment of the feasibility of the various options will likely be required. Work is ongoing in that regard.
220. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Justice the status of progress made as part of the review of the minimum sentencing policy under section 29 of the Judicial Council Act 2019; the details of the process; the expected timeline; and her views on the need to consult the public as part of the review. [4970/21]
View answerAs the Deputy may be aware, Section 29 of the Judicial Council Act 2019 was commenced on 16 December 2019.
Section 29 provides that a review of enactments which provide for the imposition of minimum sentences for offences will be commenced not later than 2 years after the coming into operation of the section.
It is expected that this review will be undertaken in the coming months and that a report shall be laid before each House of the Oireachtas within 12 months of the commencement of the review as required by the Act.
