Wednesday, 12 May 2021

Written Answers Nos. 191-209

Departmental Contracts

Questions (191)

Carol Nolan

Question:

191. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the amount expended by his Department on advertising and awareness raising initiatives related to Covid-19 from March 2020 to date in 2021; the print, online and broadcasting media organisations contracted to provide this service; the amount provided to each in the timeframe concerned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24930/21]

Written answers

Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science

My Department expended €13,032.86 to date 2021 in respect of the "Covid-19 and young people" campaign, and €6251.24 in support of the "Keep it Small, Keep it Safe, Keep your Distance" social media campaign in 2020.

These were social media campaigns and were serviced on behalf of the department by PHD media.

No further spend on either campaign is currently envisaged by the department.

Departmental Data

Questions (192)

Rose Conway-Walsh

Question:

192. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 147 of 6 May 2021, if his Department or an agency under his aegis monitors the price of Safepass courses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24940/21]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science

SafePass training is delivered by private training organisations which have been approved by SOLAS to deliver training. Course fees are determined by these Approved Training Organisations (ATOs) and the Department and SOLAS have no role in the setting of fees for SafePass courses or in influencing pricing structure within the market place. As such, the prices of courses are not monitored on an ongoing basis.

SafePass courses are currently being delivered in compliance with strict COVID-19 measures which include a reduction in maximum numbers of learners who may physically attend a course. In a number of cases this has led to a temporary increase in course costs for individual learners.

Housing Issues

Questions (193)

Jim O'Callaghan

Question:

193. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice the steps that can be taken to prevent management companies from imposing significant increases in management fees on residents; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24822/21]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

The Multi-Unit Developments Act 2011 was enacted with the primary purposes of reforming the law relating to the ownership and management of common areas of multi-unit developments and facilitating the fair, efficient and effective management of owners' management companies (OMCs). These are companies registered under the Companies Acts, the members of which are the owners of residential units within the development, which are established for the purposes of ownership and management of such common areas.

In relation to annual service charges, it is a matter for each individual OMC to determine the amount of the service charge on an annual basis. Section 18 of the Act requires OMCs to establish and maintain a scheme of annual service charges from which they may discharge expenditure incurred on the provision of common or shared services to the owners and occupiers of residential units in the development, including insurance, waste management and security services. The Act sets out clearly that the service charge must be calculated on a transparent basis, and be equitably apportioned between the residential unit owners. In order to ensure transparency and accountability, both the annual service charge and the services to be provided must be approved by a general meeting of the members of the OMC.

Section 24 of the Act contains provisions for the resolution of disputes relating to multi-unit developments. It provides that a person, including any member of an OMC, may apply to the Circuit Court for an Order to enforce any rights conferred or obligations imposed by the Act. The Court, if satisfied that a right has been infringed or an obligation has not been discharged, may make such remedial order as it deems appropriate in the circumstances with a view to ensuring the effective enforcement of the right or the effective discharge of the obligation. The Act also contains provisions which encourage the resolution of disputes that may arise between parties by means of mediation rather than recourse to court proceedings.

Housing Issues

Questions (194)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

194. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice if it will be ensured that buyers and prospective buyers who have paid their deposit and signed contracts for houses at Mullen Park, Maynooth, County Kildare are not affected or impeded by investment companies who might seek to increase the price of the houses by various means; if it will be ensured that those seeking to provide a home for themselves can expect to have their rights vindicated; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25029/21]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

A “Contract of sale” for those buying and selling a property specifies exactly what is being sold and the terms and conditions of a sale. A contract, once signed by both parties, binds the parties to the completion of the transaction. Disputes regarding contracts are a matter for the law and the courts.

“Gazumping” occurs where there has been an oral pre-contract agreement between a buyer and a seller, including the payment of an initial “booking deposit”, for the sale of property at a particular price and, subsequently, the seller either:

- Refuses to execute a formal contract of sale to the buyer in question and sells to someone else for a higher price; or

- Refuses to execute a formal contract of sale to the buyer in question unless the buyer agrees to pay a higher price.

The non-enforceable relationship between the original parties is preserved by use of the term "subject to contract".

The problems associated with gazumping were examined in detail by the Law Reform Commission in its 1999 "Report on Gazumping" (LRC 59-1999). The Commission noted that delays arising between the conclusion of negotiations and completion of the formal contract were usually for the benefit of the intending purchaser, for example, to ensure the availability of funding for that property, or to ascertain if there were any legal difficulties in relation to the title. The Commission concluded that the only practicable reforms were to improve the information available to intending purchasers and to regulate the terms according to which booking deposits are paid and accepted. It did not recommend any specific legislative reforms to the legal framework within which gazumping occurs.

There are no plans at present to introduce or amend legislation in this area. However, as with other policy and legislative reforms, interested parties are welcome to make submissions on this matter.

The Property Services Regulatory Authority, which was established under the Property Services (Regulation) Act 2011, published a detailed “Guide for Users of Property Services Providers in Ireland" which explains the legal position in relation to gazumping and related matters such as payment of deposits and signing of contracts. The Guide is available on the Authority's website at: www.psr.ie.

Visa Applications

Questions (195, 196)

Chris Andrews

Question:

195. Deputy Chris Andrews asked the Minister for Justice the alterative arrangements that have been put in place to allow persons (details supplied) applying for a GNIB card for the first time to submit an application while the Burgh Quay Registration Office is closed. [24722/21]

Chris Andrews

Question:

196. Deputy Chris Andrews asked the Minister for Justice when the Burgh Quay Registration Office will reopen for appointments. [24734/21]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Justice

I propose to take Questions Nos. 195 and 196 together.

I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the Burgh Quay Registration Office reopened earlier this week on Monday, 10 May 2021.

Customers who had their appointments cancelled when the Office closed in December under Level 5 restrictions are being contacted directly by the Immigration Service of my Department to arrange a new appointment date.

All other first time registrations will be carried out by appointment only and the online appointments system opened to accept bookings from last Thursday, 6 May 2021, at: burghquayregistrationoffice.inis.gov.ie.

It is not possible to complete first time registrations online because customers need to have their photograph and fingerprints taken during the registration process. However, while waiting to register in the Dublin area, customers are covered by the extension of immigration permissions to 20 September 2021. This means that all those legally in the State in March 2020 when the pandemic began can remain in the State until 20 September 2021.

Registrations outside of the Dublin area are processed by the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) through the Garda Station network.

Further details can be found on the Immigration Service website www.inis.gov.ie along with a Frequently Asked Questions document.

Question No. 196 answered with Question No. 195.

Asylum Applications

Questions (197)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

197. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice the procedure to be followed to regularise status in the case of a person (details supplied); if recent updates regarding work references have been taken into account in determination of a conclusion on the case; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24753/21]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Justice

For reasons of maintaining full confidentiality, it is not my Department's practice to comment on whether an application for asylum or subsidiary protection has been made in the State. An applicant for such protection status, or their legal representative, should contact either the International Protection Office (IPO) or the International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT) directly, as appropriate.

The IPO may be contacted: by email to [e-mail]; by telephone to the IPO Customer Service Centre at 01 6028008 or in writing to Customer Service Centre, International Protection Office, 79-83 Lower Mount Street, Dublin 2.

The IPAT may be contacted either: by email to [e-mail]; by telephone at 01-4748400 (or Lo-Call 1890 201 458), or in writing to Corporate Services Division, The International Protection Appeals Tribunal, 6-7 Hanover Street East, Dublin D02 W320.

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 ([e-mail]), 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.

Departmental Data

Questions (198)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

198. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Justice further to Parliamentary Question No. 638 of 10 February 2021, if the further information requested from An Garda Síochána in relation to localised data is now available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24791/21]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

I have requested the information sought by the Deputy from An Garda Síochána, but unfortunately I have yet to received the desired data. I will write to the Deputy as soon as the required information is to hand.

The following deferred reply was received under Standing Order 51

I refer to Parliamentary Question number 198 of 12 May 2021 and Question number 638 of 10 February 2021, in which you requested information the number of unaccompanied learner drivers detected per Garda division and station in 2019 and up to 31 October 2020; the number of learners issued with a fixed charge notice for driving unaccompanied per division and station; the number of vehicles seized from learners each year for driving unaccompanied per Garda division and station.

You will recall that the information could not be obtained in the time available and I undertook to consult with An Garda Síochána and contact you again when the requested information was to hand.

An Garda Síochána has now provided me with the requested data.

Below is a yearly breakdown by division of the number of Fixed Charge Notices issued for a learner driver driving unaccompanied by a qualified driver.

	2019	Jan-Oct 2020
Cavan/Monaghan	220	114
Clare	99	54
Cork City	213	246
Cork North	225	217
Cork West	169	102
D.M.R. Eastern	107	78
D.M.R. North Central	220	160
D.M.R. Northern	353	311
D.M.R. South Central	164	238
D.M.R. Southern	489	377
D.M.R. Western	714	671
Donegal	105	62
Galway Div	208	189
Kerry	140	85
Kildare Div	376	395
Kilkenny/Carlow	168	195
Laois/Offaly	236	270
Limerick	364	218
Louth Div	127	127
Mayo	76	72
Meath Div	82	136
Roscommon/Longford Div	110	149
Sligo/Leitrim	47	34
Tipperary	166	184
Waterford Div	185	266
Westmeath Div	105	89
Wexford Div	396	360
Wicklow Div	284	191
	6148	5590

Below is a yearly breakdown by division of the number of incidents where a vehicle was seized under section 41 of the Road Traffic Act for a learner driver driving unaccompanied by a qualified driver.

	2019	Jan-Oct 2020
Cavan/Monaghan	115	50
Clare	16	12
Cork City	61	122
Cork North	63	43
Cork West	79	37
D.M.R. Eastern	66	60
D.M.R. North Central	108	101
D.M.R. Northern	167	152
D.M.R. South Central	104	159
D.M.R. Southern	264	254
D.M.R. Western	380	412
Donegal	76	58
Galway Div	45	47
Kerry	62	49
Kildare Div	211	279
Kilkenny/Carlow	49	72
Laois/Offaly	56	83
Limerick	153	95
Louth Div	47	73
Mayo	25	13
Meath Div	35	66
Roscommon/Longford Div	34	54
Sligo/Leitrim	19	19
Tipperary	58	84
Waterford Div	41	96
Westmeath Div	34	20
Wexford Div	56	102
Wicklow Div	86	78
	2510	2690

Additional Information

Figures are based on incidents which occurred from 01/01/2019 to 31/10/2020, inclusive. All information contained in this report is based upon operational data from the Pulse and FCPN systems as was available on 10/05/2021 and is liable to change.

I trust this information is of assistance.

Departmental Data

Questions (199)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

199. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Justice the number of fixed charge notices issued by An Garda Síochána in each of the years 2019, 2020 and to date in 2021 by Garda district and division to learner drivers for the offence of driving unaccompanied by a qualified driver; the number of drivers that failed to pay the fixed charge notice in each year; the number of drivers summoned to court for failure to pay; the number of drivers convicted each year by district court and penalties imposed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24793/21]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

I have requested the information sought by the Deputy from the Courts Service and An Garda Síochána, but I have not received this information in time. I will write to the Deputy as soon as the information is to hand.

The following deferred reply was received under Standing Order 51

I refer to Parliamentary Question Number 199 which was for answer on 12 May 2021, where you requested the number of fixed charge notices issued by An Garda Síochána in each of the years 2019, 2020 and to date in 2021 by Garda district and division to learner drivers for the offence of driving unaccompanied by a qualified driver; the number of drivers that failed to pay the fixed charge notice in each year; the number of drivers summoned to court for failure to pay; the number of drivers convicted each year by district court and penalties imposed. You will recall that the information could not be obtained in the time available and I undertook to consult with An Garda Síochána and the Courts Service and to contact you again when the information was available.

The Garda authorities and the Courts Services have provided me with the tables in the attached Appendix which outline –

1. The number of instances in which a party was issued with a Fixed Charge Notice for the offence of driving unaccompanied by a qualified driver, in the years 2019 to 2021, by Garda division;

2. The number of instances in which a party was issued with a Fixed Charge Notice for the offence of driving unaccompanied by a qualified driver and, in addition, a summons was issued and/or the case was sent to court, in the years 2019 to 2021, by Garda division;

3. The number of persons before the courts by the way of summons or charge sheet for the offence of driving unaccompanied by a qualified driver, in the years 2019 to 2021, by Court Area;

4. The number of persons convicted and the penalty imposed by the District Courts for the offence of driving unaccompanied by a qualified driver in 2019, 2020 and from 1 January 2021 to 31 March 2021;

I am advised by An Garda Síochána that given the large number of districts, it is not possible to provide a breakdown of the relevant fixed charge notices issued to district level.

I trust this information is of assistance.

Appendix

Table 1: The number of instances in which a party was issued with a Fixed Charge Notice for the offence of driving unaccompanied by a qualified driver, in the years 2019 to 2021, by Garda division.

	2019	2020	2021*
Cavan/Monaghan	220	152	39
Clare	99	64	29
Cork City	213	286	114
Cork North	225	264	128
Cork West	169	133	33
D.M.R. Eastern	107	103	44
D.M.R. North Central	220	196	54
D.M.R. Northern	353	377	188
D.M.R. South Central	164	276	125
D.M.R. Southern	489	454	141
D.M.R. Western	714	835	396
Donegal	105	86	40
Galway Div	208	220	82
Kerry	140	105	32
Kildare Div	376	499	212
Kilkenny/Carlow	168	230	97
Laois/Offaly	236	357	158
Limerick	364	244	67
Louth Div	127	152	39
Mayo	76	85	31
Meath Div	82	194	112
Roscommon/Longford Div	110	176	55
Sligo/Leitrim	47	36	17
Tipperary	166	226	97
Waterford Div	185	335	118
Westmeath Div	105	112	56
Wexford Div	396	448	136
Wicklow Div	284	239	111

* Figures for 2021 up to 30/04/2021

Table 2: The number of instances in which a party was issued with a Fixed Charge Notice for the offence of driving unaccompanied by a qualified driver and, in addition, a summons was issued and/or the case was sent to court, in the years 2019 to 2021, by Garda division.

	2019	2020	2021*
Cavan/Monaghan	59	40	10
Clare	36	24	-
Cork City	68	103	13
Cork North	74	77	22
Cork West	32	34	-
D.M.R. Eastern	35	32	-
D.M.R. North Central	95	75	-
D.M.R. Northern	117	131	24
D.M.R. South Central	52	98	19
D.M.R. Southern	190	179	27
D.M.R. Western	288	307	59
Donegal	25	24	-
Galway Div	67	93	15
Kerry	48	36	-
Kildare Div	93	153	35
Kilkenny/Carlow	53	69	17
Laois/Offaly	73	142	19
Limerick	145	100	-
Louth Div	44	43	-
Mayo	21	17	-
Meath Div	28	64	10
Roscommon/Longford Div	32	61	18
Sligo/Leitrim	11	-	-
Tipperary	60	80	12
Waterford Div	84	134	20
Westmeath Div	28	29	-
Wexford Div	117	136	20
Wicklow Div	117	108	23

* Figures for 2021 up to 30/04/2021

Additional Information provided by An Garda Síochána

Figures contained in Tables 1 and 2 are based on incidents which occurred from 01/01/2019 to 30/04/2021, inclusive. All information contained in Tables 1 and 2 is based upon operational data from the Fixed Charge Penalty System as was available on 04/05/2021 and is liable to change. Figures less than 10 are excluded from the data tables.

Table 3: The number of persons before the courts by the way of summons or charge sheet for the offence of driving unaccompanied by a qualified driver, in the years 2019 to 2021, by Court Area.

	Jan – Dec 2019	Jan – Dec 2020	Jan – 31 Mar 2021
Court Area	No of Persons Listed	No of Persons Listed	No of Persons Listed
AN CLOCHAN LIATH	*	*	0
ARDEE	*	*	0
ARKLOW	*	*	0
ATHLONE	*	10	*
ATHY	*	*	0
BALLAGHADERREEN	*	0	0
BALLINA	*	*	0
BALLINASLOE	*	*	*
BALLYSHANNON	*	*	*
BANDON	18	*	*
BANTRY	*	*	*
BRAY	36	21	*
CAHIRCIVEEN	0	0	*
CARLOW	29	20	15
CARNDONAGH	*	*	*
CARRICK ON SHANNON	*	*	*
CARRICK ON SUIR	*	*	*
CARRICKMACROSS	19	10	*
CASHEL	24	19	*
CASTLEBAR	*	18	0
CASTLEREA	*	*	0
CAVAN	19	13	*
CLIFDEN	*	*	0
CLONAKILTY	*	*	*
CLONMEL	11	12	*
CORK CITY	117	45	20
DONEGAL	*	0	0
DROGHEDA	29	19	*
DUBLIN METROPOLITAN DISTRICT	579	382	56
DUNDALK	16	12	0
DUNGARVAN	12	*	*
ENNIS	28	27	*
FERMOY	31	21	*
GALWAY	38	21	15
GOREY	58	32	14
GORT	*	0	0
KILCOCK	*	0	0
KILKENNY	35	14	*
KILLALOE	*	*	0
KILLARNEY	14	10	0
KILLORGLIN	0	*	0
KILRUSH	*	*	0
LETTERKENNY	*	*	*
LIMERICK	66	91	*
LISMORE	*	*	0
LISTOWEL	12	*	0
LONGFORD	21	20	*
LOUGHREA	15	*	*
MACROOM	*	*	0
MALLOW	37	31	11
MANORHAMILTON	0	*	0
MEATH	23	21	*
MIDLETON	*	*	0
MONAGHAN	*	*	*
MULLINGAR	20	*	*
NAAS	55	54	31
NENAGH	13	*	*
NEWCASTLE WEST	21	19	*
PORTLAOISE	51	35	32
ROSCOMMON	*	*	*
SKIBBEREEN	*	0	*
SLIGO	12	*	*
THURLES	10	*	*
TIPPERARY	*	*	*
TRALEE	19	14	0
TUAM	12	*	*
TUBBERCURRY	*	*	*
TULLAMORE	43	20	*
VIRGINIA	*	*	*
WATERFORD CITY	72	43	18
WEXFORD	55	46	18
WICKLOW	30	25	*
YOUGHAL	*	*	0
Total	1,840	1,254	352

* Less than 10

Additional Information provided by the Courts Service

Courts can only provide data in relation to where offence codes provided on the system were used by prosecutors. Prosecutors may have used uncoded free text offences and any such offences would not be included in the data provided.

Table 4: The number of persons convicted and the penalty imposed by District Courts for the offence of driving unaccompanied by a qualified driver in 2019, 2020 and 2021 to date.*

	Community Service Order	Disqualification	Fine	Overall Total
2019	1	18	495	514
2020	0	6	217	223
2021*	0	2	72	74
Total	1	26	784	811

*As the number of persons convicted and penalties issued by Court Area is less than 10 for the majority of Court Areas, a breakdown of figures as requested by the Deputy is unavailable.

*Figures for 2021 are for the number of persons convicted and the penalty imposed by District Courts for the offence of driving unaccompanied by a qualified driver from 1 January 2021 to 31 March 2021, inclusive.

Additional Information provided by the Courts Service

A person may receive more than one order and will appear twice in the table. A person may receive the same penalty for more than one offence in the same Court Area and will only appear once on the report.

Fines Administration

Questions (200)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

200. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Justice the number of drivers issued with a fixed charge notice for driving while holding a mobile phone by Garda division in each of the years 2018 to 2020; the number of drivers per year that failed to pay the fixed charge notice; the number of drivers that were summoned to court for failure to pay by District Court in each of the years 2018 to 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24795/21]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

I have requested a report from the Garda authorities on the information requested by the Deputy in relation to the number of drivers issued with a fixed charge notice for driving while holding a mobile phone by Garda division in each of the years 2018 to 2020; and the number of drivers per year that failed to pay the fixed charge notice. Unfortunately, this report was not available in time and I will write to the Deputy once the report is to hand.

As the Deputy will be aware, there are no summons issued for the failure to pay a Fixed Charge Notice within the statutory payment window. Rather, a person who chooses to exercise their right to not pay the Fixed Charge Penalty will be summonsed to Court for the offence for which the Fixed Charge Notice was originally issued - in the case of the information requested, the offence of driving whilst holding a mobile phone.

I have contacted the Courts Service and have been advised that the following table shows the number of persons before the courts and finalised for the offence of driving while holding a mobile phone by District Court for the periods Jan – Dec 2018, Jan – Dec 2019, Jan - Dec 2020 and Jan – 31 March 2021.

It should be noted that a defendant may be listed in more than one Court Area for each year and such defendants would be displayed more than once in this report:

Court Area	Jan - Dec 2018 No. of persons	Jan - Dec 2019No. of persons	Jan - Dec 2020No. of Persons	Jan - 31 Mar 2021No. of Persons
ACAILL	-	0	0	1
AN CLOCHAN LIATH	-	3	1	0
AN DAINGEAN	1	1	0	0
AN FAL CARRACH	-	1	0	1
ARDEE	25	36	12	0
ARKLOW	13	24	11	0
ATHLONE	40	42	25	3
ATHY	12	20	10	3
BALLAGHADERREEN	5	2	0	1
BALLINA	11	43	34	7
BALLINASLOE	15	19	20	13
BALLYSHANNON	14	4	6	3
BANDON	73	46	27	13
BANTRY	9	10	6	2
BEAL AN MHUIRTHEAD	3	5	1	1
BRAY	43	78	44	4
BUNCRANA	20	32	31	5
CAHIRCIVEEN	-	3	4	0
CARLOW	59	93	104	49
CARNDONAGH	6	3	3	0
CARRICK ON SHANNON	19	36	19	8
CARRICK ON SUIR	6	5	1	7
CARRICKMACROSS	100	81	31	8
CASHEL	58	39	22	8
CASTLEBAR	37	65	90	8
CASTLEREA	4	4	1	0
CAVAN	48	65	44	12
CLIFDEN	3	4	4	1
CLONAKILTY	13	15	8	0
CLONMEL	33	18	16	10
CORK CITY	303	371	190	97
DOIRE AN FHEICH	2	2	5	0
DONEGAL	10	9	3	1
DROGHEDA	57	45	41	3
DUBLIN METROPOLITAN DISTRICT	1211	1,431	821	228
DUNDALK	35	50	35	3
DUNGARVAN	16	39	17	15
ENNIS	145	109	51	25
FERMOY	54	45	20	8
GALWAY	349	272	176	30
GOREY	69	147	61	33
GORT	69	32	13	0
KILCOCK	31	23	0	0
KILKENNY	106	121	55	42
KILLALOE	14	11	4	5
KILLARNEY	68	69	26	1
KILLORGLIN	9	2	1	0
KILRUSH	7	15	7	3
LETTERKENNY	23	31	49	12
LIMERICK	525	430	295	33
LISMORE	6	9	4	1
LISTOWEL	38	15	17	2
LONGFORD	30	55	40	13
LOUGHREA	54	43	20	11
MACROOM	95	44	17	2
MALLOW	73	56	61	25
MANORHAMILTON	1	2	0	0
MEATH	97	114	78	45
MIDLETON	59	94	68	1
MONAGHAN	25	19	12	4
MULLINGAR	38	23	8	1
NA GLEANNTA	-		1	0
NAAS	207	340	157	49
NENAGH	7	26	26	14
NEWCASTLE WEST	120	93	53	13
PORTLAOISE	99	198	66	46
ROSCOMMON	26	32	19	6
SKIBBEREEN	4	1	1	0
SLIGO	48	106	42	0
STROKESTOWN	15	6	3	0
THURLES	35	48	26	17
TIPPERARY	33	24	9	6
TRALEE	91	121	96	5
TUAM	22	51	27	3
TUBBERCURRY	14	15	13	0
TULLAMORE	46	64	38	20
VIRGINIA	20	41	31	18
WATERFORD CITY	93	176	112	23
WESTPORT	15	5	0	0
WEXFORD	117	166	115	56
WICKLOW	21	37	28	1
YOUGHAL	5	6	2	0
Total no of Persons	5,327	6,081	3,635	1,089

The following reply was received under Standing Order 51:

I refer to Parliamentary Question number 200 of 12 May 2021. You will recall that some of the information could not be obtained in the time available and I undertook to consult with An Garda Síochána and contact you again when the requested information was available.

As you are aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible by law for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, which includes operational decisions relating to road traffic matters.

For clarity, there are no summons issued for the failure to pay a fixed charge notice within the statutory payment window. A person who chooses to exercise their right not to pay the fixed charge penalty will be summonsed to Court for the offence for which the fixed charge notice was originally issued - in the case of the information requested, the offence of driving whilst holding a mobile phone.

I am advised by the Garda authorities that the tables included in the attached appendix set out the number of instances by Garda Division,

a. in which a party was issued with a fixed charge notice for the offence of driving while holding a mobile phone, and

b. in which a party was issued with a fixed charge notice for the offence of driving while holding a mobile phone and, in addition, a summons was issued and/or the case was sent to court.

I have also contacted the Courts Service and have been advised that the table included in the attached appendix sets out the number of persons before the courts and finalised for the offence of driving while holding a mobile phone by District Court for the periods Jan – Dec 2018, Jan – Dec 2019, Jan - Dec 2020 and Jan – 31 March 2021. It should be noted that a defendant may be listed in more than one Court Area for each year and such defendants would be displayed more than once in this report. This information was previously provided to you on the 12 May 2021.

I trust this information is of assistance.

Appendix

Breakdown by division of the number of instances in which a party was issued with a Fixed Charge Notice for the offence of driving while holding a mobile phone

Division	2018	2019	2020
Cavan/Monaghan	1136	992	642
Clare	910	584	662
Cork City	1625	1333	1258
Cork North	1142	1170	928
Cork West	696	621	529
D.M.R. Eastern	1078	980	682
D.M.R. North Central	684	584	570
D.M.R. Northern	932	1235	962
D.M.R. South Central	973	1083	593
D.M.R. Southern	1113	1029	669
D.M.R. Western	1678	1599	1571
Donegal	460	613	578
Galway	2732	2253	1534
Kerry	1078	1119	806
Kildare	1591	1244	1601
Kilkenny/Carlow	1429	1122	1338
Laois/Offaly	1344	1041	814
Limerick	2524	2264	942
Louth	630	439	846
Mayo	717	1320	907
Meath	641	698	1250
Roscommon/Longford	714	614	421
Sligo/Leitrim	682	745	237
Tipperary	716	745	796
Waterford	1024	805	1090
Westmeath	443	351	355
Wexford	1620	1584	1237
Wicklow	862	939	657
Grand Total	31174	29106	24475

Breakdown by division of the number of instances in which a party was issued with a Fixed Charge Notice for the offence of driving while holding a mobile phone and, in addition, a summons was issued and/or the case was sent to court.

Division	2018	2019	2020
Cavan/Monaghan	138	132	106
Clare	116	69	110
Cork City	225	173	196
Cork North	124	147	146
Cork West	64	61	37
D.M.R. Eastern	129	121	95
D.M.R. North Central	127	112	120
D.M.R. Northern	163	221	196
D.M.R. South Central	139	197	104
D.M.R. Southern	193	167	168
D.M.R. Western	307	326	353
Donegal	55	60	90
Galway	277	271	203
Kerry	137	134	131
Kildare	197	157	260
Kilkenny/Carlow	135	143	188
Laois/Offaly	145	130	120
Limerick	363	294	188
Louth	73	73	159
Mayo	56	128	126
Meath	85	92	186
Roscommon/Longford	71	63	62
Sligo/Leitrim	64	63	28
Tipperary	90	94	136
Waterford	103	104	161
Westmeath	43	34	55
Wexford	198	166	151
Wicklow	106	109	117
Grand Total	3923	3841	3992

Additional Information

Figures are based on incidents which occurred from 01/01/2018 to 31/12/2020, inclusive. All information contained in this report is based upon operational data from the FCPS system as was available on 04/05/2021 and is liable to change.

The number of persons before the courts and finalised for the offence of driving while holding a mobile phone by District Court for the periods Jan – Dec 2018, Jan – Dec 2019, Jan - Dec 2020 and Jan – 31 March 2021

Court Area	Jan - Dec 2018 No. of persons	Jan - Dec 2019No. of persons	Jan - Dec 2020No. of Persons	Jan - 31 Mar 2021No. of Persons
Court Area	Jan - Dec 2018 No. of persons	Jan - Dec 2019 No. of persons	Jan - Dec 2020 No. of Persons	Jan - 31 Mar 2021 No. of Persons
ACAILL	-	0	0	1
AN CLOCHAN LIATH	-	3	1	0
AN DAINGEAN	1	1	0	0
AN FAL CARRACH	-	1	0	1
ARDEE	25	36	12	0
ARKLOW	13	24	11	0
ATHLONE	40	42	25	3
ATHY	12	20	10	3
BALLAGHADERREEN	5	2	0	1
BALLINA	11	43	34	7
BALLINASLOE	15	19	20	13
BALLYSHANNON	14	4	6	3
BANDON	73	46	27	13
BANTRY	9	10	6	2
BEAL AN MHUIRTHEAD	3	5	1	1
BRAY	43	78	44	4
BUNCRANA	20	32	31	5
CAHIRCIVEEN	-	3	4	0
CARLOW	59	93	104	49
CARNDONAGH	6	3	3	0
CARRICK ON SHANNON	19	36	19	8
CARRICK ON SUIR	6	5	1	7
CARRICKMACROSS	100	81	31	8
CASHEL	58	39	22	8
CASTLEBAR	37	65	90	8
CASTLEREA	4	4	1	0
CAVAN	48	65	44	12
CLIFDEN	3	4	4	1
CLONAKILTY	13	15	8	0
CLONMEL	33	18	16	10
CORK CITY	303	371	190	97
DOIRE AN FHEICH	2	2	5	0
DONEGAL	10	9	3	1
DROGHEDA	57	45	41	3
DUBLIN METROPOLITAN DISTRICT	1211	1,431	821	228
DUNDALK	35	50	35	3
DUNGARVAN	16	39	17	15
ENNIS	145	109	51	25
FERMOY	54	45	20	8
GALWAY	349	272	176	30
GOREY	69	147	61	33
GORT	69	32	13	0
KILCOCK	31	23	0	0
KILKENNY	106	121	55	42
KILLALOE	14	11	4	5
KILLARNEY	68	69	26	1
KILLORGLIN	9	2	1	0
KILRUSH	7	15	7	3
LETTERKENNY	23	31	49	12
LIMERICK	525	430	295	33
LISMORE	6	9	4	1
LISTOWEL	38	15	17	2
LONGFORD	30	55	40	13
LOUGHREA	54	43	20	11
MACROOM	95	44	17	2
MALLOW	73	56	61	25
MANORHAMILTON	1	2	0	0
MEATH	97	114	78	45
MIDLETON	59	94	68	1
MONAGHAN	25	19	12	4
MULLINGAR	38	23	8	1
NA GLEANNTA	-		1	0
NAAS	207	340	157	49
NENAGH	7	26	26	14
NEWCASTLE WEST	120	93	53	13
PORTLAOISE	99	198	66	46
ROSCOMMON	26	32	19	6
SKIBBEREEN	4	1	1	0
SLIGO	48	106	42	0
STROKESTOWN	15	6	3	0
THURLES	35	48	26	17
TIPPERARY	33	24	9	6
TRALEE	91	121	96	5
TUAM	22	51	27	3
TUBBERCURRY	14	15	13	0
TULLAMORE	46	64	38	20
VIRGINIA	20	41	31	18
WATERFORD CITY	93	176	112	23
WESTPORT	15	5	0	0
WEXFORD	117	166	115	56
WICKLOW	21	37	28	1
YOUGHAL	5	6	2	0
Total no of Persons	5,327	6,081	3,635	1,089

It should be noted that a defendant may be listed in more than one Court Area for each year and such defendants would be displayed more than once in this report.

Departmental Data

Questions (201)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

201. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Justice if PULSE was updated in 2019 providing a field whereby gardaí must report the reason a vehicle was seized under section 41 of the Road Traffic (Amendment) Act 2018 to include the offence of driving while disqualified; if data can now be provided through this avenue to give the number of vehicles and drivers who had their vehicles seized for driving while disqualified as a result of being stopped by gardaí; the number seized in each of the years 2018 to 2020 by Garda district; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24796/21]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

I have requested the information sought by the Deputy from An Garda Síochána, but I have not received the response in time. I will write to the Deputy as soon as the required information is to hand.

The following deferred reply was received under Standing Order 51

I refer to Parliamentary Question number 201 of 12 May 2021 where you asked if PULSE was updated in 2019 providing a field whereby Gardaí must report the reason a vehicle was seized under section 41 of the Road Traffic (Amendment) Act 2018 to include the offence of driving while disqualified. If data can now be provided through this avenue to give the number of vehicles and drivers who had their vehicles seized for driving while disqualified as a result of being stopped by Gardaí; and the number seized in each of the years 2018 to 2020 by Garda district.

You will recall that the information could not be obtained in the time available and I undertook to consult with An Garda Síochána and contact you again when the requested information was available.

As you are aware the Commissioner is responsible by law for the direction and control of An Garda Síochána. The Garda Commissioner is also responsible for the day-to-day management of An Garda Síochána which includes operational decisions relating to road traffic matters.

I am informed by the Garda authorities that a facility was provided in June 2019 on PULSE as an additional MO value; namely "Unaccompanied Learner Driver". This was an addition to the existing MO List of values rather than a ‘specific’ field.

I am further informed that a member may record the reason a vehicle was seized under section 41 of the Road Traffic (Amendment) Act 2018 to include the offence of driving whilst disqualified but it is not mandatory to provide a reason for Section 41 Road Traffic Accidents/ incidents.

The table provided in the attached appendix, which has been provided to me by the Garda authorities, sets out the number of incidents where a vehicle was seized under section 41 of the Road Traffic Act for driving while disqualified in 2019, 2019 and 2020.

I trust this information is of assistance.

Appendix

Division	2018	2019	2020
Cavan/Monaghan	53	61	82
Clare	26	19	29
Cork City	69	68	100
Cork North	46	39	81
Cork West	27	19	24
D.M.R. Eastern	13	38	44
D.M.R. North Central	34	41	66
D.M.R. Northern	128	119	161
D.M.R. South Central	18	23	49
D.M.R. Southern	101	116	139
D.M.R. Western	206	202	251
Donegal	29	21	44
Galway	36	41	63
Kerry	24	27	36
Kildare	52	67	116
Kilkenny/Carlow	40	36	65
Laois/Offaly	50	68	99
Limerick	95	114	119
Louth	39	22	56
Mayo	18	17	17
Meath	38	51	45
Roscommon/Longford	35	31	54
Sligo/Leitrim	12	16	15
Tipperary	58	66	80
Waterford	22	35	48
Westmeath	26	37	31
Wexford	40	49	80
Wicklow	36	52	71
Total	1371	1495	2065

*Figures are based on incidents which occurred from 01/01/2018 to 31/12/2020, inclusive. All information contained in this report is based upon operational data from the Pulse system as was available on 11/05/2021 and is liable to change

Visa Applications

Questions (202)

Seán Haughey

Question:

202. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Justice the position regarding visa applications by South African nationals to come to Ireland during the current Covid-19 restrictions; when normal visa application services will resume; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24861/21]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Justice

As part of Government efforts to tackle the pandemic, in January 2021 new visa requirements on passport holders from a number of South American countries and South Africa were introduced and the Immigration Service of my Department also took the decision to temporarily cease accepting new visa/preclearance applications from all countries, with the exception of the Priority/Emergency case types listed below.

Priority/emergency cases from all nationalities will continue to be accepted/processed and these include the following:

- Workers or self-employed persons exercising critical occupations including healthcare workers, frontier and posted workers as well as seasonal workers as referred to in the Guidelines concerning the exercise of the free movement of workers during the COVID-19 outbreak;

- transport workers or transport service providers, including drivers of freight vehicles carrying goods for use in the territory as well as those merely transiting;

- patients travelling for imperative medical reasons;

- pupils, students and trainees who travel abroad on a daily basis and Third-country nationals travelling for the purpose of 3rd level study;

- persons travelling for imperative family or business reasons;

- diplomats, staff of international organisations and people invited by international organisations whose physical presence is required for the well-functioning of these organisations, military personnel and police officers, and humanitarian aid workers and civil protection personnel in the exercise of their functions;

- passengers in transit;

- seafarers;

- journalists, when performing their duties.

If a person's application falls into one of these categories, they can apply on-line in the usual way. However, before proceeding with an on-line application, they should check with their local Embassy/Honorary Consulate/Visa Office to confirm that their application meets the priority/emergency criteria as outlined.

These measures are designed to support our current public health restrictions on movement, including into and out of Ireland. The increased travel restrictions, along with the mandatory hotel quarantine measures introduced as part of the Government’s efforts to interrupt the transmission of COVID-19, means that travel may not be possible and even if possible is not advisable unless absolutely essential.

When making such decisions, the Government considers the expert public health advices of NPHET to tackle the disease. The situation will continue to be reviewed in consultation with the relevant authorities in the coming weeks.

Antisocial Behaviour

Questions (203)

Seán Haughey

Question:

203. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Justice her plans to amend the Children (Amendment) Act 2021, the Criminal Justice Act 2006 and the Children (Amendment) Act 2015 with a view to lowering the age definition of a child from 18 years in order to make children involved in serious and violent incidents of antisocial behaviour more accountable for their actions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24870/21]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Justice

I am very conscious of how the impact of anti-social behaviour affects the quality of life for local communities. Preventing children getting involved in criminality, as well as diverting children away from it when they have already become involved, is a key priority for my Department. Both the Programme for Government and the Justice Plan 2021 contain a number of commitments with regard to tackling anti-social behaviour.

In line with a commitment in the Programme for Government, I have established a special expert forum on antisocial behaviour, which is considering the effectiveness of existing legislation and looking at potential new ways forward, including new powers for An Garda Síochána and additional interventions to support parenting of offenders. A subgroup of this forum has already examined the issue of misuse of scramblers and quadbikes and this work has informed the development of a new scheme aimed at tackling this issue in local areas.

As the Deputy may be aware, I also launched a new Youth Justice Strategy 2021-2027 on 15 April. Youth crime, including anti-social behaviour, can have a major impact on our communities and poses significant challenges for An Garda Síochána, as well as other Justice agencies. The factors which underlie youth crime have significant implications across a range of policy and service provisions, including Child and Family Services, Health, Education and local authority functions.

This new Strategy will respond collaboratively to the situation of vulnerable children and youngpeople, with a strong focus on diverting them away from offending, prevention and early intervention and family support, through to court processes and facilities, supervision of offenders, detention and reintegration and support post release.

Separately, as the Deputy will be aware, my Department has been developing a new community safety policy to reflect the findings and recommendations contained in the report of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland. The Commission found that community safety requires a whole of Government approach in partnership with local communities. This new policy will be given a statutory basis in a new Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill, the General Scheme of which was recently approved by Government. To support and inform the policy, three Local Community Safety Partnerships are being piloted in Dublin’s North Inner City, Waterford and Longford and will run for the next two years. The Partnerships will allow local communities to identify issues of particular concern within their area and work with the relevant State services to develop a local Community Safety Plan to specifically tackle these issues.

There are no plans at this time to amend the Children (Amendment) Act 2021, the Criminal Justice Act 2006 or the Children (Amendment) Act 2015 in the manner referred to by the Deputy.

Departmental Data

Questions (204)

Ruairí Ó Murchú

Question:

204. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Justice the number of community policing gardaí by rank attached to each station in County Louth in each of the past five years, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24945/21]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

As the Deputy will appreciate, in accordance with the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána. Further, the allocation of Garda resources is made in light of identified operational demands. This includes deployment of personnel among the various Garda divisions. As Minister, I have no direct role in the matter. I am assured, however, that Garda management keeps this distribution of resources under continual review in the context of policing priorities and crime trends, to ensure their optimum use.

To date, the official categorisation as a Community Garda has simply referred to those who are exclusively assigned to building relationships with local communities and civil society including giving talks to schools, community groups and others. However, it is important to note that community policing is at the heart of An Garda Síochána and that all Gardaí have a role to play in community policing in carrying out their duties. Indeed, this has never been more evident than in the work carried out by all members of the Gardaí as we have tackled the COVID-19 pandemic.

I am advised by the Garda authorities that the below table, which has been provided to me by the Garda authorities, sets out the number of Community Gardaí attached to stations in County Louth in each of the past five years:

Louth Community Gardaí
Community Garda @ 31/12/2017
Station	Sergeant	Garda	Total
Drogheda	1	5	6
Dundalk	1	5	6
Total	2	10	12
Community Garda @31/12/2018
Station	Sergeant	Garda	Total
Drogheda	1	5	6
Dundalk	1	6	7
Total	2	11	13
Community Garda @ 31/12/2019
Station	Sergeant	Garda	Total
Drogheda	1	5	6
Dundalk	1	4	5
Total	2	9	11
Community Garda @ 31/12/2020
Station	Sergeant	Garda	Total
Drogheda	1	8	9
Dundalk	1	5	6
Total	2	13	15
Community Garda @ 31/03/2021
Station	Sergeant	Garda	Total
Drogheda	1	8	9
Dundalk	1	5	6
Total	2	13	15

Detailed information in relation to Community Garda numbers is available on my Department’s website. This information is updated every month with the latest data provided by An Garda Síochána at the following link: www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/An_Garda_Siochana_facts_and_figures

Departmental Data

Questions (205)

Ruairí Ó Murchú

Question:

205. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Justice the number of gardaí by rank attached to the Louth divisional drugs unit in each of the past five years, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24946/21]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

As the Deputy will be aware, 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 responsibility for 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.

The table below, as provided to me by the Garda authorities, sets out the number of Gardaí by rank attached to the Louth divisional drugs unit in each of the past five years

Year	2017	2018	2019	2020	March 2021
Sergeant	0	0	1	2	2
Garda	5	2	3	11	12
Total	5	2	4	13	14

I understand that there are now 316 Garda personnel in Divisional Drugs Units, as of 31 March 2021, assigned to tackle drug related crime on a local basis throughout the country. This represents an increase of over 37% since 31 December 2019 when there were 231 Gardaí assigned to Divisional Drugs units nationwide. These members are supported, as needed, by the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau which has 95 Gardaí attached to it as of 31 March 2021.

Parole Boards

Questions (206)

Éamon Ó Cuív

Question:

206. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Justice the number of recommendations of the Parole Board that have been sent to her Department for decision that have not yet been decided; the delay between receipt of recommendations from the Parole Board and decisions; the number of cases in which this delay is more than a month; the reason for this; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24948/21]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Justice

As the Deputy will be aware, the existing Parole Board is a non-statutory body that makes informed recommendations to the Minister for Justice about the management of a given prisoner’s sentence, based on such factors as the prisoner's progress to date in dealing with their offending behaviour, the degree to which the prisoner has engaged with the various therapeutic services and how best to proceed with the future administration of the sentence. The Board reviews the cases of prisoners sentenced to determinate sentences of eight years or more and life sentenced prisoners who have reached the seven year point in their sentence.

The process continues over many years and throughout the term of imprisonment of the prisoner. The process is not simply concerned with recommendations to release but rather recommendations which build towards enhancing the prospects of rehabilitation.

The final decision regarding the recommendations of the Parole Board lies with the Minister for Justice, who can accept them in their entirety, in part or reject them.

Decisions have been made and notified to relevant prisoners on all recommendations up to January 2021. The position in relation to the recommendations received since then is set out in the table beneath.

Date of Recommendations	Nos.
Recommendations received from the Parole Board from16 March – 7 May 2021	41
Number of recommendations decided from 16 March – 7 May 2021	11
Number of recommendations outstanding more than one month Recommendations received 16 March 2021 Recommendations received 9 April 2021	97
Recommendations received 15 April 2021	1
Recommendations received 7 May 2021	13

Following receipt of recommendations from the Parole Board, detailed submissions based on the reports received with those recommendations are prepared for the Minister’s consideration. The remaining recommendations will be finalised as soon as possible.

Departmental Data

Questions (207, 208)

John Brady

Question:

207. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Justice the plans to refurbish the vacant Wicklow District Court in Wicklow town; and the engagement with the OPW to carry out any demolition works at the site. [24951/21]

John Brady

Question:

208. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Justice the status of the transfer of the old vacant courthouse on the Boghall Road, Bray, County Wicklow to Wicklow County Council; the details of the engagement with the council; and if a timeframe for the transfer will be provided. [24952/21]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Justice

I propose to take Questions Nos. 207 and 208 together.

Under 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 Wicklow Courthouses and the Courts Service has provided me with the following update on this matter.

The National Development Plan (NDP) 2018-2027 includes a number of courthouse development projects, including for Wicklow Town.

The Courts Service advises that its highest priority at present is the Hammond Lane Family Law complex, for which they are currently finalising the business case, as required under the public spending code. The five regional city and county town venues listed in the NDP including Wicklow are currently the next highest priorities for the Courts Service after Hammond Lane.

Specifically in relation to Wicklow, the Courts Service advises that a courthouse comprising four courtrooms and related facilities (e.g. consultation rooms, custody facilities, facilities for juries and vulnerable witnesses, legal practitioner’s suites, etc.) is envisaged as being required to meet current and future demand in Wicklow. This will require a building significantly larger than the existing two courtroom building. The Courts Service proposes to refurbish and extend the courthouse to provide the required accommodation and has acquired a number of adjoining properties that were in council ownership so as to have available a larger site capable of accommodating a courthouse building on the scale envisaged. Facilitating works envisaged for the refurbishment and extension of Wicklow courthouse include the demolition of the 1940s extension/annex to the rear of the courthouse. In view of the fact that dry rot has spread extensively throughout the extension, the Courts Service proposes to bring this element of the facilitating works forward rather than incur the cost of treating the dry rot only to demolish the extension at a later date as part of the overall development. The Courts Service will need to go through the Part IX planning process in advance of this work. The Courts Service has been in contact with the Office of Public Works (OPW) about these works and it is intended that they will proceed subject to funding being available and the OPW's resource availability. However, at this time the Courts Service is not in a position to indicate when these demolition works will begin.

The former courthouse on Boghall Road in Bray 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. The Courts Service has no plans for this building at present and it is considered to be surplus to its requirements. The Courts Service is willing to explore a transfer of the property to Wicklow County Council for alternative public use. The Courts Service has been in contact with Wicklow County Council in this regard and the building has been inspected by engineers acting on behalf of the Council to determine its overall condition and to identify any concerns.

The Government is committed to ensuring adequate resources for the courts in order to maintain access to justice for all citizens. This commitment was reinforced recently with the highest ever budgetary allocation for the Justice sector including €158.8 million for the Courts Service.

Question No. 208 answered with Question No. 207.

An Teanga Gaeilge

Questions (209)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Question:

209. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh den Aire Dlí agus Cirt an ndéanfaidh sí an taifead iomlán de Dhaonáireamh Speisialta na Gaeltachta a rinne An Garda Síochána sa bhliain 1925 a fhoilsiú go luath agus muid ag teacht suas go dtí céad bliain ó tugadh aitheantas Stáit don Ghaeltacht; cá bhfuil na taifid sin lonnaithe; agus an bhfuil aon chaomhnú, digitiú nó staidéar á dhéanamh ar na sonraí ann cheana féin. [25101/21]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

Tá tuarascáil maidir leis an bhfaisnéis atá á lorg ag an Teachta iarrtha agam ar an nGarda Síochána ach, ar an drochuair, ní raibh an tuarascáil sin ar fáil in am. Scríobhfaidh mé chuig an Teachta a luaithe a bheidh an tuarascáil ar fáil.

The following deferred reply was received under Standing Order 51

Tagraím do Cheist Pharlaiminteach uimhir 209 den 12 Bealtaine 2021 inar fhiafraigh tú den Aire Dlí agus Cirt ‘an ndéanfaidh sí an taifead iomlán de Dhaonáireamh Speisialta na Gaeltachta a rinne An Garda Síochána sa bhliain 1925 a fhoilsiú go luath agus muid ag teacht suas go dtí céad bliain ó tugadh aitheantas Stáit don Ghaeltacht; cá raibh na taifid sin lonnaithe;’ agus an raibh ‘aon chaomhnú, digitiú nó staidéar á dhéanamh ar na sonraí ann cheana féin’. Cuimhneoidh tú nárbh fhéidir an fhaisnéis a fháil sa tréimhse ama a bhí ar fáil, agus gur gheall mé go rachainn i gcomhairle leis an nGarda Síochána agus go rachainn i dteagmháil leat arís nuair a bheadh an fhaisnéis a iarradh ar fáil.

De réir mar a thuigim é, baineann na taifid atá á lorg ag an Teachta le Tuarascáil 1925 ó Choimisiún na Gaeltachta. Sa Tuarascáil, atá ar fáil ar líne i bhformáid dhigiteach, tá tagairt d’Áireamh Ginearálta Speisialta ar Cheantair ina Labhraítear Gaeilge. Bhí an t-áireamh nó an daonáireamh speisialta sin bunaithe ar thuairisceáin daonáirimh 1911, agus rinneadh é i gceantair ar tuairiscíodh i nDaonáireamh 1911 go raibh daonra ard cainteoirí Gaeilge iontu.

Dá réir sin, rinne Coimisiún na Gaeltachta socruithe leis an Aire Dlí agus Cirt san am, go ndéanfadh an Garda Síochána an daonáireamh speisialta sin thar a gceann mar chuid den áireamh ar Staidreamh Talmhaíochta in Iúil agus Lúnasa 1925. Is í an tuiscint atá agam go ndearna an Garda Síochána an Staidreamh Talmhaíochta a áireamh agus a chur ar ais go dtí Brainse Staidrimh na Roinne Tionscail agus Tráchtála.

De réir Thomas P Linehan, iar-Stiúrthóir ar an bPríomh-Oifig Staidrimh, ina pháipéar The Development of Official Irish Statistics, a foilsíodh sa Journal of the Statistical and Social Inquiry Society of Ireland i 1998, ‘In 1925 at the request of the Gaeltacht Commission the Statistics Branch arranged for and carried through all the compilations of a special census of persons in Irish-speaking areas. ’

Tá curtha in iúl dom ag údaráis an Gharda Síochána nach bhfuil aon taifid aonair nó tuairisceáin a bhaineann leis an áireamh ar chainteoirí Gaeilge i 1925 dá dtagraíonn an Teachta ar teachtadh i Stór Náisiúnta an Gharda Síochána ná i Músaem an Gharda Síochána.

Tá súil agam go gcuideoidh an fhaisnéis seo leat.