Tuesday, 12 Oct 2021

Written Answers Nos. 446-465

Gambling Sector

Questions (446)

Brendan Griffin

Question:

446. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Justice when she expects to publish the general scheme of the new gaming and lotteries Bill; if she will review the upper €360,000 threshold in respect of prizes that may be raffled by charitable, sporting and community organisations to allow for the rising valuation of new houses that may be raffled in such competitions; if she will reconsider expediting such a change by statutory instrument rather than waiting for a lengthy period for the new Bill to be enacted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49513/21]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Justice

The Gaming and Lotteries (Amendment) Act 2019 was commenced on 1 December 2020, with all sections coming into effect.

As the Deputy will recall, there was extensive debate on this Act during its passage through the Oireachtas. The then Minister of State received many representations from a range of stakeholders at the time and these were extensively discussed and publicised.

The 2019 Act modernises the Gaming and Lotteries Act 1956 and will help the better promotion of local gaming and lottery activity held primarily for charitable and philanthropic purposes, and which are an important source of funding to sporting clubs and community organisations across the country.

The 2019 Act amends the 1956 Act to provide for lotteries promoted under licence for charitable and philanthropic causes only (e.g. sports clubs, community groups, etc.). A licence, once issued by the District Court, remains valid for 12 months and the maximum prize remains at not more than €360,000, if a lottery is held as a once off event in a year. This could apply to situations where sports clubs might raffle high value items, for example, properties. The maximum prize of €360,000 was introduced to give legal certainty to the offering of one single prize.

The 2019 Act is an interim reform measure pending the comprehensive reform of gambling.

Work on the General Scheme of the Gambling Bill is at an advanced stage. The Programme for Government gives a clear commitment to establish a gambling regulator focused on public safety and well-being, covering gambling online and in person, and the powers to regulate advertising, gambling websites and apps.

As outlined in the Justice Plan 2021, I expect to be in a position to publish the Scheme shortly. There is a clear path towards the regulator being fully operational in early 2023.

While it is possible to amend the threshold by statutory instrument, given the imminence of that legislation, any changes would best be reflected there, as part of the wider reform process.

The Bill will importantly undergo pre-legislative scrutiny with an opportunity for further stakeholder engagement and input as part of that process.

Commissions of Investigation

Questions (447)

Charles Flanagan

Question:

447. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Justice the work undertaken to date in the matter of the Commission of Investigation known as the Hickson Inquiry which formally commenced on 1 November 2018; when public hearings will be held; when victims, survivors and complainants will be contacted with a view to providing statements and providing evidence; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49526/21]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

The Deputy will be aware that the Commission of Investigation established pursuant to S.I. 311/2018 (formerly known as the Hickson Commission) is tasked with the investigation of the extent to which a number of organisations, including State bodies, and individuals were aware of the activities of Bill Kenneally and whether they failed to take appropriate action.

Mr Justice Michael White is the sole member of the Commission replacing Mr Justice Barry Hickson following Judge Hickson’s retirement. While Judge White retired from judicial office on 1 October 2021, he has engaged with the work of the Commission since his appointment on 1 July 2021.

The work of the Commission is at an investigative phase. The Commission held an opening hearing in November 2019 which was attended by some of the survivors with their legal advisers and also had representatives of An Garda Síochána, the HSE, Tusla and Basketball Ireland.

During 2019 and 2020, the Commission’s legal team attended a number of locations on a number of occasions to interview relevant parties. The Commission’s legal team continues to contact relevant parties and interview witnesses. The Commission has received and reviewed a large volume of disclosure. It has also sought, on an ongoing basis, submissions from interested parties (having regard to its terms of reference) in relation to its ongoing work, including in relation to the scope for and conduct of physical hearings under the public health restrictions.

Minister Naughton met with the victims and their legal representation in June. Both Minister Naughton and I fully appreciate how important it is that this work progresses. I would continue to urge all victims and survivors to engage with the Commission.

As the Deputy will be aware, all Commissions of Investigation are completely independent in their work. As Minister, I cannot intervene in the process, nor direct the Commission in any way. The working pattern of any Commission of Investigation is a matter for the Commission itself, and it would not be appropriate for myself to advise the Commission in how to conduct its work.

I am advised that Judge White is committed to advancing the work of the Commission and I am assured that the Commission is active and working full time.

The Commission has at all times had, and will continue to have, due regard to its terms of reference.

Prison Service

Questions (448)

Seán Sherlock

Question:

448. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Justice the plans for the old Cork City Jail on Rathmore Road, Cork. [49537/21]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Justice

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.

While the Irish Prison Service has no current strategic plan for the future use of the old prison, preliminary exploratory discussions have taken place with the Land Development Agency regarding options for the future use/development of the site.

I understand that options on the future use of the existing facility may be 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.

Departmental Programmes

Questions (449)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

449. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Justice further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 257, 258, 259 and 260 of 27 May 2021, if she has considered the second phase of the IIP review; and the actions she will now take based on the review in its entirety. [49542/21]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Justice

The Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP) was introduced in April 2012 to encourage inward investment and create business and employment opportunities in the State. The programme provides investors with the opportunity to invest in Ireland. Key to the programme is that the investments are beneficial for Ireland, generate or sustain employment and are generally in the public interest. To date, more than 1,300 IIP applications have been approved for investment with a value of over €860 million.

As previously advised, the IIP has been subject to a number of reviews, both internal and external, in recent years and the second phase of the review referred to by the Deputy is being considered by my officials and will be submitted to me thereafter. Any actions and recommendations beneficial to the programme will be assessed and evaluated and consideration will be given to their introduction.

In the meantime, applications to the IIP continue to be accepted and examined by an independent Evaluation Committee and, where assessed positively, are submitted to me for approval.

Departmental Data

Questions (450)

Holly Cairns

Question:

450. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Justice the number of State boards under the remit of her Department or its agencies in tabular form; the number of members of each board; the number of women on each board; and the percentage of each board that is made up of women. [49564/21]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

As the Deputy will appreciate, selection processes for appointments to State boards are now supported by the Public Appointments Service. The Deputy will be aware that the State boards process is designed to enable any person to apply for a position on a State board. My Department regularly advertises positions for appointment to State boards on www.stateboards.ie.

In making appointments to State boards, my Department and agencies under the remit of my Department, ensures compliance with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform’s Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies (2016), and pays particular attention to its recent Annex on Gender Balance, Diversity and Inclusion (2020), in addition to the Guidelines on Appointments to State Boards (2015).

It is worth noting that many of the bodies in the justice sector were established on foot of primary legislation; where such legislation provides specific gender balance requirements, my Department ensures compliance. A number of boards have ex officio positions which may require to be held by particular office holders. I can assure the Deputy that I am personally committed to achieving full gender balance on boards across the justice sector.

The information requested by the Deputy in respect of the composition of board memberships of the bodies under the aegis of my Department is set out below in tabular format.

State Board/Body	Number of members of the board	Gender-breakdown of the board	Gender-breakdown: %
Classification of Films Appeal Board	6	3 women3 men	50% women50% men
Censorship of Publications Board	4	3 women1 man	75% women25% men
Courts Service Board	18	11 women7 men	61% women 39% men
Garda Síochána Inspectorate	2	1 woman 1 man	50% women50% men
Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC)	3	2 women 1 man	67% women 33% men
International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT)	53	26 women 27 men	49% women 51% men
Judicial Appointments Advisory Board (JAAB)	10	5 women 5 men	50% women50% men
Legal Aid Board (LAB)	13	7 women 6 men	54% women46% men
Legal Services Regulatory Authority (LSRA)	9	5 women 4 men	55% women 45% men
Mental Health (Criminal Law) Review Board	4	3 women1 man	75% women25% men
Parole Board	13	6 women 7 men	46% women54% men
Policing Authority	9	4 women5 men	44% women 56% men
Private Security Authority (PSA)	11	2 women9 men	18% women82% men
Private Security Appeal Board (PSAB)	1	0 women1 man	0% women100% men
Property Services Regulatory Authority (PSRA)	11	7 women4 men	64% women36% men
Property Services Appeal Board (PSAB)	4	2 women 2 men	50% women 50% male

Victim Support Services

Questions (451)

Catherine Connolly

Question:

451. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Justice further to Parliamentary Question No. 836 of 31 March 2021, the status of the mapping exercise to identify the nature, spread and level of services that may be encompassed by the Supporting a Victim’s Journey Plan identifying gaps and ways to ameliorate them as outlined by objective 133 in the 2021 Justice Action Plan; if the working group has completed its analysis of the data provided by NGOs on the journey faced by individual victims; if so, the next steps which have been agreed on; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49576/21]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Justice

Justice Plan 2021 outlines our commitment to ‘Strengthening community safety, reduce reoffending, support victims and combat domestic sexual and gender based violence’.

As the Deputy is aware, Supporting a Victim's Journey is a detailed roadmap, which, when implemented, will ensure that we have a more victim-centred system that supports and empowers victims and gives them the confidence to engage with all services knowing that they will be supported, informed and treated with respect and dignity at every point and by every person they come into contact with.

I am deeply committed to implementing in full all of the recommendations set out in Supporting a Victim's Journey and I am chairing an Implementation Oversight Group comprising all relevant Departments and Agencies responsible for driving the implementation of the agreed actions.

As outlined in objective 133 of the 2021 Justice Action Plan , my Department has carried out a mapping exercise to identify the nature, spread and level of services that may be encompassed by Supporting a Victim’s Journey, and to identify where gaps in support exist and how to improve those areas. Specific geographical areas and categories of victims that are not adequately covered by NGO supports have now been identified. An extra €450,000 in funding has been sought (on top of an earlier €1m) and my Department is currently engaging with NGOs that could meet the gaps identified by extending, with additional funding, their services. This piece of work will be completed shortly.

My Department also continues to work closely with NGOs in the sector to reform and develop physical and emotional supports and services. A review of the grant application scheme for providing frontline services to victims of crime is being conducted.

To promote more sustainable service delivery and planning, we are also offering multi-annual funding commitments to key NGOs we work with and where funding covers staff salaries. These funding grants cover accompaniment to court, to Garda interviews and to sexual assault treatment units and emotional support and counselling.

We are also working with our NGO partners and others to map the journey faced by individual victims to identify issues and support needs not met. Considerable work has been completed to date, which has provided valuable information which points primarily to training needs and supervision issues for frontline services and these will be addressed in the training work being implemented under the O’Malley reforms.

Departmental Websites

Questions (452)

Duncan Smith

Question:

452. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Justice if her attention has been drawn to the fact that a new set of answers was posted on 16 June 2021 on the eJustice Portal1 relating to procedural time limits; and if her attention has been further drawn to the fact that incorrect information has been provided in relation to 12 answers (details supplied). [49582/21]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

As I have indicated to the Deputy in response to previous questions on the content of the e:Justice Portal answered on 21 April, 19 May, 2 June and 17 June of this year, the responsibility for preparing this material rests with the Courts Service.

Management of the courts is the responsibility of the judiciary and Courts Service, which are independent in exercising their functions under the Courts Service Act 1998 and given the separation of powers in the Constitution. The Courts Service also has a dedicated email address for the provision of information to members of the Houses of the Oireachtas at: [e-mail].

The material which is being queried by the Deputy concerns Rules of Court, which are a form of secondary legislation. I hope that the Deputy will appreciate that I am not in a position to interpret the law nor can I comment on the Deputy’s view of it.

Inquiry into the Death of Mr. Shane O'Farrell

Questions (453, 454)

Mary Lou McDonald

Question:

453. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Justice the date on which her office received a submission from her Department’s Secretary General to approve a review by senior council into the failure of the Courts Service to process an appeal in Carrickmacross District Court Office in 2010 in the case of a person (details supplied); the date on which the submission was approved; the date on which the family were first informed of the review; the date on which Dáil Éireann was first informed of the review; the date on which the review was completed; and the date on which the family were provided with the review. [49614/21]

Mary Lou McDonald

Question:

454. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Justice further to Parliamentary Question No. 905 of 9 September 2021, if her Department has submitted the outstanding comments sought by a person (details supplied) to their draft report. [49654/21]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

I propose to take Questions Nos. 453 and 454 together.

The matter raised by the Deputy refers to the terms of reference for a proposed review of an error in a case involving the non-processing of an appeal from a District Court conviction in Carrickmacross. A submission on the review was received by the then Minister for Justice and Equality from the Department's Secretary General on 14 May 2018. This submission was subsequently approved by the Minister on 15 May 2019. It should be noted that the review in question did not ultimately proceed.

It was intended that the O’Farrell family would be sent a copy of the terms of reference for the review, as well as a copy of the Courts Service report which prompted its establishment, following approval of the submission. I acknowledge that there was a significant delay in providing this material to the family. This was not due to any reluctance to share the information, but was rather due to an unacceptable but unintentional and accidental oversight. This oversight only came to light in the course of responding to a Freedom of Information request submitted by the family, and the material was provided to them on 24 February 2020. My Department has expressed its sincere apologies to the O’Farrell family for this delay, and I apologise again to them.

My Department brought the matter referred to in the Courts Service report to the attention of Judge Haughton, who is conducting an independent scoping exercise into matters relating to the death of Mr. Shane O'Farrell. Judge Haughton agreed to consider the matter as part of his scoping exercise.

As the Deputy will appreciate, the Judge is completely independent in conducting this scoping exercise. It is not open to me as Minister to comment on any aspect of the Judge's work or the process of compiling the final report. My Department maintains regular contact with the Judge and has assured him that any assistance he requires to complete his final report will be made available.

While I genuinely regret that this process has taken significantly longer than any of us would like, I am also aware that the Judge is doing all that he can to ensure that the concerns which the family have raised with him during the process are followed through to the greatest extent possible. I understand that Judge Haughton has been in contact with the O’Farrell family throughout his scoping exercise.

Judge Haughton recently wrote to my Department seeking comments on one specific section of the draft report. In answer to the Deputy’s question on this matter, a response from the Department on the specific section was supplied to Judge Haughton. Judge Haughton has subsequently been in contact with the Department in the past week to seek feedback on three further sections of his draft report.

The Department further understands that Judge Haughton has been in touch with the O'Farrell family regarding this matter. Following receipt of responses from all relevant parties, it is understood that Judge Haughton will be in a position to finalise his report. My Department will continue to provide all necessary assistance to the Judge, and I look forward to receiving his final report in due course.

Following receipt of the final report, the advice of the Attorney General will be sought on publication and any other issues arising.

Question No. 454 answered with Question No. 453.

An Garda Síochána

Questions (455)

Pa Daly

Question:

455. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Justice the number of Garda civilian staff who retired in each of the years 2015 to 2020 and to date in 2021. [49659/21]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

As the Deputy will appreciate, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 as amended, the Garda Commissioner has responsibility for management of An Garda Síochána and for the allocation and efficient use of Garda resources. This includes responsibility for personnel matters and the distribution of personnel across the various Garda Divisions. As Minister, I have no direct role in these matters.

The table below, which has been provided to me by the Garda authorities, sets out the total number of Garda civilian staff who retired from 2015 to 2020 and to date in 2021.

Year	Retirees
2021 (up to 8/10/2021)	56
2020	77
2019	67
2018	75
2017	51
2016	54
2015	47

Citizenship Applications

Questions (456)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

456. 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. [49663/21]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Justice

An application for a certificate of naturalisation was received from the person referred to by the Deputy on 26 February 2021. This application is currently being processed with a view to establishing whether the applicant meets the statutory conditions for the granting of naturalisation 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.

Regarding their application under EU Treaty Rights, officials from the EU Treaty Rights Unit of my Department have been in contact with the person seeking further documents. On receipt of this documentation, the application will be processed further.

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 at: [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 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.

Residency Permits

Questions (457)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

457. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice the progress to date in the determination of an application for residency status in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49665/21]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Justice

The person referred to by the Deputy has permission to remain in the State, on immigration stamp 1 conditions, without a requirement to obtain an employment permit, up to 21 January 2022. Future renewals of the permission to remain granted should be applied for six weeks in advance of the permission expiring to the Acknowledgments Unit, Repatriation Division, Immigration Service Delivery, Department of Justice, 13-14 Burgh Quay, Dublin 2.

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.

An Garda Síochána

Questions (458)

Peter Fitzpatrick

Question:

458. Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick asked the Minister for Justice the recruitment plans for An Garda Síochána for 2022; if the pre-Covid-19 2020 recruits have commenced formal training; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49695/21]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

Budget 2022 commits to the recruitment of an additional 800 Gardaí next year and to the recruitment of an additional 400 Garda staff.

Garda numbers have increased substantially in recent years, from 12,943 Garda members and 1,999 Garda staff in 2016 to almost 14,400 Garda members and 3,159 staff at the end of August this year. That is an 8% increase in Gardaí and a 58% increase in Garda staff in recent years.

The 800 extra Gardaí in Budget 2022 also means that, by the end of 2022, there will be an estimated 14,600 fully attested members of An Garda Síochána and 600 in training - putting us on course to meet and beat our target of 15,000 sworn members of Garda Síochána.

Budget 2020 will bring the total number of Garda staff to 3,800, the highest ever number – ensuring that more Gardaí can focus on core policing duties rather than administration.

Since 2017, 820 Gardaí have been freed up for core policing duties because of the recruitment of staff in An Garda Síochána.

While Budget 2021 provided for the recruitment of up to 620 Gardaí this year, the Garda Commissioner has indicated that due to the impact of the pandemic, a revised total of 450 trainees will enter the College. I am informed that 339 trainees are engaged in their training following intakes in May, July and September, with a further intake due to commence training in November.

An Garda Síochána have advised that a recruitment plan for 2022 is currently being developed to reflect planned recruitment for Garda Members and Garda Staff roles. It is currently planned to launch a Garda Trainee competition in Q4 2021.

Tobacco Control Measures

Questions (459)

David Cullinane

Question:

459. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Justice the number of prosecutions, fixed penalty notices or other sanctions that have been made under the Protection of Children’s Health (Tobacco Smoke in Mechanically Propelled Vehicles) Act 2014 each year since enactment by offence; the number of offences enforced by An Garda Síochána under the Act; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49704/21]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

I have sought the information requested by the Deputy from the Garda authorities. I will make contact directly with the Deputy when this has been received.

An Garda Síochána

Questions (460, 461)

Alan Farrell

Question:

460. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Justice the number of referrals to the Garda youth diversion programme in each of the years 2010 to 2020 for offences (details supplied). [49712/21]

Alan Farrell

Question:

461. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Justice the number of cautions, both formal and informal, issued through the Garda youth diversion programme in each of the years 2010 to 2020 for offences (details supplied). [49713/21]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Justice

I propose to take Questions Nos. 460 and 461 together.

As the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible, by law, for the administration and management of Garda business, including the operation of the statutory Garda Youth Diversion Programme. As Minister, I play no role in these independent functions.

The aim of the Garda Youth Diversion Programme is to prevent young people between the ages of 12 and 18 years of age from entering into the criminal justice system. Diverting young people from committing further offences is another intended outcome of the Programme. For certain serious crimes, as provided in Section 129(2) of the Criminal Justice Act 2006, young people aged 10 and 11 will be considered for inclusion in the Programme.

The Garda Youth Diversion Bureau (GYDB) has responsibility for overseeing and developing the Diversion Programme nationally, which was put on a statutory basis under Part 4 of the Children Act 2001. The Bureau is headed by a Chief Superintendent.

The remit of the GYDB includes the administration, coordination and development of the Diversion Programme nationally. It holds an oversight position on all aspects of youth referrals and the Programme supports Garda districts and divisions in ensuring effective governance and the timely processing of referrals.

It also supports a network of Juvenile Liaison Officer (JLO) Sergeants and JLO Gardaí distributed across every Garda division countrywide. There is an appointed Director of the Diversion Programme at Superintendent rank. The Director’s role is provided for under section 20(1) of the Children Act 2001 and is a statutory position.

When a young person comes to the attention of An Garda Síochána because of their alleged criminal or anti-social behaviour, they are required, under section 18 of the Children Act 2001, to be first considered for the Diversion Programme. In order to be considered for inclusion in the Diversion Programme, the young person must be under 18 years of age, accept responsibility for the offending behaviour, agree to be cautioned and, where appropriate, agree to the terms of supervision.

The Director’s decision on whether or not to admit a young person to the Diversion Programme is based on a number of factors, such as the nature of the offence, the impact of the offence on the community, the views of the victim, and the offending history of the young person.

If a child is deemed suitable for inclusion in the Diversion Programme, a JLO will be assigned to the child and they will administer a caution to the child. A caution may include a period of supervision where the JLO will continuously monitor the child’s progress in line with the plan they have agreed upon to reduce the likelihood of the child re-offending.

In addition, where other needs are identified, the young person will be referred to a Garda Youth Diversion Project (if one is available in their area) or other clubs or projects in their community. If a child is deemed unsuitable for admission to the Diversion Programme, the Director will issue a signed certificate deeming them unsuitable for this offence.

Due to the serious nature of the offences queried by the Deputy, and that an alleged offender referred to the Diversion Programme is a minor, I have been advised by An Garda Síochána that there is a significant data protection risk involved in releasing the information requested by the Deputy. The release of this information could potentially identify offenders, and importantly, victims of these offences who are afforded anonymity. As the Deputy will appreciate it is not, therefore, possible to provide the information requested.

Question No. 461 answered with Question No. 460.

Public Procurement Contracts

Questions (462)

Catherine Connolly

Question:

462. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Justice the number and value all procurement contracts that took place by way of negotiated procedure without prior publication in 2020 and to date in 2021; and the date, value and purpose of each negotiated procedure contract in tabular form. [49734/21]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

The information sought by the Deputy in relation to the number and value of procurement contracts that took place by way of negotiated procedure without prior publication in 2020 is provided in the table below. Please note that the annual value of each contract is provided rather than the contract value.

This information is not yet available for 2021, and will be forwarded to the Office of the Comptroller General for year-end once prepared, and no later than 31 March 2022.

The Deputy may wish to note that, of the total procurements of €7,225,104, procurements undertaken where there is a sole supplier (€2,063,422) and specialist knowledge and urgency including COVID (€443,857), although non-competitive, were considered compliant with procurement rules.

Name	Date	Annual Value€	Purpose
Northeast Hygiene - Hand sanitisation dispensers and solution	2020	34,026	COVID related expenditure - Hand sanitisation dispensers and solution. Sanitising stations installed, maintained and refilled as necessary in all Department offices.
Doggett Printers Ltd - Signage and perspex screens	2020	30,538	COVID related expenditure - There was an urgent requirement to procure perspex screens to ensure staff safety attending IPAT hearings during the COVID-19 emergency. As there was a global shortage of clear perspex due to the pandemic many suppliers were out of stock. Doggett Printers were in a position to guarantee provision and installation of the substantial volume of screens required.
DCB Group Ltd - Laptops - FSI	2020	43,345	COVID related expenditure - Purchase of laptops to allow FSI IM&T to provide FSI staff with remote working facilities in a very short timeframe. Delivery times from other suppliers including those on OGP Frameworks were too long due to demand brought on by the pandemic.
Look Sales Ltd – PPE	2020	78,751	COVID related expenditure - As a result of the pandemic global demand of sanitary supplies increased significantly. Many suppliers including those on OGP Frameworks were running short of hand sanitisers, hand soaps, face masks, visors and other PPE and sanitary supplies. In order to enable the Department and BMU to remain operational, Look Sales were engaged as a supplier that could guarantee the Department continuity of supply.
VWR International Ltd - DNA processing – FSI	2020	34,071	COVID related expenditure - Consumables essential to DNA processing in the FSI laboratory. As a result of the pandemic supply of these consumables could not be guaranteed and the lead time was significantly longer than normal. In order to guarantee continuity of supply, FSI engaged VWR in order to keep the processes running as normal.
Capita - IM&T – Hardware	2020	197,299	COVID related expenditure - The emergency spend was to purchase equipment during the COVID Pandemic to facilitate remote working.
McCann Fitzgerald Solicitors - protected disclosure investigation	2020	25,827	Ongoing confidential protected disclosure investigation. McCann Fitzgerald were originally engaged, on the basis of urgency, to carry out an investigation into a protected disclosure received by the Minister in 2017 and this work continued into 2018, 2019 and 2020. In mid-2018, the OGP established a framework for protected disclosure assessments and investigations.
Queens University Belfast - Location of victim's remains	2020	32,356	The location of victims remains is a highly sensitive area of work. Given the exceptionally sensitive circumstances, tendering was not considered appropriate.
Shepherds Funeral Supplies - Mortuary services	2020	81,284	These services are provided to Dublin City Coroner’s office.
Eurotext – Translations	2020	50,238	The establishment of a new OGP Framework for these services has been challenged and this contract for translation services has been extended pending a resolution of these proceedings.
Vodafone - Fixed line telephony (P&W)	2020	60,667	This relates to the Department’s fixed telephone line. Contract extended to allow Probation to port over to the Department's VOIP network. This will take place on a phased basis and is ongoing.
Momentum Support - Commercial cleaning	2020	115,704	A very limited number of suppliers operate within the Airport which has particular security requirements. Momentum Support were engaged as a matter of urgency when the previous provider failed to deliver on its contract. A competition for this service has since been conducted and a new contract awarded.
Capita - IM&T - ICT Managed Service	2020	785,238	This relates to a contract extension to allow time for a OGP led competition for the Department’s essential ICT services. A two stage restricted procedure was published in March 2021 and is currently underway.
Codex Ltd - Office stationery	2020	124,872	There was a delay in putting in place a new framework contract for the supply of stationery due to a legal challenge. Supplies of stationery continued to be sourced from Codex pending a replacement framework being put in place. A new OGP Framework contract was awarded in December 2020.
Eir - Fixed line telephony & VOIP	2020	142,692	Contract extended to allow for a new OGCIO led national framework for the provision of Supply of Fixed Voice and Voice Over IP Communications. Irish Prison Service are currently working on the new RFT which includes the Department’s requirements.
Derrycourt - Commercial cleaning	2020	187,037	This contract was extended pending completion of the OGP Commercial Cleaning Services Contract. The Department is planning to run a competition later this year.
Virgin Media Ireland Ltd - WAN	2020	271,062	This contract for WAN was extended to consider the specifications and requirements for publication of a SRFT. Due to COVID, work has been delayed on the Department's estate redesign, however we anticipate the publication of a new dynamic purchasing system in Q3 2021.
Kantar Media - Media Monitoring	2020	46,071	Contract extended following the expiry of the OGP framework in February 2020 and a replacement framework was not put in place. The Department continued to use the services of Kantar on a month by month basis in the absence of a framework. Specifications and requirements are currently under consideration with a view to publishing an RFT in 2021.
Deloitte Ireland LLP - IBM Software Suite - Subscription & Support - IM&T	2020	47,360	Contract extended to allow risk assessment and full review to be carried out on the Department's subscription and support in relation to IBM licensing. The audit has now been completed and the Department has commenced a new competition.
Grosvenor - Commercial cleaning	2020	347,726	The contract was extended pending completion of the OGP Commercial Cleaning Services Contract. The Department is planning to run a competition later this year.
Arkphire Security Ltd - IM&T	2020	144,543	Contract extended to allow the Server Side Operations team complete the project on the transition away from ironports.
Eir - Telephonists services	2020	381,645	Contract was extended following legal issues emerging at contract award stage following a tender competition. The Department is planning to tender for this service again in 2021, taking account of the issues arising during the last tender process with regard to TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings) obligations.
Accenture - Proprietary software (PKI) - ISD	2020	26,063	Contract extended to allow for development of and transition to new Garda National Immigration Bureau system.
Accenture - Financial shared services	2020	379,779	Contract extended to allow for transition to new Financial Management Shared Services Centre (FMSSC)
Atos IT Solutions & Services Ltd - AVATS support and maintenance	2020	634,401	This relates to support and maintenance of the online visa application facility which can only be provided by ATOS.
Vodafone - Mobile telephone services	2020	189,367	Contract extended to allow for consultation with the OGP related to certain award criteria. A SRFT was issued through the OGP and a new contract was awarded in May 2020
Word Perfect - Translations & Interpretations	2020	669,720	Ongoing legal issues prevented the award of a new contract pursuant to a new competition. However, a new competition is about to be published.
ID Solutions - TRC cards - Proprietary consumables	2020	31,340	This relates to the purchase of proprietary consumables.
Waterford Technologies – Mailmeter licenses	2020	57,383	Only one supplier can provide these licenses to the Department, therefore a competition was not held.
Softworks Computing - Flexi clock maintenance	2020	52,843	The installer of the system provides the maintenance on an ongoing basis and therefore no competition was held subsequent to the installation of the system for its maintenance
Oracle EMEA - Oracle financials and support	2020	753,998	The Department uses the oracle financial management system which requires ongoing support and licensing.
SRCL Ireland Ltd - Specialist waste disposal - FSI	2020	25,164	These are specialist services relating to the disposal of chemical waste and this is the only provider of these services
My Bio - DNA Crime Stain Extraction Samples - FSI	2020	32,908	This is the only provider of these services
Waters Chromatography - LC/MS-MS Maintenance and training - FSI	2020	40,289	This relates to maintenance of existing systems and training in their use. This is provided by the manufacturer of the system.
QIAGEN Ltd - DNA kits - FSI	2020	94,146	Following a design competition this is the only manufacturer of FSI compatible DNA kits.
Air Products Ireland - Gases - FSI	2020	162,037	This relates to the purchase of gases for the FSI laboratory.
Life Technologies - DNA profiling - FSI	2020	467,657	This relates to the maintenance and licensing of equipment used for DNA profiling.
Labvantage Solutions	2020	345,657	This relates to the maintenance and support provided in respect of FSI’s information management system.

Total €7,225,104

Citizenship Applications

Questions (463, 464)

Holly Cairns

Question:

463. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Justice the steps she is taking to reduce the time applicants are waiting for the processing of their citizenship applications. [49865/21]

Holly Cairns

Question:

464. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Justice the amount received by her Department in application fees for Irish citizenship by naturalisation annually since 1 January 2015; the way these amounts are spent annually for the same period; and the justification for these fees. [49866/21]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Justice

I propose to take Questions Nos. 463 and 464 together.

I am deeply conscious of how important the granting of naturalisation is to those who apply for it and my Department has continued to accept and process citizenship applications throughout the pandemic and at all levels of public health restrictions. However, the combined impact of the 2019 Jones judgment and the necessary health and safety related restrictions imposed as a result of the Covid-19 disruption has resulted in the processing timeline for standard applications increasing.

Aside from these specific issues, for a broad range of reasons, some cases will take longer than others to process. Processing timescales can be impacted by incomplete applications having to be returned; further documentation being required from the applicant; where the payment of the required certificate fee is awaited; or if the applicant has not been engaging with my Department.

In some instances, the input of several government agencies, both within and outside the jurisdiction is needed and the request and receipt of information from these sources can result in delays in processing some applications. Issues can also arise at the final stage of the naturalisation process, for example, where additional information comes to light which is required to be considered before a final decision is taken.

For applicants that were in the final stages of processing, in January, my Department opened a temporary system to enable these applicants to complete their naturalisation process by signing a statutory declaration of loyalty. Since then, almost 6,200 certificates of naturalisation have been issued so far this year and a further 1,000 people have paid the statutory fee and will receive their certificates in the coming weeks.

The Citizenship Division of my Department has prioritised bringing the oldest applications on hand to conclusion and a significant number of these applicants have received their certificates since the introduction of the temporary process.

Since 13 September, citizenship staff have returned to the office on a new attendance pattern that will see a gain of approximately 500 production hours per week due to increased footfall on-site. To further address the volume of applications on hand, additional staff are being assigned to the citizenship team; and a number of digitisation measures have been introduced to increase efficiency in the process, including eTax clearance, eVetting and online payments.

The end result of the digitisation process will be to free up more staff to focus on processing applications in a timely and efficient manner, to improve service to our customers and reduce waiting times. Based on this, my objective is to achieve an improved decision making timeframe of 6-9 months for a majority of applications during 2022.

The table below provides the amount received in application fees for Irish citizenship by naturalisation annually since 1 January 2015.

Year	Total Application Fees received	Total Certificate fees received	Total Fees
2015	€2,046,799	9,422,250	€11,469,049
2016	€2,270,620	7,700,550	€9,971,170
2017	€2,065,700	6,744,800	€8,810,500
2018	€2,048,725	6,765,104	€8,813,829
2019	€2,316,825	4,754,750	€7,071,575
2020	€1,241,625	5,577,450	€6,819,075
2021*	€1,350,125	4,840,800	€6,190,925

* The figures for 2021 are approximate to 07/10/2021.

In relation to the way these amounts are spent annually, money received goes into central funds so it is not possible to trace a pathway from receipt to expenditure.

The fees charged in respect of applications for a certificate of naturalisation are governed by the provisions of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Regulations 2011 and have not increased in the last ten years. The fee is charged in two parts. The current application fee is €175, payable when an application for naturalisation is lodged, in addition to which is a certificate fee, payable when a certificate of naturalisation issues. The standard certificate fee is €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 certificate fee.

I am informed that the introduction of the application fee had an immediate positive effect on the quality and completeness of applications, which is ultimately to the benefit of applicants. All of the fees payable under the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended, are kept under ongoing review by my Department.

The standard fees payable by an applicant are designed to reflect the effort and cost involved in processing applications for a certificate of naturalisation which, given the benefits involved, is quite a detailed process. The Deputy will be aware that formal citizenship ceremonies were introduced ten years ago. These have been universally well-received by participants as the ceremonies provide a sense of dignity and a celebratory occasion that serves to underscore the importance to both the State and the applicant of the grant of Irish citizenship. It is my intention that they will resume once it is safe to do so.

Question No. 464 answered with Question No. 463.

Covid-19 Pandemic

Questions (465)

Matt Carthy

Question:

465. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Health the reason applicants for the EU Digital COVID Certificate who were vaccinated in the Northern Ireland but are residents in Ireland require proof of an Irish passport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49745/21]

Written answers

Minister for Health

The EU Digital COVID Certificate Regulation allows for Digital COVID Certificates to be provided to Union citizens vaccinated in a third country provided that the Member State has been provided with reliable proof of vaccination.

Ireland is developing the capability for Digital COVID Certificates are to be issued to Irish citizens, aged 18 and older, vaccinated in third countries with accepted vaccines. This does not include non-Irish citizens vaccinated in third countries.

All applicants, regardless of residency, are required to provide passport details as proof of identity and reliable proof of vaccination, as part of the application process.