Pa Daly
Question:734. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Justice her views on the regulatory and legislative challenges posed by drink delivery services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52353/21]
View answerAlcohol Sales
Questions (734)
Written answers
As the Deputy will be aware, the Justice Plan 2021 and the Programme for Government commits to reviewing and modernising alcohol licensing.
My Department has been actively engaged with the Night-Time Economy Taskforce looking at innovative approaches to support and develop a vibrant, diverse night-time culture and economy in Ireland. Reforming and modernising our licensing law is an important part of how we do that.
On 15 September 2021, the Government approved the drafting of the General Scheme of the Sale of Alcohol Bill 2021 to reform and modernise licensing laws in Ireland.
The outdated Licensing Acts, Registration of Clubs Acts, and the Public Dance Hall Act 1935, will all be repealed and replaced with updated and streamlined 21st century provisions relating to the sale, supply and consumption of alcohol in licensed premises and registered clubs. This will reform, streamline and simplify our licensing laws.
In assessing whether a review of legislation is required in relation to the delivery of alcohol, it is essential that there is a clear understanding of what the current regulations are under existing legislation.
While there is no dedicated licence for online sales of intoxicating liquor, licensees of licensed premises may engage in online sales subject to certain restrictive conditions. Under existing legislation where alcohol is purchased online, the same restrictions on the sale and supply of intoxicating liquor apply, including the restrictions in relation to hours of trading and the provisions in relation to the sale and supply of intoxicating liquor to young persons.
There is substantial existing legislation to regulate the delivery of alcohol services in Ireland.
However, I do appreciate that habits of consumers have been affected by the pandemic and the share of purchases online has increased substantially. These changes may be temporary or they may be the beginning of longer term trends that require further regulation. It is in that context and in light of the planned updating of the alcohol licensing legislation we are considering appropriate regulation of this service.
Naturalisation Applications
Questions (735)
Bernard Durkan
Question:735. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice the progress to date in the determination of an application for naturalisation in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52381/21]
View answerWritten answers
An application for a certificate of naturalisation was received from the person referred to by the Deputy on 12 February 2020. 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.
I recognise the crucial role healthcare workers are continuing to play in responding to the threat of COVID-19. They work in a challenging environment and deal with vulnerable people on a daily basis. Their exceptional commitment has been particularly clear throughout the pandemic, during which they have played a vital part in preventing the spread of COVID-19.
All applications for a certificate of naturalisation are processed and assessed individually in accordance with legislation. There are no provisions to apply different criteria depending on the category of employment of the applicant. All applicants are required to meet minimum periods of reckonable residence and standard checks are carried out as part of the overall process to maintain its integrity.
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.
An Garda Síochána
Questions (736)
Matt Carthy
Question:736. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice the funding allocated to the Garda cyber crime unit in 2020 and 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52416/21]
View answerWritten answers
I can assure the Deputy that the prevention and investigation of cybercrime is a priority for the Government and for An Garda Síochána. Budget 2022 provides over €2 billion in funding to An Garda Síochána. Since 2016 the budget for An Garda Síochána has increased by approximately €500m, or 33%. These funds are providing for continued investment in the Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau, with ongoing expansion of the Bureau between this year and next, including the recruitment of 20 civilian expert posts at engineer grade.
As the Deputy will be aware, the allocation of funding for specific Garda projects is a matter for the Garda Commissioner, who under the Garda Síochána Act 2005, is responsible for the management and administration of the Garda organisation.
I am informed by the Garda Authorities that the expansion of the Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau (GNCCB) is a priority project under the A Policing Service for our Future programme. The aim of this project is to significantly enhance the capacity and capabilities of GNCCB to tackle cybercrime in this jurisdiction, including the establishment of six GNCCB Cyber Satellite hubs strategically located throughout the country. I understand that the roll out of the regional cybercrime units is ongoing and to date funding has been provided for four Regional Cybercrime Hubs established in Wexford, Mullingar, Cork and Galway. Planning is currently underway for the establishment of two additional GNCCB Cyber Satellite hubs.
The Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau (GNCCB) is led by a Detective Chief Superintendent. As of 30 September there are 45 Garda members attached to GNCCB, which represents an almost 100% increase on the 23 Garda members attached to the Bureau at end December 2020.
I have been provided with the following below by the Garda authorities, detailing the total gross expenditure from the Garda Vote for the Garda Cyber Crime Unit in 2020 and from January to September 2021.
|
Year |
2020 |
2021 (Jan-Sept) |
|
Expenditure on Garda Cyber Crime Unit |
€2,555,161 |
€2,490,791 |
Citizenship Applications
Questions (737)
Bernard Durkan
Question:737. 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. [52440/21]
View answerWritten answers
My Department has recently received documents from the applicant and their application for a certificate of naturalisation continues to be processed with a view to establishing whether they meet the statutory conditions for the granting of naturalisation. It will be submitted to me for decision in due course.
The granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is a privilege and an honour which confers certain rights and entitlements not only within the State but also at European Union level and it is important that appropriate procedures are in place to preserve the integrity of the process.
It is recognised that all applicants for citizenship would wish to have a decision on their application without delay. However, the nature of the naturalisation process is such that, for a broad range of reasons, some cases will take longer than others to process. In some instances, completing the necessary checks can take a considerable period of time.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to my Department by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility at: INISOireachtasMail@justice.ie, 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.
Prison Service
Questions (738)
Pa Daly
Question:738. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Justice the status of the establishment of a complaints process within the Irish Prison Service; and her plans for establishing an independent means of complaint in addition. [52446/21]
View answerWritten answers
I wish to advise the Deputy that substantial work has been completed on the necessary actions to introduce the new Prisoner Complaints System, including on staff training, the development of an integrated IT system to support case handling and a draft policy for complaints handling.
The critical path for the introduction of the new system includes the drafting of the Statutory Instrument to support a legally sound administrative process and to amend the prison rules.
My officials and the Irish Prison Service continue to engage with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel with a view to completing work on the Statutory Instrument which will give legal effect to the new Prisoner Complaints System.
They are also continuing to engage with the relevant stakeholders, including the Office of the Ombudsman, with regard to the introduction of the new complaints system and in preparation for its future operation.
An Garda Síochána
Questions (739)
Alan Kelly
Question:739. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Justice the date on which her attention was drawn to the scope and scale of the latest iteration of wrongdoing regarding An Garda Síochána with respect to the cancellation and mislabelling of 999 emergency calls (details supplied); and if her attention and that of her officials had already been drawn to same in advance of the Policing Authority; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52461/21]
View answerWritten answers
As the Deputy will be aware, Minister Humphreys addressed the House on this issue during Questions to the Minister for Justice on 21 October last. I wish to reiterate my view that any inappropriate cancellation of 999 calls is a very serious matter. This falls significantly below the high standards that the public expect from Gardaí and the high standards that An Garda Síochána sets for itself. I am particularly concerned that anyone experiencing domestic abuse or anyone in a vulnerable position who summoned the courage to seek assistance may not have received it.
I requested, last February, that the Policing Authority oversee the review being carried out by An Garda Síochána in regard to this matter and there have been a number of engagements between the authority and An Garda Síochána on this matter.
Insofar as the matters referred to in the statement from the Policing Authority are concerned, I am informed that my Department was advised of this development by the Garda authorities and notified Minister Humphreys on 9 October. As the Deputy will be aware, the issues arising were discussed at the most recent meeting of the Policing Authority and the Garda Commissioner in public on 28 October.
I share the authority's concern about the continuation of what appears to be the inappropriate cancellation and classification of calls since the introduction of the new procedures. These circumstances will of course be considered by the Policing Authority as part of its continuing oversight of the Garda review of this matter and will be taken into account in the work being carried out by an external policing expert who has been appointed to assist the Policing Authority in this task. I await the outcome of the Authority's work in this regard.
Question No. 740 answered with Question No. 733.
Immigration Status
Questions (741)
Bernard Durkan
Question:741. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice the progress in the determination of residency status in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52493/21]
View answerWritten answers
The person referred to by the Deputy was issued a letter refusing them permission to remain in the state on 17 August 2021. In response to a notification pursuant to the provisions of Section 3 of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended), written representations have been submitted on behalf of the persons concerned.
These representations, together with all other information and documentation on file, will be fully considered, under Section 3(6) of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended) and all other applicable legislation, in advance of a final decision being made.
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 (inisoireachtasmail@justice.ie), 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.
Question No. 742 answered with Question No. 733.
Visa Applications
Questions (743)
Seán Sherlock
Question:743. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Justice the status of a visa application (details supplied). [52501/21]
View answerWritten answers
My Department has no record of a visa application having been made for the individuals concerned. If the Deputy can supply further information, including the relevant visa application numbers, I will ensure that the matter is re-examined.
It is open to any person to create a visa application at any time. Upon creating an on-line visa application, the summary sheet must be printed and signed by the applicant and then submitted to the relevant Visa Office, along with supporting documentation and the relevant fee, within 30 days. Upon receipt of the necessary documentation and fee, the visa application will be processed.
When submitting an application, if it is the intention of the applicant to enter the State with a view to residing here, they should apply for a D Type - Join Family visa application. If the applicant intends only to visit, then they should apply for a C Type - Visit Visa.
Further information and guidance on the supporting documentation required can be found on the Irish Immigration website at: https://www.irishimmigration.ie/.
Bullying of Children
Questions (744)
Niamh Smyth
Question:744. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Justice the criminal sanctions in place to protect young persons from bullying of all kinds; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52504/21]
View answerWritten answers
Bullying can come in many forms, but in public discourse it is usually about young people bullying each other. For the most part, this generally requires a response within community and institutional - including schools - contexts, rather than an automatic resort to criminal sanction.
That said, this Government is acutely aware of the impact any kind of harassment can have on a victim and that harassment can take different forms and have different levels of severity.
That is why the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act 2020 – or Coco’s Law, named after Nicole ‘Coco’ Fox – not only introduced new offences but also broadened existing harassment offences and introduced stricter penalties for them.
Coco's Law provides for a new offence of sending, distributing or publishing a threatening or grossly offensive message by any means of communication with intent to cause harm to the victim, which means our legislation now covers once-off communications as well as harassment.
The definition of harassment includes harassing another person by persistently following, watching, pestering, besetting or communicating with or about them. The changes made by Coco’s Law to this offence have also ensured that communicating with or about a person by any means is covered – including through the use of social media or technology.
It also increases the maximum penalty for harassment from 7 years’ to 10 years’ to reflect the harm caused by the most serious forms of harassment.
If charges are to be brought under this act against a person 17 or younger, then the consent of the DPP is required. As noted earlier, this safeguard was put in in recognition of the need to use other means to tackling bullying and harassment in younger people, while still leaving the door open for charges to be brought in more extreme cases.
When I commenced this legislation in February of this year I announced funding for the National Anti-Bullying Research and Resource Centre at DCU to establish a ‘Research Observatory on Cyberbullying’. This ‘Observatory’ will provide up-to-date research and advice as well as monitor the impact of anti-cyberbullying laws and regulations. It also aims to explore the impact of laws and regulations on those who engage in, or are targeted by, cyberbullying, cyberhate, and online harassment.
I also provided funding for the Webwise ‘Lockers’ programme to update their secondary school resources which promotes the autonomous, effective and safe use of the internet by young people. The funding has enabled Webwise to update the materials used in schools to include information about Coco’s Law.
The Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act also provides for offences that cause harm to another person and also for the offence of making someone believe they are going to be harmed. Where the behaviour amounts to a criminal offence (e.g. harassment or assault), and Gardaí become involved, then the young person responsible will be considered for admission to the Garda Diversion Programme, which operates under Part 4 of the Children Act 2001.
The Diversion measures specified in the Act include the administration of Garda cautions (in the presence of parents/guardians) and supervision by a Garda Juvenile Liaison Officer. In addition, a young person can be referred to a Youth Diversion Project funded by the Department which provide programmes and supports to enable young people to make positive behavioural changes.
In terms of new legislation in this area, the General Scheme of the Hate Crime Bill has been published and it will introduce aggravated forms of these offences where they are motivated by prejudice against protected characteristics.
The protected characteristics under the Criminal Justice (Hate Crime) Bill 2021 are,
- Religion
- Race
- Colour
- Nationality
- Ethnic or national origin
- Sexual orientation
- Gender
- Disability
This legislation is currently being drafted by the Office of Parliamentary Counsel.
In addition to the legislation referenced above, separate legislation to include provision for an online safety commissioner has been proposed by the Department of Communications, Climate Action and the Environment, and the General Scheme of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill was published earlier this year.
It contains provisions empowering the proposed Online Safety Commissioner to make online safety codes; assess the compliance of online services with those safety codes; direct online services to make changes to their systems; processes and policies and design and seek to apply financial sanctions to services who fail to comply.
The online safety codes will set out how social media companies will have to deal with harmful content, such as cyberbullying
Finally, the Deputy may be aware that the Minister for Education attended the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Education, Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science recently to provide an update on a number of issues including the measures that are being taken to prevent and tackle bullying in schools. During the Minister’s appearance at the Joint Committee, she announced that the Department of Education will commence a review of the Department’s 2013 Action Plan on Bullying and the 2013 Anti-bullying Procedures for Primary and Post-primary Schools. The Minister also announced that during this school year, the Department’s Inspectorate is prioritising monitoring and gathering information about the implementation of anti-bullying measures in schools across all its inspection types.
Citizenship Applications
Questions (745)
Jennifer Carroll MacNeill
Question:745. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Justice the status of a citizenship application by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52545/21]
View answerWritten answers
An application for a certificate of naturalisation was received from the person referred to by the Deputy on 7 February 2020. 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.
Road Traffic Offences
Questions (746)
Thomas Gould
Question:746. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Justice the status of the community approach to address the misuse of scramblers and quad bikes; and if a person who has motor racing track and experience in the field could apply to be included in the scheme. [52550/21]
View answerWritten answers
Firstly, I would like to say that I am of course aware of the serious incident involving a scrambler which occurred recently, and I wish to extend my heartfelt sympathies to the victim. As the Deputy will be appreciate, I cannot comment on any specific incident in detail, but I can assure him that tackling such serious and sometimes tragic incidents involving scramblers is a top priority for my Department and the whole of Government.
As the Deputy will be aware, I established a subgroup of the Anti-Social Behaviour Forum earlier this year to examine measures which can be taken with regard to the misuse of vehicles such as scramblers and quad bikes in communities.
The Anti-Social Behaviour Forum delivered a community based proposal to tackling the misuse of scramblers and other vehicles. This scheme is based on the model developed by the Moyross Youth Diversion Project (YDP) and, again, is a means of intervention and diversion of young people from this type of anti-social activity.
My Department opened applications to all YDPs and interested groups, such as motocross clubs, for funding for these initiatives. Almost €200,000 in funding has been granted to eight projects; some of which are joint ventures between more than one YDP (a total of 10 YDPs applied for funding, 9 in Dublin, along with additional support provided for Moyross in Limerick).
The criteria for participation in a YDP essentially relate to the young person being at risk of involvement in crime or anti-social behaviour. Each project has a referral committee and the application of the criteria is a matter for that Committee in each specific case.
The Deputy may also be aware that €6.7million has been provided for youth justice services in Budget 2022. This represents an increase of one third in support for youth justice services. It provides the resources to kick-start delivery of key objectives in the Youth Justice Strategy and, in particular, the programme to expand and deepen the range of supports made available through local YDP services.
The main elements are:
- Establishment of a limited number of new youth projects and boundary extensions of existing projects so as to ensure that the youth diversion services are available throughout the State by end-2022 or shortly thereafter.
- Enhancement of the youth diversion service, in accordance with identified local needs, to include:
- Early intervention and family support work
- Outreach with harder-to-engage young people
- Support for schools to retain challenging children
- Other specific initiatives e.g. in relation to anti-social use of scramblers and knife crime issues.
- Dedicated research and expert support, including best practice support for the nationwide project network, facilitated by the Research Evidence into Policy Programmes and Practice (REPPP) project team in the University of Limerick.
The Minister for Transport has recently published the Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021, which includes provisions to strengthen the law in relation to the dangerous and antisocial off-road use of scramblers, quads and other similar vehicles.
Citizenship Applications
Questions (747)
Ivana Bacik
Question:747. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Justice the number of successful citizen applicants who did not complete and return their declaration of citizenship in each of the years 2018, 2019, 2020 and to date in 2021. [52559/21]
View answerWritten answers
Traditionally, citizenship applicants are required to attend an in-person citizenship ceremony to take an oath of fidelity to the State and complete the process to receive their certificate of naturalisation. Due to the pandemic, it has not been possible to hold such ceremonies since March 2020.
In January, a temporary system was established to enable citizenship applicants to complete their naturalisation process by signing a statutory declaration of loyalty to the state. This has temporarily replaced the requirement for citizenship applicants to attend citizenship ceremonies.
Applicants who had failed to attend a previously scheduled in-person ceremony to which they were invited, were also given the opportunity to complete the statutory declaration process and receive their certificate.
Since the introduction of the temporary system, my Department has contacted 8,196 citizenship applicants and has issued 7,405 certificates of naturalisation.
The following table sets out the number of persons who have failed to complete their citizenship process, either by attending an in-person citizenship ceremony or by completing the 2021 statutory declaration process. It is important to say that, where a person has in the past failed to attend an in-person ceremony, they are invited to attend a ceremony at a later date.
|
Year |
Invited |
Attended ceremony (2018-2020) / completed statutory declaration process (2021) |
Did not attended ceremony (2018 – 2020) / did not complete statutory declaration process (2021) |
|
2018 |
7,232 |
6,973 |
259 |
|
2019 |
5,107 |
4,959 |
148 |
|
2020 |
5,167 |
5,061 |
106 |
|
2021 (to date) |
8,196 |
7,405 |
791 |
The statutory declaration process is ongoing, and applicants have received invitations to complete the process throughout this year, including in the past month. Therefore, the number of applicants who are currently listed as not having completed the process can still do so, and it is projected that the figure of 791 for 2021, will decrease between now and the end of the year.
I am also pleased to confirm that, subject to public health guidelines, my Department intends to host an in-person citizenship ceremony on 13 December in Killarney - the first since the pandemic began in March 2020.
Residency Permits
Questions (748)
Ivana Bacik
Question:748. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Justice if her attention has been drawn to reported issues experienced by Irish residence permit applicants in completing payment for their IRP; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52560/21]
View answerWritten answers
My Department is not aware of any particular difficulty encountered by our customers wishing to make payment for their Irish Residence Permit (IRP).
My officials have examined the system and confirmed that all functions appear to be operational, outside the occasional issue with submission which, upon further inspection, has been found to be a user error or a difficulty with the user’s bank.
Where an applicant is experiencing an IT issue regarding the payment of a fee for their registration they should notify the Registration Office of my Department at immigrationsupport@justice.ie and provide as much detail as possible.
Immigration Policy
Questions (749)
Ivana Bacik
Question:749. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Justice if it is anticipated that her Department’s regularisation scheme will increase processing delays for citizenship and IRP applications; and the steps that are being taken to mitigate this risk. [52564/21]
View answerWritten answers
The Programme for Government contains a commitment to bring forward a regularisation scheme within 18 months of the formation of the Government, to create new pathways for long-term undocumented people and their dependents. Applicants will need to meet specific criteria and these will be formed with a clear consideration of Ireland's European Union and Common Travel Area commitments. The formulation of criteria is guided by research, including the learning from previous regularisation schemes, such as the 2018 Student Scheme. Schemes operated by other EU Member States are also being considered in its development.
My Department is now working to finalise the details for the Scheme, including eligibility considerations and qualifying criteria, with a view to bringing a proposal to Government shortly to allow for the launch of the Scheme before the end of this year.
As part of the planning for the new scheme, my Department will identify staff, including new entrants, for assignment to the new unit to progress the scheme. My Department constantly reviews and reassigns its resources to avoid any undue impact on any area of existing work, such as the processing of citizenship and IRP applications, when a new scheme is put in place.
An Garda Síochána
Questions (750)
Sorca Clarke
Question:750. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Justice the number of Garda complaints referred to and investigated by GSOC relating to counties Longford and Westmeath in each of the years 2019, 2020 and to date in 2021. [52592/21]
View answerWritten answers
As the Deputy will be aware, matters may be referred by An Garda Síochána to GSOC under section 85 or section 102(1) of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended).
Section 85 of the 2005 Act requires An Garda Síochána, upon receipt of a complaint regarding misconduct made against a Garda member in accordance with section 83(2) of the Act, to forward such complaint to GSOC.
Section 102(1) of the Act requires that the Garda Commissioner shall refer any matter to the Ombudsman Commission that appears to indicate that the conduct of a member of the Garda Síochána may have caused death or serious harm to a person.
GSOC have provided me with the following table indicating the number of section 85 and section 102(1) cases for 2019, 2020 and 2021 (to date) relating to Longford and Westmeath.
|
Year |
County |
Type of Referral |
No. of Referrals |
Investigated or Examined by GSOC(s. 91 s.94/s.95 or s.98)* |
|
2019 |
Longford |
s85 |
4 |
1 |
|
2019 |
Westmeath |
s85 |
13 |
2 |
|
2019 |
Longford |
s102 (1) |
1 |
1 |
|
2019 |
Westmeath |
s102(1) |
1 |
1 |
|
Year |
County |
Type of Referral |
No. of Referrals |
No. Investigated by GSOC (s. 91 s.94/s.95 or s.98)* |
|
2020 |
Longford |
s85 |
5 |
1 |
|
2020 |
Westmeath |
s85 |
14 |
2 |
|
2020 |
Longford |
s102 (1) |
1 |
1 |
|
2020 |
Westmeath |
s102(1) |
2 |
2 |
|
Year |
County |
Type of Referral |
No. of Referrals |
No. Investigated by GSOC(s. 91 s.94/s.95 or s.98)* |
|
2021 |
Longford |
s85 |
2 |
1 |
|
2021 |
Westmeath |
s85 |
8 |
2 |
|
2021 |
Longford |
s102 (1) |
1 |
1 |
|
2021 |
Westmeath |
s102(1) |
0 |
0 |
*Complaints and referrals may be investigated or examined by GSOC under a number of different provisions of the Garda Síochána Act 2005, namely section 91, section 94, section 95 or section 98. Section 91 is an examination conducted by GSOC following the receipt of a section 102(1) referral following which GSOC may close the matter or commence an investigation. Section 94 and section 95 are investigations into possible breaches of discipline. Section 98 is an investigation into alleged criminal misconduct.