Tuesday, 9 Nov 2021

Housing Policy

Questions (353)

Christopher O'Sullivan

Question:

353. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if consideration will be given to the sale of two-bed local authority houses to existing housing tenants in certain circumstances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54755/21]

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Written answers

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage

The Tenant (Incremental) Purchase Scheme came into operation on 1 January 2016. The Scheme is open to eligible tenants, including joint tenants, of local authority houses that are available for sale under the Scheme. To be eligible, tenants must meet certain criteria, including having a minimum reckonable income of €15,000 per annum and having been in receipt of social housing support for at least one year.

The Housing (Sale of Local Authority Houses) Regulations 2015 governing the Scheme provides for a number of specified classes of houses to be excluded from sale, including houses provided to Local Authorities under Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000 as amended, houses specifically designed for older persons, group Traveller housing and houses provided to facilitate people with disabilities transferring from institutional care to community-based living.

Two-bed houses are not specifically excluded under the Regulations but housing authorities may, within the provisions of the Regulations, exclude certain houses which, in the opinion of the authority, should not be sold for reasons such as proper stock or estate management. It is a matter for each individual housing authority to administer the Scheme in its operational area in line with the over-arching provisions of the governing legislation for the scheme, and in a manner appropriate to its housing requirements.

A review of the first 12 months of the Scheme’s operation has been undertaken. In addition, Housing for All, A New Housing Plan for Ireland, commits to maintain the right of social housing tenants to purchase their own home with some changes to eligibility. The review and the commitments in Housing for All are being examined as part of the work on the broader social housing reform agenda. I expect to be in a position to finalise changes to the Scheme once the work on these reform measures is complete.

Human Rights

Questions (354)

Brendan Howlin

Question:

354. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to disturbing reports coming from Afghanistan regarding the treatment of members of the LGBT+ community by the Taliban; if this matter has been discussed at European Council meetings; if contact has been made with the Taliban authorities on this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54003/21]

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Written answers

Minister for Foreign Affairs

I remain gravely concerned about the situation in Afghanistan and about the Taliban’s approach to human rights, including reports regarding the dangers faced by members of the LGBT+ community in Afghanistan.

Since our extraordinary meeting on 17 August, EU Foreign Ministers have met and discussed Afghanistan three times, at the informal Gymnich meeting on 2-3 September, on 21 September in New York in the margins of the UN General Assembly, and at the Foreign Affairs Council on 18 October. Council Conclusions on 15 September strongly condemned the recent use of violence and intimidation by the Taliban and called for accountability for human rights violations. The Council agreed on benchmarks against which the actions of the Taliban will be judged. Preconditions for EU engagement with them include the need for the Taliban to promote, protect and respect all human rights.

Ireland fully supports these conditions, which do not preclude a certain level of working contact required for humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people, or to enable the ongoing evacuation of EU citizens. The Conclusions are clear that such contact does not confer any legitimacy on the Taliban. In that context, the EU Special Envoy to Afghanistan met with the Taliban in Doha on 12 October and maintained the EU's strong lines on human rights.

On 7 October, at the 48th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC), an EU-led Resolution was adopted on the Situation of Human Rights in Afghanistan. The resolution established a mandate for a Special Rapporteur (SR) to be appointed at the March session of the HRC to monitor the situation of human rights as it develops in Afghanistan. The SR is mandated to, inter alia, seek, receive, examine and act on information from all relevant stakeholders pertaining to the human rights situation in Afghanistan.

Ireland remains actively engaged with the situation in Afghanistan, both at European Union level and as a member of the United Nations Security Council and Human Rights Council. We will continue to be a strong voice for human rights in Afghanistan, including rights of the LGBT+ community.

Passport Services

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James Lawless

Question:

383. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if a passport application by a person (details supplied) will be examined; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54514/21]

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Michael Collins

Question:

387. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if a passport will be expedited in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54570/21]

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Michael Ring

Question:

388. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if passports will be dispatched to persons (details supplied) in time for their travel plans; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54588/21]

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Written answers

Minister for Foreign Affairs

I propose to take Questions Nos. 355, 356, 377, 381, 383, 387 and 388 together.

With regard to the specific applications about which the Deputies have enquired, the Passport Service has provided an update on the status of the passport application to the applicant.

Question No. 356 answered with Question No. 355.

Passport Services

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Marian Harkin

Question:

380. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the status of a passport application by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54283/21]

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Michael Ring

Question:

382. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs when a passport application lodged on 22 August 2021 will be processed and dispatched to a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54383/21]

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Written answers

Minister for Foreign Affairs

I propose to take Questions Nos. 357, 367, 370, 380 and 382 together.

With regard to the specific applications about which the Deputies have enquired, the Passport Service has already issued passports to the applicants.

Passport Services

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Éamon Ó Cuív

Question:

371. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of passport applications in which no queries have been raised yet that are on hand for more than two months and three months, respectively; the reason for the delay in processing these passports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54145/21]

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Éamon Ó Cuív

Question:

372. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of passport applications on hand in the Passport Office at present; the steps being taken to clear this backlog; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54146/21]

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Written answers

Minister for Foreign Affairs

I propose to take Questions Nos. 358 to 361, inclusive, 364 to 366, inclusive, 368, 371 and 372 together.

The Emergency Passport service remains available in cases of medical emergency or death of a family member abroad. Proof of emergency is required to avail of this service. Passport Service officers working on the emergency service are not qualified to assess the mental health of an enquirer to that service. However, in cases of genuine and documented emergency, every effort is made to assist the applicant. Emergency requests are prioritised through the Oireachtas Urgent Query Service. The Passport Service does not currently track the number of passports issued under the emergency service as they form part of our overall passport numbers. However, in October alone 4,600 emergency queries were handled by the Customer Service Hub.

The Customer Service Hub is currently staffed by 75 officers. Since June of this year, the Hub has handled almost 125,000 queries by phone and webchat. In October 2021, staff in the Customer Service Hub dealt with 13,000 calls and 15,000 webchat contacts. Due to the large volume of passport queries being directed to the Customer Service Hub, unfortunately it can be challenging to get through on the phone lines or through the webchat facility. My Department continues to recruit and assign additional staff to this service to meet current and expected demand.

With regard to the dedicated passport phone line, as the Deputy will be aware a temporary line has been established to respond to queries on urgent passports cases. For operational reasons queries on this temporary line are restricted and the number of cases concerned is being kept under active review.

The collection of passports by Oireachtas members cannot be facilitated as this significantly impacts the dispatch of passports for all other customers.

The Passport Offices in Mount St, Dublin 2 and in Cork are now offering an Urgent Appointment Service for the renewal of passports. The Urgent Appointment Service ensures that, for those who unexpectedly require a very urgent turnaround of a passport renewal, there is an option available that is transparent, predictable and clear. It means that an applicant can book and pay for their appointment, safe in the knowledge that they will have their passport within a day, or a few days. To avail of the Urgent Appointment Service for Passport Renewal, applicants must first book an appointment to attend the public office in Dublin or Cork. Applicants can book an appointment through the Department of Foreign Affairs website (www.dfa.ie/passports). Over 800 urgent appointments have been facilitated since the Passport Service launched this service on 27th September 2021.

The current passport processing times are:

- 10 working days for Simple Adult renewals

- 15 working days for Complex renewals

- 40 working days for First Time Applications on Passport Online

- 8 weeks for An Post’s mail-in “Passport Express” service

Over half a million passport books and cards have been issued to date in 2021. Almost 45% of passports for simple online adult renewals issue within one business day. 92% of correctly completed applications are processed within the turnaround times.

Deputies should be aware that the processing times are based on current average application turnaround times and apply to passport applications that are fully complete, where all required supporting documentation has been correctly submitted to the Passport Service by the applicant. The projected passport issue date provided to applicants on the online Passport Tracker provides an indication only of the estimated issue date based on current averages and is not an intended guarantee of service. The projected passport issue date by the Passport Tracker provided does not include postage time. Passports are dispatched for delivery by An Post. Once the passport has been dispatched, the Passport Tracker provides the applicant with an An Post reference number to track their passport through the postal system. Passports for delivery in Ireland by An Post are generally received by the applicant within one working day.

Applications can take longer than the average turnaround time if applicants have not provided all of the required documentation to correctly complete their application. There are currently 10,000 postal applications and 95,000 online passport applications on hand at the Passport Service. Of the online applications, 35,000 or 36% of applications, require the applicant to submit the documents needed to complete their passport application. The Passport Service engages with all applicants who have not submitted the required documentation to ensure that their application is completed correctly and can proceed through the processing system. Of the applications that are with the Passport Service for processing, approximately 8% are past the estimated issue-by date. A total of 2,300 completed applications requiring action by the Passport Service were received prior to 4 September 2021. These applications are currently being prioritised by the Passport Service who are working very hard to eliminate these delays.

The Passport Service is currently experiencing a high demand for first time passports. These first time applications are complex to process. The Passport Service must validate the true identity of the applicant and take measures to confirm the applicant’s entitlement to Irish citizenship, which they are claiming for the first time. Vetting identity and citizenship is fundamentally important to protecting the integrity of the Irish passport. In the case of first time passport applications for children, the consent of guardians must be thoroughly validated. Due to the extra measures involved, processing time for first time online passport applications is 40 working days.

The Passport Service continually examines how to improve processing times and engagement with applicants, particularly in light of the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the Passport Service and the high demand for passports seen in recent months as international travel resumed. In the context of the National Development Plan, my Department is making a major investment in the future of the Passport Service. Over the next couple of years, we will replace the core technology underpinning the service, which will deliver efficiencies and a more resilient passport system. Budget 2022 also included an investment of an additional €10m in passport services in response to the increasing demand for passports both at home and abroad.

Adequate staffing of the Passport Service to respond to demand remains a priority for my Department and is an issue that is kept under constant review. My Department is actively working with the Public Appointments Service on an ongoing basis to recruit and assign additional staff to meet the current and forecasted high demand for passports. In addition, the Passport Service is working with relevant divisions within my Department to ensure the health and safety of all staff and is finalising plans in co-operation with the OPW to ensure that additional staff will be accommodated to meet the anticipated increased demand for passports expected in 2022.

I urge citizens to check the validity of their passports before booking travel and to ensure that they apply in plenty of time in order to have their passport in hand well in advance of their travel date. In the case of people planning to travel in 2022, whose passports are already out of date or who have children who are first-time applicants, I would encourage them to apply now online.

The Passport Online service continues to be the fastest and most efficient channel for passport applications and is available to first time applicants, both children and adults, in Ireland, Northern Ireland, Great Britain, Europe, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the USA. All Irish citizens, including children can use the online system to renew their passports from anywhere in the world.

The figures requested by Deputy Collins in Parliamentary Question 54047/21 are outlined in tabular form below.

Data requested	1 January 2020 – 31 October 2021
Total passport applications received	985,000
Total online renewal applications received	660,000
Total postal renewal applications received	66,000
Total online first time child applications	65,000
Total postal first time child applications	29,000

Question No. 359 answered with Question No. 358.

Question No. 360 answered with Question No. 358.

Question No. 361 answered with Question No. 358.

Foreign Conflicts

Questions (362, 369)

Neasa Hourigan

Question:

362. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the military coup that took place in Sudan on 25 October 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54043/21]

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Seán Haughey

Question:

369. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the recent military and security forces coup in Sudan; if his attention has been drawn to subsequent reports of many human rights infringements in Sudan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54054/21]

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Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs

I propose to take Questions Nos. 362 and 369 together.

In 2019 the people of Sudan achieved a path to democratic civilian government following thirty years of military rule. While there has been significant progress since then, the relationship between the military and civilian elements of its government has become increasingly fraught in recent months culminating in a coup on 24-25 October. This coup saw the detention of civilian members of the government and also civil society leaders. There are reports of targeted killings and violence against protestors.

These actions have put in jeopardy the hard-won transition. They are counter to the legitimate wishes of the Sudanese people for freedom, peace, justice and inclusive development. They also have worrying implications for peace and security in the region more broadly. The military takeover of power must be reversed and the democratic transition restored.

At the UN Security Council on 26 October, Ireland unequivocally condemned the military coup, the attacks against protesting civilians and the campaign of unlawful detention against civilian leaders. The Security Council subsequently issued a Press Statement on 28 October, expressing serious concern at the military takeover, and calling for the immediate release of all those detained by the military authorities. We will continue to push for Council oversight as the situation unfolds, including through the three Sudan-focused mandates over which the Council presides: UNITAMS (UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan), UNISFA (Interim Security Force for Abyei) and the Sudan sanctions regime.

High Representative Josep Borrell issued a statement on 26 October on behalf of the EU Member States, including Ireland, warning of serious consequences if the move to dismantle the transitional government was not reversed. Two days later, Ireland participated in a meeting of the EU Political and Security Committee where grave concern at developments was expressed.

At the forthcoming Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) on 15 November, Minister Coveney will discuss with other EU leaders how a return to democracy in Sudan might encouraged.

At the Special Session of the Human Rights Council on Sudan on 5 November, Ireland delivered a strong statement commending the courage of the Sudanese people and urging the military authorities to fully respect the rights of peaceful assembly and for a return to the full implementation of the Constitutional Document and the Juba Peace Agreement.

Ireland welcomed the decision of the African Union (AU) to suspend Sudan from AU activities until “the effective restoration of the civilian-led Transitional Authority”. I am encouraged that an emissary to Sudan is to be appointed by the African Commission Chairperson. I strongly support the efforts by the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General, Volker Perthes, in Khartoum, and the EU Special Representative for the Horn of Africa, Annette Weber, to engage with Sudanese and regional stakeholders.

Ireland supports three organisations, which provide protection and/or assistance to human rights defenders in Sudan, including with a specific focus on women human rights defenders.

My officials, including at the Embassy of Ireland in Nairobi and which is accredited to Sudan, continue to engage with partners for the restoration of the democratic transition in Sudan.

Passport Services

Questions (363)

Michael Collins

Question:

363. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of persons that work in the Passport Office in Cork and Dublin since January 2020 to date; the number still working from home; the number that have full access to their systems; the number that been fully paid since March 2020 to date; the number that are receiving their full payments, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54044/21]

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Written answers

Minister for Foreign Affairs

The data on monthly staffing levels in the Passport Service from January 2020 to November 2021 requested by Deputy Collins is outlined below in tabular form. This data covers staffing levels over the entire period of the COVID-19 Pandemic to date. Passport Service staff have been fully paid throughout this period.

During this period, many Passport Service officers were redeployed to assist with the national response to COVID-19, in essential public service roles, such as contact tracing for the HSE, assisting the Department of Social Protection in the processing of COVID-19 related benefits, providing consular assistance to Irish citizens overseas and assisting the Public Appointments Service.

Throughout the Pandemic, the Passport Service provided an emergency passport service for situations such as the death of a relative overseas and other humanitarian reasons. Between January and May of this year, taking into account the COVID-19 protocols in place at the time, 67,000 passport books and cards were issued.

Virtually all staff, (99%), have been working on-site focused on passport production and customer service tasks since the start of May 2021. Staff have full access to the technological systems required to carry out their roles.

Over half a million passports have been issued this year to date and almost 45% of passports for simple online adult renewals issue within one business day. In addition, 5,000 Foreign Birth Registration applications have been processed in cases of exceptional urgency. Since June of the year, the Customer Service Hub has responded to almost 125,000 phone calls and webchat messages.

Adequate staffing of the Passport Service to respond to demand remains a priority for my Department and is an issue that is kept under constant review. The Department is working closely with the Public Appointments Service to recruit and assign additional staff to meet the current and expected demand for passports in the coming months and into 2022.

Passport Service staffing numbers from January 2020 to 1 November 2021

Month	Total number of staff
January 2020	627
February 2020	666
March 2020	665
April 2020	659
May 2020	655
June 2020	651
July 2020	595
August 2020	565
September 2020	494
October 2020	486
November 2020	478
December 2020	479
January 2021	477
February 2021	470
March 2021	468
April 2021	466
May 2021	465
June 2021	463
July 2021	499
August 2021	519
September 2021	540
October 2021	551
1 November 2021	557

Question No. 364 answered with Question No. 358.

Question No. 365 answered with Question No. 358.

Question No. 366 answered with Question No. 358.

Question No. 367 answered with Question No. 357.

Question No. 368 answered with Question No. 358.

Question No. 369 answered with Question No. 362.

Question No. 370 answered with Question No. 357.

Question No. 371 answered with Question No. 358.

Question No. 372 answered with Question No. 358.

Passport Services

Questions (373)

Éamon Ó Cuív

Question:

373. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs when a passport will issue to a person (details supplied); the reason this passport application has not been processed within the date indicated on the Department website; the reason for the inordinate delay in processing this passport application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54147/21]

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Written answers

Minister for Foreign Affairs

With regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, the Passport Service cannot process an application until the required supporting documents have been received. The Passport Service has provided an update to the applicant's parent as to the steps they must take to progress the passport application.

The Passport Service is currently experiencing a high demand for first time passports. These first time applications are complex to process. The Passport Service must validate the true identity of the applicant and take measures to confirm the applicant’s entitlement to Irish citizenship, which they are claiming for the first time. Vetting identity and citizenship is fundamentally important to protecting the integrity of the Irish passport. In the case of first time passport applications for children, the consent of guardians must be thoroughly validated.

Of the complete applications that are with the Passport Service for processing, approximately 8% are past the estimated issue-by date. These applications are currently being prioritised by the Passport Service who are working very hard to eliminate these delays. Applications can take longer than the average turnaround time if applicants have not provided all of the required documentation to correctly complete their application. The Passport Service engages with all applicants who have not submitted the required documentation to ensure that their application is completed correctly and can proceed through the processing system.