Written Answers Nos. 477-496
477. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice if funding has been secured in 2022 for the purchase of additional dogs for the Garda dog unit and additional horses for the Garda mounted unit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57424/21]
View answerAs the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible under the law for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, including any decisions in relation to the allocation and control of Garda equipment and resources. As Minister, I have no direct role in these matters.
An Garda Síochána have informed me that in 2021 four dogs were purchased for the Garda Dog Unit. I am also informed that due to the Covid-19 pandemic, plans sanctioned in 2020 to further expand the Dog Unit were delayed, however it is hoped that the expansion will commence in 2022 with the delivery of an extra 10 canines to the North Western Region. This expenditure will be met from existing funding.
I am further informed that there are no plans to expand the Garda Horse Unit. For reasons of capacity, horse purchases are only made when a horse retires.
478. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice the number of Garda cars and motorcycles attached to Donegal roads policing unit as of 31 December 2020 and 12 November 2021, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57425/21]
View answerI have requested the information sought by the Deputy from An Garda Síochána, but I have not received this information in time. I will write to the Deputy as soon as the information is to hand.
|
Cars |
Motorcycles |
Total |
|
|
Ballyshannon District |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
Buncrana District |
1 |
2 |
3 |
|
Letterkenny District |
2 |
2 |
4 |
|
Donegal Division |
4 |
4 |
8 |
|
Cars |
Motorcycles |
Total |
|
|
Ballyshannon District |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
Buncrana District |
2 |
2 |
4 |
|
Letterkenny District |
2 |
2 |
4 |
|
Donegal Division |
5 |
4 |
9 |
479. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice the number of gardaí in DMR north Garda division that have taken basic or refresher public order training in the years of 2019, 2020 and to date in 2021, in tabular form; if new public order training course for this division will occur before the end of the year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57426/21]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible under the law for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána including the deployment and training of personnel. I have no direct role in these independent functions.
However, to be of assistance to the Deputy, I have been provided with the table below by the Garda authorities which provides the information requested.
DMR North Division
|
Year |
Number of Gardaí provided with Basic Training |
Number of Gardaí provided with Refresher Training |
|
2019 |
Nil |
80 |
|
2020 |
Nil |
57 |
|
2021 |
22 |
39 |
480. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice if funding has been secured for the purchase of additional Garda public order unit vans in 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57428/21]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the administration and management of An Garda Síochána, including the purchase, allocation, and effective and efficient use of Garda vehicles. As Minister, I have no direct role in these matters.
Budget 2022 will provide over €2 billion to An Garda Síochána. Funding for the continual capital investment in An Garda Síochána Fleet Management has been provided for under the 2021-2030 National Development Plan. I am informed by the Garda authorities that the number and types of vehicles to be procured with this funding will be based on identified operational needs and the availability of resources, and decisions regarding the purchase and allocation of Garda vehicles are reviewed on a continual basis. I am further informed that the type and quantity of vehicles to be purchased in 2022 is currently under consideration.
For the Deputy's information, the Garda Authorities have provided the below table, outlining the number of public order vans currently deployed in the Garda fleet, broken down by region, as at 22 November 2021.
|
Region |
Total |
|
DMR |
18 |
|
Eastern |
4 |
|
North/West |
3 |
|
Southern |
5 |
|
Total: |
30 |
481. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice the number of Garda cars and vans attached to Kerry Garda division as of 1 January 2021 and 15 November 2021, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57429/21]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the administration and management of An Garda Síochána, including the purchase and distribution of Garda resources, including Garda vehicles. As Minister for Justice, I have no direct role in these matters.
I am advised however, that Garda management keeps the distribution of resources under continual review to ensure their optimum use in light of identified operational needs and emerging crime trends.
I have been provided with the information contained in the below table by the Garda authorities, outlining that as at 31st December 2020 there were 51 Garda cars and 13 Garda vans attached to Kerry Garda Division and that as at 29th October 2021, the latest date for when figures are available, there were 52 Garda cars and 11 Garda vans attached to the same division.
|
Garda cars |
Garda vans |
|
|
31st December 2020 |
51 |
13 |
|
29th October 2021 |
52 |
11 |
482. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice if funding has been secured for the issuing of tasers to front-line gardaí; if not, the reason; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57430/21]
View answerI understand that there are currently no plans on the part of An Garda Síochána for the further expansion or widespread deployment of conductive electrical devices (CEDs, commonly referred to as tasers) within the organisation.
483. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice the number of gardaí by rank attached to H district drugs unit as of 1 January 2021 and 15 November 2021, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57431/21]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible under the law for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, including personnel matters and deployment of resources. As Minister, I have no role in these independent functions. I am assured, however, that Garda management keeps the distribution of resources under continual review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities, to ensure their optimum use.
The budget provided by Government to the Garda Commissioner continues to increase to unprecedented levels, with an allocation of €1.952 billion for 2021. Budget 2022 provides over €2 billion in funding. This significant investment by the Government has allowed for sustained and ongoing investment into An Garda Síochána and for the recruitment of new Gardaí. Budget 2022 provides for funding to recruit an additional 800 Garda members in 2022, subject to the public health situation.
The H District referred to by the Deputy is located within the DMR North Division. This District refers to the Garda stations located at Ballymun, Dublin Airport and Santry. The table below, furnished to me by the Garda authorities, provides the most recent figures available of the number of Garda members attached to the Drugs Unit in the DMR North Division.
|
DMR North |
Sergeant |
Garda |
Total |
|
31/12/2020 |
3 |
27 |
30 |
|
31/10/2021 |
3 |
26 |
29 |
484. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice the number of gardaí by rank attached to community policing unit at Coolock Garda station in each of the past five years in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57432/21]
View answerI have requested the information sought by the Deputy from An Garda Síochána, but I have not received this information in time. I will write directly to the Deputy as soon as the information is to hand.
|
Year |
Garda |
Sergeant |
Total |
|
December 2021 |
3 |
1 |
4 |
|
December 2020* |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
December 2019 |
3 |
1 |
4 |
|
December 2018 |
6 |
1 |
7 |
|
December 2017 |
6 |
1 |
7 |
485. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice if there are plans to purchase high powered unmarked motorcycles for Garda roads policing unit teams; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57433/21]
View answerI have requested the information sought by the Deputy from An Garda Síochána, but I have not received this information in time. I will write to the Deputy as soon as the information is to hand.
486. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice the number of gardaí by rank attached to Clare drugs unit in each of the past three years in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57434/21]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible under the law for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, including personnel matters and deployment of resources. As Minister, I have no role in these independent functions. I am assured, however, that Garda management keeps the distribution of resources under continual review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities, to ensure their optimum use.
The budget provided by Government to the Garda Commissioner continues to increase to unprecedented levels, with an allocation of €1.952 billion for 2021. Budget 2022 provides over €2 billion in funding. This significant investment by the Government has allowed for sustained and ongoing investment into An Garda Síochána and for the recruitment of new Gardaí. Budget 2022 provides for funding to recruit an additional 800 Garda members in 2022, subject to the public health situation.
In addition to allowing for increased recruitment generally, these additional Budget resources will also enable An Garda Síochána to assign resources to Specialist Bureaus such as the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau who lead on the strategy for tackling drugs and works with Garda Divisional Drug Units nationwide in demand reduction and supply reduction at local level.
The below table shows the number of Garda members attached to the Clare drugs unit in each of the years specified by the Deputy:
|
Clare |
SG |
GD |
Total |
|
31/12/2018 |
1 |
3 |
4 |
|
31/12/2019 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
|
31/12/2020 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
|
31/10/2021 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
487. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Justice if her Department’s regularisation scheme is on track to be delivered in November 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57440/21]
View answerThe Government committed to introducing new pathways to status regularisation within 18 months of its formation. My Justice Plan 2021 contains a commitment to create new pathways for long-term undocumented people and their dependents who must meet specified criteria to regularise their status.
The scheme will provide an opportunity for those who meet its criteria to remain and reside in the State and to become part of mainstream Irish society rather than living on its margins. Successful applicants will receive an immigration permission, access to the labour market and will be able to begin the process of becoming Irish citizens, should they wish to do so. The objective is to ensure that the scheme is as inclusive as possible and my Department has conducted a targeted consultation on the proposed scheme which has provided a valuable opportunity to hear from those affected by the proposed approach to the scheme.
Following the consultation process, my Department continues to work to finalise the details, including eligibility considerations and qualifying criteria, and also to design and manage the practical aspects to enable applications to be made and processed as efficiently as possible.
We are now working to finalise the details for the scheme, including eligibility considerations and qualifying criteria, with a view to bringing a proposal to Government and to publish the details of the scheme before the end of this year.
488. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Justice his plans to improve the registration system at The Garda National Immigration Bureau, Burgh Quay Office given there have been reports that it is not possible to make an appointment currently. [57458/21]
View answerImmigration registration for Dublin based customers at the Registration Office in Burgh Quay is carried out by my own Department. Currently, due to public health restrictions, for the safety of all our customers and staff, the office can only operate at 50% of our normal capacity. This means that we can register a maximum of 200 customers per day. My Department is currently examining plans to operate the Registration Office seven days a week to meet demand.
My Department is also aware that there have been issues in the past around the securing of registration appointments and has continually introduced software fixes designed to improve the system. These new measures have been partly successful in preventing the block booking of appointments by third party agents.
However, some third party agents continue to provide appointment booking services in return for payment on the basis that the person provides them with their personal details in advance. My Department strongly advises against this practice of providing sensitive and personal data to unregulated and unknown third parties.
Customers should continue to apply directly for appointments as they become available without charge, through the online appointments system: burghquayregistrationoffice.inis.gov.ie.
A new Immigration Service appointment and scheduling system, which will streamline and further improve the registration process, is currently being developed and is expected to be available to customers by the end of the year.
Last week, I announced a number of immigration changes to simplify and streamline the processing of citizenship applications and to facilitate immigration requirements for our customers over the Christmas period.
This has ensured that over the Christmas period, customers with expired Irish Residence Permit (IRP) cards may continue to use these cards to enable them to depart and return to the State in confidence until 15 January 2022.
I also suspended the re-entry visa requirement for minors aged 16 years and under from 12 November 2021 to 15 January 2022. This will help families intending to travel together during the Christmas period, without the requirement to apply for re-entry visas.
When travelling, customers should print the Travel Confirmation Notice on my Department's Irish Immigration website at: www.irishimmigration.ie/new-immigration-changes-announced/, and present it, along with their expired IRP card, to immigration authorities and airline carriers, as requested.
489. 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. [57518/21]
View answerAn application for a certificate of naturalisation was received from the person referred to by the Deputy on 12 May 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.
In addition, the combined impact of the 2019 High Court judgment in the Jones case and the necessary health restrictions arising from the pandemic, has resulted in the processing time for standard applications increasing.
However, my Department is taking a number of steps to speed up the processing of applications and a number of digitisation measures have also 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.
This year, we are on track to deliver approximately 11,000 decisions, significantly exceeding the levels achieved in the last two years. Additional staff have also been assigned to the citizenship team. Based on these measures, my Department's objective is to achieve an improved timeframe of 6-9 months for decisions on a majority of applications during 2022.
490. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Justice if persons who do not register their seaweed harvesting rights established by long usage will lose those rights if they are not registered under the Land and Conveyancing Law Reform Act 2009 by 30 November 2021. [57617/21]
View answerI understand that the Deputy is referring to traditional seaweed harvesting rights based on long use, which constitute prescriptive profits à prendre within the meaning of the Land and Conveyancing Law Reform Act 2009.
A profit à prendre is a private right of one person, exercised over land owned by another person or entity, to take a natural product of that land, such as wild game, fish, turf, or minerals, which meets the conditions for such a right laid down by law.
A prescriptive profit à prendre is one which is established by long use as of right, but which is not recorded in a written deed of grant by the owner of the land concerned, or where the written deed has been lost.
Under the 2009 Act, a person who has not applied by 30 November 2021 to register seaweed harvesting rights established by long usage before that date would risk losing those rights.
However, under the Land and Conveyancing Law Reform Bill 2021, I am proposing to repeal the major changes made by the 2009 Act, and put new legal rules in place by 30 November 2021, to avert the legal cliff-edge that would otherwise occur on that date.
The Bill has completed its passage through the Seanad, as well as Second Stage in the Dáil, and is scheduled to complete Committee and Report Stages in the Dáil on 24 November. It will then be sent to the President. Subject to the President’s signature, section 7 of the Bill provides for it to come into operation on 30 November.
The effect of the Bill will be that:
- Firstly, the law applicable to prescriptive profits à prendre will largely be reverted to the judge-made law that applied before the 2009 Act (the ‘doctrine of lost modern grant’), which is considered as the most satisfactory and familiar set of pre-2009 rules, in the interests of clarity and certainty.
- Secondly, it will still be possible to validate and register a prescriptive right after 30 November 2021: either by applying to court, or by registering it directly with the Property Registration Authority. But this will be optional, as it was before the 2009 Act, rather than a mandatory requirement to avoid losing any rights acquired through long use.
- Thirdly, the Bill does not ‘reset the clock’. User periods dating before 1 December 2021 can still be counted, in a claim first made after 30 November 2021.
One point that is relevant to seaweed profits à prendre is that the user period required to establish a prescriptive right against State owned foreshore is the same under the Bill as under the 2009 Act – 60 years, compared to 20 years against privately owned land. (This reflects recommendations made in 2002 by the Law Reform Commission.)
However, under the Bill:
- any user who had already completed 20 years’ use as of right over the foreshore before 1 December 2009 will be entitled to have their claim decided under the pre-2009 Act rules, where 20 years’ use as of right is sufficient;
- any user whose court proceedings, or application to the Property Registration Authority, to register a claim over the foreshore is still pending on 30 November 2021, will be entitled to have it decided under the pre-2009 Act rules, where 20 years’ use as of right is sufficient;
- a user who first makes a claim against the foreshore after 30 November 2021 will need to show 60 years’ use as of right (as would have been the case under the 2009 Act), but in contrast to the 2009 Act, they can rely on periods of use before, as well as after, 30 November 2021 and the clock is not re-set.
Effectively, therefore, seaweed harvesters with established rights or established periods of use before 30 November 2021 are better protected under the Bill than they would have been under the 2009 Act, and will not lose their rights or their established user periods.
I have also secured Government agreement to establish a time-limited review to examine the overall law relating to prescriptive easements and profits à prendre, after the Bill comes into operation, and determine whether any further changes are desirable to ensure that the law in this area is placed on a sustainable long-term footing. As I mentioned during the Second Stage debate on the Bill, I am happy to engage with Deputies, through the Joint Committee on Justice, in relation to the terms of reference for the review.
491. Deputy Chris Andrews asked the Minister for Health if a Covid-19 Recovery Certificate is required to travel within the European Union if the person who has recovered from Covid-19 is also fully vaccinated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57248/21]
View answerThe EU Digital COVID Certificate is a document which is issued to help facilitate enable the safe and free international movement of people across the EU during the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the EU Digital COVID Certificate Regulation individual Member States are responsible for deciding how to utilise these certificates as part of their travel measures.
Individuals travelling within the EU are advised to check what restrictions are in place in the country of destination on the ReOpenEU website in advance of travelling.
It is important to note that the possession of an EU Digital COVID Certificate is not a pre-condition to travel.
492. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Health the number of whole-time equivalent mental health nurses attached to each prison here in 2019, 2020 and to date in 2021, in tabular form; if this number will be further increased; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57427/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
493. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Minister for Health the reason cancer patients at St. James’s Hospital were asked to attend the hospital recently for a Covid-19 booster vaccination but instead received an additional vaccination (details supplied) and were informed that they would be invited back in six months for a booster shot; the reason they received a vaccination card which showed that they had received an additional Covid-19 vaccination dose while the Covid-19 booster dose box was left unchecked; the difference between these two categories; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that this has caused a level of confusion and anxiety amongst vulnerable patients; if another layer of treatment has been introduced; the reason there appears to be no information available on the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56824/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
494. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Health when he last met the National Immunisation Advisory Committee in relation to advice regarding a widespread booster campaign; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56827/21]
View answerThe immunisation programme in Ireland is based on the advice of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC). The NIAC makes recommendations on vaccination policy to my Department based on the prevalence of the relevant disease in Ireland and international best practices in relation to immunisation.
On 15 November the NIAC recommended that a booster of an mRNA vaccine be offered to persons aged 16-59 years with underlying conditions, all residents in Long Term Healthcare Facilities and persons aged 50-59 years. The Chief Medical Officer has endorsed the latest NIAC recommendations and written to the HSE to request that the recommendations be operationalised as soon as possible.
The NIAC has previously recommended that a booster dose of an mRNA vaccine (irrespective of whether the primary vaccination course was of an mRNA or adenoviral vector) be offered to those aged 60 years and older and healthcare workers. The booster dose should be given after an interval of six months (or at least five months) following the last dose of any authorised Covid-19 vaccine. I have accepted this advice and the HSE has made the necessary arrangements to operationalise these recommendations with the booster rollout now underway.
The NIAC will continue to examine emerging evidence regarding booster vaccines for others in the population where there is evidence of waning immunity and reduced effectiveness and will make further recommendations if required.
495. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health the number of children that are waiting on a psychology service; the average waiting time after the completion of an assessment of needs by CHO area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56829/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
496. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health the number of interventions a child will have received since their initial intervention in cases in which a child is identified as needing a psychology service following a completion of an assessment of need in the first 12 months by CHO area in the past five years in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56830/21]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
