Written Answers Nos. 110-132
111. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the current situation regarding the vacant site tax and the way it will apply in respect of zoned lands that are not attracting developer interest; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8642/22]
View answerThe Residential Zoned Land Tax is a land activation measure introduced in the Finance Act 2021. The purpose of the proposed measure is to incentivise the activation of land which is zoned and serviced for residential development, but remains undeveloped. It is primarily intended to influence behaviour towards increased housing output, rather than to raise revenue. The tax will replace the Vacant Site Levy.
The significant benefit of the tax is to incentivise the development of suitably zoned land across the State which has been the beneficiary of investment in servicing for housing construction. This includes lands in cities, towns and village centres which are vacant or idle where such lands are zoned for mixed use including residential. The tax measure, in conjunction with the ongoing review of development plans throughout the State to identify and zone housing land needed to meet statutory Housing Supply Targets will ensure that delivery of housing on zoned and serviced land is progressed. The tax will, when it comes into effect in 2024, be applied at an annual taxation rate of 3% of market value of the land to encourage use for appropriate development.
The tax will apply to all land zoned for residential or a mix of uses including residential and which are serviced throughout all 31 local authorities, with certain lands excluded from scope. The role of the local authorities is to identify the lands in scope via a mapping process commencing November 2022, which includes appeal provisions where the relevant landowner considers that a parcel of land does not meet the criteria for falling within the scope of the tax. After the publication of the final maps in December 2023, the tax will be managed by the Revenue Commissioners. The maps will be reviewed annually by local authorities to ensure they are up to date. The tax will remain as a charge on the land, will be applied annually and will be collected by the Revenue Commissioners, incentivising the development of the land-bank by the owners, or the sale of the land to those who will undertake development.
The criteria for inclusion on the map is land zoned in a Development Plan or Local Area Plan solely or primarily for residential use, or for a mixture of uses that includes residential use, where such lands are able to connect to the necessary infrastructure to enable housing development and for which there is capacity available. Zoned land subject to known issues relating to contamination or the presence of known archaeological or historic remains are to be excluded. There are certain exemptions specific to either residential or mixed use serviced land. For residential zoned land, these involve commercial uses which provide a service to the surrounding area and are liable for commercial rates. For lands zoned for a mixture of uses, including residential, the focus is on lands which are vacant or idle and not integral to any unauthorised use of the lands. All other land use zonings are not within the scope of the tax. Existing dwellings and their gardens, while they will be included in the maps, are not included in the scope of the tax.
Landowners may also make submissions to local authorities during the public consultation periods on the maps to amend zonings to remove their lands from the scope of the tax, which could also reflect those lands which are not attracting development interest. In considering these submissions and the potential for varying the adopted development plan as a result, the local authorities must take into account the proper planning and sustainable development of the area and the need to zone sufficient land to meet the statutory Housing Supply Targets.
My Department notified all local authorities of the introduction of the tax measure on signing of the Finance Act 2021. My Department is preparing guidance on the mapping process and the management of rezoning requests and is liaising with stakeholders through a working group. Financial support and assistance to the local authorities will also be provided on this matter to ensure that the maps will be published as required by the legislation. My Department will bring forward separate transitionary legislation to repeal the vacant site levy arrangements and this will take account of lands that might otherwise fall out of the full scope of the Vacant Site Levy, that are currently subject to the Vacant Site Levy.
112. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of officials in his Department at principal officer grade level or above. [8643/22]
View answerOf the 1,460 staff employed by my Department at 31 January 2022, there were 103 at principal officer or equivalent grade level or above.
113. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total number of staff employed in each local authority housing department, by employment type, including architects, engineers, clerical staff, maintenance staff and so on, in tabular form. [8704/22]
View answer114. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of unfilled vacancies in local authority housing departments, by employment type, in each local authority. [8705/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 113 and 114 together.
Under Section 159 of the Local Government Act 2001, each Chief Executive is responsible for the staffing and organisational arrangements necessary for carrying out the functions of the local authority for which he or she is responsible.
My Department oversees workforce planning for the local government sector, including the monitoring of local government sector employment levels. To this end, my Department gathers aggregate quarterly data on staff numbers in each local authority on a whole time equivalent basis.
However, granular data, in terms of the total number of staff employed in each local authority housing departments, by employment type including architects, engineers, clerical staff, maintenance staff and the number of unfilled vacancies in the housing department of each local authority, is routinely collected. The relevant information should be available from each local authority.
115. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the requests from all local authorities for additional housing department staff on foot of the announced new positions, by employment type and local authority, in tabular form. [8706/22]
View answerAs part of the measures to support institutional capacity, Housing for All commits to strengthen the capacity of local authorities to initiate, design, plan, develop and manage housing projects and recognises that this requires the resourcing of the housing services of local authorities. Last year, my Department worked closely with local authorities, through the County and City Management Association (CCMA) and the Housing Delivery Coordination Office, to identify capacity constraints and additional staffing resources required to deliver the social housing delivery targets set out in Housing for All. Following this analysis, I approved over 200 new posts for local authorities.
The requests from all local authorities for additional housing department staff on foot of the announced new positions are detailed in the following tables, showing the data as at 14 February.
|
Local Authority |
Title of Post(s) |
Number of Post(s) |
|
Carlow Co |
Executive Architect |
1 |
|
Carlow Co |
Executive Technician |
1 |
|
Carlow Co |
Clerk of Works |
1 |
|
Carlow Co |
Administrative Officer |
1 |
|
Carlow Co |
Assistant Staff Officer |
1 |
|
Cavan Co |
Senior Executive Engineer |
1 |
|
Cavan Co |
Executive Engineer |
2 |
|
Cavan Co |
Assistant Engineer |
1 |
|
Cavan Co |
Staff Officer |
1 |
|
Cavan Co |
Assistant Staff Officer |
1 |
|
Clare Co |
Senior Engineer |
1 |
|
Clare Co |
Senior Executive Engineer |
1 |
|
Clare Co |
Executive Engineer |
1 |
|
Clare Co |
Executive Quantity Surveyor |
1 |
|
Clare Co |
Staff Officer |
1 |
|
Cork City |
Executive Engineer |
2 |
|
Cork City |
Senior Executive Engineer |
1 |
|
Cork City |
Project Liaison Officer (Grade 6) |
1 |
|
Cork Co |
Senior Executive Engineer |
1 |
|
Cork Co |
Executive Engineer |
3 |
|
Cork Co |
Executive Technician |
2 |
|
Cork Co |
Assistant Staff Officer |
3 |
|
Donegal Co |
Senior Executive Engineer |
1 |
|
Donegal Co |
Executive Engineer |
4 |
|
Donegal Co |
Assistant Engineer |
1 |
|
Donegal Co |
Executive Technician |
1 |
|
Donegal Co |
Clerk of Works |
3 |
|
Donegal Co |
Senior Staff Officer |
1 |
|
Donegal Co |
Staff Officer |
1 |
|
Galway City |
Executive Engineer |
1 |
|
Galway City |
Executive Quantity Surveyor |
1 |
|
Galway City |
Executive Architect |
1 |
|
Galway City |
Executive Technician |
1 |
|
Galway City |
Senior Staff Officer |
1 |
|
Galway City |
Assistant Staff Officer |
1 |
|
Galway Co |
Senior Executive Engineer |
1 |
|
Galway Co |
Executive Engineer |
1 |
|
Galway Co |
Executive Architect |
1 |
|
Galway Co |
Executive Quantity Surveyor |
1 |
|
Galway Co |
Senior Executive Technician |
1 |
|
Galway Co |
Executive Technician |
2 |
|
Galway Co |
Clerk of Works |
3 |
|
Galway Co |
Staff Officer |
2 |
|
Local Authority |
Title of Post(s) |
Number of Post(s) |
|
Galway Co |
Assistant Staff Officer |
1 |
|
Kerry Co |
Senior Executive Engineer |
1 |
|
Kerry Co |
Executive Engineer |
1 |
|
Kerry Co |
Executive Architect |
2 |
|
Kildare Co |
Executive Quantity Surveyor |
1 |
|
Kildare Co |
Senior Executive Engineer |
1 |
|
Kildare Co |
Executive Architect |
1 |
|
Kildare Co |
Senior Executive Technician |
1 |
|
Kildare Co |
Executive Technician |
2 |
|
Kildare Co |
Technician Grade 1 |
2 |
|
Kildare Co |
Clerk of Works |
2 |
|
Kildare Co |
Administrative Officer |
1 |
|
Kildare Co |
Staff Officer |
1 |
|
Kildare Co |
Clerical Officer |
1 |
|
Kilkenny Co |
Senior Engineer |
1 |
|
Kilkenny Co |
Executive Architect |
1 |
|
Kilkenny Co |
Executive Quantity Surveyor |
1 |
|
Kilkenny Co |
Senior Executive Technician |
1 |
|
Kilkenny Co |
Senior Staff Officer |
1 |
|
Kilkenny Co |
Assistant Staff Officer |
1 |
|
Laois Co |
Executive Engineer |
1 |
|
Laois Co |
Executive Architect |
1 |
|
Laois Co |
Technician Grade I |
2 |
|
Laois Co |
Clerical Officer |
1 |
|
Laois Co |
Staff Officer |
1 |
|
Leitrim Co |
Executive Engineer |
1 |
|
Leitrim Co |
Executive Technician |
1 |
|
Leitrim Co |
Assistant Engineer |
1 |
|
Leitrim Co |
Staff Officer |
1 |
|
Limerick City & Co |
Senior Executive Architect |
1 |
|
Limerick City & Co |
Senior Executive Quantity Surveyor |
1 |
|
Limerick City & Co |
Executive Engineer |
1 |
|
Limerick City & Co |
Executive Quantity Surveyor |
1 |
|
Limerick City & Co |
Staff Officer |
1 |
|
Limerick City & Co |
Assistant Staff Officer |
1 |
|
Limerick City & Co |
Clerical Officer |
1 |
|
Longford Co |
Assistant Engineer |
1 |
|
Longford Co |
Senior Executive Technician |
1 |
|
Local Authority |
Title of Post(s) |
Number of Post(s) |
|
Longford Co |
Executive Technician |
1 |
|
Longford Co |
Administrative Officer |
1 |
|
Longford Co |
Assistant Staff Officer |
1 |
|
Longford Co |
Clerical Officer |
1 |
|
Mayo Co |
Senior Executive Engineer |
1 |
|
Mayo Co |
Executive Engineer |
3 |
|
Mayo Co |
Executive Architect |
1 |
|
Mayo Co |
Executive Technician |
2 |
|
Mayo Co |
Clerk of Works |
1 |
|
Mayo Co |
Staff Officer |
2 |
|
Mayo Co |
Clerical Officer |
1 |
|
Meath Co |
Senior Engineer |
1 |
|
Meath Co |
Senior Executive Engineer |
2 |
|
Meath Co |
Executive Engineer |
1 |
|
Meath Co |
Executive Architect |
1 |
|
Meath Co |
Executive Quantity Surveyor |
1 |
|
Meath Co |
Technician Grade 1 |
2 |
|
Meath Co |
Administrative Officer |
1 |
|
Meath Co |
Staff Officer |
1 |
|
Meath Co |
Assistant Staff Officer |
1 |
|
Meath Co |
Clerical Officer |
2 |
|
Monaghan Co |
Executive Engineer |
3 |
|
Monaghan Co |
Clerk of Works |
2 |
|
Monaghan Co |
Assistant Engineer |
1 |
|
Monaghan Co |
Senior Staff Officer |
1 |
|
Monaghan Co |
Assistant Staff Officer |
1 |
|
Offaly Co |
Senior Engineer |
1 |
|
Offaly Co |
Executive Engineer |
1 |
|
Offaly Co |
Assistant Architect |
1 |
|
Offaly Co |
Executive Technician |
1 |
|
Offaly Co |
Clerk of Works |
1 |
|
Offaly Co |
Staff Officer |
1 |
|
Offaly Co |
Assistant Staff Officer |
1 |
|
Roscommon Co |
Executive Technician |
1 |
|
Roscommon Co |
Executive Engineer |
1 |
|
Roscommon Co |
Assistant Engineer |
1 |
|
Roscommon Co |
Clerk of Works |
1 |
|
Roscommon Co |
Staff Officer |
1 |
|
Roscommon Co |
Clerical Officer |
1 |
|
Sligo Co |
Senior Executive Engineer |
1 |
|
Sligo Co |
Executive Architect |
1 |
|
Local Authority |
Title of Post(s) |
Number of Post(s) |
|
Sligo Co |
Assistant Architect |
1 |
|
Sligo Co |
Executive Engineer |
1 |
|
Sligo Co |
Assistant Engineer |
1 |
|
Sligo Co |
Executive Technician |
1 |
|
Sligo Co |
Administrative Officer |
1 |
|
Tipperary Co |
Senior Executive Engineer |
1 |
|
Tipperary Co |
Executive Quantity Surveyor |
1 |
|
Tipperary Co |
Senior Executive Technician |
1 |
|
Tipperary Co |
Clerk of Works |
1 |
|
Tipperary Co |
Assistant Staff Officer (Grade IV) |
1 |
|
Waterford |
Senior Executive Architect |
1 |
|
Waterford |
Senior Executive Engineer |
1 |
|
Waterford |
Executive Quantity Surveyor |
1 |
|
Waterford |
Executive Technicians |
2 |
|
Waterford |
Clerk of Works |
2 |
|
Waterford |
Senior Staff Officer |
1 |
|
Westmeath Co |
Senior Architect |
1 |
|
Westmeath Co |
Senior Executive Engineer |
1 |
|
Westmeath Co |
Executive Architect |
1 |
|
Westmeath Co |
Administrative Officer |
1 |
|
Westmeath Co |
Executive Quantity Surveyor |
1 |
|
Westmeath Co |
Executive Technician |
1 |
|
Westmeath Co |
Clerk of Works |
1 |
|
Wexford Co |
Senior Architect |
1 |
|
Wexford Co |
Senior Executive Engineer |
1 |
|
Wexford Co |
Executive Quantity Surveyor |
1 |
|
Wexford Co |
Senior Staff Officer |
1 |
|
Wexford Co |
Clerical Officer |
2 |
|
Wicklow Co |
Executive Engineer |
1 |
|
Wicklow Co |
Assistant Engineer |
1 |
|
Wicklow Co |
Assistant Architect |
1 |
|
Wicklow Co |
Executive Technician |
2 |
|
Wicklow Co |
Staff Officer |
2 |
|
All Local Authorities |
Total |
191 |
116. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status of the proposed decarbonisation zone in Westside, Galway city; the engagement he or his Department has had with Galway City Council with regard to their proposal; when a decision will be made in respect of the proposal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8760/22]
View answerMy Department issued a circular in February 2021 asking each local authority to identify a decarbonising zone and to provide a broad outline of the main projects that could be implemented in the decarbonising zone plus an indication as to the potential outcomes deliverable in terms of reductions in carbon emissions.
Galway City Council identified the Westside area of the city as its proposed decarbonising zone.
The development of decarbonising zone plans are subject to the publication of statutory guidance under Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021 under the remit of the Minister of Environment, Climate and Communications.
That Department will oversee the further development of decarbonising zones by the local authority who will be tasked with developing implementation plans for the decarbonising zones as part of their individual Local Authority Climate Action Plans. It is intended that guidelines for the implementation of decarbonising zones will be incorporated into statutory guidelines on the development of Local Authority Climate Action Plans by end of Q2 2022.
117. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status of the local authority decarbonisation zones; the number of local authorities that have submitted their proposals to his Department to date; the details of the plans approved to date including the location of the decarbonisation zones and the responsible local authority in tabular form; the timeline for the roll-out of each decarbonisation zone; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8761/22]
View answerTo date, 29 of 31 local authorities have submitted plans for decarbonising zones. The projects proposed fall into a range of climate change areas including green mobility, renewable energy, and adaptation. A list of the proposed decarbonising zones is set out in the table below. Two local authorities, Dun Laoghaire, Rathdown County Council and Fingal County Council, have yet to identify a decarbonising zone for their area.
|
Local Authority |
Proposed Decarbonising Zone |
|
Carlow County Council |
Carlow Town |
|
Cavan County Council |
Cavan Town |
|
Clare County Council |
Loophead Peninsula |
|
Cork County Council |
Macroom |
|
Cork City Council |
Area on west of city including University College Cork and Munster Technological University |
|
Donegal County Council |
Carndonagh and Gortahork/Farcarragh |
|
Dublin City Council |
Ringsend/Irishtown |
|
Dún Laoghaire- Rathdown County Council |
To be confirmed |
|
Fingal County Council |
To be confirmed |
|
Galway County Council |
Aran Islands |
|
Galway City Council |
Westside |
|
Kerry County Council |
Dingle Peninsula |
|
Kildare County Council |
Maynooth |
|
Kilkenny County Council |
Kilkenny City - South Western neighbourhood. |
|
Laois County Council |
Portlaoise |
|
Leitrim County Council |
Carrick-on-Shannon |
|
Limerick City & County Council |
Newtown Perry |
|
Longford County Council |
Longford Town |
|
Louth County Council |
Dundalk |
|
Mayo County Council |
Mulranny |
|
Meath County Council |
Trim |
|
Monaghan County Council |
Monaghan Town |
|
Offaly County Council |
Tullamore |
|
Roscommon County Council |
Roscommon Town |
|
Sligo County Council |
Sligo City-South East |
|
South Dublin County Council |
Tallaght/Clondalkin |
|
Tipperary County Council |
Mid-Tipperary |
|
Waterford City & County Council |
Waterford City |
|
Westmeath County Council |
Mullingar |
|
Wexford County Council |
Enniscorthy |
|
Wicklow County Council |
Arklow |
118. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the position regarding moneys approved by his Department to LIHAF or other instruments to deal with urgently required infrastructures such as roads, bridges and traffic realignments in Maynooth, County Kildare; the extent to which works have commenced or have been completed or remain outstanding; the level of expenditure to date; the extent of progress on the works involved; the extent of works still outstanding; the costs associated therewith; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8812/22]
View answerThe Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF) is a scheme which funds the building of public infrastructure by local authorities. Its objective is to provide public off-site infrastructure to relieve critical infrastructure blockages to housing delivery. This enables the accelerated delivery of housing on key development sites in Dublin and in urban areas of high demand. LIHAF was designed to specifically address the issue of housing supply, a crucial factor in terms of moderating house prices. Infrastructure being funded under LIHAF includes access roads, distributor roads, link roads, road improvements, roundabouts, bridges and parks.
In 2017, grant agreements for 30 approved projects were signed between my Department and local authorities. One such project is at Maynooth, Co. Kildare. Kildare County Council were approved grant funding for the construction of the Maynooth Eastern Relief Road (MERR) and a bridge crossing a railway and the Royal Canal. The total approved grant funding for this project is €14.5m with €10.88m (75%) being funded by my Department and the remaining 25% being funded by Kildare County Council. To date, Kildare County Council have drawn down €770,000 in exchequer funding for project costs associated with this LIHAF project.
I understand that detailed design of the MERR is at an advanced stage and developers are currently engaged in the planning process for the delivery of housing units on LIHAF lands. Kildare County Council are liaising with a diverse number of stakeholders including my Department to advance the MERR project.
119. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the position regarding the previously announced and outlined inner and outer relief road for Naas, County Kildare which was not approved by Kildare County Council; if adjustments have been made in the interim period in accordance with the wishes of local interests; the expected progress on the project in the near future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8816/22]
View answerIn order to support the costs associated with its intended construction of a Naas Inner Relief Road, in October 2017 Kildare County Council was approved for exchequer grant funding of up to €4,500,000 under the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF). LIHAF funding supports the provision of infrastructure to facilitate residential land banks and allow for the delivery of housing thereafter.
Kildare County Council has confirmed to my Department that a Part 8 planning application for this road was rejected by the Council in mid-2019 and has confirmed that this LIHAF project will now not proceed.
No further proposals have been received by my Department in this regard.
120. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the annual cost of the salaries of any recently appointed ministerial Garda drivers to his Department; the cost of the annual salary of the existing civilian Garda drivers in his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9033/22]
View answerMy Department currently employs six civilian drivers. At this time there are no Garda Ministerial drivers assigned to my Department.
The total salary cost for the civilian drivers in 2021 was €260,924.
121. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the process for a person that was born an Irish citizen but living abroad for 30 plus years and has let their Irish citizenship lapse; the way that they can renew it; the length of time the process takes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8580/22]
View answerAs discussed with the Deputy's Office, the Passport Service is happy to advise the citizen in question should they wish to contact the Passport Service directly.
122. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the current process with respect to first-time passport applications for babies born in Ireland in circumstances in which both parents are non-Irish citizens; the current estimated processing times for such applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8493/22]
View answerAll passport applications are subject to the provisions of the Passports Act 2008, as amended. The Act provides, among other things, that a person must be an Irish citizen before a passport can be issued to that person. In order to meet this requirement, each passport applicant must demonstrate an entitlement to Irish citizenship by providing acceptable documentary evidence of this entitlement when making a first time passport application.
An individual born on the island of Ireland before 2005 or born to a parent who was born on the island of Ireland before 2005 is automatically an Irish citizen.
The citizenship of persons born on the island of Ireland on or after 1 January 2005 is determined by the citizenship or residency status of one of their parents at the time of the person’s birth. In the circumstances outlined by the Deputy in which both parents are non-Irish citizens, if neither of the parents are a British citizen, the citizenship of a child born in Ireland on or after 1 January 2005 is determined by the residency status of one of the parents at the time of the child’s birth. A child born on or after 1 January 2005 may claim citizenship by birth where a parent has been lawfully resident in the State for three years of the four years preceding his/her birth (a total of 1,095 days).
In order to prove this residency period of one of the parents when applying for a passport on behalf of their child, the parent must provide acceptable documentary evidence. The documents required to prove the residency period vary depending on whether the parent was an EU or non-EU citizen at the time of the child’s birth.
If the parent was an EU citizen at the time of the child’s birth, it is necessary to rely on the following list of documents to prove the parent’s residency in Ireland for three of the four years before the child’s birth (not all of the documents on the list may be required in every case):
- Tax records (P60 / P45 / P35L / Employment Detail Summary) for each year showing at least 35 weeks insurable employment.
- Notice of Assessment / Self Assessment records for each year and supporting documentation e.g. bank statements / domestic bills for each month
- Letter from Social Welfare/Intreo confirming type of benefit payment received and the dates to and from when the benefit was paid directly, this must be accompanied by a photocopy of parent’s PPS card front and back
- Rent Lease (must include contract page and signature of the parent whose residency is being considered) with receipts / utility bills/ rent book to confirm payments for each month
- Bank statements for each month showing regular transactions in and out of the account
- School/college letters confirming dates of attendance, full time courses undertaken and proof of exam results
- Declaration Form A: This is a sworn statement by the parent, giving details of their period of residency in Ireland.
If neither of the parents was an Irish, British or EU citizen at the time of the child’s birth, one of the parents will be required to provide proof of residency in Ireland for three of the four years before the child’s birth with the following original documents:
- Original national passport of the parent showing residency stamps for 3 of the previous 4 years before the child is born. Expired passports can be submitted.
- Parent’s Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) card / Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card.
- A summary statement, signed by parent of parent’s ‘permission to remain’ stamps in the passport. The summary should include:
- Number of the passport.
- Name of passport holder.
- Description of the stamp(s).
- Dates of the permission.
In addition to the documents outlined above, all first time child applications require the submission of:
- Guardianship documents (if required).
- Full original civil birth certificate.
Information on what is required for all first time passport applications, including details on documentary requirements, guardianship and consent, are available at my Department’s recently updated website (www.dfa.ie/passports/documentary-requirements/).
The Passport Service is currently experiencing high demand for first time passports, particularly for children. First time passport applications do take longer to process and there are a number of reasons for this:
- As outlined above, it is important for the Passport Service to confirm the applicant’s entitlement to Irish citizenship. The Irish passport was recently ranked 5th in the Henley Global Passport Index as it provides our citizens with visa-free access to 187 countries. This is something we can all be proud of. However, in order to maintain this ranking and to protect the integrity of the Irish passport, the Passport Service must validate the true identity of the applicant and take measures to confirm the applicant’s entitlement to Irish citizenship. Accordingly, a rigorous analysis process is in place to verify the identity and citizenship status of first time applicants.
- In the case of children, it is essential that the Passport Service verifies the consent of the child’s guardians before a passport can issue. This ensures that the Passport Service protects the rights of the child and their guardians.
Due to the intensive analysis and extra measures undertaken by highly trained and experienced staff, first time applications take 40 working days to process. In cases of children whose parents are not Irish citizens, the process can sometimes take longer due to the need to ensure that all of the required supporting documentation to prove the child’s entitlement to Irish citizenship is submitted and correct. Due to the high level of complexity with these particular applications, further documentation is often required adding to the processing time.
I strongly urge parents to carefully read the documentary requirements on my Department’s website and to apply for passports for their children online in plenty of time. Passport Online can be accessed by all first time applicants, irrespective of age, both children and adults, in Ireland, Northern Ireland, Great Britain, Europe, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the USA.
123. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to technical difficulties preventing some passport applicants from completing their applications forcing them to submit new applications and incurring the fee for a second time; and the way that these applicants can receive a refund for their first application. [8527/22]
View answerThe Passport Online service offers Irish citizens the ability to apply online for their passport 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It is a user-friendly, efficient service that consistently offers processing times up to 4 times faster than paper-based passport renewal applications. 90% of all passport applications are received through Passport Online.
All Irish citizens, including children, can use the online system to renew their passports from anywhere in the world. Passport Online can also be accessed by first time applicants, irrespective of age in Ireland, Northern Ireland, Great Britain, Europe, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the USA.
The Passport Service regrets that Passport Online experienced technical issues during the week of 24 January 2022. Despite these issues, over 32,000 applications were submitted via Passport Online that week.
A scheduled system upgrade that has improved the responsiveness and efficiency of the system was completed on Friday, 28 January 2022. This upgrade has addressed the issues experienced by some customers. Since the upgrade was completed, Passport Online has been fully functional and operating smoothly.
The Passport Service ensures that customers are fully informed of any scheduled downtime or technical issues with Passport Online via its social media accounts and on the Passport Online website.
In cases where passport applicants submitted an application twice and incurred a second fee during the week of 24 January 2002, these applicants can receive a full refund for the first application by contacting the Customer Service Hub at (01) 6711633 or via Webchat on my Department's website (www.dfa.ie/passports).
124. Deputy Steven Matthews asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if a passport application by a person (details supplied) will be reviewed and expedited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8546/22]
View answerWith regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, the Passport Service has provided an update on the status of the passport application to the applicant's parent.
125. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the reason no contact was made with the parents (details supplied) of a child in County Louth when issues arose with a passport application for the child; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8623/22]
View answerWith regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, the Passport Service has provided an update on the status of the passport application to the applicant's parent.
The passport processing times apply to passport applications that are fully complete, where all required supporting documentation has been correctly submitted to the Passport Service by the applicant. 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 supporting documentation for this application was received by the Passport Service on 6 December 2021. The Passport Service regrets that the application was not checked within the current average 40 day turnaround time.
126. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to ongoing issues with the online passport tracker (details supplied) which is causing frustration for applicants who are advised to track their application on-line but the system is not updating all applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8649/22]
View answerThe online Passport Tracker tool provides applicants with an indication of how their application is progressing through the system and gives an estimated issue date based on the current average application processing time.
The Passport Service regrets that the Passport Tracker has been experiencing technical issues which has resulted in the tracker not correctly updating a small number of applications. The Passport Service apologises to applicants that have been inconvenienced by this short-term technical issue which is currently being resolved.
Applicants who wish to receive an update on the status of their passport application can contact the Customer Service Hub at (01) 6711633 or via Webchat on my Department's website (www.dfa.ie/passports).
127. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Defence if he will provide a schedule of foreign travel episodes arranged by his Department for elected representatives, Ministers and their staff and-or special advisers since 1 January 2018 to date in 2022; and if he will provide a schedule of locations of the travel arranged or advised on, to include the final destination of travel episode, by year, and the full cost of same. [8501/22]
View answerThe Ministerial Air Transport Service (MATS) provides the government and the President with an independent, flexible and effective air transport service to assist in meeting national and international obligations. Details in relation to the use of this Service by members of the Government over the period in question, as well as the average costs are available on the website of my Department, www.defence.ie.
My Department did not arrange any other foreign travel for elected representatives, Ministers and their staff or special advisors from any other government body or department from 1 January 2018 to date in 2022.
With regard to my own foreign travel and that of my staff or special advisors, the detailed information sought by the Deputy is not readily available. My Department is retrieving and collating the information requested and I will arrange to have it forwarded to the Deputy as soon as it is available.
|
Date of Travel |
Location |
Reason for Travel |
Cost |
|
05-06 March 2018 |
Brussels |
Foreign Affairs Council FAC) (Defence) |
€292.64 |
|
24-25 June 2018 |
Luxembourg |
FAC (Defence) |
€866.20 |
|
29-30 August 2018 |
Vienna |
Informal Meeting of EU Defence Ministers |
€356.13 |
|
05-08 January 2019 |
Mali |
Taoiseach's Visit |
€880.53 |
|
13-21 March 2019 |
Cyprus/Lebanon/Jordan |
St. Patricks Day Trip |
€3,495.48 |
|
26-30 March 2019 |
New York |
UN Peacekeeping Defence Ministerial |
€2,874.53 |
|
28-29 August 2019 |
Helsinki |
Informal Meeting of EU Defence Ministers |
€564.66 |
|
25-28 Sept 2019 |
New York |
UN General Assembly |
€4,447.53 |
|
15-19 October 2019 |
Lebanon |
Presidential Visit to Lebanon/UNIFIL |
€2,236.04 |
|
05–06 May 2021 |
Brussels |
FAC (Defence) |
€269.15 |
|
26–28 May 2021 |
Lisbon |
FAC (Defence) |
€499.79 |
|
04-07 July 2021 |
Lebanon |
Visit Lebanon/UNIFIL |
€542.62 |
|
07-09 September 2021 |
New York |
UNSC Ministerial Debate on UN Peacekeeping Operations |
€1,557.89 |
|
06-09 December 2021 |
Korea |
UN Peacekeeping Ministerial |
€316.20 |
|
17-21 December 2021 |
Lebanon |
Visit Lebanon/UNIFIL |
€1,650.16 |
128. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Defence if ##he will provide an overview of the widows and orphans scheme for Army personnel; and the details regarding enrolment in the scheme. [8590/22]
View answerSpouses’ and children’s contributory pension schemes for members of the Permanent Defence Force (PDF) are essentially based on schemes applicable in other areas of the public service.
The Original Spouses’ and Children’s Contributory Pension Scheme was introduced, at different times for different cohorts of personnel, from 1971 onwards, and in 1985 a Revised Scheme was introduced. The Revised Scheme extended the Scheme to provide for a pension for children born outside of marriage and for spouses and children of a marriage which takes place after retirement. Arising from this additional coverage the contribution arrangements under the Scheme were also amended, in particular the provisions for refund of contributions were made more restrictive under the Revised Scheme. Membership of either scheme was optional for those already serving before those dates. Not all personnel opted to join.
Membership of the original Scheme was compulsory for male officers who were commissioned on or after 1 January 1971, for male enlisted personnel who joined on or after 1 February 1978 and for all female personnel who joined on or after 1 January 1985. Membership of the revised Spouses’ and Children’s Contributory Scheme is compulsory for PDF personnel who joined after 31st May 1985.
Spouses' and children's pensions are payable on the death in service of a member or if an ex-member dies while in receipt of a pension.
Contributions are payable to the Scheme by way of:
(i) periodic contributions deducted from weekly pay; and
(ii) non-periodic (lump sum) contributions, which are deducted from a retirement or death gratuity, as the case may be.
Civil partners are treated in the same way as spouses under the Spouses’ and Children’s pension schemes operated in the public service. Only the legal spouse or civil partner (and children) of a deceased member may qualify for survivors’ pensions. The Scheme does not, for example, recognise relationships where two people are cohabiting but are not married or in a Civil Partnership.
Benefits under the Scheme are linked to the member’s pension and, in general, equate to half the member’s pension.
Additional benefits may also be payable. A surviving spouse may also be entitled to benefits under the Social Welfare code in addition to those provided under the Defence Forces Spouses’ and Children’s Contributory Scheme.
Under the Army Pensions Acts, dependants’ allowances may be payable in addition to these contributory spouses’ and children’s occupational pensions. In such cases, the combined benefit may not exceed two-thirds of the deceased’s pensionable pay (i.e. one-third for the spouse and one-third for the children). An example would be where the death of a former member who is in receipt of occupational pension and a disability pension which is attributable to his/her pensionable disablement.
Where a member of the PDF is killed in the course of duty or in circumstances attributable to his/her military service – whether serving at home or overseas – enhanced spouses’ and children’s pensions are payable under the Army Pensions Acts. In such cases, maximum combined pensions of up to 90% of reckonable pay are payable (i.e. 50% for the spouse and up to 40% for dependent children, subject to the usual age limits etc.). These are payable instead of any other dependants’ pensions under the Defence Forces pension code.
In the past, an option in relation to Scheme membership could not be changed. However, in recent years the Commission on Public Service Pensions recommended that a limited appeals process for spouses’ and children’s scheme membership options be established to examine individual cases and to allow appeals that meet certain limited criteria and in recent years a number of appeals have been dealt with under this process.
Further detailed information (scheme booklets, etc.) is available on my Department’s website at www.gov.ie/en/organisation/department-of-defence/ or from the Pensions Administration Section of my Department by email at pensions.admin@defence.ie or by phone at 091-743819 or 091-743903.
If the Deputy has a particular case in mind I will have the matter examined if he provides me with the relevant details.
129. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Defence the annual cost of the salaries of any recently appointed ministerial Garda drivers to his Department; the cost of the annual salary of the existing civilian Garda drivers in his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9028/22]
View answerIn my capacity as Minister for Defence I have no drivers appointed or paid for by my Department and therefore the annual cost of salary is nil.
130. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Education her plans to increase school places for children with literacy difficulties in the Dublin area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8461/22]
View answerEnabling children with special educational needs to receive an education is a priority for this Government.
This year, my Department will spend in excess of €2 Billion, or over 25% of the Department’s budget on providing additional teaching and care supports for children with special educational needs.
A continuum of education provision is in place covering the full range of need spanning placement in mainstream classes with supports through to more specialist placements either in a special class or a special school depending on the level of complexity of need.
Available supports include provision to meet care needs and to provide additional teaching support where this is required. In addition, there are specialist educational supports provided by the National Educational Psychological Services (NEPS) and the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) to help schools provide an appropriate education for pupils with special educational needs including reading difficulties.
There are no plans to expand Reading Schools at this time.
NCSE is currently undertaking Policy Advice on Education Provision in Special Classes and Special Schools to examine whether placement in specialist settings brings about improved educational outcomes and experiences, relative to their ability, for students with special educational needs.
This Policy Advice is to be completed shortly and will then be considered by my Department.
I have also requested my Department to arrange for a review of the policy on reading classes and schools. When received, this report will also be considered in the context of overall policy on special education.
131. Deputy Joe McHugh asked the Minister for Education the status of the completion of the review of DEIS; the actions that schools (details supplied) can take to support their DEIS application; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8470/22]
View answerBudget 2022 has provided for an allocation of €18million for 2022 and €32million for 2023 to extend the DEIS programme to further schools with the highest levels of disadvantage. This represents an increase of over 20% in funding for the DEIS programme and will enable an expansion in 2022 to additional schools.
This package follows an extensive body of work which has been under taken by the DEIS technical group in relation to the development of a model to identify the concentrated levels of disadvantage of schools. The refined DEIS ID model is an objective, statistics based process, based on school enrolment data and data available from Census 2016 under the HP Deprivation Index. It is important to note that there is no application process for the DEIS programme and all schools will be considered under the refined DEIS model when it is applied.
In advance of the implementation of the refined DEIS identification model, there will be further engagement with relevant stakeholders. The purpose is to ensure that, as far as possible, the refined DEIS identification model can provide an objective and independent means of identifying schools serving high concentrations of pupils at risk of educational disadvantage and also to ensure there is a full understanding of the refined model and its potential application.
132. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Education further to Parliamentary Question No. 410 of 10 February 2021, if her Department has completed the final stages of refinement of the new DEIS identification model; if so, if her Department will carry out a review of a school (details supplied) to ascertain if DEIS status can be given to the school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8472/22]
View answerBudget 2022 has provided for an allocation of €18million for 2022 and €32million for 2023 to extend the DEIS programme to further schools with the highest levels of disadvantage. This represents an increase of over 20% in funding for the DEIS programme and will enable an expansion in 2022 to additional schools.
This package follows an extensive body of work which has been under taken by the DEIS technical group in relation to the development of a model to identify the concentrated levels of disadvantage of schools. The refined DEIS ID model is an objective, statistics based process, based on school enrolment data and data available from Census 2016 under the HP Deprivation Index. It is important to note that there is no application process for the DEIS programme and all schools will be considered under the refined DEIS model when it is applied.
In advance of the implementation of the refined DEIS identification model, there will be further engagement with relevant stakeholders. The purpose is to ensure that, as far as possible, the refined DEIS identification model can provide an objective and independent means of identifying schools serving high concentrations of pupils at risk of educational disadvantage and also to ensure there is a full understanding of the refined model and its potential application.
