Written Answers Nos. 441-460
441. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Justice the number of staff currently employed by her Department; the current annual salary of the highest and second highest paid persons respectively, employed by her Department; and the various pay scales for persons working in her Department. [12480/22]
View answerI can inform the Deputy that there are currently 1580 members of staff employed by my Department.
Currently the highest paid salary in my Department is €205,199.00 for the grade of Secretary General and the second highest paid salary is €187,578.00 for the grade of Deputy Secretary.
The various grades of staff employed by my Department are set out in the table below and the relevant pay scales can be found on the Civil Service Pay Scales website: https://civilservicepayscales.per.gov.ie/.
|
Job Description |
Salary Plan |
|
Secretary General |
SEC |
|
Deputy Secretary |
DS |
|
Assistant Secretary |
ASC |
|
|
|
|
Principal Officer |
PO |
|
Assistant Principal |
AP |
|
Administrative Officer |
AO |
|
Higher Executive Officer |
HEO |
|
Executive Officer |
EO |
|
Clerical Officer |
CO |
|
Service Officer |
SVO |
442. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Justice the steps that a person (details supplied) should take in order to become a peace commissioner; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12555/22]
View answerPeace Commissioners are appointed by the Minister for Justice under Section 88 of the Courts of Justice Act 1924. The Office of Peace Commissioner is an honorary appointment and Peace Commissioners receive no remuneration or compensation by way of fees or expenses for their services.
An application for appointment may be made by a person on their own behalf or a nomination for appointment may be made by a third party in respect of a person considered suitable for appointment.
The appointment of a Peace Commissioner is entirely at the discretion of the Minister for Justice and the fact that an applicant or nominee may be suitable for appointment does not, in itself, provide any entitlement to appointment as a Peace Commissioner because other factors, such as the need for appointments in particular areas, are taken into account. These regional requirements are kept under review.
An application for consideration to be appointed as a Peace Commissioner can be made at any time by contacting
Minister for Justice
Office of the Minister for Justice, 51 St. Stephen's Green, Dublin 2 Ireland, D02 HK52.
Tel: + 353 1 602 8202
Locall: 1890 221 227
Email: info@justice.ie
Further information on the process can be found at http://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/Peace_Commissioners.
443. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Justice if she will provide an update on works planned for a Garda station (details supplied); the stage the works are at; the works these will entail; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12604/22]
View answerI have sought the information requested from An Garda Síochána but it was not received in time. I will write to the Deputy when I have received the information.
444. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Justice the vehicles that are assigned to the regional support unit in the Cavan Monaghan Garda division. [12607/22]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána. The allocation of Garda resources is a matter for the Commissioner, in light of identified operational demands. 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.
Budget 2022 provides in excess of an unprecedented €2 billion, of which I am informed that €12m has been allocated for investment in the Garda fleet, which will mean more high visibility policing in our towns and cities.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that there are currently 4 vehicles assigned to the armed support unit (ASU) in Cavan/Monaghan Garda division. For the Deputy's information the ASUs have replaced the regional support units.
The Deputy may also wish to be aware that An Garda Síochána publish information on Garda fleet, including a Divisional/District monthly breakdown, on its website at: www.garda.ie/en/about-us/our-departments/finance-services/finance-fleet-management.html.
445. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Justice the steps that she has taken regarding the implementation of action 15 equality and choice in the National Disability Inclusion Strategy; if she has undertaken a review of the Prohibition of Incitement To Hatred Act 1989; the details of the enhanced protections that have been put in place for persons with disabilities against hate crime; the details of the guidelines that have been developed and implemented for gardaí and other relevant personnel in relation to engagement with persons with disabilities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12608/22]
View answerHate crimes are signal crimes. They tell the victim that they are not safe simply because of who they are. They send the disgusting message to victims that they and people like them are somehow lesser than the rest of us which is unacceptable.
These crimes are motivated by prejudice. They make victims feel afraid for their future, their friends and their families. They lead to a divided society, where whole communities can feel unsafe and angry. It’s important that we recognize the true harm of these crimes and ensure that our legislative framework can tackle them.
In November of 2020 I announced my intention to bring forward new legislation to combat incitement to hatred and hate crime in Ireland. This announcement followed on from the publication of the results of a widespread consultation process, which included in-depth consultations with various civil society and community groups, academics and experts, a public consultation process and a detailed comparative study of approaches to hate crime in five other jurisdictions.
The purpose of the extensive consultation was to ensure my Department could identify how Ireland’s law in this area could be improved, informed by a firm understanding of the lived experience of those impacted by hate incidents.
In total, the Department received 3,600 survey responses and more than 175 detailed written submissions.
The conclusions in the report – which were drawn from submissions provided by experts, professional organisations, community and religious groups, civil society and members of the public –are being used to develop new legislation to deal with incitement to hatred and hate crime.
It should be noted that improvements in our criminal legislation will be one element in a wider suite of measures across all areas of Government, which are designed to address hatred and intolerance in all its forms.
The General Scheme of the Criminal Justice (Hate Crime) Bill 2021 was published on 16 April 2021 and it can be accessed on my Department's website.
The Bill will create new, aggravated forms of certain existing criminal offences, where those offences are motivated by prejudice against a protected characteristic. The protected characteristics set out in the General Scheme include disability, as well as race; colour; nationality; religion, ethnic or national origin; sexual orientation; and gender.
I intend to publish the new Hate Crime Bill in the summer.
I wish to inform the Deputy that I have contacted An Garda Síochána for information on the development of guidelines in the service in relation to action 15 of the National Disability Inclusion Strategy, but they have been unable to furnish me with the information within the allocated timeframe. I will follow up with the Deputy as soon as possible to supply this information.
446. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Justice when a response will issue to this Deputy's letter dated 26 October 2021 on behalf of a person (details supplied); the reason for the delay in considering the request; the need for an urgent decision in relation to the request; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12612/22]
View answerThe issues raised in the Deputy's correspondence were complex and required inputs from a number of areas across my Department. A response will issue to the Deputy in the coming days.
I can also confirm to the Deputy that my Department has recently written to the person concerned and they have attended their local immigration office and registered their permission to be in the State.
As their immigration permission has now been renewed they will be able to make an application for a travel document to facilitate their travel abroad to apply for their passport. Further information is available on my Department's website at: www.irishimmigration.ie/coming-to-join-family-in-ireland/applying-for-a-travel-document/.
447. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Justice if a program will be put in place to provide additional educational programmes to services that deal with the complexities of domestic violence including the Court Services and An Garda Síochána; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12643/22]
View answerI would like to assure the Deputy that I am committed to tackling domestic violence in all its forms, and to ensuring that people, particularly women and vulnerable people, feel safe and are safe in our communities.
I am currently leading work on a new whole of Government strategy to combat domestic, sexual, gender-based violence. This new plan will have a particular focus on prevention, and on ensuring victims are better supported. It will set an overall goal of zero tolerance in our society of domestic violence. There will be a specific objective under the prevention pillar of the new strategy to equip frontline professionals and support staff, including members of the Court Services and An Garda Síochána, with the necessary analysis, skills, and expertise to identify potential domestic, sexual and gender-based violence dangers and make appropriate preventative interventions and referrals.
The Strategy has been developed in partnership with the sector to ensure it is targeted, comprehensive and effective in achieving all of the goals set out. Last month I briefed those working in the sector on the progress of the strategy and launched a wider public consultation. I will publish the final strategy and accompanying action plans in April.
The specific issue raised by the Deputy is being addressed, both in the new Strategy and also in Supporting a Victim's Journey - my plan to help vulnerable victims and witness through the Courts process.
One of the objectives under the Protection Pillar of the new strategy is to "ensure professionals/front line workers involved in DSGBV work in the courts, and in the justice, legal and policing systems have the skills and analysis of DSGBV to equip them with the necessary expertise they require". This will be achieved by developing and delivering co-designed, co-ordinated and trauma informed education and awareness initiatives. An Garda Síochána, the Courts Service, The Probation Service and the Legal Aid Board are some of the agencies leading this work.
One of objectives under the Prevention Pillar is to “enhance the understanding of adults of all forms of DSGBV and education society to recognise the harm and prevent the human rights abuse that is DSGBV while making clear the pathways to safety and sanctions”. Actions in this area include delivering public awareness campaigns, including paths to safety, and raising public awareness of DSGBV in all its forms and across all groups in society.
Another objective under the Prevention Pillar is to "enable frontline professionals and support staff to have the necessary analysis, skills and expertise to identify potential DSGBV dangers and make appropriate preventative interventions and referrals". Actions here include building on mapping of what Continuous Professional Development currently exists on DSGBV for various professionals and support staff (e.g. medical, social worker, educationalists, legal etc.), and resourcing and co-designing work with the specialist services to lead and deliver education/CPD programmes on all forms of DSGBV.
Following publication of Supporting a Victim’s Journey, my Department established three specific sub-groups to work on implementing some of the recommendations outlined in the plan. One such sub-group was tasked with development of an approach to meeting training needs of a wide range of front-line staff and professionals, including legal professionals.
This sub-group has meet a number of times since publication of the report.
The range of training needs underconsideration include training for members of An Garda Síochána, other front-line staff and for legal professionals.
My Department has engaged a consultant to conduct a mapping exercise to establish what training is already being provided, and in what areas. This exercise has commenced and aims to have a relatively short timeframe for completion so that the development work can begin.
Following the mapping exercise, evaluation of the effectiveness of current training provision will take place where the sub-group will flesh out what gaps exist, with support from the consultant. A facilitated consultation method will be examined at a later stage when evaluating effectiveness of current training.
Once these first initial two stages are complete then measures will be put forward as to meet the needs and gaps identified.
448. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Justice when a decision will be made in relation to an application for naturalisation lodged by a person (details supplied) in view of the need for an urgent decision on this application on compassionate grounds due to a family medical emergency; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12685/22]
View answerThe application for a certificate of naturalisation from the person referred to by the Deputy 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.
In accordance with the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended, an applicant must have had a period of one year’s continuous reckonable residence in the State immediately before the date of the application.
As the person concerned has already submitted their application, the six weeks absence rule no longer applies. They should, however, contact my Department at: citizenshipinfo@justice.ie, if they intend to remain outside of the State for an extended period of time.
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.
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.
Last year, my Department made 11,512 citizenship decisions, which is the highest level since 2015. 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.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to my Department by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility at: INISOireachtasMail@justice.ie, which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Question process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in the cases where the response is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.
449. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Justice the purpose of the email address blueblindfold@garda.ie; and the date upon which the account was set up. [12691/22]
View answer450. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Justice the number of emails in the inbox of the email account blueblindfold@garda.ie; the number of emails in the sent items of that account; the frequency with which the email account is monitored; and the process through which emails received by the account are monitored. [12692/22]
View answer451. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Justice if emails received by the email account blueblindfold@garda.ie which are written in foreign languages are responded to. [12693/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 449 to 451, inclusive, together.
The Blue Blindfold website was set up in October 2008 by my Department as a medium for the reporting of suspicious activity in the area of Trafficking in Human Beings. There is a dedicated email address blueblindfold@garda.ie and a 24/7 contact number, 1800 666 111 provided on the website.
I am advised by the Garda authorities that emails received at the Blue Blindfold mailbox that are written in foreign languages are translated and assessed by Detective Sergeants attached to the Human Trafficking Investigation and Coordination Unit (HTICU) at the Garda National Protective Services Bureau (GNPSB), and responded to accordingly.
I am also advised that An Garda Síochána’s Information Communication Technoloy (ICT) Department have examined your request regarding; the number of emails in the sent items of that account; the frequency with which the email account is monitored; and the process through which emails received by the account are monitored. I am advised that ICT have no simple method of determining the amount of emails sent or received from a mailbox over the period requested, and that the logs that ICT would maintain would be kept for a period of approximately 30 days only
I am further advised that a significant and disproportionate amount of Garda resources would be required to fulfil this particular part of your request and that, in light of the complexities outlined above, An Garda Síochána is not in a position to provide the information you have sought.
452. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice when she will publish the results of the Open Consultation on the Review of Alcohol Licensing which closed at the end of January 2022; and the next steps in the process towards legislative review. [12861/22]
View answerThe Programme for Government, along with my Department’s Justice Plan, commits to modernising alcohol licensing laws so that they reflect the changing expectations and lifestyles of 21st century Ireland. The issue of outdated alcohol licensing legislation was also a key challenge identified by stakeholders in the published report of the Night-Time Economy Taskforce.
I intend to bring forward a Sale of Alcohol Bill at the earliest opportunity as part of my commitment to enact ambitious licencing reform by the end of 2022.
Last September, the Government agreed that Heads of a General Scheme of a Bill would be prepared to modernise our licensing laws and I am prioritising this work at present.
Existing legislation, some of which dates to 1833, does not reflect the dynamic and diverse society that we have become. I intend that the outdated Licensing Acts 1833 to 2018 and the Registration of Clubs Acts 1904 to 2008 will be repealed and replaced with updated and streamlined provisions more suited to the 21st century. It is also the intention to repeal the Public Dance Hall Act 1935.
I am pleased to say that work on the consolidation and reform of the licensing laws and the drafting of the General Scheme is advancing well. This is a reform on which there are many views across society and the legislation I bring forward needs to be informed by those views. In November last, I launched a wide ranging consultation to seek the views of the public on the modernisation of Ireland’s licencing laws. The consultation, which ran until 21 January this year, looked at how best to update the existing laws governing the sale and regulation of alcohol in Ireland. Members of the public, academics, sectoral groups and representative organisations were invited to complete an online survey and/or make a written submission to my Department.
I am pleased to say that there was a very high level of public engagement with more than 5,000 responses received, which I think speaks to the importance of this the issues concerned and the range of views in society at large on those issues including regarding the societal and individual harms that can result from abuse of alcohol. My Department is now reviewing these responses to ensure the reform of the legislation takes account of and is informed by this engagement. My Department will also host a stakeholder webinar discussion on 10 March 2022 to give an opportunity for further discussion. The webinar will also be livestreamed across my Department's social media channels. The outcomes of the public consultation process will be published in due course.
I intend to progress this legislation in the months ahead with a view to enacting it this year. I look forward to working with members of this House to bring about this important reform.
453. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 595 and 596 of 1 March 2022, if she will instruct the Irish Prison Service to record data on protection prisoners broken down by ethnicity in view of the need to collect data for equality purposes given the overrepresentation of ethnic minorities, such as the Travelling Community, in the prison system. [12891/22]
View answerI can advise the Deputy that the collation and publication of the number of prisoners on protection is carried out through the Prison Population Census on a quarterly basis.
The collation of this information is a manual process and therefore requires a considerable amount of time to complete. At present information on ethnicity is not routinely collected as part of this process.
However, the Irish Prison Service have advised me that going forward, where disclosed, the ethnicity of a prisoner on protection will be recorded in future iterations of the Census of Prison Population.
The next Census of Prison Population is due to be completed in April 2022 and will be published on Irish Prison Service website www.irishprisons.ie, under Information Centre – Statistics & Information – Census Reports.
454. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Justice if she will provide an update on the actions contained in the Hamilton Review Group Report; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12987/22]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that an all-of-government implementation plan to progress the recommendations in the Review of Structures and Strategies to Prevent, Investigate and Penalise Economic Crime and Corruption was published in April 2021. The plan sets out 22 actions that focus primarily on legislative, structural and resourcing measures to enhance agency and multi-agency enforcement and prevention capacity in the criminal justice sphere, and will fall to be implemented by a number of Government Departments and State Agencies.
I can inform the Deputy that the Criminal Procedure Bill has been enacted, allowing for pre-trial hearings to take place, including in complex economic crime cases, which should significantly simplify the conduct of such cases. In addition, the Judicial Council has been engaged with in relation to the development of judicial training in respect of complex economic crime/corruption cases. Furthermore, a Forum of senior representatives from the relevant operational bodies was established in June 2021.
There has been significant progress to implement the recommendations, including to provide greater powers for investigating agencies to tackle economic crime and corruption; the establishment of an Advisory Council against Economic Crime and Corruption; reform of the Ethics Acts; and additional resourcing for enforcement agencies. Additionally, the General Scheme of the Garda Síochána (Powers) Bill 2021 represents progress across a number of legislative recommendations.
I wish to reiterate to the Deputy that I am strongly committed to tackling all forms of corruption and white-collar crime and the implementation of these recommendations aligns with the Programme for Government, Our Shared Future, commitments in relation to white-collar crime.
455. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Justice if Covid-19 related immigration permissions will be treated as reckonable residency for the purposes of long-term residency applications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12988/22]
View answerDuring the Covid19-pandemic I provided nine temporary extension of immigration and international protection permissions to 31 May 2022.
The effect of these temporary permissions is that people who held a valid permission to be in the State in March 2020 are legally permitted to remain until 31 May 2022, even if their Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card has expired and they are awaiting a new one. Renewal of the permission is on the same basis as the existing permission held and the same conditions will continue to apply. Those covered by the extension are entitled to remain, reside and work in the State if their previously granted permission allowed them to do so.
Therefore, the period during the temporary extension of immigration permissions would be deemed reckonable for long term residence, as all permissions were extended on the same terms and conditions to the permission already held.
It is open to any person who has been legally resident in Ireland for a minimum of 60 months (five years) and who meets the scheme's criteria, to apply for long term residency. The 60 months may be broken up into different time periods and may involve different reckonable permissions. To qualify they must show legal residency in Ireland with the relevant stamps in their passport, or expired Irish Residence Permit (IRP) cards.
For a person who is a holder of a Critical Skills Employment Permit the criteria is two years.
Further information is available on my Department's website at: www.irishimmigration.ie/registering-your-immigration-permission/changing-your-immigration-permission/.
456. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice the progress to date in the determination of an application for citizenship in the case of a person (details supplied); when a decision is likely to issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12992/22]
View answerThe application for a certificate of naturalisation from the person referred to by the Deputy 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.
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.
Last year, my Department made 11,512 citizenship decisions, which is the highest level since 2015. 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.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to my Department by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility at: INISOireachtasMail@justice.ie, which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Question process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in the cases where the response is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.
457. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice when she will publish the review of the Defamation Act 2009 and prepare new legislation based on its recommendations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13005/22]
View answerThe Programme for Government, along with my Department’s Justice Plan, commits to “review and reform defamation laws to ensure a balanced approach to the right to freedom of expression, the right to protection of good name and reputation, and the right of access to justice”.
On 1 March, I was pleased to publish the comprehensive Report of the Review of the Defamation Act 2009 and to have received Cabinet approval to begin work on new legislation to reform Ireland’s defamation laws.
The Report is the culmination of extensive work by my Department - including a wide-ranging public consultation, and a stakeholder symposium that brought together the media, academics, the legal profession, social media companies, NGOs, and relevant State bodies.
This Report considers in detail all the issues raised by submissions, examines relevant reforms in other common law countries, and sets out a range of recommendations for change.
The major proposals set out in the Report include:
- an end to juries in defamation cases
- easier access to justice for individuals whose reputation is unfairly attacked
- clearer protection for responsible public interest journalism
- reducing legal costs and delays
- measures to encourage prompt correction and apology, where mistakes are made, and new measures to combat abuse
- make it easier to grant orders directing online service providers to disclose the identity of an anonymous poster of defamatory material
The Government believes that with these recommendations, we have struck the right balance.
We should vindicate both the individual’s right to their good name and privacy; and the right of others to freedom of expression, taking account of the vital role played in our democracy by a free and independent media, and by other civil society actors, in providing information and debate on matters of public interest.
The Government Legislation Programme already includes preparation of the General Scheme of a Defamation (Amendment) Bill, to give effect to the recommendations approved by Government.
Further to publication of the Report, my Department will soon begin the preparation of the General Scheme which I will bring forward this year.
458. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Justice the number of protected disclosures received by her Department in each of the years 2019 to 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form; if an external contractor has been engaged regarding a protected disclosure over that time period; if so, the cost of same; and the number of protected disclosures that were rejected, accepted and that remain under review for the time period in question. [13056/22]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, the Protected Disclosures Act was enacted in 2014 to allow employees to bring alleged wrongdoing to the attention of the appropriate authorities.
In accordance with Section 22 of the Protected Disclosures Act 2014, my Department publishes an Annual Report, on an anonymised basis, in relation to the disclosures received and dealt with under its policy.
With regard to the Deputy’s question on the number of protected disclosures received concerning my Department and bodies under its aegis in the timeframe specified, it is important to note that a number of agencies under the remit of my Department, including the Irish Prison Service, the Legal Aid Board, the Courts Service, An Garda Síochána and the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, have their own protected disclosures policies in place and report separately on disclosures received in line with the requirements of the Act.
It is also important to note that officials working in those organisations may make a protected disclosure to that agency directly, as well as to my Department.
The table below sets out the number and details of potential protected disclosures made to my Department in the years requested.
|
Year |
Allegations of Wrongdoing |
Assessed as not a Protected Disclosure and/or transferred to the appropriate aegis body/organisation |
Closed following investigation |
Ongoing |
|
2019 |
15 |
10 |
4 |
1 |
|
2020 |
23 |
17 |
3 |
3 |
|
2021 |
9 |
8 |
0 |
1 |
|
2022 (to date) |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
Details of independent external assessors and investigators engaged under the Office of Government Procurement Framework for the assessment/investigation of protected disclosures from 2019 to date in 2022 are as follows:
- 6 cases were assessed by external providers at a total cost of €30,300
- 5 cases were investigated/reviewed by external providers at a total cost of €166,294 (one review has yet to be billed).
These costs do not include ongoing cases.
The Deputy may wish to note that under the protected disclosures policy, my Department may assess or investigate disclosures through other processes if deemed more appropriate.
Information about protected disclosures received by my Department is available on our website at: www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/Publications-annual-reports?opendocument&start=0&year=2019.
459. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Justice the number of children in State care who on turning 18 years of age were made wards of court since 2015. [13101/22]
View answerManagement of the courts, operational matters and logistical functions are the responsibility of the judiciary and Courts Service, which are independent in exercising their functions under the Courts Service Act 1998 and given the separation of powers in the Constitution. The Courts Service has a dedicated email address for the provision of information to members of the Houses of the
The High Court has jurisdiction in wards of court matters and management of the courts is the responsibility of the Courts Service. Therefore, I have referred your question to the Courts Service for their direct reply.
460. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice if she will give a commitment to temporarily suspend all pending deportation orders to Ukrainian and Belarussian citizens in the State given the ongoing military conflict in Ukraine. [13117/22]
View answerIn light of current circumstances, I have suspended all cases involving possible deportations to Ukraine. The Deputy will no doubt appreciate that the current situation is extremely fluid and I am monitoring the situation in the region closely.
I can assure the Deputy that the safety of individuals affected, or potentially affected, by these terrible events is of paramount concern to me and my Department. Pragmatic decisions in line with the principle of non-refoulement will be made as the situation develops.
