Written Answers Nos. 69-97
82. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice when she expects to receive the final report of a scoping exercise in relation to the death of a person (details supplied); and if she will publish it in full immediately upon receipt. [16102/22]
View answerI wish to assure the Deputy that I recognise the ongoing pain and anguish of the O'Farrell family on the tragic death of Shane and I sincerely sympathise with them on their loss.
As the Deputy will be aware, a highly respected retired Judge has been conducting a scoping exercise into the tragic circumstances surrounding Shane O'Farrell's death. The purpose of this exercise is to advise as to whether any further investigation or inquiry beyond those already carried out is necessary and, if so, to advise on the form of such investigation or inquiry and its terms of reference.
My Department maintains regular contact with the Judge and has assured him that any assistance he requires to complete his final report will be made available. I am informed that the Judge had sought comments on various sections of his draft report from the parties named in it and he has confirmed that he has received responses from most of the relevant principal parties. Once this process is concluded, I understand the Judge should be in a position to finalise his report.
Once I have received the final report, the advice of the Attorney General will be sought on publication and any other issues arising.
I wish to conclude by re-stating in clear terms that the Government has never been opposed to the possibility of a further inquiry into this case if that is what is recommended. However, the Deputy will understand that I cannot pre-empt any view or advice that the Judge considers appropriate in his final report.
83. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Justice if she intends to pursue changes to bail conditions for those who have previously committed an offence while out on bail; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16215/22]
View answerAs the Deputy will appreciate, the Constitutional presumption that a person is innocent until proven guilty means that restricting a person’s liberty is a serious matter.
While our laws do provide for the refusal of bail in certain circumstances, the decision to grant bail in a particular case is always a matter for the presiding judge, who is independent in the exercise of their judicial functions.
The Bail Act 1997, which was introduced following a referendum to amend the Constitution, allows the courts to refuse bail for a person charged with a serious offence if necessary to prevent the commission of another serious offence.
Over the last 25 years, our bail laws have been further strengthened on three more occasions, most recently by the Criminal Justice Act 2017.
In considering whether to refuse bail under the 1997 Act, the Court is required to have regard to persistent serious offending by an applicant and, in specific circumstances, the nature and likelihood of any danger to a person or to the community from granting bail.
Where bail is granted, the 2017 Act provides for stricter bail terms for repeat serious offenders, including the use of curfews.
It also strengthens Garda powers to deal with bail breaches.
If an individual fails to comply with any bail conditions, the judge will issue a bench warrant and they will be arrested and brought to Court to answer all charges relating to the bail.
In the event of a breach of High Court bail the defendant must be brought before the Court as soon as practicable for a revocation hearing.
A breach of bail may also result in an additional charge and an order and/or surety for ‘forfeiture and estreatment’ of the bail money.
While all legislative provisions are kept under review, in light of the existing provisions and safeguards relating to the granting of bail, I can inform the Deputy there are no immediate plans to introduce further bail legislation at this time but I will keep the law under active review.
84. Deputy Joe Flaherty asked the Minister for Justice if an update will be provided on the Local Community Safety Partnership pilot in County Longford; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16095/22]
View answerThe government is committed to ensuring that every community has a right to be safe and to feel safe. As part of our plan to deliver on this commitment, I have announced the establishment of three pilot community safety partnerships in November 2020. These pilots schemes have been set up in Longford, North Inner City Dublin and Waterford. The pilots will run for a period of two years, and learnings from the pilot LCSPs will inform the eventual nationwide rollout.
The Longford Community Safety Partnership, along with the other two pilot areas, will devise and oversee a Local Community Safety Plan, which will be informed by the community itself. The Plans will detail how best the community wants to prevent crime and will reflect community priorities and local safety issues. The goal is to make communities safer for families, residents and businesses.
I can inform the Deputy that the Longford Community Safety Partnership has a complete membership with an Independent Chair and Coordinator in place.
The partnership is in the process of developing their Community Safety Plan and I am advised that they are on track to complete development and adoption of the plan by the end of Q2 2022.
A Steering Group was formed to assist the Chair and Coordinator in developing public consultations and to provide oversight of the development of the Community Safety Plan. The Steering Group has met on four occasions to date, in November and December last and twice in February. This group makes recommendations to the full Partnership on the consultation approach, assisting with arranging consultation events and analysis of consultation data to feed into the development of the Plan.
Two Thematic Working Groups have been formed and met for the first time in January of this year. Each group is chaired by a Vice Chair of the partnership and will meet monthly. Membership includes partnership members and some external members nominated based on expertise and experience.
Each of the Local Community Safety Partnership pilots is subject to monitoring and evaluation by an independent evaluation team and learnings are communicated to the three partnerships through an active learning approach. The initial phase of fieldwork, between Q4 2021 and Q1 2022, is focused on reviewing processes and establishing a baseline for any outcomes of the LCSPs' work over the next two years.
Establishing a baseline is an important aspect of the evaluation as it ensures a solid understanding of the starting point against which to compare the data at the latter stages of the evaluation. It is expected that a baseline report will be completed and submitted to my Department in Q2 of this year. The first report on findings and lessons will be due in Q4 2022.
85. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Justice the status of the recruitment of a county registrar in County Mayo in view of the retirement of the outgoing registrar; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16238/22]
View answerThe Courts Service Act 1998 sets out the nature of the relationship between the Courts Service and the County Registrar. As the Deputy is aware, the post of County Registrar is a statutory officer, appointed by Government, with a number of different roles, including under-sheriff and returning officer functions.
When such posts become vacant, arrangements are made with the Courts Service and the Public Appointments Service to run an open recruitment competition to identify suitable persons for recommendation to Government for appointment. I understand the post in question will be advertised by the Public Appointments Service in the usual way.
86. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Justice the way that the new policy approach for areas of severe disadvantage, which are suffering the ravages of drug dealing, has been progressing to date; the indicators that are being used to establish the success of the approach; if there are any early findings; and the further initiatives that are planned in her Department or across Government to tackle some of the deep-seated challenges. [16084/22]
View answerI want to assure the Deputy that the Government is determined to tackle criminal behaviour and I am very conscious of the repercussions that such behaviour can have on the quality of life for residents in local communities. It is important that people feel safe and are safe in their communities.
My Department are taking a range of actions designed to break the link between criminal gangs and the children they seek to recruit. This includes the enactment of new criminal legislation which will outlaw the grooming of children to commit crime. I also intend to bring forward legislation shortly which will increase the sentence of conspiracy to murder from ten years to life in prison. These new laws will ensure that An Garda Síochána and our Courts have the tools they need to take firm and decisive action to deal with our most serious criminals.
While there are a number of policy approaches ongoing with regard to the issues raised by the Deputy, I am aware of the Deputy's particular interest in the Greentown Programme which is an important development in the Government’s Youth Justice Strategy. This internationally recognised initiative is supported by my Department and led by the REPPP Project (Research Evidence into Policy, Programmes and Practice) at the School of Law in the University of Limerick. The REPPP project is a strategic research partnership between UL and my Department. The REPPP originally produced the “Greentown Report”, which studied the influence of criminal networks on children in Ireland, and was published in December 2016.
The Report identifies crime networks as a separate and plausible risk factor underlying criminal offending by certain children. It outlines how the influence of criminal networks increases the level of offending by a small number of children and entraps them in offending situations.
The Report recommended the design of a programme to include interventions with children and their families to help them withstand the influence of criminal networks. The REPPP project team implemented a bespoke design process to produce a model for an Irish evidence-informed intervention programme. This new Greentown Programme has been designed with the input of leading international expertise on crime and criminal networks, together with Irish scientific, policy and practice expertise in child protection and welfare, drugs and community development.
Pilot applications of the Programme, developed by the REPPP, commenced in two locations in 2020 and will run for three years. The learning from these pilots will then be incorporated into mainstream Youth Diversion Project (YDP) practice. This specially designed intervention programme was developed with international expert advice, to tackle coercive control of children by criminal groups which entraps them in offending situations. Funds are already available for the initial pilots from the Dormant Accounts Funds, with a total of €4.2m allocated over three years.
The Programme is one of a number of policy approaches currently being undertaken to address the issues raised by the Deputy. Other initiatives include the Local Community Safety Partnerships, the Youth Justice Strategy, the Drogheda Implementation Plan and the socio-economic and community plan for Darndale and the surrounding areas in Dublin 17, which my Department is committed to supporting. While each of these initiatives is tailored to the specific challenges which they are designed to address, each is in line with the principles of my Department's Community Safety policy and rooted in a similar philosophy - that tackling community safety concerns requires a holistic, whole of society approach.
87. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Justice her plans for the further rolling out of electronic tagging of criminals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16211/22]
View answerAs the Deputy may be aware, the Criminal Justice Act 2006 contains provisions for the introduction of Electronic Monitoring in this jurisdiction. Section 108 makes provision for an order for electronic monitoring in the context of a restriction of movement condition applying to the granting of temporary release.
In addition, the Government recently approved my proposal to publish the Sex Offenders (Amendment) Bill 2021, which has since passed second stage in the Dáil. I expect it will court change in the coming weeks.
As drafted, this bill includes provision for a court to order an electronic monitoring device for a convicted sex offender who is subject to a post-release supervision order, or a sex offender order, that includes a condition restricting the offender's movement, post release.
The operational details of how this will work will have to be carefully developed and take account of the costs, value for money, in the context of the technology’s relatively limited effectiveness, as well as the Council of Europe Guidelines.
The aim is to provide our courts with a range of appropriate tools and interventions to monitor and reduce the risks posed by sex offenders, to facilitate rehabilitation and to protect the public.
There is some evidence that electronic monitoring can be effective in respect of sex offenders when used for a short duration in tandem with other interventions, such as probation supervision and this is what I am proposing in the Bill.
As a technology, it has advanced over the years, but not all of its limitations have yet been overcome and I envisage therefore that a pilot scheme will be introduced to explore its costs and benefits once the legislation is in place. I will kept this matter under review.
88. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Justice the timeline for the provision of domestic violence refuges in counties in counties Cavan and Monaghan; if a funding stream is in place for these capital works; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16187/22]
View answerI can assure the Deputy that it is my goal that everyone who needs a refuge space will get one, and I am deeply committed to working with our partners in the sector and with my Government colleagues to achieve that.
This Government has prioritised tackling domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (DSGBV) in all its forms, and ensuring that people, particularly women and vulnerable people, feel safe and are safe in our communities.
As the Deputy is aware, 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 is my intention to publish the final strategy and accompanying action plan as soon as possible in the coming weeks.
Minister O’Gorman and I also commissioned an independent audit of how responsibility for domestic, sexual and gender based violence is segmented across Government.
On foot of this, it has been agreed that my Department will assume responsibility for services for victims of domestic, sexual and gender based violence, in addition to policy responsibility and overall cross-Government coordination of implementation.
A detailed plan setting out how this will work is in preparation.
In February, Minister O’Gorman and I published the review by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, of accommodation for victims of domestic violence
While the review says that a minimum of between 50 and 60 new refuge places are needed as a priority, further analysis has identified 10 locations nationwide where the delivery of 82 family refuge spaces would have the most impact if prioritised.
These locations and refuge need have been chosen on the basis of required proximity to a refuge, as well as a need for refuge spaces per population in densely populated areas.
These represent areas where there is the most significant under-provision and represent a starting point to increasing refuge spaces comprehensively and in every county across the country.
The initial areas identified in the Tusla review include Cavan/Monaghan, where eight family places are suggested as a starting point for prioritisation.
I fully acknowledge the need to dramatically increase the provision of refuges and that key to this will be ensuring organisations can access funding.
My Department has established a high level Inter-Departmental Group to review the current system for the provision of refuge spaces and to identify changes that can be made to the system to deliver additional spaces as effectively as possible.
The timelines for delivery of these places, as well as further targets for nationwide delivery of refuge accommodation, will be outlined in the third national strategy and further detail will be contained in the accompanying action plan.
89. Deputy Kieran O'Donnell asked the Minister for Justice the number of Garda recruits who have attested to date in 2022; and the number estimated to attest for the remainder of 2022. [16258/22]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, the Government is committed to providing An Garda Síochána with the resources it needs, with the unprecedented allocation of more than €2 billion provided this year.
As of 28 February 2022, the latest date for which figures are available, there are currently 14,315 members of An Garda Síochána, this represents a 12% increase on the end of 2015 when there were 12,816 members. These Garda members are assisted by 3,172 Garda Staff, an increase of 58% compared to 2,007 Garda Staff at the end of 2015. As a result of this increased civilianisation, over 800 Garda members have also been redeployed in recent years from administrative duties to frontline policing roles where their expertise can be utilised fully.
Since the reopening of the Garda College in September 2014, nearly 4,000 new recruits have attested as Gardaí and been assigned to duties nationwide. This includes 215 Gardaí who have attested to date this year, comprising 145 in January and a further 70 this month.
A further 156 Garda trainees are currently engaged in training in Templemore and I understand that further attestations are scheduled for these recruits in May and July this year.
As the Deputy will be aware, this year's Budget allocation includes funding for the recruitment of up to an additional 800 Garda members and up to 400 Garda staff. Attestations of further members this year will be dependent on the precise timing of further intakes planned to take place during 2022, but I am delighted to inform the Deputy that over 10,000 people have applied to join An Garda Síochána in the recent recruitment competition. I hugely welcome this significant response indicating, as it does, the widespread respect for the important position that Gardaí occupy in our society, as well as the unique contribution that Gardaí can make to the lives of individuals across the country.
90. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Justice if she agreed on behalf of Ireland with the decision that non-Ukrainian citizens affected by the Russian invasion cannot avail of the visa-free access to the European Union; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16221/22]
View answerIf I understand the Deputy correctly, he is referring to the activation by the EU of the Temporary Protection Directive.
The Directive has been activated for the first time, with the unanimous agreement of all Member States, in response to the Ukraine crisis. Ireland participates in this measure, which has been given legal effect under Section 60 of the International Protection Act 2015. Those eligible for Temporary Protection (granted initially for one year, but renewable) will have immediate access to the labour market, social welfare, accommodation and other State supports as necessary.Under the Council Implementing Decision (EU 2022/382), those who have fled Ukraine can avail of a temporary protection to reside in Ireland if they meet one of the following criteria:
a) They are a Ukrainian national who was residing in Ukraine before 24 February 2022;
b) They are a national of a third country (other than Ukraine) or a stateless person who would have benefited from international protection (for example: Refugee status) or an equivalent national protection status in Ukraine and were residing there before 24 February 2022;
c) They are a family member of persons covered by a) and b), where their family already existed in Ukraine, prior to 24 February.
Family members include a spouse or partner, unmarried minor children of either of them, and their other close dependent family relatives who have been living with them as part of the family unit.Temporary protection also applies to people who were residing in Ukraine before 24 February 2022 with a permanent Ukrainian residence permit, who cannot safely return to their country of origin. Other people who were legally residing in Ukraine without a permanent residence permit will be assisted to return to their country of origin, if it is safe for them to do so.I can assure the Deputy that my Government colleagues and I will continue to work with our EU counterparts on any further EU-wide measures that might be needed to assist those fleeing Ukraine.
Given the very extreme pressures being faced by Moldova in the current circumstances, the Government has agreed, as part of an EU response, to offer to accept from Moldova up to 500 people who have fled the war in Ukraine.
91. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Justice if her Department provides funding for victim organisations; if so, the purpose of this funding; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16193/22]
View answerProtecting and supporting victims of crime is a key priority for me as Minister for Justice.
My Department provides funding to NGOs that support victims of crime by providing important information and supports such as emotional support, court accompaniment, and accompaniment to Garda interviews, to sexual assault treatment units and referral to other services.
Last week I announced funding totalling €4.6m for more than 60 organisations to support victims of crime as part of this scheme. This is an increase of over 20% on the previous total fund of €3.8m which was made available in 2021.
The vast majority of organisations have seen increases in their funding and a number of new applicants for Victims of Crime funding received allocations for the first time.
This 2022 funding builds on funding announced last November under the Supporting a Victim’s Journey plan.
This additional funding was provided to 18 organisations to address gaps in services identified on foot of a mapping exercise looking at the geographical spread and type of services available for victims nationwide.
The allocations under the scheme this year cover a range of services that provide support to victims such as:
- National and larger organisations such as Barnardos, Women’s Aid and the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre;
- A range of local organisations working with victims across the country, such as Women’s Aid in Dundalk, Wexford Rape Crisis and Letterkenny Women’s Centre;
- General victims support organisations such as the Crime Victims Helpline; and
- Specialist organisations including the Irish Tourist Assistance Service and Dignity 4 Patients.
I am sure the Deputy will agree that such organisations provide an essential service for victims of crime.
I am committed to continuing to work with them and with my colleagues across Government to build a victim-centred criminal justice system that treats victims with respect and dignity at every step of their journey through it.
92. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Justice her plans to target the problem of repeat criminal offenders with multiple convictions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16212/22]
View answerAs the Deputy will appreciate, the presumption of innocence until proven guilty is central to our criminal justice system.
The decision to grant bail in a particular case must always be a matter for the presiding judge, but where bail is granted, the Criminal Justice Act 2017 provides for stricter terms for repeat serious offenders.
While there are no quick fixes to reducing reoffending, evidence shows that different targeted interventions, particularly in the community, play a significant role in addressing criminality and reducing reoffending.
I am acutely aware of the impact of crimes on individual victims and my Department’s annual Justice Plans outline a range of actions to progress work focused on reducing recidivism with a view to making Ireland an even safer place to live.
We are developing evidence-led policies which support people to address their offending behaviour and re-integrate back into their communities in a way that reduces the risk of reoffending.
As part of this, I will soon publish a Penal Policy action plan to build on a number of positive initiatives introduced to reduce reoffending over the past decade.
These include the Community Return and Community Support Schemes and the Joint Agency Response to Crime (J-ARC).
I am also looking at measures to extend the range of spent convictions which will improve the job prospects for people with past convictions who want to move away from offending behaviour and at extending the range of alternative community-based sanctions to break the cycle of reoffending.
While acknowledging the harm that crime causes to victims, the Department’s ‘Working to Change: Social Enterprise and Employment Strategy 2021-2023’ endeavours to identify and remove systemic barriers so people with past offending behaviour can make sustainable changes to move away from offending and into sustainable employment.
We also know that substance abuse is an indicator of an increased likelihood of recidivism.
To look at how we address this a High Level Taskforce was established to consider the mental health and addiction challenges of persons interacting with the criminal justice system.
The Taskforce report will be completed in the coming weeks.
93. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Justice the measures that are being taken to address the number of naturalisation applications that are being processed for more than 12 months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16229/22]
View answerI am deeply conscious of how important the granting of naturalisation is to those who apply for it and my Department continued to accept and process citizenship applications throughout the pandemic and during all levels of public health restrictions.
At the end of February 2022, there were 25,048 naturalisation applications in progress, of which 15,744 are 12 months or more in the system. I am pleased, however, that’s notwithstanding the restrictions last year, my Department made 11,512 citizenship decisions, which is the highest level since 2015.
Currently, there are 2,556 approved applications in the system that require the completion and submission of the Declaration of fidelity to the nation and loyalty to the State, the payment of the statutory fee and the submission of other required documents by the applicants. These applications will then be finalised and the certificate of naturalisation awarded.
All applications for a certificate of naturalisation are processed and assessed individually in accordance with the provisions of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended.
Processing times have been extended due to the combined impact of the 2019 High Court judgment in the Jones case and the necessary health and safety related restrictions imposed as a result of the Covid-19 disruption.
My Department has also been unable to hold in-person citizenship ceremonies during this time. However, I'm pleased to say that, subject to public health guidelines, my Department intends to host in-person citizenship ceremonies in June and December in Killarney.
The citizenship application process is reviewed on an ongoing basis to continually improve customer service quality. Feedback from applicants is taken on board and, as a result, a much more simplified, customer-focused and streamlined mechanism for applicants to provide their proofs of residence has recently been introduced.
To further speed up the processing of applications, 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. Additional staff have also been assigned to the citizenship team.
Since the beginning of this year, new applicants for citizenship no longer have to submit their original passport with their application. Instead, they can provide a full colour copy of their entire passport, including the front and back covers. This change in practice is welcomed by our customers and is also freeing up valuable staff time that up to now has been engaged in returning passports to applicants.
94. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Justice the number of arrests and seizures related to Operation Copóg in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15890/22]
View answerThe Government is acutely aware of the sustained and significant damage that drug dealing has on communities across the country. Organised criminal activity, including drug dealing, represents a serious threat to community safety.
The continued disruption of the supply of all illicit drugs remains a priority for An Garda Síochána and the other State agencies tasked with responsibilities in this regard. A concerted effort has been made over the past two years to ensure that the detection and prevention of these types of criminal activity have not been adversely affected by the unprecedented demands placed on policing services by the vital enforcement of public health restrictions.
As the Deputy will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, including Garda operations aimed at preventing and countering criminal activity, and the enforcement of legislation pertaining to illegal drugs. As Minister, I have no direct role in these matters.
I am advised by the Garda authorities that Operation Copóg commenced in March 2021 as a joint operation between An Garda Síochána and Limerick City & County Council to disrupt and target the sale and supply of controlled drugs in the St Mary’s Park area of Limerick city.
Additional resources were allocated to the Community Policing Unit in Mayorstone and dedicated solely to the St Mary’s Park area to provide a high visibility policing presence and reassurance to the community. These Community Policing members work closely with the Divisional Drugs Unit at Henry Street Garda Station, to target individuals who are involved in the sale and supply of controlled drugs, with a particular focus on the sale of crack cocaine. Operation Copóg is supported by the Regional Dog Unit, District Crime units, Armed Support Unit and Regular Units.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that An Garda Síochána seized in excess of €2.8 million of controlled drugs in the period January – November 2021, the latest period for which information is available, and cash to the value of €331,740. In the same period in 2021, Gardaí in Limerick executed warrants pursuant to Section 26 Misuse of Drugs Acts and seized drugs including Cocaine, Cannabis Herb, Cannabis Plants, Cannabis Resin, Heroin and Tablets.
An Garda Síochána have provided the following information with reference to Operation Copóg during the period of March 2021 - March 2022:
|
Activity |
No. |
|
Searches of persons pursuant to Section 23 Misuse of Drugs Act |
400 |
|
Premises searched under warrant pursuant to Section 26 Misuse of Drugs Act |
35 |
|
Cases where persons have been found in possession of controlled drugs (purpose of sale/ supply and personal use) |
61 |
|
Vehicles seized under Section 41 Road Traffic Act |
49 |
The following incidents also relate to Operation Copóg:
- One incident of Violent Disorder was detected where three persons were arrested. Two of these people were subsequently charged on the direction of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
- Five persons were arrested in relation to recent significant drug seizures and questioned regarding their involvement in the sale/supply of controlled drugs in St. Mary’s Park.
- Three cases of money laundering were detected where a quantity of cash was seized believed to be the proceeds of drug dealing.
I would add that Operation Copóg is only one element of wider strategies to deal with organised criminal activity and drug supply in the Limerick Region. These strategies under Operation Tara and Operation Coronation, amongst others, aim to prevent the wholesale distribution of drugs and activities in the region by organised crime gangs.
Garda Management in Limerick are focused on targeting drug dealing and anti-social behaviour in all parts of Limerick. The significant successes to date across all the strategies that are in place are having a significant impact on the activities of organised crime gangs and An Garda Síochána is determined to continue to target this criminal activity and reduce the negative impact that illegal drugs have on so many lives and in our community.
95. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Justice the number of gardaí currently based in Tallaght station, Dublin 24; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16194/22]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is, by law, responsible for the management and control of An Garda Síochána and for the effective and efficient use of Garda resources, including the deployment of An Garda Síochána throughout the State. 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 policing priorities and crime trends, to ensure their optimum use. I further understand that it is a matter for the Divisional Chief Superintendent to determine the optimum distribution of duties among the personnel available to him or her, having regard to the profile of each area within the Division and its specific needs.
Tallaght Garda Station, as of 28 February 2022, has 224 members assigned (189 Gardaí, 26 Sergeants, 8 Inspectors and 1 Superintendent). This is an increase of over 27% since the end of 2015, when there were 176 members assigned to the station.
I am pleased that Budget 2022 reflects the commitment of the Government to ensuring our communities are safe and that An Garda Síochána has the resources to be an effective and trusted policing service. The budget provided by Government to the Garda Commissioner continues to increase to unprecedented levels, with an allocation of over €2 billion in funding for this year.
This includes funding for the recruitment of up to an additional 800 Gardaí and a further 400 Garda staff. This significant investment demonstrates the Government's commitment to increasing the Garda workforce to enable the organisation to keep our communities safe.
I am pleased to note the strong interest in the recent Garda recruitment campaign, with over 10,000 applications received.
96. Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh asked the Minister for Justice the position regarding the evaluation process of the three local community safety partnerships pilots which are currently run in the north inner city of Dublin and in counties Longford and Waterford; if there are interim findings from the evaluation process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16225/22]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, I announced the establishment of three pilot Local Community Safety Partnerships in November 2020. These pilots schemes have been set up in Longford, North Inner City Dublin and Waterford. The pilots will run for a period of two years, and learnings from the pilot LCSPs will inform the eventual rollout of the model to every local authority area.
Each LCSP pilot consists of 30 members, including an independent chairperson. The remaining 29 members are divided in a 14/15 split in favour of non-public representatives. Non-public membership relates to those who are not members of public body agencies or service providers. This can include local residents, community representatives (including youth, older persons, minority and new community representatives), business representatives, education representatives, voluntary sector representatives etc.
The specific membership composition of each individual partnership is flexible depending on the needs of the community and is outlined in the respective Terms of Reference of each Partnership. The Pilots meet on a regular basis with at least four meetings a year.
Each pilot has also employed a Community Safety Coordinator who provides the day-to-day contact between the community and the partnership, runs projects within the community and generally acts as a focal point through which community concerns can be channelled. Due to the size and complexity of the Dublin pilot, Dublin also employs an Administrative Officer to support the Coordinator and Chairperson. Each pilot has had at least two formal meetings of the full Partnership. The Partnerships are all currently working to develop unique Local Community Safety Plans, and to that end, each partnership has also formed subgroups that are focused on bringing actions forward between full meetings and/or developing the Community Safety Plan.
Each pilot is also subject to an ongoing independent evaluation which will last for the 24-month duration of the pilots. The overall aim of the evaluation is to provide actionable evidence to help inform the development of the LCSPs and their rollout across the country on completion of the pilot period, after the Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill is enacted. The evaluation is exploring implementation approaches and processes that appear to be effective across and within the pilot communities.
Over time, the evaluation will assess how well the Local Community Safety Partnership pilots identified the priorities and concerns of their respective communities; how the LCSPs conducted their work; the engagement and relationships the LCSPs have had with the local communities; and the impact of the LCSP work on community safety.
Findings from the evaluation process will inform future rollout of the LCSP model in every local authority area. The initial phase of fieldwork, from Q4 2021 to Q1 2022, is focused on reviewing processes and establishing a baseline for any outcomes of the work of the Partnership pilots over the next two years.
Establishing a baseline is an important aspect of the evaluation as it ensures a solid understanding of the starting point against which to compare the data at the latter stages of the evaluation. A baseline report will be completed and submitted to the Department of Justice by end of Q2 of 2022. The first report on findings and lessons will be due in Q4 2022.
97. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Justice if she will provide an update on the status and engagements of the Drogheda Implementation Board; the recommendations contained in a report (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16231/22]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, the publication and implementation of the recommendations of the Drogheda scoping report are key actions in my Department's Justice Plan 2022.
Last year my Department published a report I had commissioned from the former Director of the Probation Service, Mr. Vivian Geiran, who made over 70 recommendations on short and long-term responses to challenges the community faces in Drogheda. These include measures around crime prevention, youth services, drug addiction, education, infrastructure and community development.The recommendations highlight the need for improved interagency cooperation in the administration and delivery of State services in Drogheda, as well as the need to provide additional resources and services in certain areas.
In July of last year, Minister Humphreys obtained Government approval for an Implementation Plan for the report. The Government also committed to a special focus on Drogheda, including Departments and State agencies prioritising necessary funding applications for projects related to the Drogheda Implementation Plan.
The Implementation Plan identifies the relevant stakeholders for each recommendation and outlines the next steps for engagement and delivery. The Plan will be a living document and will be reviewed by my Department each quarter, with progress reports produced twice yearly. This approach will facilitate ongoing engagement and consultation and my Department has just completed the first internal quarterly review. The first progress report of the Drogheda Implementation Plan is currently under development and will be published in Quarter 2 of this year.
The most important aspect is at local level where the Drogheda Implementation Board is the core driver and co-ordinator of the activities outlined in the plan and my Department leads national oversight to ensure strategic direction, action planning and the delivery of the Drogheda Implementation Plan. The first meeting of the Drogheda Implementation Board took place on 13 October 2021. I met with the board on 4 November and I look forward to seeing the further progress of the Implementation Plan in the coming months but there have already been some very positive actions arising from the plan. The Department of Education has provided supports to the three schools identified in the report and my own Department has provided further funding to the Red Door Project to ensure the continued provision of their important services. Funding has also been committed to the Moneymore Consortium to support their planning work for the proposed development of a community hub facility and to the Moneymore Childcare Centre to ensure the continuation of the essential meal service they provide to children. My Department has also secured a further €250,000 in Dormant Accounts Funding for continued implementation of targeted crime prevention and harm-reduction measures in Drogheda in 2022.
