Tuesday, 29 Mar 2022

Written Answers Nos. 541-561

An Garda Síochána

Questions (543, 544)

Johnny Guirke

Question:

543. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Justice the number of community gardaí who are assigned in County Meath by station in tabular form. [15841/22]

Johnny Guirke

Question:

544. Deputy Johnny Guirke asked the Minister for Justice the number of community gardaí that are assigned in County Westmeath by station in tabular form. [15842/22]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

I propose to take Questions Nos. 543 and 544 together.

The Government is committed to ensuring that An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs, with the unprecedented allocation provided in Budget 2022 of in excess of €2 billion. This includes funding for the recruitment of up to an additional 800 Garda members and up to 400 Garda Staff.

As the Deputy will be aware, in accordance with the Garda Síochána Act 2005, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, which includes decisions on the deployment of personnel among the various Garda Divisions. As Minister, I have no direct role in these matters.

I am assured, however, that Garda management keeps this distribution of resources under continual review in the context of policing priorities and crime trends, to ensure their optimum use. I understand that it is a matter for the Divisional Chief Superintendent to determine the optimum distribution of duties among the personnel available to them, having regard to the profile of each area within the Division and its specific needs.

I am advised by the Garda authorities that on 28 February 2022, the latest date for which figures are available, there were a total of 793 Community Gardaí. This represents an increase of 14% since December 2018 when there were 695 Community Gardaí nationally.

For the Deputy's information, the table below sets out the number of Community Gardaí assigned to Garda stations in Meath and Westmeath Division at 28 February 2022.

Meath Division	Sergeant	Garda	Total
Ashbourne		1	1
Kells	1	1	2
Navan	1	3	4
Oldcastle		1	1
Total	2	6	8

Westmeath Division	Sergeant	Garda	Total
Athlone	1	0	1
Mullingar	1	5	6
Total	2	5	7

To date, the official categorisation as a Community Garda has simply referred to those who are exclusively assigned to building relationships with local communities and civil society, including giving talks to schools, community groups and others. It is important to note, however, that community policing is at the heart of An Garda Síochána and that all Gardaí have a role to play in community policing in the course of carrying out their duties. Indeed, this is fundamental to the new Garda Operating Model recommended by the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland and currently being rolled out under 'A Policing Service for Our Future', the Government's implementation plan for the Commission's recommendations.

Question No. 544 answered with Question No. 543.

Citizenship Applications

Questions (545, 546)

Pa Daly

Question:

545. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Justice the current waiting times for citizenship applications broken down by European and non-European economic area applicants in tabular form. [15856/22]

Pa Daly

Question:

546. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Justice the approximate increase in waiting times for citizenship applications due to the Covid-19 pandemic; and if she will provide a comparison of the average waiting times in each of the years 2015 to 2021 and to date in 2022. [15857/22]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

I propose to take Questions Nos. 545 and 546 together.

I 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.

For a broad range of reasons, some cases will take longer than others to process. In some instances, completing the necessary checks can take a considerable period of time.

In addition, the combined impact of the 2019 High Court judgment in the Jones case and the necessary health restrictions arising from the pandemic, has unfortunately resulted in the processing time for standard applications increasing.

The current average processing time for naturalisation applications is 22 months. However it should be noted that last year, my Department made 11,512 citizenship decisions, which is the highest level since 2015.

As previously advised to the Deputy, statistics are not maintained by my Department to provide for a breakdown between EEA and non-EEA applicants.

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.

I am also pleased to confirm that, subject to public health guidelines, my Department intends to host an in-person citizenship ceremony on 20 June 2022 and further ceremonies on 5 and 6 December 2022 in Killarney.

The average processing time in months for citizenship applications for the years 2015 – 2021 are set out in the table below.

Year	Number of Applications decided	Average Processing Time (Months)
2015	12,869	7
2016	11,081	6
2017	9,190	7
2018	11,139	10
2019	9,319	12
2020	3,551	13
2021	11,512	23

Question No. 546 answered with Question No. 545.

Citizenship Applications

Questions (547)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

547. 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); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15868/22]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

The application for 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. If any further documentation is required, it will be requested from the applicant in due course.

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.

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 [e-mail], 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.

Naturalisation Applications

Questions (548, 556)

Rose Conway-Walsh

Question:

548. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Justice the total number of naturalisation applications; the number that are waiting more than 18 months; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15872/22]

Michael Fitzmaurice

Question:

556. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Justice the number of persons that are waiting between 12 to 24 and 24 to 36 months for a decision from the date of their first application to the Department for a certificate of naturalisation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16067/22]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

I propose to take Questions Nos. 548 and 556 together.

I 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. The table below provides a breakdown of applications by length of time in the system.

0 - 12 month	12 to less than 18 months	18 to less than 24 months	24 months+	Total
10,710	5,800	3,094	5,444	25,048

However it should be noted that 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.

Current 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 currently intends to host in-person citizenship ceremonies in June and December of this year 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.

Naturalisation Applications

Questions (549)

Rose Conway-Walsh

Question:

549. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Justice the reason naturalisation applications by persons (details supplied) have been delayed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15873/22]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

The applications for naturalisation from the persons referred to by the Deputy, continue to be processed with a view to establishing whether the applicants meet the statutory conditions for the granting of naturalisation and will be submitted to me for decision in due course.

Further documentation was recently requested from both persons concerned. The first person referred to by the Deputy has returned that documentation. Documentation requested from the second person referred to on 22 March 2022 is awaited.

The granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is a privilege and an honour which confers certain rights and entitlements not only within the State but also at European Union level and it is important that appropriate procedures are in place to preserve the integrity of the process.

It is recognised that all applicants for citizenship would wish to have a decision on their application without delay. However, the nature of the naturalisation process is such that, for a broad range of reasons, some cases will take longer than others to process. In some instances, completing the necessary checks can take a considerable period of time.

In addition, the combined impact of the 2019 High Court judgment in the Jones case and the necessary health restrictions arising from the pandemic, has unfortunately resulted in the processing time for standard applications increasing.

However, my Department is taking a number of steps to speed up the processing of applications and a number of digitisation measures have also been introduced to increase efficiency in the process, including eTax clearance, eVetting and online payments. The end result of the digitisation process will be to free up more staff to focus on processing applications in a timely and efficient manner, to improve service to our customers and reduce waiting times.

In 2021, my Department issued 11,512 citizenship decisions, which is the highest number of decisions made since 2015, and reflects positively the significant changes undertaken to date.

Ukraine War

Questions (550)

Richard Bruton

Question:

550. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Justice if new recruitment is underway in bodies which fall under the remit of her Department to provide support teams to work with incoming refugees from Ukraine; the categories being recruited; and if they will be recruited into standard grades within the public service or in some other manner. [15881/22]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

There is a coordinated whole-of-Government response to the Ukraine crisis. My Department is not undertaking any specific recruitment for support teams for refugees. As the Deputy will be aware, the reception and integration arrangements for those arriving from Ukraine are a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.

The EU Temporary Protection Directive (2001/55/EC) has been activated in response to the Ukraine crisis. Ireland participates in this measure, which is 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. A whole-of-Government response is being mobilised to implement the practical arrangements to give effect to these commitments.

My Department is responsible for immigration controls and permissions at Dublin Airport. Immigration duties at all other airports and ports of entry to the State are the responsibility of the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB).

So far, approximately 80 per cent of people who have entered the State having fled Ukraine have been welcomed at Dublin Airport. As a result of the large numbers of Ukrainians arriving via Dublin Airport beneficiaries of temporary protection are being provided with their permission letter on arrival in the 'one-stop-shop' established by my Department for that purpose, to ensure early access to all necessary supports. The facility is staffed by officials from my own Department, with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) contracted to provide interpretation and other orientation supports for new arrivals.

Three Ukraine Support Centres have been established by the Department of Social Protection in Dublin 8, Cork City and Limerick. There, people can also receive assistance from the Department of Social Protection to obtain PPSN numbers, social welfare income supports, and to receive referrals to other State services. Staff from my Department are onsite in the centre in Cork Street, Dublin 8 to provide temporary protection permission letters. Arrangements are also being put in place that will allow people to obtain their permission letters from the Ukraine Support Centres in Cork City and in Limerick. Further details on this will be announced shortly.Approximately 10,000 temporary protection permission letters have been issued by my Department since the EU Directive was activated on 4 March.

Representatives from the Citizens Information Service are also available in the Ukraine Support Centres to help people from Ukraine with enquiries of a more general nature. Community Welfare Officers are also present to assist with applications for financial support. Interpretation services are available at the Centres.

Any person arriving from Ukraine can also attend any of the Department of Social Protection's Intreo Centres, located around the country, to register for a PPS Number and apply for income supports.

A centralised Government information portal is available at: www.gov.ie/ukraine, which is regularly updated. My Department’s Irish Immigration website also contains a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page, which can be viewed at: www.irishimmigration.ie/faqs-for-ukraine-nationals-and-residents-of-ukraine/.

Courts Service

Questions (551)

Sorca Clarke

Question:

551. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Justice the number of section 47 assessment and reports that have been challenged to the regulatory body of the assessor. [15969/22]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

Section 47 assessments are a matter for the Courts Service. Management 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 Oireachtas at: [e-mail].

This is a matter for the Courts, therefore, I have referred your question to the Courts Service for their direct reply.

Visa Applications

Questions (552)

Patrick Costello

Question:

552. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice the number of persons who have availed of the Ireland investor visa in the past three years; and the nationalities of each. [16002/22]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

The Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP) was introduced in April 2012 to encourage inward investment and create business and employment opportunities in the State. The programme provides investors with the opportunity to invest in Ireland. Key to the programme is that the investments are beneficial for Ireland, generate or sustain employment and are generally in the public interest.

Successful applicants under the Immigrant Investment Programme and their nominated family members are granted a residence permission in Ireland under Stamp 4 conditions. Stamp 4 conditions permit non-EEA nationals to work, study or start their own businesses in Ireland. Therefore, given the significant immigration benefits accruing and to ensure the highest degree of transparency and accountability for the programme, all applications are subject to enhanced levels of due diligence processes in respect of both personal and financial checks to protect the State's interests.

The information requested by the Deputy is included in the table below. Where the figures for individual nationalities are two or fewer they are not set out separately, due to the risk of identification.

Nationality	Approvals 2019	Approvals 2020	Approvals 2021
China	227	259	254
USA	4	6	3
Rest of the World	6	5	6

Ukraine War

Questions (553)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

553. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Justice if she will clarify if Ireland is accepting the entry of people fleeing Ukraine who do not have Ukrainian or EU citizenship; the legal status they are entitled to; and the specific arrangements that are being put in place for same. [16036/22]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

The EU Temporary Protection Directive (2001/55/EC) has been activated for the first time 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 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) above, where their family already existed in Ukraine at the time of events leading to the mass influx 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.

On 25 February, I announced the immediate lifting of visa requirements for Ukrainian nationals.This has streamlined and supported the swift exit of both the Ukrainian family members of Irish citizens, and the family members of people from Ukraine who are resident in Ireland. It applies as an emergency measure to all Ukrainians travelling to Ireland and is a humanitarian response to the rapidly evolving situation in Ukraine.

Non-EEA family members of Ukrainian citizens, if they are a visa required national, will require a visa to travel to Ireland. However, in view of the circumstances, an application will be accepted for consideration if submitted from a country which is not the applicant's normal country of residence. Such applications will be dealt with speedily and sympathetically.

Departmental Data

Questions (554)

Peadar Tóibín

Question:

554. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Justice the salaries and pensions paid out to special advisers to Ministers and Ministers of State in her Department in 2020 and 2021, broken down by Minister in tabular form. [11393/22]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

The Deputy may wish to note that there are two people assigned to work with me as Special Advisers and they have been formally appointed by the Government. As the Deputy will be aware the Minister of State does not have a special adviser.

The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform must be notified of the rate of salary to be paid in all cases for Special Advisers and this has been done. The salary paid to these individuals is set out in the table below, with the relevant pension scheme.

Special Advisors	Pension Scheme	2020	2021	Grand Total
Minister’s Office	Single Pension Scheme	€44,209.29	€103,901.59	€148,110.88
Minister’s Office	Unestablished Post 2004	€43,899.46	€98,775.87	€142,675.33
Grand Total		€88,108.75	€202,677.46	€290,786.21

Commissions of Investigation

Questions (555)

Peadar Tóibín

Question:

555. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Justice the number of commissions of investigation under the remit of her Department currently ongoing in the State; the cost of each commission to date; and the projected costs of each in tabular form. [12559/22]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

As the Deputy may be aware, commissions of investigation are carried out pursuant to the Commissions of Investigation Act 2004. That Act provides for a Commission to be established by Government Order. Before making the Order, a draft must be laid before each House and a resolution approving the draft passed by both Houses.

A tribunal of inquiry is an inquiry established by Statutory Instrument made by a Minister under the Tribunals of Inquiry (Evidence) Act 1921, following resolutions passed by both Houses.

The following table sets out the information requested by the Deputy in relation to ongoing tribunals of inquiry and commissions of investigation established under the legislation listed above.

Tribunal of Inquiry and Commission of Investigation	Disclosures Tribunal	Hickson Commission of Investigation*
The duration of each commission of investigation	Established in 2017	Established in 2018
Costs to date 31/12/2021 (€,000)	14,531	1,724
Projected costs	The final cost will depend on the actual work undertaken by the Tribunal, which is fully independent in the performance of its functions. This will include any decisions made by the Tribunal in relation to 3rd party costs.	The final cost will depend on the actual work undertaken by the Commission, which is fully independent in the performance of its functions. This will include any decisions made by the Commission in relation to 3rd party costs.

*Judge Hickson retired in 2021 and has been replaced by Judge Michael White.

Question No. 556 answered with Question No. 548.

Family Reunification

Questions (557)

Michael Creed

Question:

557. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Justice if the family reunification unit has received all details to enable a decision to be made regarding the spouse of an Afghan resident (details supplied) in Ireland to join them here; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16070/22]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

The documentation for the person referred to by the Deputy has been received by my Department and the application continues to be processed at this time.

All applications are processed in chronological order and my officials will contact the applicant if any further information is required.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 ([e-mail]) 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 Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.

Citizenship Ceremonies

Questions (558)

Paul McAuliffe

Question:

558. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Justice her plans to increase in-person citizenship ceremonies in 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16075/22]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

Traditionally, citizenship applicants are required to attend an in-person citizenship ceremony to take an oath of fidelity to the State and complete the process to receive their certificate of naturalisation. Due to the pandemic, it has not been possible to hold such ceremonies since March 2020.

In January 2021, a temporary system was established to enable citizenship applicants to complete their naturalisation process by signing a statutory declaration of loyalty to the State. This has temporarily replaced the requirement for citizenship applicants to attend citizenship ceremonies.

Last year, my Department made 11,512 citizenship decisions, which is the highest level since 2015.

I am pleased to confirm that, subject to public health guidelines, I intend to host in-person citizenship ceremonies in June and December this year in Killarney.

Departmental Strategies

Questions (559)

Paul McAuliffe

Question:

559. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Justice the progress to date in reforming the youth justice system by her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16076/22]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Justice

As the Deputy will be aware, Minister McEntee and I published the Youth Justice Strategy 2021 – 2027 on 15 April 2021.

The Strategy includes consideration of the full range of issues connected to children and young people at risk of coming into contact with the criminal justice system, including early intervention and preventative work, family support and diversion from crime, through to court process and facilities, supervision of offenders, detention and reintegration and support post release.

The measures in the Strategy are premised on the need to maximise opportunities to promote positive behavioural change and desistance from offending. This will require a sustained commitment to collaborative working between State agencies and community partners, as well as a commitment to prioritise resource allocation to address factors connected to early involvement in criminal activity and more serious offending patterns. The Youth Justice Strategy 2021 – 2027 is available on my Department’s website.

The Strategy strengthens and expands the role of the Youth Diversion Projects (YDPs), which are a fundamental support to the operation of the statutory Garda Diversion Programme and provide a vital ingredient in enhancing community policing partnerships. The Strategy promotes appropriate linkages and alignment with other community-based initiatives, including those supported by the Probation Service. Bringing the full range of relevant interventions together in a coherent and holistic response to youth crime will support the objective of diverting young people from crime and anti-social behaviour.

The Strategy expands the remit of the YDPs to provide a broader range of services for communities, families and children at risk, including family support and early intervention with children aged 8-12 years, as well as developing enhanced approaches to engaging with harder to reach children and young people who may have more entrenched patterns of offending. There are currently 105 YDPs nationally and the intention is to further develop this service so that it is available to every child in the State who could benefit from it, through an ongoing expansion of existing services and the foundation of new projects where necessary.

Funding for YDPs has increased every year since 2015. €15.3 million was provided in 2019 and €15.6 million was provided for 2020. €18 million funding was provided for 2021 with a further allocation of €3m for the Greentown pilots, Bail Supervision Scheme and the Research Evidence into Policy Programmes and Practice (REPPP) project.

The additional €6.7m provided for in Budget 2022 represents an increase of one third in support for youth justice services. It provides the resources to kick-start delivery of key objectives in the Youth Justice Strategy and, in particular, the programme to expand and deepen the range of supports made available through local YDP services. The main elements are:

- Establishment of a limited number of new youth projects and boundary extensions of existing projects so as to ensure that the youth diversion services are available throughout the State by end-2022 or shortly thereafter.

- Enhancement of the youth diversion service, in accordance with identified local needs, to include:

- Early intervention and family support work

- Outreach with harder-to-engage young people

- Support for schools to retain challenging children

- Other specific initiatives e.g. in relation to anti-social use of scramblers and knife crime issues.

- Dedicated research and expert support, including best practice support for the nationwide project network, facilitated by the Research Evidence into Policy Programmes and Practice (REPPP) project team in the University of Limerick.

The Bail Supervision Scheme provides an internationally recognised approach to achieving bail compliance, supported by the REPPP University of Limerick partnership. The service has already been expanded beyond the initial pilot in Dublin to Cork and Limerick.

The Greentown initiative is a broad community-based programme to support children, families and communities most affected by criminal networks, and its development is strongly supported by An Garda Síochána. The Greentown 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 Greentown Programme has been designed by the REPPP project team 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 Greentown 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 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 implementation of the Greentown pilot programme is part of the Strategic Objectives of the Youth Justice Strategy 2021-2027. This implementation process began with the establishment of the Governance and Strategy Group, and the Youth Justice Oversight Group. Both groups are chaired by my Department, which will provide oversight arrangements for Youth Justice Initiatives to ensure that there is a cohesive response in practice to the needs of particular cohorts of children and particular communities.

Development and reform of youth justice systems is being taken forward in the context of a specific objective within the Strategy. This objective will ensure that oversight of policy development and implementation takes full account of the situation of children and young people in situations more likely to give rise to offending behaviour, and their families, with a view to enhancing the effectiveness of policies, programmes and practices, and with regard to duties arising from section 42 of the IHREC Act 2014, and aligned with the reform agenda contained in “Our Public Service 2020”.To achieve this the Department will work collaboratively to ensure that the prevention of harm relating to offending behaviour is mainstreamed into Government policies affecting children, young people and their families, including through:

a) the development of a successor framework to “Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures – the National Policy Framework for Children and Young People 2014- 2020” (BOBF);

b) the implementation of the recommendations of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland;

c) the implementation of other national policies and strategies including, but not limited to drug and substance misuse, mental health, community development, employment and training.

The Deputy will also be aware that almost €200,000 in funding has been made available to YDPs nationally, including in the Deputy's own constituency, for a community-based approach to tackling the misuse of scramblers and other similar vehicles and I thank the Deputy for his contributions to this issue.

Question No. 560 answered with Question No. 105.

An Garda Síochána

Questions (561)

Pauline Tully

Question:

561. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Justice the number of competitions that were held for sworn Garda members to join divisional drugs units in 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16120/22]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

In accordance with the Garda Síochána Act 2005, as amended, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, which includes the recruitment, training and assignment of Garda members and staff. Furthermore, the allocation of Garda resources is made in light of identified operational demands, including deployment of personnel among the Garda Divisions. As Minister, I have no direct role in these matters.

The table below, furnished to me by the Garda authorities, details the number of competitions held for sworn Garda members to join divisional drugs units in 2021 and to date in 2022.

Year	No. of Competitions
2021	7
2022	0