Written Answers Nos. 351-361
351. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Justice the number of interim safety orders applied for in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17130/22]
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 Oireachtas at: oireachtasenquiries@courts.ie.
I have referred your question to the Courts Service for their direct reply.
352. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Justice if she will consider a special naturalisation process with lower fees for citizens of other countries who have lived a substantial part of their lives in Ireland and plan to continue to do so. [17235/22]
View answerThe 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.
There is no provision in the Regulations for the discretionary waiver or reduction of fees, or for differing fees to apply to different nationalities or classes of applicant. All of the fees payable under the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended are kept under ongoing review by my Department. However, there are no current plans to amend the fees.
The fees to be paid by an applicant for a certificate of naturalisation are governed by the provisions of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Regulations 2011 (S.I. No. 569 of 2011). The application fee, stipulated at €175, is payable on application for a certificate of naturalisation and a certification fee is payable on the issue of a certificate of naturalisation.
The standard certification fee is set at €950, while a reduced fee of €200 applies in the case of an application made on behalf of a minor or in certain cases where the application is made by a widow, widower or surviving civil partner of an Irish citizen. In the case of recognised refugees and stateless persons, there is no certification fee.
353. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Justice the steps she is taking to identify and address the gender pay disparity in her Department and public bodies and agencies that operate under her remit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17362/22]
View answerI am pleased to advise the Deputy that my Department recently published a gender pay gap report. This analysis looked at the gap in pay between men and women in the Department and its agencies for 2020. It provides valuable insights into pay disparity and a baseline upon which to measure future performance.
The analysis showed the unadjusted gender pay gap (straight comparison between the pay of men and women) is 9% for the Department and 8% for the agencies. The adjusted measure attempts to match up males and females across a range of measures, such as number of children and years of service, so that there is, as much as possible, a comparison of like with like. The adjusted gender pay gap is 4% for the Department and its agencies. The analysis highlights the impact of factors such as caring responsibilities on pay disparity, with the gap widening from 2% for employees with no children to 22% for employees with one child and 21% for employees with two children.
The full report can be found here: www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/Department-of-Justice-Gender-Pay-Gap-Report.
The Department also published its Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Strategy in March 2022 and commits to creating a positive and inclusive work environment where we all feel our contribution is valued and our personal differences and circumstances are cherished and respected.
The Strategy prioritises three areas of focus for strategic impact:
- achieve better policy outcomes and improve the accessibility and quality of our services;
- support the development of a skilled and diverse workforce;
- build and embed a workplace culture which facilitates, supports and encourages contributions from all
Each of these strategic outcomes are underpinned by a number of actions which the Department will implement over the life of the EDI Strategy. Specifically, we will use the quantitative data in the Gender Pay Gap Report and do further qualitative work to understand why differences occur, not just in pay but potentially in career progression and opportunities for varied roles.
This data will also be important in the context of the development of the Department’s Blended Working policy which will be published in Q2, 2022. Blended working, as another flexible working arrangement will be available for both men and women and the Department is committed to monitoring any potential disparities including the gender pay gap in its future blended workplace.
Our EDI Strategy can be found at www.justice.ie/en/JELR/DoJ-EDI-Strategy-(Eng).pdf/Files/DoJ-EDI-Strategy-(Eng).pdf.
354. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Justice the steps she is taking to encourage active travel modes to and from work in her Department and public bodies and agencies that operate under her remit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17381/22]
View answerMy Department and the agencies under its remit encourages and facilitates employees to use active travel to commute to work.
Employees are encouraged to avail of the Cycle to Work Scheme and in 2021, 94 Department staff members purchased bicycles under the scheme to support their commute to work. My Department provides secure bicycle parking facilities for members of staff.
As part of its Wellbeing programme, my Department encourages all staff to stay active for both their physical and mental wellbeing, which includes incorporating active travel into their journey to and from work.
Following the transition back to the workplace this year, the Department’s running club has reconvened and invites staff to engage in activity through regular running challenges, many of which have the added benefit of raising funds for charity.
In addition, my Department is planning to join the Smarter Travel Programme, an initiative by the National Transport Authority, to support public bodies in introducing workplace travel plans. The Department of Justice workplace travel plan will incorporate measures to encourage people to walk, cycle, carpool or use public transport.
355. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health the long-term impact of Covid-19 on the health service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16431/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
356. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Health the progress that has been made in the construction of the 96-bed modular unit at Limerick University Hospital; if it will be completed on schedule; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15887/22]
View answerAs the Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of public healthcare infrastructure projects, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly in relation to this matter.
357. Deputy Joe Flaherty asked the Minister for Health the public health supports that are available to schools for Covid-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13502/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
358. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Health the status of the recommendation by the HSE Medicines Management Programme for Cariban, which combines doxylamine and pyridoxine; if there is a timeline for a decision on the recommendation to be made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16690/22]
View answerUnder the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013, the HSE has statutory responsibility for the administration of the community drug schemes; therefore, the matter has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
359. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health when transport will be provided for adults with intellectual disabilities and additional needs in Ballina, County Mayo, and Killaloe, County Clare, to travel to a centre (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15030/22]
View answerAs this question relates to a service matter I have asked the HSE to respond to the Deputy directly.
360. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health if he will consider engaging with groups to draw up guidelines for the reporting of drug-related deaths. [10400/22]
View answerThe National Drug-Related Deaths Index (NDRDI) is the national epidemiological database on drug and alcohol-related deaths and indirect deaths among people with a lifetime history of using drugs and/or were alcohol dependent, in Ireland. It was established so that the State can respond in a timely manner with accurate data on drug and alcohol-related mortality. It is maintained by the Health Research Board (HRB).
The NDRDI is jointly funded by the Department of Health and the Department of Justice. The NDRDI has a steering committee, co-chaired by the Department of Health and the Department of Justice, which includes among others, representatives of families affected by drug-related deaths, representatives from the Irish Coronial Service, An Garda Síochána, the State Laboratory, the Office of the State Pathologist and relevant HSE areas. It complies with the reporting requirements for European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction and as such is used to meet Ireland’s mandatory reporting requirements to the EU, UN and WHO.
In order to ensure a complete and accurate census of drug-related deaths it is necessary to use data from several sources. The main source of data comes from closed coronial files which is supplemented by data from the acute hospitals sector (through the Hospital In-Patient Enquiry Scheme), the Central Treatment List and from the General Mortality Register (through the Central Statistics Office).
The data are collected retrospectively on an annual basis and matched across sources to reduce duplication and ensure the widest range of data for each death. As well as demographic information, information on cause of death, drug misuse history and toxicology are also collected.
I am committed to reducing and preventing drug-related deaths. To this end, the NDRDI is a vital tool to assess the effectiveness of responses aimed at preventing deaths from drugs or alcohol.
361. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health if resources are in place to provide a primary healthcare centre in Collinstown, Clondalkin, Dublin 22; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9076/22]
View answer363. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Health the status of the disposal of land to provide a primary healthcare centre in Collinstown, Clondalkin, Dublin 22; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9312/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 361 and 363 together.
As the Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of public healthcare infrastructure projects, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly in relation to this matter.
