Written Answers Nos. 612-634
612. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will provide details of contracts awarded in 2022 by his Department or bodies under his aegis outside the standard procurement process in order to assist the arrival of refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23196/22]
View answerMy Department and the bodies under its aegis have not awarded any contracts outside the standard procurement process to assist with the arrival of displaced persons arriving from the Ukraine.
613. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his Department employ persons or firms to deal with public relations; if so, the number of persons employed by his Department to deal with public relations; the names of firms involved; and the total amount spent on public relations by his Department. [23225/22]
View answerThe Department does not employ any external person or firm to deal with public relations.
There has not been any spending by the Department on public relations.
614. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the academic or budgetary year the €307 million corresponds to given that reports indicate the economic evaluation of the Cassells report has outlined an annual funding gap of €307 million; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23347/22]
View answerIt is my Department's policy intention that, over a number of years, additional annual core funding of €307million will be prioritised through the Estimates process in order to deliver on the increased level of funding identified in this framework, while taking account of the Government’s budgetary and fiscal stance. It should be noted that the annual budgetary figure of €307 million does not account for future demographic needs or new policy proposals for higher education.
The Increasing the Sustainability of Higher and Further Education in Ireland report, based on 2018/19 data, indicated that €317m of additional funding would be needed per student cohort to reinstate a sustainable level of core funding to the higher education sector. A technical assessment of this identified funding gap was undertaken in early 2022 by my officials and Officials from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. This assessment and agreement of the €307m annual funding need reflects core funding decisions taken since 2018 and the growth in full time Irish/EU student numbers between 2008 and 2022.
The technical assessment considered the current funding position for the 2022 budgetary year and estimated 2021/2022 full time Irish/EU student numbers compared to the 2008 budgetary year and 2007/08 full time Irish/EU student numbers.
An overview of the technical update of the independent review of the future sustainability of Further and Higher Education is available on the gov.ie website at the following location: www.gov.ie/en/policy-infure-funding-in-higher-education/.
615. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the status of the provision of a borrowing framework for the technological universities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23348/22]
View answerMy Department is considering how a borrowing framework for technological universities (TUs) might be developed in the first instance for the provision of student accommodation. The impacts, risks and responsibilities arising from such borrowing are key considerations in this context. In addition to accessing borrowing on commercially viable and appropriate terms such as would not adversely impact the financial position of TUs themselves or the wider public finances, requisite oversight, risk evaluation, project management and attendant governance and regulatory processes would also need to be established.
The Housing Finance Agency Act 1981, as amended, provides a legislative basis for borrowing from that Agency by specified institutes of higher education, including TUs, where such borrowing is in respect of the provision of housing accommodation for students. This provision is being further strengthened in the HEA Bill 2022 that is currently advancing through the legislative process in the Houses of the Oireachtas.
Department officials are engaging with counterparts in the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and other relevant stakeholders to explore potential options and approaches on the delivery of student accommodation.
616. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science which of the options 1,2,3 or a hybrid, analysed as part of the economic evaluation of the Cassells report most closely align with his proposals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23349/22]
View answerOn the 4th of May I launched Funding the Future – a landmark policy on the future of higher education. The policy sets out the vision and direction of higher education funding, our commitment to addressing legacy issues in higher education and detailing our ambitious plans for investment and reform.
Funding the Future was created as part of a Department of Further and Higher Education, Research and Innovation response to the commissioned independent report Increasing the Sustainability of Higher and Further Education in Ireland and the separate independent review of the Student Grant Scheme, conducted in response to a Programme for Government commitment to review SUSI eligibility criteria, adjacency rates and postgraduate grant supports.
The Increasing the Sustainability of Higher and Further Education in Ireland report recommends that the Government should decide how the funding gap will be addressed. It presented an economic analysis of the 3 options presented in the Cassells’ report and a subsequent hybrid option for government consideration and decision on the optimal future funding composition for higher education.
Arising from consideration of this report, the Government has decided that the funding model for higher education will continue to be a mixed one, comprising funding streams from the Exchequer, employer contributions and student contributions. Student loans, which were proposed in the Cassells report, will not form part of the funding model.
This approach follows the proposals for sectoral funding ourlined in option 2 of the Report of the Expert Group on Future Funding for Higher Education (2016) which considered a funding model of increased state funding with continuing student fees. However it is important to note that the detailed funding framework has been developed as a comprehensive response to the current core funding challenges faced in the HE system and the costs of education for students, building on the recommendations of both this report and the SUSI review aligned with key Governmental and Departmental strategic priorities.
The Funding the Future policy is available at the following location: www.gov.ie/en/policy-information/49e56-future-funding-in-higher-education/.
617. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his Department proposed the outline of the alternative hybrid option included in the report; if he will outline the parameters set for the model by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23350/22]
View answerOn the 4th of May I launched Funding the Future – a landmark policy on the future of higher education. Funding the Future, which was approved for publication by Government, settles the question on funding Higher Education. The Government has decided that income contingent loans for fees will not form part of the future funding model. Instead, the Government is committing to a multi-funded model of additional Exchequer investment and employer contributions through the National Training Fund and student contribution. It is also my intention that in response to the cost of education and living, a reduced reliance on student contributions will be a feature of future reforms.
Funding the Future was created as part of a Department of Further and Higher Education, Research and Innovation response to the commissioned independent report Increasing the Sustainability of Higher and Further Education in Ireland and the separate independent review of the Student Grant Scheme, conducted in response to a Programme for Government commitment to review SUSI eligibility criteria, adjacency rates and postgraduate grant supports.
The policy sets out the vision and direction of higher education funding, our commitment to addressing legacy issues in higher education and detailing our ambitious plans for investment and reform.
The Report of the Expert Group on Future Funding for Higher Education (2016) identified three funding options for a more sustainable future funding model and highlighted the implications (both costs and benefits) for (i) the State, (ii) students; (iii) employers, and (iv) Higher Education institutions. These options were:
A predominantly state-funded system
Increased state funding with continuing student fees
Increased state-funding with deferred payment of fees through income contingent loans.
As the Deputy will appreciate Higher education studies entail substantial investment and decisions must be made in the context of overall government expenditure. The 3 options considered in the economic assessment envisaged significant costs for the state and presented significant challenges in terms of future sustainability in relation to competing demands for public money.
In this regard and in consideration of a range of suitable options to recognise the financial pressures being experienced by students the consultants examined a hybrid option in consultation with my department and the EU Commission's DG reform Unit to model how a hybrid model derived from option 2 that incorporated more modest increases in maintenance support and an income contingent maintenance fund to support a more informed consideration of future funding options.
The supplementary ‘hybrid’ option, as presented in the published report “Increasing the Sustainability of Higher and Further Education in Ireland”, presents the same sectoral funding need as option 2, which has been confirmed by Government as the preferred option, with a mix of exchequer and NTF funding with continued student contributions.
In terms of student supports it considered smaller economic increase in maintenance rates, when compared to the other options and the addition of an income contingent maintenance loan to support students with the cost of education. As the deputy is aware Government did not approve income contingent loans as a suitable and sustainable option for higher education in Ireland.
The Funding the Future policy is available at the following location: www.gov.ie/en/policy-information/49e56-future-funding-in-higher-education/.
619. Deputy Seán Crowe asked the Minister for Justice the average waiting time for successful naturalisation applications to be processed at present; the number of applications currently being considered; and the number of live applications still being processed that were submitted prior to 1 May 2020. [22568/22]
View answerAt the end of April 2022, the median processing time for successful naturalisation applications was 19 months.
There are currently 26,934 applications on hand at various stages of processing, of which 4,631 applications (17%) were received prior to 1 May 2020. Of the applications in progress, 3,191 have been issued with a decision but the applicant has yet to complete the required declaration of fidelity process.
I am deeply conscious of how important the granting of naturalisation is to those who apply for it and my Department has continued to accept and process citizenship applications throughout the pandemic and during all levels of public health restrictions. However, the combined impact of the 2019 High Court judgment in the Jones case, the necessary health restrictions arising from the pandemic, and my Department's response to the Ukraine crisis has 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. To date in 2022, some 4,840 citizenship decisions have issued by my Department.
620. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Justice the way in which persons can access prison and prisoner records from 1922 to 1950 in the context of genealogy research. [22697/22]
View answerI can inform the Deputy that the Irish Prison Service are responsible for processing of information requests pertaining to prison and prisoner records.
Section 7 of the Freedom of Information Act 2014 (Section 37(8)) Regulations 2016 applies to the making of a Freedom of Information request pertaining to a case in which the individual to whom the record concerned relates is deceased.
Under this legislation there is no automatic right of access to records of a deceased person by their partner, spouse, next of kin or other persons, but rather a public body may decide to release the records to these persons in appropriate cases.
The burden of proof is on the requester to demonstrate if their case is appropriate. Requests for access to prison records may be submitted by writing to the Information Access Officer of the Irish Prison Service, e-mail: datarequest@irishprisons.ie.
As much detail as possible about the family members in question should be provided in order to identify records within scope of the request.
Most, if not all, of the prisoner records dating back to the period in question are held by the National Archives at this stage. Information in respect of accessing these records is available from the National Archives.
621. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice the progress to date in the determination of an application for naturalisation in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22731/22]
View answerThe application for naturalisation from the person referred to by the Deputy, continues to be 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 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.
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.
It is open to the applicant to contact the Citizenship Division of my Department at: citizenshipinfo@justice.ie at any time for an update on their application.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to my Department by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility at: INISOireachtasMail@justice.ie, which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Question process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in the cases where the response is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.
622. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Justice the current waiting times for the granting of probate in the Probate Office; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22747/22]
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.
The Probate Office is an Office of the High Court. Therefore, I have referred your question to the Courts Service for their direct reply.
623. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice the timeline for the progression of the Courts and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021. [22748/22]
View answerThe General Scheme of the Courts and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021 was approved for drafting by the Government in June 2021. The purpose of the General Scheme is to provide for amendments to provisions across a range of civil and regulatory law by way of updating and enhancing their application and to better meet current or pressing policy objectives.
Miscellaneous Bills such as this, offer an important opportunity to bring legislation up to date and make important technical and policy amendments that do not merit their own standalone legislation.
The Chair of the Oireachtas Committee on Justice confirmed in December 2021 that the General Scheme had passed through Pre-Legislative scrutiny stage. Careful drafting of the proposed amendments is continuing to ensure publication of the Bill as soon as possible.
624. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Justice the status of visa applications (details supplied). [22802/22]
View answerThe persons referred to by the Deputy created online Short Stay 'C' Visit visa applications on 15 and 16 March 2022. The supporting documentation and fees were received on 29 March 2022 and these visa applications were forwarded to the Dublin Visa Office for further processing and were received there on 25 April 2022.
Processing of these applications is ongoing at present. As each application is examined under its own merits, it is not possible to give an exact timeframe for completion. However, the Dublin Visa Office is currently processing applications of this type that were received on 30 March 2022. Applicants can keep up-to-date with the processing dates by checking the following webpage; which is updated weekly: www.irishimmigration.ie/visa-decisions/. Applicants are advised not to pay for airline or other travel tickets without having first been issued with a visa. The persons concerned will be notified as soon as a decision has been made by a Visa Officer.
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 (inisoireachtasmail@justice.ie), which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary 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.
625. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Justice the status of a citizenship application by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22828/22]
View answerApplications for naturalisation and general queries in respect of same are dealt with in chronological order by date received.When applications for a certificate of naturalisation are received by the Citizenship Division of my Department, they are subject to an initial check/examination. Citizenship Division is currently completing initial checks on applications received in September 2021.On completion of the initial checks, my Department will contact the applicant to assign them an application number and issue an acknowledgment to the address given at the time of making the application.I am deeply conscious of how important the granting of naturalisation is to those who apply for it and my Department has continued to accept and process citizenship applications throughout the pandemic and during all levels of public health restrictions. However, the combined impact of the 2019 High Court judgment in the Jones case, the necessary health restrictions arising from the pandemic, and my Department's response to the Ukraine crisis has resulted in the processing time for standard applications increasing. 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.
626. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Justice her plans to retrospectively register the hundreds of Ukrainians that have been housed throughout the country independent to the Irish Red Cross, International Protection Accommodation Services and International Protection Procurement Services processes to that ensure appropriate supports are put in place and an accurate reflection of figures are accounted for; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22867/22]
View answerThere is a coordinated whole-of-Government response to support people arriving in Ireland who have fled the violence in Ukraine. Government Departments and services are working together to implement Ireland's commitments under the EU Temporary Protection Directive (2001/55/EC), which has been activated for the first time to grant temporary protection to displaced persons from Ukraine.
My Department is primarily responsible for issuing temporary protection documents to those who are eligible. Those granted Temporary Protection have immediate access to the labour market, social welfare, accommodation and other State supports as needed.
Beneficiaries are being provided with their permission letter on arrival at Dublin Airport in the 'one-stop-shop' established by my Department for that purpose, to ensure early access to all necessary supports. Arrangements have also been put in place to provide permission letters to those who arrived at Dublin Airport prior to 9 March (when permission letters started to issue) and to those who have arrived at other ports of entry to the State. These arrangements apply both to those in State provided accommodation and to those who have made their own private accommodation arrangements.
Officials from my Department continue to be onsite to process temporary protection permission letters at Rosslare Europort on sailing days and in the Ukraine Support Centres established in Cork Street in Dublin and in Limerick.
As of 8 May 2022, a total of 28,531 people had arrived in Ireland from Ukraine and my Department had issued approximately 28,002 temporary protection permission letters.
In relation to the registration of their immigration permission, people who have arrived from Ukraine will have been given a 90 day immigration permission, as standard on arrival, by an immigration officer. Arrangements for the registration of the permission and the issuance of an Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card will be finalised by my Department as soon as possible. All necessary steps will be taken to ensure that the process is as simple and stress-free as possible. The practical arrangements will be communicated at the appropriate time.
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.
627. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Justice the number of persons currently in prison for robbery offences and are due for release in 2024, 2025 and 2026, in tabular form. [22962/22]
View answerI am advised by my officials in the Irish Prison Service that on 30 April 2022 there were 202 individuals serving sentences for robbery.
The number of prisoners serving sentences for robbery who are due to be released in 2024, 2025 and 2026 is set out in the table below.
|
Offence |
Year 2024 |
Year 2025 |
Year 2026 |
|
Robbery |
43 |
14 |
2 |
628. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Justice the current status of the criminal justice (passenger name record) Bill. [22963/22]
View answerAs the Deputy may be aware, EU Directive 2016/681 provides an EU legal framework for the use of passenger name record data for the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of terrorist offences and serious crime.
The Directive requires the transfer by air carriers of passenger name record data of passengers of extra-EU flights and the processing of this data, including its collection, use and retention by Member States and its exchange between Member States only for the purposes of preventing, detecting, investigating and prosecuting terrorist offences and serious crime.
The Directive also requires the establishment of a passenger information unit in each Member State which is responsible for implementing the requirements of the Directive.
The Directive was transposed in Ireland via the European Union (Passenger Name Record Data) Regulations 2018 (SI No 177/2018), which established the Irish Passenger Information Unit as part of my Department.
The Regulations transpose the mandatory requirements laid down in the Directive for the transfer of passenger name record data of passengers of extra–EU flights arriving in the State to the Irish Passenger Information Unit and the processing and transfer of that data where this is appropriate and necessary. The Regulations also transpose the comprehensive data protection and data security requirements of the Directive.
There is an optional measure provided for in the Directive for the extension of the passenger name record arrangements to flights arriving from other EU states. The purpose of the Criminal Justice (Passenger Name Record) Bill is to enable the State to avail of this option and extend the operation of the passenger name record regime to flights arriving from other EU states. Under Action 28 of Justice Plan 2022, which I recently published, it is intended to progress policy preparations by Q4 of 2022 on legislation for the collection of intra-EU Passenger Name Record data. This work will facilitate the drafting of the Bill.
629. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Justice the number of vehicles seized by gardaí for road traffic offences that were either crushed or sold off in each of the years of 2020, 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form. [22964/22]
View answerI have contacted the Garda authorities to provide the information sought by the Deputy, unfortunately this was not to hand in time. I will write to the Deputy once the information is received.
|
Year Reported |
Vehicle Detained (Sc. 41 RTA) Incidents |
*Associated Vehicles |
|
2020 |
29,819 |
29,886 |
|
2021 |
23,721 |
23,775 |
|
2022* |
8,052 |
8,067 |
|
Grand Total |
61,592 |
61,728 |
630. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Justice the estimated full year cost if 200 additional prison officers were recruited in tabular form. [22965/22]
View answerThe information sought by the Deputy is currently being collated and verified and I will write to the Deputy once the information is to hand.
631. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Justice the number of new Garda prison transport vehicles that came into the fleet in 2020, 2021 and to date in 2022; and the number of those Garda prison transport vehicles that were withdrawn from the fleet during same period in tabular form. [22966/22]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána. The allocation of Garda resources is a matter for the Commissioner, in light of identified operational demands. As Minister, I have no role in these independent functions. I am assured, however, that Garda management keeps the distribution of resources under continual review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities, to ensure their optimum use.
Budget 2022 provides in excess of €2 billion in funding for An Garda Síochána, of which I am informed that €12m has been allocated for investment in the Garda fleet, which will mean more high visibility policing in our towns and cities.
I am advised by the Garda authorities that there are 16 Garda prison transport vehicles attached to the fleet at 5 May 2022.
I am further advised that two Garda prison transport vehicles were allocated to the fleet and 1 vehicle was removed in 2020.
I am also advised that there have been no allocations or removals of prison transport in 2021 or to date in 2022.
632. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice if an additional extension of time beyond 31 May 2022 will be allotted to holders of expired immigration permits; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22992/22]
View answer652. Deputy Chris Andrews asked the Minister for Justice if an additional extension for expired immigration permits will be allowed ahead of the 31 May 2022 deadline given the current backlog and long processing time. [23248/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 632 and 652 together.
Since the onset of the pandemic, immigration permissions have been extended nine times, which means that people who held a valid permission to be in the State in March 2020 are legally permitted to remain until 31 May 2022. At this time, I have no plans to issue an extension beyond 31 May 2022.
Dublin based customers who are seeking to renew their permission can continue to do so online at: inisonline.jahs.ie/user/login. Since its introduction in July 2020, the online renewal process has completed approximately 125,000 applications.
As part of my Department’s ongoing work to meet the current unprecedented demand for first-time registration appointments, on 10 January 2022, a Freephone service (1800 741 741) was introduced for customers.
The current operating hours are 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday and all appointments for Dublin based customers to register their immigration permission for the first time are now issued through this service. Operators offer one appointment per call, unless it is for an identifiable family group. To date, the service has provided 17,405 appointments, with a further 10,459 appointments booked to early July 2022.
My Department's Registration Office customer service team is also available to support customers who may have language difficulties or who may need assistance with translation. A number of multi-lingual videos describing the registration process and what to expect are available on my Department's website www.irishimmigration.ie.
My Department's Registration Office in Burgh Quay is responsible for registering immigration permissions for customers residing in the Dublin area only. First time registrations and renewals for customers outside of the Dublin area are processed by the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) through the Garda Station network. The allocation of appointments with GNIB is a matter for An Garda Síochána.
633. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Justice the number of files sent by the gardaí to the DPP in each of the past five years for sexual offences; the number of applications in each year concerned in which the DPP decided to prosecute, not to prosecute and are on hand respectively; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23005/22]
View answerI am informed by the Garda authorities that decisions on prosecutions are a matter for the Director of Public Prosecutions who, as the Deputy will be aware, is independent in the performance of her functions. I have no responsibility in relation to this matter.
I think it is important to note that I am continuing to drive forward the implementation of Supporting a Victim’s Journey so that if someone has been the victim of a crime they can come forward safe in the knowledge that the system will support them.
The plan sets out how we will give effect to all of the recommendations made in the O’Malley report which looked at how to protect victims of sexual violence during the investigation and prosecution of sexual offences.
When completed, this work will ensure victims have confidence that the criminal justice system will support them, keep them informed and treat them with respect and dignity at every stage of their journey through it.
To date, a number of key actions have been delivered as part of implementing Supporting a Victim’s Journey including:
- The introduction of Preliminary trial hearings which will reduce delay and allowed of for sensitive legal issues to be dealt with before the trial starts;
- Work to advance specialist training for legal professionals and all who will come into contact with a victim during their journey through the system is underway;
- The nationwide rollout of Divisional Protective Services Units is complete and a new sexual offences unit in the ODPP has been established, and
- Work to advance a number of legislative reforms is also underway.
The actions being taken as part of Supporting a Victims Journey will give victims the confidence to report an offence, knowing they will be supported, informed and treated respectfully and professionally for the entirety of the difficult journey they have to face.
As the Deputy will be aware, I am currently leading work on the whole of government strategy to combat domestic, sexual and gender based violence.
This new plan will have a particular focus on prevention, and on ensuring victims are better supported. It will set an overall goal of zero tolerance in our society for Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (DSGBV).
The Strategy has been developed in partnership with the sector to ensure it is targeted, comprehensive and effective in achieving all of the goals set out.
The new Strategy will be structured around the four pillars or goals of the Istanbul Convention which are:
- Prevention;
- Protection;
- Prosecution;
- Co-ordinated Policies
Officials have been analysing the results of the public consultation and recent consultations with the DSGBV sector.
The outcome of these will be used to finalise the Strategy which, together with an accompanying action plan, I intend to bring to Government in the coming weeks.
634. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Justice if an application by a person (details supplied) will be expedited due to delays; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23041/22]
View answerI can inform the Deputy that the person referred to requires a re-entry visa. My Department has contacted the Embassy in Bangkok in this regard and a decision will issue shortly. Applicants are advised not to pay for airline or other travel tickets without having first been issued with a visa.
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 (inisoireachtasmail@justice.ie), which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary 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.
