Thursday, 14 Jul 2022

An Garda Síochána

Questions (662)

Thomas Gould

Question:

662. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Justice if the gardaí have codified offences under the Control of Horses Act 1996; and if so, the numbers of arrest and convictions for each of the offences in tabular form. [39216/22]

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Written answers

Minister for Justice

I have requested the information sought by the Deputy from An Garda Síochána, which regrettably was not available in the timeframe available. I will write to the Deputy when this information is to hand.

The following deferred reply was received under Standing Order 51.

I refer to Parliamentary Question No. 662 of 14 July 2022 where you asked: “If An Garda Síochána have codified offences under the Control of Horses Act 1996; and if so, the numbers of arrest and convictions for each of the offences in tabular form.”

As you will recall, Minister McEntee had sought the information you requested from the Garda authorities and undertook to contact you again once the information was to hand. The delay in responding to you is regretted.

As you will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for carrying on and managing and controlling generally the administration and business of An Garda Síochána. As Minister, I have no direct role in these matters.

I understand that there are 18 Offence codes available in PULSE (each with the prefix ‘A72’) which are specifically related to the Control of Horses Act. This information is included in the table below for the Deputy’s information.

I am informed that there were 1,961 charges/summons created using the offence code A7236, entitled ‘Animal Cruelty to Contrary to Section 1 Protection of Animals Act, 1911, as amended by Protection of Animals Act, 1965 and Section 48 of the Control of Horses Act, 1996’. A further 364 charges/summons created using offence code A7209 – “ Wilfully Permit a Horse to Pose Danger/Injury etc.”

The earliest charge/summons dated back to 2001.

Additionally, I am further informed that 874 charges/summons have been created to date which refer to ‘control of horses’ in charge/summons details, but which used a blank offence code or other offence code not within the ‘A72’ convention. Charges created using blank offence codes date to as early as 2003.

This data was extracted from PULSE on 20 January 2023. This is operational data and subject to change.

I hope this information will be of assistance to you.

Departmental Staff

Questions (663)

Ruairí Ó Murchú

Question:

663. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Justice the total number of staff working on processing visa applications in her Department; if she has plans to increase this number; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39226/22]

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Written answers

Minister for Justice

I can inform the Deputy that there are currently 62 staff employed at Clerical Officer and Executive Officer level involved in the processing of entry visas and preclearance applications. This is made up of 39 staff in Dublin and the remainder are spread across the seven overseas visa offices.

Visas are also processed at certain Embassies of the Department of Foreign Affairs which process visa applications under delegated sanction from my Department. However, I am advised that it is not possible to provide the precise numbers of such staff as the processing of visas would not be the sole duty of those staff on their posting.

The Deputy can be assured that every effort is made to keep processing times to a minimum, and a number of measures have been put in place to deal with the increased demand for visas to come to Ireland. This has included the assignment of additional staff to deal with applications, and more generally the streamlining of visa processes where possible. The position in this regard is being kept under review.

Visa Applications

Questions (664)

Ruairí Ó Murchú

Question:

664. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Justice the plans to speed up the processing of appeals in the join family visa section of her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39228/22]

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Written answers

Minister for Justice

Decisions regarding the granting or refusal of visa appeals are made in a number of Visa Offices overseas and in my Department's Dublin Visa Office.

All visa applicants are advised that the onus is on them to provide as much information in support of their application as they feel is necessary. Guidelines in this regard are posted on my Department's immigration website (www.irishimmigration.ie). Applicants that follow these guidelines have an improved prospect of receiving a positive decision at first instance.

In order to be fair to all applicants, appeals are processed in the order in which they are received. The processing time at each office and location worldwide is determined by a number of factors such as the volume and complexity of appeals, whether investigation is required or not, individual circumstances, peak application periods, seasonal factors, and the resources available. While every effort is made to process applications as quickly as possible, processing times inevitably vary as a result.

The Deputy can be assured that every effort is made to keep processing times to a minimum, and a number of measures have been put in place to deal with the increased demand for visas to come to Ireland. This has included the streamlining of visa processes where possible. The position in this regard is being kept under review.

The central concern in deciding on visa applications and appeals, as with all visa services worldwide, is to strike an appropriate balance between protecting the country's vital national interests by maintaining an effective immigration regime while at the same time facilitating travel for those who meet the criteria. Each visa application and appeal is therefore decided on its own merits taking all factors into account.

An Garda Síochána

Questions (665)

Ruairí Ó Murchú

Question:

665. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Justice the number of unfilled posts in the Louth Garda division, including rank in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39230/22]

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Written answers

Minister for Justice

I have contacted the Garda authorities for the information requested by the Deputy. Regrettably this was not available within the time available. I will write to the Deputy once the information is to hand.

The following deferred reply was received under Standing Order 51.

I refer to Parliamentary Question No. 665 of 14 July 2022 where you sought: “To ask the Minister for Justice the number of unfilled posts in the Louth Garda division, including rank in tabular form”.

As you will recall, Minister McEntee sought the information you requested from the Garda authorities and undertook to contact you again once the information was to hand. As these matters now fall under my remit, I am responding to your query. The delay in responding is regretted.

As you are aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the administration and management of An Garda Síochána, including responsibility for the recruitment, training and distribution of Garda members. As Minister, I have no role in these matters.

Since 2015, the budget for An Garda Síochána has increased by approximately €672m, or 46%. This has allowed for sustained and ongoing recruitment and as Minister, I am committed to delivering the necessary resources to bring the number of Garda Members to 15,000 and beyond.

This level of funding will provide a steady pipeline of new Gardaí in the coming years, and the Government will continue to work with the Commissioner to ensure that An Garda Síochána is fully supported. Since the reopening of the Garda College in September 2014 a total of 4,029 Garda members have attested, this includes the 369 Probationers who attested in 2022 and the 24 Probationers who attested on the 13 January 2023.

I am advised by the Garda authorities that at 31 December 2022, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 403 Garda members assigned to Louth Division, which includes: 333 Gardaí, 55 Sergeants, 13 Inspectors, and 2 Superintendents. This represents an increase of over 40% since the end of December 2015 when there were 287 Garda members assigned to the Division.

I am informed that An Garda Síochána does not hold authorised figures for unfilled posts at both Garda and Sergeant uniform ranks within Divisions.

I am further informed that when consideration is given to the allocation and transfer of Garda members to and from any Division, account is given to commitments and undertakings outlined in the Annual Policing Plan and priorities as determined in delivering ‘A Policing Service for The Future’.

I understand that the requirements of all Garda Divisions nationwide are also taken into account, which include:

- Local and national crime trends and workloads

- Policing arrangements and operational strategies

- Minimum establishment statistics

- Local population and trends, geographical area and size

- Transfer applications, including welfare, personnel issues and concerns

I also understand that local and senior Garda Management are consulted during the allocation of personnel and are responsible for the specific deployment and assignment of duties being undertaken at divisional level. The situation remains closely monitored by the Garda Senior Leadership Team, particularly in view of commitments to the continued roll-out of the operating model of policing at divisional level to ensure optimum use of all Garda Resources in providing the best possible Garda service to the community.

I trust this information is of assistance.

Joint Policing Committees

Questions (666)

Ruairí Ó Murchú

Question:

666. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Justice the plans to roll out the community safety forums, which replace joint policing committees; and the timeline for these plans; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39231/22]

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Written answers

Minister for Justice

Community safety is about people being safe, and feeling safe within their communities. Ireland is generally regarded as a safe country in international terms, with relatively low crime rates and a general feeling of safety and security. However, we recognise that this is not the case in every community and that people living in disadvantaged areas can experience a different reality.

The Report of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland recognised that preventing crime and harm and making our communities safer does not rest with An Garda Síochána and my Department alone, but requires a whole of Government approach. Therefore, community safety goes beyond traditional high-visibility policing and must involve collaboration between service providers to find solutions to safety issues.

A community safety approach prioritises issues identified by the community itself as safety concerns and increases community confidence in service providers.

My Department's Community Safety Policy, which is published on the Gov.ie website, will ensure communities are safer and feel safer by making community safety a whole of Government responsibility and priority, to be delivered through Local Community Safety Partnerships (LCSPs), supported through a national governance structure.

The LCSPs will bring all services and the community together at local authority level, building upon and replacing existing Joint Policing Committees, to serve as a forum for discussion and decisions on community priorities. This means State services working with each other and the community to ensure there is better coordination between services such as educational and youth work with young people, the availability of local health and mental health services, drug prevention, housing and the built environment, and actions taken to combat alcohol and substance abuse, domestic abuse, youth crime, anti-social behaviour, and hate crime.

The partnership approach is built on two premises:

1. Every community is different and has different problems and issues; and

2. Responding to those problems and issues requires a range of inputs from across Government, local services, voluntary sector and the community itself.

Three pilot LCSPs have been fully established in Dublin North Inner City, Longford and Waterford. The pilots will run for two years, concluding in Q3 2023, and will be subject to a strict evaluation so that lessons learned and best practice from the pilot phase can inform the further roll out of the LCSP model to all local authority areas after the enactment of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill.

Each pilot LCSP is currently engaged in developing the first iteration of their Local Community Safety Plans and I look forward to seeing their progress in the months ahead.

An Garda Síochána

Questions (667)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

667. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Justice the number of unmarked garda motorcycles in the fleet as of 31 December 2020 and 8 July 2022, in tabular form [39256/22]

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Written answers

Minister for Justice

As the Deputy will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the administration and management of An Garda Síochána, including the purchase, allocation, and effective and efficient use of Garda vehicles. As Minister, I have no direct role in these matters.

I am advised, however, that Garda management keeps the distribution of resources under continual review to ensure their optimum use in light of identified operational needs and emerging crime trends.

The table below, provided to me by the Garda authorities, outlines the number of unmarked Garda motorcycles in the fleet as of 31 December 2020 and 8 July 2022.

-	Unmarked
As of 31 December 2020	6
As of 8 July 2022	8

An Garda Síochána

Questions (668)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

668. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Justice the number of public order training courses held for gardaí within the Kildare Division in the years of 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form. [39257/22]

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Written answers

Minister for Justice

As 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, which includes Garda training. As Minister, I have no role in such matters.

The table below, provided to me by the Garda authorities, outlines the number of public order training courses held for Gardaí within the Kildare Division in 2021 and to date in 2022.

Course	2021	2022 *
Public Order Operators Recertification	2	0

* Figures as of 13 July 2022.

An Garda Síochána

Questions (669)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

669. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Justice the number of licensing inspections of pubs and clubs that were carried out by gardaí in each District within the Dublin region in the years of 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form. [39258/22]

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Written answers

Minister for Justice

I have requested the information sought by the Deputy, which regrettably was not available in the timeframe available. I will write to the Deputy when this information is to hand.

The following deferred reply was received under Standing Order 51.

I refer to Parliamentary Question No. 669 of 14 July 2022 where you sought: “To ask the Minister for Justice the number of licensing inspections of pubs and clubs that were carried out by Garda in each District within the Dublin region in the years of 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form.”

As you will recall, Minister McEntee sought the information you requested and undertook to contact you again once the information was to hand. As I have since taken office I am responding to your question.

As you will be aware, in accordance with the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the general management and administration of An Garda Síochána, including liquor licensing inspections. As Minister, I have no role in these matters.

I am informed by An Garda Síochána that the tables below show the number of incidents on the PULSE system under the incident type 'Liquor Licensing Inspection of Premises No Offence Disclosed' reported in the Dublin Garda region during 2021 and 2022 (full year) and up to 26 January 2023. Incident counts are based on reported data and were collated based on operational PULSE data as of 27 January 2023.

'Liquor Licensing Inspection of Premises No Offence Disclosed' refers to the inspection by Gardaí of licensed premises under the Intoxicating Liquor Act and where no offence is discovered or detected at the inspection. If an offence is disclosed during an inspection, it is recorded as an offence of the relevant type. As such, there is no data available on the number of inspections where an offence is disclosed and it is not possible to provide the percentage of premises that were in breach of the legislation.

You may be aware that Operation Navigation was commenced in July 2020 and continued into 2021 to support public health measures related to licensed premises during the Covid-19 pandemic. Given some specific offences related to licensed premises were in effect for different periods of time during the pandemic this means this will have affected the figures for 2021. As such, the figures for 2021 are not directly comparable to 2022.

Table 1: Liquor Licensing Inspection of Premises (No Offence Disclosed) carried out in 2021

District	Inspections
District	Inspections
Balbriggan	108
Ballymun	303
Blackrock	266
Blanchardstown	155
Bridewell	*
Clondalkin	206
Coolock	136
Crumlin	535
Donnybrook	134
Dun Laoghaire	268
Fitzgibbon Street	213
Kevin Street	20
Lucan	36
Pearse Street	151
Raheny	107
Store Street	231
Tallaght	171
Terenure	15

* Fewer than 10

Table 2: Liquor Licensing Inspection of Premises (No Offence Disclosed) carried out in 2022

District	Inspections
District	Inspections
Balbriggan	59
Ballymun	141
Blackrock	54
Blanchardstown	54
Bridewell	50
Clondalkin	78
Coolock	*
Crumlin	215
Donnybrook	47
Dun Laoghaire	13
Fitzgibbon Street	39
Kevin Street	106
Lucan	*
Pearse Street	624
Raheny	79
Store Street	132
Tallaght	59
Terenure	234

* Fewer than 10

Table 3: Liquor Licensing Inspection of Premises (No Offence Disclosed) carried out in 2023 (01/01/2023 – 26/01/2023)

District	Inspections
District	Inspections
Balbriggan	*
Ballymun	12
Blackrock	*
Blanchardstown	-
Bridewell	*
Clondalkin	*
Coolock	-
Crumlin	30
Donnybrook	*
Dun Laoghaire	-
Fitzgibbon Street	*
Kevin Street	*
Lucan	-
Pearse Street	10
Raheny	*
Store Street	10
Tallaght	*
Terenure	29

* Fewer than 10

I hope that this information is of assistance.

Budget 2023

Questions (670)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

670. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Justice the estimated cost in 2023 if the budget for the Criminal Assets Bureau increased by 15%. [39259/22]

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Written answers

Minister for Justice

The Government is committed to ensuring that adequate resources are provided to support the work of the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) in targeting the proceeds of crime.

As the Deputy may be aware, CAB's financial allocation for 2022 was just under €11 million. This represents an increase of around €0.7m on its 2021 allocation.

If a further increase of 15% was applied in 2023 this would increase the CAB budget by approximately €1.6 million to €12.5m.

Departmental Programmes

Questions (671)

Brendan Smith

Question:

671. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Justice the number of applications that have been received and the number of approvals issued on an annual basis since 2012 in respect of the Immigrant Investor Programme under each particular investment fund; the total investment under each heading; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39295/22]

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Written answers

Minister for Justice

The Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP) was introduced by Government Decision in April 2012, to encourage inward investment and to create business and employment opportunities in the State. The Programme was introduced at a time when Ireland was going through a very significant economic downturn and Departments were tasked with initiating innovative programmes to attract investment and create employment as part of the Action Plan for Jobs 2012. Key to the programme is that the investments are beneficial for Ireland, generate or sustain employment and are generally in the public interest.

The criteria applied when assessing applications under the IIP is set out in the guidance published on my Department's immigration website at: www.irishimmigration.ie/coming-to-live-in-ireland/i-want-to-invest-in-ireland/

All projects which IIP applicants are investing in are also examined in great detail by an Independent Evaluation Committee comprising key officials from my Department, the Department of Finance, the Department of Foreign Affairs, Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland who have appropriate corporate expertise in this area. This examination process involves an assessment of the commercial viability of the project; employment outcomes associated with the proposed investment; and the overall benefit to the Irish State. The Committee makes a determination as to whether a project is suitable for IIP investment and, if deemed suitable, the individual application will be submitted to me for final approval.

My Department does not currently publish the details of individual approved IIP investments; however, this matter is currently under consideration The tables below provide a breakdown of IIP applications received, approved and the value of investments since the inception of the programme up to the end of 2021.

Year	Applications received	Approved applications	Value of Approved Investment
2012	5	2	1,500,000
2013	18	16	12,200,000
2014	30	8	4,450,000
2015	75	71	38,800,000
2016	334	33	18,750,000
2017	324	373	253,700,000
2018	423	156	139,750,000
2019	443	237	209,300,000
2020	339	270	188,000,000
2021	258	265	186,100,000
TOTAL	2,249	1,431	1,052,550,000

Approvals issued in any year may relate to applications which were received in previous years due to the time taken to process applications.

Investment Type	Total Applications Approved	Total Value of Investment
Enterprise	780	639,000,000
Investment Fund	214	196,000,000
REIT	6	12,000,000
Endowment	375	152,600,000
Bond & Mixed Investment	56	53,950,000
TOTAL	1,431	1,052,550,000

Immigration Status

Questions (672)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

672. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice the current and or expected residency status in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39326/22]

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Written answers

Minister for Justice

I can confirm that an application for renewal of permission to remain from the person referred to by the Deputy was approved by my Department on 13 July 2022.

Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to my Department by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility at INISOireachtasMail@justice.ie, which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Question process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in the cases where the response is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.

Immigration Status

Questions (673)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

673. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice the current and or expected residency status in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39327/22]

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Written answers

Minister for Justice

The immigration case of the person referred to by the Deputy is impacted by the European Court of Justice judgment in the Chenchooliah case.

My Department has, this week, issued the person concerned with a short-term permission on Stamp 1 conditions, which allows them to work without the need for an employment permit. Their longer-term position in the State is expected to be decided on within the period of the short-term permission granted. If this is not possible, the permission will be extended for a further period, on similar conditions, subject to compliance with the original conditions of the short-term permission.

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.

Immigration Status

Questions (674)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

674. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice the current and or expected residency status in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39332/22]

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Written answers

Minister for Justice

The person referred to by the Deputy was granted a renewal of their permission to remain in the State by letter dated 28 January 2019. I am advised that they can renew their permission at their local registration office and should seek to do so immediately.

As it appears that the person concerned is resident in Dublin, they can apply to renew their permission on the online renewal system for the Burgh Quay Registration Office at: inisonline.jahs.ie/.

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.

Budget 2023

Questions (675)

Éamon Ó Cuív

Question:

675. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Health whether it is intended to announce an accessible budget for disability in order that persons with disabilities and their families can understand the number of existing and new residential supports, day places and respite supports that are provided in the forthcoming Budget and the relationship between these supports and the capacity review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39042/22]

View answer

Awaiting reply from Department.

Departmental Meetings

Questions (676)

Thomas Gould

Question:

676. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the last meeting of the strategic implementation group under the National Drugs Strategy chaired by his Department. [39247/22]

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Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Health

Strategic implementation groups (SIGs) have been established to support the implementation of the six strategic priorities for 2021-2025 under the national drugs strategy, Reducing Harm Supporting Recovery. These priorities strengthen the health-led approach, reflect commitments in the Programme for Government and align with the EU drugs strategy and action plan 2021-2025.

The new structures reflect the partnership approach and give a stronger voice to civil society by broadening and deepening the involvement of community and voluntary groups in the implementation of the strategy.

Membership of the Groups is comprised of representatives from Government departments and agencies, drug and alcohol taskforces and civil society.

Independent leadership has been provided to ensure the accountability of all stakeholders. These independent chairs will bring impartiality, insight and experience in addressing the challenges of drug and alcohol use. The independent chairs from each Implementation Group, have become members of the National Oversight Committee, and will report to the NOC on the progress made within their respective group. The next meeting of the National Oversight Group is scheduled for September. There are no Government departments acting as chairs for these Strategic Implementation Groups.

I am committed to the partnership approach and a stronger voice to civil society organisations in developing national policy.

Departmental Funding

Questions (677)

Patricia Ryan

Question:

677. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Health the estimated cost of a review group to investigate reducing the red tape in funding applications for section 38, 39 and other organisations and individual benefit applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39527/22]

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Written answers

Minister for Health

The Minister has no knowledge of this group, consequently costs of such a group have not been determined.

Disability Services

Questions (678)

Danny Healy-Rae

Question:

678. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if he will ensure that necessary and valuable services are provided for people with disabilities and special needs. [38904/22]

View answer

Awaiting reply from Department.

Hospital Admissions