Written Answers Nos. 441-461
441. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the quotas for nursing students in both the 2021/2022 and 2022/2023 academic years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60728/22]
View answerSince Covid-19, a number of additional places have been added to the system to increase the number of nursing students.
- under the Additional Places initiatives 2021/22 – an additional c.188 places were made available
- under the Additional Places initiative 2022/23 – an additional c.135 places were made available
This brings the number of new nursing students to 1,954.
The HEA recently issued an expression of interest to Higher Education Institutions for further additional places in Medicine, Nursing, Dentistry, Pharmacy and Veterinary. It is expected that further additional places will be created as a result of this process for the academic year starting from 2024/205.
To take forward implementation of Funding the Future, I established a steering group which I chair alongside Professor Anne Looney and Professor Tom Collins. Two working groups have been established led by Professors Looney and Collins. Working Group two is chaired by Professor Collins and is focused on skills, participation and cost and is currently focusing on skills shortages in Nursing and issues impacting on expansion - particularly in relation to securing appropriate placements.
The matter of health workforce planning and ensuring an appropriate pipeline of qualified healthcare workers within Ireland, is a major priority for my Department. The Programme for Government commits the Department of Health to working with the education sectors, regulators, and professional bodies to improve the availability of health professionals and reform their training to support integrated care across the entire health service.
It is important to say that the provision of such programmes in the further and higher education system must have regard to overall workforce plans which are the responsibility of the relevant agencies and Departments to develop for their sectors. Such plans need to take account of planned service expansion, retirement and improvements in the retention of existing staff, and changes in the mix of staff which employers are best placed to understand and influence.
My officials are actively engaging with the Department of Health and other relevant stakeholders to ensure that we can continue to deliver graduates with the skills necessary to support our healthcare system and support the strategic workforce planning by the health sector.
442. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will provide a list of the categories of public sector workers and civil servants under his Department whose contracts fall under the Croke Park Agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60736/22]
View answerThe Croke Park Agreement encompassed all civil and public servants under my Department. No distinction was made between categories of civil servants under the Agreement.
443. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 525 of 29 November 2022, if there are plans to allow students who have to repeat a year apply to the student assistance fund for help to cover fees in view of their exclusion from the reduced registration fees (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60766/22]
View answerA key principle of the design of the free fees initiative and the SUSI scheme is to encourage progression, that is, to support students in progressing through a chosen course of study from year to year. As a result, students are not typically supported for a repeat period of study or for a different course at the same level.
I am conscious that not all students are eligible for free fees of student grants. Students in publicly funded third-level institutions experiencing exceptional financial difficulty can apply for support under the Student Assistance Fund. For the 2022/23 academic year, a further €8 million has been allocated to the Student Assistance Fund as a cost of living measure. This is on top of the core allocation of €9.1million bringing the total allocation to €17.1m.
The Student Assistance Fund (SAF) provides financial assistance to students experiencing financial difficulties while attending third level. Students can be assisted towards the costs of rent, childcare, transport costs and books/class materials. Students on full or part-time courses leading to a higher education award (NQF level 6-10) in the universities, institutes of technology and other approved colleges can apply for the SAF. Students with a previous higher education qualification at the same NQF level, or who, in the past, attended higher education without ultimately obtaining a qualification, may be considered for support on a case-by-case basis and subject to available funding. However, funding is not available to assist students with the costs of tuition fees, registration fees, student loans or any costs that are borne by the HEI. There are no plans to change the current SAF guidelines.
Students who experience financial difficulty should contact the access or student services office in the institution they are attending for further information on how to apply for the SAF.
444. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of SUSI applications that were rejected on the basis that the pandemic unemployment payment brought their income over the threshold in each of the past 12 months. [60818/22]
View answerThe main support available to students is the statutory based Student Grant Scheme where students are studying for the first time or are progressing to study at a higher level. Under the terms of the Student Grant Scheme, grant assistance is awarded to eligible students attending an approved course in an approved institution who meet the prescribed conditions of funding including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means.
The Scheme is administered on behalf of my Department by the national student grant awarding authority SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland), a business unit of CDETB. The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter, in the first instance, for the centralised student grant awarding authority SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland) to determine.
SUSI have confirmed that it is not possible to provide data as requested by the Deputy. When SUSI assesses an applicant’s reckonable income, the totality of the income is examined. If the total income is found to exceed the income thresholds outlined in the legislation, the applicant is deemed ineligible due to their total income exceeding the income thresholds. The Pandemic Unemployment Payment is only one component of an applicant’s total reckonable income, and it is not possible for SUSI to determine which component of the income results in the total income exceeding the threshold.
However, article 32 of the Student Grant Scheme 2021 provides for a review of eligibility for the award of a grant in the event of a change of circumstances in the academic year. Where a student experiences a change of circumstances during the course of their studies, he/she may apply to SUSI to have his/her application re-assessed at helpdesk@SUSI.ie quoting Internal Review in the Subject line.
As part of a comprehensive customer service and communications strategy provided by Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI), to ensure that all necessary avenues are open to applicants to receive the information they need, a dedicated email and phone line service is provided by SUSI for Oireachtas members. This was established to meet an identified need for applicants who choose to engage the assistance of their public representatives in making enquiries about their grant applications. Enquiries may be emailed direct to SUSI oireachtas@susi.ie. Staff in SUSI are responding to email queries within a matter of days.
445. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of SUSI applications that were rejected in each of the past five years and to date in 2022. [60819/22]
View answerThe Student Grant Scheme is the principal support for students in financial terms by my Department. It provides grant assistance to eligible students attending approved full-time courses in approved further or higher educational institutions who meet the prescribed eligibility criteria of the relevant scheme. The Scheme is administered on behalf of my Department by the national student grant awarding authority SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland), a business unit of CDETB. Under the terms of the Student Grant Scheme, grant assistance is awarded to eligible students attending an approved course in an approved institution who meet the prescribed conditions of funding including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means.
Please see below table for number of persons who were refused a grant from 2017/18 to 2022/23, data as of 25 November 2022
|
Academic Year |
2017/18 |
2018/19 |
2019/20 |
2020/21 |
2021/22 |
2022/23* |
|
Applications Refused |
17,130 |
15,878 |
16,747 |
18,571 |
17,861 |
17,460 |
*Data for current 2022/23 academic year is likely to change as processing is ongoing.
If an individual applicant considers that he/she has been unjustly refused a student grant, he/she may appeal, in the first instance, to his/her awarding body. Where an individual applicant has had an appeal turned down in writing by the awarding authority and remains of the view that the scheme has not been interpreted correctly in his/her case, an appeal outlining the position may be submitted by the applicant to the independent Student Grants Appeals Board.
446. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of students who had their SUSI grant funding withdrawn from them mid-academic year in each of the past five years and to date in 2022. [60820/22]
View answerThe information sought by the Deputy is currently being compiled by SUSI, who are the awarding authority. I have arranged for officials from my Department to forward the information directly to the Deputy's office once it is received from SUSI.
447. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of students who applied for SUSI grants by county in each of the past five years and to date in 2022. [60821/22]
View answerThe information sought by the Deputy is currently being compiled by SUSI, who are the awarding authority. I have arranged for officials from my Department to forward the information directly to the Deputy's office once it is received from SUSI.
448. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the number of students who qualified for a SUSI grant by county in each of the past five years and to date in 2022. [60822/22]
View answerThe principal support provided by my Department in financial terms is the Student Grant Scheme. Under the terms of the Scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students attending an approved course in an approved institution who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means.
The scheme is demand led and as such the numbers applying each year can change for reasons such as demographics, employment rates etc. The number of students who qualified for a SUSI grant by county in each of the past five years and to date in 2022 is as follows
Breakdown by Home Address County:
|
Home Address County |
2018/19 |
2019/20 |
2020/21 |
2021/22 |
2022/23* |
|
Carlow |
1,223 |
1,121 |
1,205 |
1,162 |
1,053 |
|
Cavan |
1,690 |
1,611 |
1,565 |
1,425 |
1,290 |
|
Clare |
2,340 |
2,206 |
2,256 |
2,246 |
1,921 |
|
Cork |
8,324 |
7,853 |
8,161 |
7,630 |
6,469 |
|
Donegal |
3,860 |
3,691 |
3,885 |
3,522 |
3,024 |
|
Dublin |
15,319 |
14,808 |
15,914 |
15,876 |
13,498 |
|
Galway |
5,068 |
4,772 |
4,793 |
4,595 |
3,883 |
|
Kerry |
2,996 |
2,845 |
2,858 |
2,698 |
2,332 |
|
Kildare |
3,221 |
3,157 |
3,322 |
3,291 |
2,757 |
|
Kilkenny |
1,863 |
1,804 |
1,797 |
1,705 |
1,418 |
|
Laois |
1,610 |
1,595 |
1,644 |
1,552 |
1,359 |
|
Leitrim |
809 |
781 |
751 |
674 |
588 |
|
Limerick |
3,441 |
3,261 |
3,320 |
3,154 |
2,761 |
|
Longford |
825 |
822 |
902 |
920 |
764 |
|
Louth |
2,689 |
2,679 |
2,865 |
2,844 |
2,471 |
|
Mayo |
2,868 |
2,789 |
2,842 |
2,745 |
2,232 |
|
Meath |
3,024 |
2,932 |
3,134 |
3,062 |
2,553 |
|
Monaghan |
1,327 |
1,296 |
1,303 |
1,244 |
1,091 |
|
Offaly |
1,556 |
1,523 |
1,556 |
1,529 |
1,270 |
|
Roscommon |
1,462 |
1,308 |
1,339 |
1,295 |
1,137 |
|
Sligo |
1,360 |
1,322 |
1,279 |
1,169 |
970 |
|
Tipperary |
3,082 |
2,869 |
2,852 |
2,725 |
2,224 |
|
Waterford |
2,315 |
2,232 |
2,390 |
2,266 |
1,876 |
|
Westmeath |
1,795 |
1,700 |
1,797 |
1,721 |
1,398 |
|
Wexford |
3,051 |
2,880 |
2,966 |
2,746 |
2,343 |
|
Wicklow |
2,095 |
1,979 |
2,048 |
1,961 |
1,679 |
|
Other/Out Of State |
584 |
512 |
531 |
698 |
753 |
|
Grand Total |
79,797 |
76,348 |
79,275 |
76,455 |
65,114 |
*Data for current academic year 2022/23 likely to change as processing is ongoing.
449. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the reason that in cases in which an applicant is assessed as a dependant applicant upon entry to the SUSI processing system, they are unable to be assessed correctly if their circumstances have changed and they can prove these changes (details supplied). [60835/22]
View answerUnder the terms of the student grant scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students on full-time courses who meet the prescribed conditions of funding including those which relate to nationality, residency, approved course, previous academic attainment and means.
The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter in the first instance for the grant awarding authority, Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI).
To be eligible for the Special Rate of grant, an applicant's total reckonable income must not exceed €24,500 and must include on the 31st December of the year prior to their application, one of the eligible payments as provided for in Schedule 2 of the Student Grant Scheme 2022.
The position in this case is that the student listed one parent on his application and proved separation. Therefore, only the income of that parent is considered. No party to the application held an eligible payment as provided for in Schedule 2 of the student grant scheme 2022.
However, article 32 of the Student Grant Scheme 2021 provides for a review of eligibility for the award of a grant in the event of a change of circumstances in the academic year. Where a student experiences a change of circumstances during the course of their studies, he/she may apply to SUSI to have his/her application re-assessed at helpdesk@SUSI.ie quoting Internal Review in the Subject line.
Where an individual applicant has had an appeal turned down in writing by an appeals officer in SUSI and remains of the view that the scheme has not been interpreted correctly in his/her case, an appeal may be submitted to the independent Student Grants Appeals Board within the required timeframe (i.e. not later than 30 days after the notification of the determination of the appeals officer to the applicant). Such appeals can be made by the appellant on line via www.studentgrantappeals.ie.
Apart from the Student Grant Scheme, students in third-level institutions experiencing exceptional financial need can apply for support under the Student Assistance Fund. This Fund assists students, in a sensitive and compassionate manner, who might otherwise be unable to continue their third level studies due to their financial circumstances. Information on the fund is available through the Access Office in the third level institution attended.
450. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 801 of 8 November 2022, when funding will be phased in for graduate entry medicine and if a reduction of student contribution fees is expected by September 2023. [60930/22]
View answer451. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 801 of 8 November 2022, if extra Government funding for universities, such as University College Dublin, will be ringfenced to ensure lower student contribution fees going forward. [60931/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 450 and 451 together.
The total level of fees charged to Graduate Entry Medicine students is a matter for the higher education institutions, consistent with the principle of their institutional autonomy.
However, as I outlined in my response to PQ No 801 of 8 November, the State does provide support to institutions for Graduate Entry Medicine programmes in order to widen access and assist the students pursuing these programmes. In this context, the fees of EU students enrolled in Graduate Entry Medicine are partly subsidised by the State via the Higher Education Authority. As of the 2021/2022 academic year, the State contribution towards Graduate Entry Medicine places was €11,950 per student per year. It has now been agreed that, for new places, the State contribution will increase to €14,500 per year while, for existing places, the level of State support will be increased to this level on a phased basis over a multi-year period. The balance of fees is payable by the student.
As the overall fee level for Graduate Entry Medicine is determined by the higher education institutions, the level of contribution by the student to the overall fee level is also a matter for the relevant institutions. It is not open to my Department to intervene in the tuition fee policy of the institutions.
452. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Justice if she will provide an update on the funding provision for youth diversion programmes. [60924/22]
View answerYouth Diversion Projects (YDPs) are community based organisations that work with young people at risk of crime and anti-social behaviour in an effort to divert them from criminal behaviour towards better life outcomes. They are a key support to An Garda Síochána in the operation of the statutory Garda Youth Diversion Programme under the Children's Act 2001.
Having visited many Youth Diversion Projects across the country during my time as Minister of State, I have seen first-hand the positive impact they have on both the young people they work with and their wider communities.
YDPs engage with young people under Juvenile Liaison Officer supervision, or who have been referred by other agencies, for example Tusla. The YDPs provide a range of supports, including education, training and employment support, social enterprise initiatives, as well as personal development supports such as mentoring.
There are currently 105 YDPs in operation and the intention (under the Government’s Youth Justice Strategy) is to provide full geographic availability of youth diversion services throughout the State by the end of 2023.
To that end, I secured almost €780,000 in funding from Budget 2022 to expand the YDP network. I was pleased to invite proposals this week from community and youth service organisations to establish new Youth Diversion Projects in South Monaghan, Claremorris, Co. Mayo, South and East Co. Wicklow and West Cork.
I was also delighted to have secured an additional €2.5 million in Budget 2023, to a total of €30.5 million, to implement the Youth Justice Strategy – this will help us expand these important services to everyone who needs them to create better outcomes for young people.
Expressions of interest in principle from community-based organisations in establishing new YDPs in any of these areas should be submitted to yjs@justice.ie by 12 January 2023, having regard to the operational requirements as set out at: www.gov.ie/en/collection/1a1cd-youth-diversion-projects/.
453. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Justice if her Department will review the decision on an application for a holiday visa by a person (details supplied). [60158/22]
View answerThe visa application referred to by the Deputy was refused by the Visa Office in Abu Dhabi on 11 November 2022. The reasons for this decision were set out in the refusal letter sent to the applicants at that time.
To date, no appeal of this decision has been received by the Visa Office. Appeals must be submitted within 2 months of the date on the letter of refusal. Appeals must be submitted by post only.
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.
454. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice the progress that has been made 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. [60196/22]
View answerThe naturalisation application from the person referred to by the Deputy continues to be processed by my Department, with a view to establishing whether the applicant meets the statutory conditions for the granting of naturalisation. It 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.
Applications are processed in chronological order by date received. Due to the high volume of applications currently on hand, regrettably, the median time for processing applications is 23 months.
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.
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.
455. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Justice if she will expedite a holiday visa application for a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60249/22]
View answerI am pleased to inform the Deputy that the application referred to was granted on the 30 November 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 (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.
456. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice the residency status in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60274/22]
View answerThe person referred to by the Deputy has lodged a review application in respect of their EU Treaty Rights application decision of 17 December 2019. The processing of this application is ongoing at present. As each application is examined under it's own merits, we are unable to give an exact time-frame for completion. However, the person referred to can be assured that there will be no avoidable delay in finalising their application.
The person referred to was issued a Temporary Stamp 4 permission, valid to 17 January 2023, while their application is pending. The EU Treaty Rights Division of my Department have informed me that a decision on this case is likely to issue before this permission expires.
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.
457. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice if he will provide a breakdown of the number of additional gardaí hired since 27 June 2020, by county, in tabular form. [60283/22]
View answer468. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice the number of members currently in An Garda Síochána; and the number of members in An Garda Síochána on 27 June 2020. [60590/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 457 and 468 together.
As the Deputy will be aware, 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 decisions on the deployment of personnel among the various Garda Divisions. As Minister, I have no role in these matters.
The Government is committed to ensuring that An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs, with the unprecedented allocation provided in Budget 2023 of €2.14 billion.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that since the reopening of the Garda College in September 2014 a total of 4,500 Probationer Gardaí have attested, this includes the 1,039 probationer Gardaí who attested in 2020, 2021 and 2022 (a monthly breakdown is not available).
The table below which has been provided to me by the Garda authorities, sets out the number of probationer Gardaí who were assigned to Garda stations nationwide from 2015 to 8 July 2022, the date of the last attestation. Please note that this information is based upon operational data which has been provided by An Garda Síochána and may be liable to change.
The Deputy will appreciate that while Garda numbers have continued to grow over recent years, this growth stalled in 2022 due to the closure of the Garda college for much of 2020 and 2021 as a result of Covid-19, which had a knock on impact throughout the recruitment process. I am pleased to say that a new competition commenced earlier this year and the first new trainees from this competition entered the college last month, with more classes to come on stream over the course of 2023. Upon completion of the training programme, these trainees will attest as probationer Gardaí and be assigned to Garda duties.
|
Year |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
Total |
|
Total number of Probationer Gardaí |
296 |
393 |
883 |
789 |
605 |
522 |
148 |
369 |
4,005 |
For the Deputy's information, detailed statistics on Garda workforce numbers, including a full breakdown of probationer Gardaí by Division and station are published on my Department's website and can be accessed using the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/7c2e6-probationer-gardai/.
458. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice if he will provide a breakdown of the details of all new Garda stations built or existing stations refurbished since 27 June 2020, on a divisional basis in tabular form. [60284/22]
View answerI have requested the information sought by the Deputy from An Garda Síochána, and will contact him again when this is to hand.
459. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice if she will provide a breakdown of investment in courthouses since 27 June 2020, by county in tabular form. [60285/22]
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: oireachtasenquiries@courts.ie.
Figures of this nature are recorded by the Courts Service. Therefore, I have referred your question to the Courts Service for their direct reply.
460. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Justice the number of adult caution notifications issued to persons by An Garda Síochána in 2019, 2020, 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form; and the Act used to apply the caution. [60304/22]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the administration and management of An Garda Síochána, including operational policing matters. As Minister, I have no direct role.
The table below, provided to me by the Garda authorities, outlines the number of adult caution notifications issued to persons by An Garda Síochána in 2019, 2020, 2021 and up to 30 November 2022, grouped according to the offence category.
|
- |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022* |
|
Public Order Offences |
2192 |
2419 |
2007 |
2175 |
|
Theft |
1775 |
1978 |
1399 |
1590 |
|
Drugs |
n/a |
** |
1678 |
1614 |
|
Assault |
616 |
789 |
574 |
504 |
|
Criminal Damage |
304 |
462 |
360 |
289 |
|
Fraud/Economic Crime |
67 |
47 |
11 |
17 |
|
Other Categories |
** |
15 |
12 |
21 |
*Up to 30 November 2022.
**Fewer than 10 Adult Cautions issued.
N/A - It is worth noting that Section 3 of the Misuse of Drugs Act, 1977 (Possession of cannabis or cannabis resin a controlled substance, commonly referred to as “simple possession” or “possession for personal use,” was added to the schedule of offences for the Adult Cautioning Scheme on 14 December 2020.
I am advised by the Garda authorities that the data provided is according to the PULSE system as of 2 December 2022.
I am further advised that “Year issued” refers to the year in which offender details were updated on the PULSE system to reflect the issuing of an Adult Caution.
461. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Justice if her attention has been drawn to the fact that Ireland is an outlier in Europe in relation to Colombian nationals requiring a short-stay visa to travel to Ireland, unlike the rest of the EU and the UK; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60356/22]
View answerI am aware that the UK have very recently lifted the visa requirement on Colombia for short visits and that this arrangement also applies in the Schengen area. The Deputy will also be aware that both the UK and Schengen States intend to introduce in the near future an Electronic Travel Authorisation System for certain non-visa required countries.
It is the case that Colombia remains on the list of visa required countries for Ireland. In support of visa processing in Colombia, it is planned to open a Visa Application Centre (VAC) in Bogota in the first quarter of 2023. My Department has also extended the multi-entry visa option for up to 5 years for all visa required countries, including Colombia. These measures should assist in timely processing of visa applications and a more flexible visa package for Colombian citizens visiting Ireland.
In general, the decision to impose a visa requirement is based on a variety of factors including the risk of irregular immigration, public policy and security, tourism and trade and the Common Travel Area. While there is no immediate proposal to lift the visa requirement on Colombia, this matter is being kept under active review.
