Written Answers Nos. 464-483
464. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice if he will provide an update on an application for citizenship by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3003/23]
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.
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.
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.
465. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Justice when work will commence on the proposed family law centre at Hammond Lane, Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3044/23]
View answerReforming the operation of the family justice system to ensure that we have a more efficient and user-friendly family court system is a key continuing commitment in the Department's Justice Plan. The Programme for Government also contains a commitment to build a new Family Law Court building in Dublin.
The Hammond Lane complex will be built with the specific needs of family law users in mind and will provide a modern facility where family law cases can be held in a dignified, secure and non-threatening environment with a range of support services at hand. It will replace the present inadequate and fragmented facilities for family law in central Dublin at Dolphin House, Chancery Street, Phoenix House and in the Four Courts.
Work has commenced on the project and approval in principle to proceed (Decision Gate 1 under the Public Spending Code) was granted by my Department in June 2022. Project structures have been established, including a Project Board to oversee the implementation of the project comprising of senior officials from the stakeholder organisations.
An extensive engagement process has taken place with 24 internal and external stakeholders. More recently, the Courts Service Hammond Lane Project Board approved in principle the design plans of the building at its meeting on 28 November 2022, subject to a number of amendments that are currently being addressed.
The Courts Service continues to work with OPW regarding the Part 9 Planning application and progressing the transfer of the site into Courts Service ownership.
466. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Justice if the Garda National Vetting Bureau presented annual reports to his Department in each of the years 2016 to 2021; if he will provide a copy of each report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3151/23]
View answerThe Garda National Vetting Bureau (GNVB) has submitted an annual report to my Department for the years 2018, 2019 and 2020. I have attached copies of these reports below for the Deputy.
I am informed by An Garda Síochána that the 2021 report has been completed and is currently in the process of being translated to Irish before it will be submitted to my Department.
I have also been informed that annual reports were not completed in 2016 and 2017 as a result of the significant workload being undertaken at the GNVB to transition from a paper-based system to an e-vetting system. This was underpinned by the National Vetting Bureau (Children and Vulnerable Persons) Acts 2012 to 2016.
Due to the competing demands of on-boarding approximately 25,000 relevant organisations on to the e-vetting system and managing the Retrospective Vetting requirement of section 21 of the Act, the GNVB were not in a position to complete annual reports at that time.
I trust this has been of assistance.
467. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice the progress to date in the determination of a visa application in the case of a person (details supplied); when a decision is likely to issue; the reason for the delay is issuing visas to date; the plans that are in place to address this delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3196/23]
View answerLong Stay Join Family visa applications are processed in accordance with the guidelines set out in the Policy Document on Non-EEA Family Reunification. This policy document may be accessed at the following link:
www.irishimmigration.ie/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Policy-document-on-Non-EEA-family-reunification.pdf
This Policy Document contains a stated business target that visa applications for family reunification for immediate family members of Irish citizens and Category A sponsors, such as Critical Skills Employment Permit Holders, should be dealt with within 6 months of receipt in the relevant visa office, in this case Dublin.
However, it must be made clear that these are business targets for the immigration service. Accordingly, they in no way constitute legal obligations or convey any indication that a case not completed within the timeframe will in default of decision be resolved in the applicant’s favour. The business target reflects the detailed and often complex assessment that is required to be carried out in relation to applications for family reunification.
It is not possible to give a definitive date as to when this application will be finalised. All applications are processed in chronological order, based on date order of receipt. While every effort is made to process applications as soon as possible, processing times will vary having regard to the volume and complexity of applications, the possible need for the Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) function of the Department to investigate, inquire into, or seek further information, and the resources available.
The applicant will be notified as soon as a decision has been reached by a Visa Officer.
The Dublin Visa Office are currently processing visas of this type received, in the Dublin Visa office, on the 3 July 2022. Processing times and decisions at the Dublin Visa Office can be checked at the following link which is updated each Tuesday:
www.irishimmigration.ie/visa-decisions/
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.
The person referred to by the Deputy created on-line Join Family visa application on 8 October 2022. The supporting documentation and relevant fees were received on 21 October 2022 in the Athens office. This visa application was received in the Dublin Visa Office for further processing on 1 December 2022.
468. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Justice the number of persons caught in possession of 7 g or less of cannabis for the past two years, by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3262/23]
View answerAs the Deputy will also 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, including Garda ICT systems. As Minister for Justice, I also have no role in such matters.
However, to be of assistance, I requested related information from the Garda authorities who inform me that it is not possible to provide the requested data in respect of this request due to the manner in which the data is recorded on the PULSE system.
I am further informed that Forensic Science Ireland (FSI) provides verified data regarding drug types, weights and values following analysis. However, this data is provided only in aggregated format and published in An Garda Síochána annual reports.
The Deputy will be aware that the Government’s strategic approach to the misuse of drugs is health-led, under the National Drugs and Alcohol Strategy 2017-2025, Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery, with the intention being to reduce demand, while balancing this with limiting access to illegal drugs to the greatest extent possible.
469. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Justice the number of additional gardaí in County Clare since 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3263/23]
View answerAs 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 responsibility for the recruitment, training and deployment of Garda members. As Minister, I have no role in such matters.
I can however assure the Deputy that the Government is committed to building stronger, safer communities and a strengthened Garda Síochána is at the centre of that.
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 Gardaí to 15,000 and beyond.
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 informed by the Garda authorities that the table below sets out the number of Garda members assigned to Clare Division at 31 December 2021 and 31 December 2022.
|
Clare Division |
GD |
SG |
IN |
SU |
CS |
AC |
Total |
|
31/12/2021 |
250 |
50 |
10 |
2 |
1 |
313 |
|
|
21/12/2022 |
234 |
59 |
10 |
2 |
1 |
306 |
I am further informed that the number of Garda staff assigned to Clare Division increased by over 4% during this period.
This increase in Garda staff numbers means that as well as new Gardaí assigned to the Division, additional Gardaí can be redeployed from administrative to operational policing duties, where their training and policing expertise can be used to best effect.
The tables in the attached spreadsheet which have been provided to me by the Garda authorities, set out the number of Gardaí who were assigned to Clare Division by District and station at end December 2021 and at end December 2022, the latest date for which figures are available.
Please note that this information is based upon operational data which has been provided by An Garda Síochána and may be liable to change.
For the Deputy's information, detailed statistics on Garda workforce numbers are published on my Department's website and can be accessed using the following link:
www.gov.ie/en/publication/bd777-an-garda-siochana-your-police-service-some-facts-and-figures/
470. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Justice why certain security companies are being issued private security authority licences when they are failing to honour section 3.6, 'Compliance with Legislation', of the PSA licencing requirements, specifically subsection 3.6.1/13 - Compliance with Employment Regulation Orders (ERO); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3368/23]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, the Private Security Authority (PSA), an independent body under the aegis of my Department, is the statutory body with responsibility for licensing and regulating the private security industry in Ireland. I am advised by the PSA that the current Employment Regulation Order (ERO), came into effect in 2017 (S.I. 231 of 2017) and the PSA checks for compliance with this ERO as part of its inspection regime. Contractors found to be in breach of the ERO by the PSA face a range of sanctions up to and including the revocation of their licence.
I am further advised by the PSA that the High Court granted an injunction prohibiting the Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment from commencing the proposed Statutory Instrument giving effect to a new Employment Regulation Order (ERO) for the Security Industry. Accordingly, as the new ERO is not currently in force compliance with its proposed provisions do not form part of the PSA licensing and inspection regime .
471. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Justice the total monetary amount of non-repayable moneys provided by his Department through grants, funding supports, tax breaks or other means to businesses in each of the years 2020, 2021 and 2022, in tabular form. [3386/23]
View answerIt has not been possible to collate the information requested within the timeframe. I will revert to the Deputy directly as soon as the information is available.
|
2020 |
2021 |
2022* |
|
|
Probation and Welfare - Projects (Voluntary Bodies) |
16,171,779 |
16,840,711 |
16,842,518 |
|
Social Disadvantage (Dormant Accounts Funded) |
6,681,547 |
8,508,809 |
9,073,338 |
|
Funding for Victims of Crime and Prevention of Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence |
4,404,789 |
5,583,024 |
9,524,968 |
|
Youth Justice Services |
14,196,482 |
15,109,789 |
22,817,388 |
|
Others |
1,605,045 |
1,625,160 |
5,121,953 |
|
Total |
43,059,642 |
47,667,493 |
63,380,165 |
472. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Health when a full complement of therapists will be provided to a school (details supplied) in Dublin 12. [3369/23]
View answerAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
473. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of patients on community healthcare waiting lists for each care service for December 2022, in tabular form; the breakdown by length of wait and by age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2692/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
474. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of patients on community healthcare waiting lists for each care service for December 2019, in tabular form; the breakdown by length of wait and by age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2693/23]
View answerThis PQ relates to operational matters and has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
475. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of children on disability service waiting lists for children’s disability networks teams by CHO-CDNT for December 2022, in tabular form; the average length of wait; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2694/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
476. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of persons on disability service waiting lists for each service type, excluding children’s disability network teams, for December 2022, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2695/23]
View answerAs this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
477. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of persons on CAMHS waiting lists, by CHO, and by age and length of wait for December 2022, in tabular form. [2696/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
478. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of children on waiting lists for an assessment of need; the number overdue for completion; and the average length of wait. [2697/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
479. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health the number of persons on diagnostic waiting lists at the end of October 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2698/23]
View answerThe document at the link sets out waiting list data for Quarter 3 2022 for CT, MRI and Ultrasound. The HSE advises that, at present, further diagnostic scans (including cholangiopancreatography, electroencephalogram, angiogram, and bone scan), are not yet captured.
Waiting list data for quarter 3 2022
The HSE advises that a pilot project commenced in 2016 by the HSE Acute Hospitals Division to progress the collection of national radiology waiting list data. The project has been supported by the Radiology Clinical Care Programme and has involved key stakeholders across the system including the National Integrated Medical Imaging System (NIMIS) Team, Hospital Groups, and the support of the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) for data collection and data management expertise.
The information that is currently being collected is presently being tested and validated at hospital, hospital group and national level and as such should not be used/reported without the context of the caveats set out below:
- Data is subject to inclusions and exclusions which are documented in the Data Profile Document. This document is available from Acute Operations and has been circulated to all Hospital Groups.
-Data contains urgent, routine and surveillance/planned activity which is currently not broken down in detail, as such this includes surveillance/planned activity which may not be exceeding planned date.
- Data is still undergoing validation at Hospital and Hospital Group level.
- Data does not take into account local nuances at site level (Site profile developed to support understanding of same).
- The purpose of this aggregate data is to provide a National Level overview of the number of patients waiting for modalities of CT, MRI and Ultrasound.
- This report is not intended to be used for the active management of hospital diagnostics waiting list, local reports and mechanisms should continue to be used for the management of diagnostics waiting lists at hospital level.
In Q3 2022, there were a total of 243,114 patients reported on the waiting list from all sites, this represents all outpatients waiting, urgent, semi urgent, routine and planned/surveillance (where diagnostic access is planned at particular time intervals).
480. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health the number of persons who attended the accident and emergency department at Mullingar Regional Hospital in each of the years 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form. [2701/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
481. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health the number of children aged between 0-8 years of age who were diagnosed with autism in each of the years 2020 to 2022, in tabular form. [2702/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
482. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the ever-rising costs of nursing home care, with relatives reporting significant extra costs in addition to the basic contribution they make in addition to the fair deal scheme contribution; the Government’s plans to reduce this burden on relatives of nursing home patients; if the Government plans to increase support to relatives and nursing homes; if there are plans to increase the level of State provision of nursing home beds for those who cannot afford these significant costs; if he will acknowledge that there are people who require nursing homecare but who cannot avail of it due to the prohibitive costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2704/23]
View answerThe Nursing Homes Support Scheme (NHSS), commonly referred to as Fair Deal, is a system of financial support for people who require long-term residential care. Participants contribute to the cost of their care according to their means while the State pays the balance of the cost. The NHSS covers the cost of the standard components of long-term residential care which are:- Nursing and personal care appropriate to the level of care needs of the person;- Bed and board;- Basic aids and appliances necessary to assist a person with the activities of daily living; and- Laundry service.
Data from HSE indicates that, on average, NHSS residents cover around 30% of their cost of care, with the state covering the remaining 70%. This proportion is based on the assessment of residents' assets and income, rather than on the cost of providing their care, and has remained stable over recent years.
Costs not covered by the NHSS include those individually incurred for items like social activities, newspapers and hairdressing. This may also include medical services such as therapies and some medical equipment. A person's eligibility for other schemes, such as the medical card scheme or the drugs payment scheme, is unaffected by participation in the NHSS or residence in a nursing home. In determining the services covered by the NHSS it was considered very important that the care recipient and the taxpayer would be protected and would not end up paying for the same services twice. For this reason, medications and aids that are already prescribed for individuals under an existing scheme are not included in the services covered by the NHSS, as this would involve effectively paying twice for the same service. It is important to state that residents of nursing homes should enjoy the same levels of support and access to services as when they lived in their own homes. It is acknowledged that the reason they require 24 hour levels of support is due to their level of dependency, which in turn may require access to clinical services including hospital and other outpatient appointments in the community. Although the NHSS covers core living expenses, residents can still incur some costs in a nursing home, as set out above. In recognition of this, anyone in receipt of financial support under the NHSS retains at least 20% of their income. The minimum amount that is retained is the equivalent of 20% of the State Pension (Non-Contributory).
The Department of Health is currently reviewing the available evidence and considering various policy options with relation to additional nursing home charges.The Government is conscious of the financial challenges faced by the Nursing Home sector, particularly in terms of inflationary cost increases. A €10m scheme (the Temporary Inflation Payment Scheme or TIPS) has been established that will cover 75% of energy cost increases in private and voluntary nursing homes between July - December 2022 and is currently under review. The Government has also provided substantial support to the private and voluntary nursing home sector over the course of the pandemic, with over €146 million in funding delivered through the Temporary Assistance Payment Scheme (TAPS). This Payment was most recently extended to end December 2022, and the Department is currently considering the future of the scheme. Other supports are directly delivered through the HSE, including serial testing, the provision of PPE and deployment of expert response teams. This includes provision of free PPE and oxygen to private nursing homes with an estimated value of €72 million from 1 April 2020 to 31 October 2022. Budget 2023 saw an additional €180 million of funding for services for older people for winter 2022 and into 2023, building on unprecedented increases of recent years. Long-term residential care will be supported through additional funding for the Nursing Homes Support Scheme (NHSS) to maintain services and manage inflationary increases. Just over €40m has been secured for NHSS, including pressures for 2023. It is important to note also that the nursing home sector has changed in recent years from a predominantly State led service to a situation today where approximately 80% of nursing home services are provided by the private sector. The Government is committed to greater public sector involvement in the residential care of older people in Ireland.
483. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if he will expedite an appointment for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2705/23]
View answerUnder the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.
In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
