Written Answers Nos. 325-332
326. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Justice the progress to date in providing a refuge centre in counties Cavan and Monaghan for victims of domestic abuse; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14546/23]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware the Government will establish a statutory agency with a dedicated focus on Domestic Sexual and Gender-Based Violence. The agency will have a specific mandate to drive the implementation of the Zero Tolerance: Third National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence across Government, bringing the expertise and focus required to tackle this complex social issue. Pending establishment of the Agency, responsibility for DSGBV services continues to be channeled through Tusla.I have referred the question posed by the Deputy to Tusla for direct reply.
327. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Justice if he has engaged with various airlines to see the additional measures that can be introduced to ensure all passengers passports/verified copy of passport is available to the authorities on arrival in Ireland. [14564/23]
View answerThe Border Management Unit of my Department and the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) are working closely with airlines on a range of measures to ensure that passengers have valid documentation when boarding. Border Management Unit officials are available 24/7 to assist airlines with queries they have in relation to immigration matters.
Immigration Officials are actively engaging with airport authorities and airlines at a senior level to underscore the importance of passengers possessing correct documentation and to provide support in helping them to reduce the number of passengers boarding flights without the correct documentation.
The establishment of a person’s identity and nationality is an important feature of our immigration process. This is especially important in the context of persons who enter the Irish State for the purposes of making a claim for international protection.
328. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice further to Parliamentary Question No. 652 of 18 October 2022, the procedure to be followed to achieve citizenship in the case of a person (details supplied); if some indication might be given to the procedure to be followed, if other than the usual; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14611/23]
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.
I can advise that a person is automatically an Irish citizen if one of their parents was an Irish citizen at the time of their birth. Based on the information supplied and following checks with the Citizenship Division I can advise that the applicant referred to was born before their mother was naturalised and therefore will not qualify automatically for Irish Citizenship.
The median processing time for applications now currently stands at 19 months. I understand the extended wait times can be frustrating for applicants and my Department has been working hard to clear backlogs.
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 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 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.
329. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an up-to-date position on a project (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14392/23]
View answerAs the Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of public healthcare infrastructure projects, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly in relation to this matter.
330. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) is waiting so long for their special recognition bonus; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14393/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly.
I would also like to remind the Deputy that it is against Department policy to comment on individual cases.
331. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Health the number of children in the Dublin Fingal constituency waiting on speech and language therapy through their local primary care centres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14397/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
332. Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Health the number of children in the Dublin Fingal constituency waiting on occupational therapy through their local primary care centres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14398/23]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
