Written Answers Nos. 550-563
550. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Justice the number of gardaí, by rank, attached to the Carlow-Kilkenny Garda roads policing unit as of 5 July 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35469/23]
View answerThe Government is committed to building stronger, safer communities and a strengthened, well-resourced Garda Síochána is central to this policy. This commitment is demonstrated by the unprecedented allocation of over €2 billion to the Garda Vote this year, which is allowing for sustained and ongoing recruitment and investment in new equipment and new vehicles.
This level of funding provides for a steady pipeline of new Gardaí in the coming years, supporting the recruitment of up to 1,000 Gardaí and 400 additional Garda staff this year, with new recruits to enter the Garda College approximately every 11 weeks.
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 for the recruitment, training and deployment of Garda members. As Minister, I have no role in such matters.
I am assured that the Commissioner keeps the allocation of these resources under continued review, in line with crime and population trends, to ensure their optimum use.
To be of assistance I sought the information requested by the Deputy from An Garda Síochána and have been advised that at the end of June 2023, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 25 Garda members, which includes 21 Gardaí and 4 Sergeants, assigned to Roads policing duty in the Kilkenny/Carlow Division. This represents an increase of almost 14% since the end of December 2020.
In the interest of transparency, detailed statistics on Garda workforce numbers, including a breakdown by Garda station and Garda rank, are published on gov.ie and are updated regularly by my Department from information provided by An Garda Síochána. The statistics can be accessed using the following link:
www.gov.ie/en/publication/bd777-an-garda-siochana-your-police-service-some-facts-and-figures/.
Please note that this information is operational and may be subject to change.
551. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Justice to outline the internships, apprenticeships and graduate schemes run by her Department and public bodies under the aegis of her Department. [35490/23]
View answerIt has not been possible to collate complete information as requested by the Deputy in the time allowed. I will write to the Deputy directly when the information is to hand.
553. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice if she has availed of the information available arising from a UN Special Rapporteur report which concluded that the condition known as parental alienation should be banned; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35555/23]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, my Department recently published a policy paper and independent research report on the concept of parental alienation, including recommendations on how we can begin to address the matter, a link to both can be found here: www.gov.ie/en/publication/20df3-parental-alienation-research-report-and-policy-paper/.
The policy paper puts forward six recommendations to address the issue of parental alienation. They centre on progressing elements of family justice reform, building the system’s capacity to adequately hear the voice of children, and improve the knowledge, skills and experience of all those involved in order to make the best determinations in relation to each case on its own merits. This is especially important in high-conflict cases, in which allegations of parental alienation can often arise.
My Department is currently leading on an ambitious programme of family justice reform, to make the Irish family justice system work better for everyone engaging with it, but particularly for those who need additional supports and protections, such as domestic violence victims or vulnerable parents and children. The publication last year of our first National Family Justice Strategy outlines over 50 actions aimed at building the system’s capacity to adequately hear the voice of children, and improve the knowledge, skills and experience of all those involved in order to make the best determinations in relation to each case on its own merits. The Strategy puts children at the centre of the system, and emphasises amongst other things the need to ensure they are listened to and heard and their views given due regard (in line with constitutional obligations and rights).
As work in this area progresses, the Report of the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women and Girls, its Causes and Consequences, Reem Alsalem, which considers the abuse of the term parental alienation, and the deliberations of the United Nations Human Rights Council on the report in the coming months, will be fully considered.
554. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice the current position in the application for naturalisation in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35575/23]
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 am advised that Citizenship Division have made no request to the person concerned regarding a passport.
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.
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.
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 eVetting and online payments. The end result of the digitisation process will be the freeing up of more staff to focus on processing applications in a timely and efficient manner, improving service to our customers and reduction of 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.
555. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice the current position in the application for naturalisation in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35576/23]
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 am advised that Citizenship Division have made no request to the person concerned regarding a passport.
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.
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.
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 eVetting and online payments. The end result of the digitisation process will be the freeing up of more staff to focus on processing applications in a timely and efficient manner, improving service to our customers and reduction of 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.
556. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice the status of an application for a short-term visa submitted by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35580/23]
View answer557. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice the status of an application for a short-term visa submitted by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35581/23]
View answer558. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice the status of an application for a short-term visa submitted by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35582/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 556 to 558, inclusive, together.
I can advise the Deputy that the applications referred to were created on 20 April 2023. Supporting documentation was received in the Pretoria office on 5 July 2023 where they await examination and processing.It is not possible to give a definitive date as to when these applications 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 and the resources available.
The applicants will be notified as soon as a decision has been reached by a Visa Officer.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to my Department by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility (inisoireachtasmail@justice.ie), which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.
559. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice the status of an application for a short-term visa submitted by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35583/23]
View answerI can advise the Deputy that the application referred to was created on 21 April 2023. Supporting documentation was received in the Pretoria office on 17 May 2023 where it awaits examination and processing.
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 and the resources available.
The applicant will be notified as soon as a decision has been reached by a Visa Officer.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to my Department by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility (inisoireachtasmail@justice.ie), which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.
560. Deputy Cathal Berry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether he expects to introduce a suckler reduction scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35134/23]
View answerTaking account of the requirement for all agricultural sectors to contribute to achieving the targets set out in the Climate Act process, I established the Food Vision Beef & Sheep Group as well as the Food Vision Dairy Group last year. The purpose of these groups is to advance the actions identified for the beef, sheep and dairy sectors in the Food Vision 2030 strategy.
The first priority for both groups was to chart a pathway to achieve the legally binding target of a 25% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture by 2030, equivalent to a reduction of 5.75 MT of carbon dioxide equivalent.
Both the Beef & Sheep and Dairy Groups submitted their final reports towards the end of 2022, which have been published. The publication was timely as it then served to inform the Climate Action Plan 2023 which was launched in December 2022.Since the reports were published, I have stated that, due to the lack of support from the farming organisations on proposals for a voluntary reduction scheme for the beef sector, such a scheme is now off the table.
I want to build a strong and sustainable future for today's farmers and the future generations of Irish farmers. To achieve this aim, I will continue to work collectively and collaboratively with farmers and their representatives to chart a pathway forward.
561. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine what engagement his Department is having with local fishermen around the coast about the construction of offshore wind infrastructure; if he agrees that the impact on traditional fishing grounds should be minimised, that adequate financial compensation is provided, and that agreements reached in advance of construction are adhered to; to outline his engagements with the Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications regarding these issues; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34611/23]
View answerCommercial sea-fishing and aquaculture activities are long standing, pre-existing and traditional activities in the marine environment. Ireland's seafood resources are an important national economic asset generating an estimated €1.3bn GDP and sustaining over 15,000 jobs, most of which are in rural, coastal communities. So it is vitally important the Irish seafood sector continues on a sustainable, profitable pathway.
This Government has introduced both the National Marine Planning Framework, Ireland’s first national framework for managing marine activities, and the Maritime Area Planning Act 2021. These two important instruments set out how Ireland will move forward in the development of new and emerging uses of maritime space in a way that acknowledges and considers existing blue economy activities such as seafood production.
Any proposals for marine spatial plans that may arise from the Maritime Area Planning Act must be consistent with the National Marine Planning Framework. That Act allows for the preparation of Designated Maritime Area Plans, or DMAPs, for specific purposes and I am aware that the Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications intends to prepare such DMAPs for offshore renewable energy. In fact, this Plan-led approach to the future development of offshore renewable energy is essential for an orderly and stable transition to this new ocean economy activity and has been welcomed within the fishing industry in preference to the proliferation of exploratory development sites which had been taking place.
Together with the Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications I welcomed the establishment of the Seafood - Offshore Renewable Energy Working Group, chaired by Captain Robert McCabe. From the feedback I have received from the seafood industry I understand that this Group is bringing about a maturation in the relationship between these two sectors and that protocols on communication are soon to be published by the Group.
562. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the measures being taken to expand the number of placements for young farmers waiting to complete their green cert; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26656/23]
View answerThe Green Cert is an accredited education programme delivered by approved education providers including Teagasc, Employment and Training Boards (ETBs) and some private providers.
Teagasc deliver the Green Cert on a fulltime, part-time and distance education basis through its network of agricultural colleges and regional education centres. It is committed to accommodating all farmers that require a place on their Green Cert programme. Courses commence at various stages across the year depending on demand.
Its intake capacity has been substantially boosted in recent years through the recruitment of almost 120 temporary Green Cert teachers. This model has proved very effective in enabling Teagasc to enrol large volumes in a quick and flexible manner. Just over 10,000 adult learners graduated since 2014 while there are a further circa 3,000 learners currently engaging on the Green Cert programme.
My Department continues to proactively engage with Teagasc on demand for Green Cert places. Approval was recently secured from the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform for Teagasc to hire 20 additional Green Cert teachers. It will enable Teagasc to further increase the number of available Green Cert places from September.
563. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department is analysing the impact on biodiversity and small fishers of the marine heatwave in Irish coastal waters; what measures are planned to address and prevent future heatwaves; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34733/23]
View answerMy Department is supporting the Marine Institute in carrying out important monitoring and research to improve understanding of impacts of climate change on marine activities and on the environment. It is doing this through the €258 million European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) Seafood Development Programme which was approved by Government and adopted by the European Commission in 2022.
Changes in the ocean affect biodiversity and seafood with scientific research showing that the impact of climate change is already evident in Irish marine waters with patterns of altering harmful algal blooms. I recently launched the Marine Institute’s Irish Ocean Climate and Ecosystem Status Report 2023 oar.marine.ie/handle/10793/1844 which provides important and timely updates on national observations, reflects key changes in marine conditions and examines the current trends in atmospheric patterns, ocean warming, sea level rise, ocean acidification, plankton and fish distributions and abundance, and seabird population trends. The Deputy may wish to refer to the model predictions set out in this report for additional information and analysis on Ireland’s changing marine climate.
I can inform the Deputy that the Marine Institute continues to routinely measure the temperature in Irish waters from a network of marine data buoys offshore, coastal tide gauges and the national research vessels. The Marine Institute has closely tracked the evolution of the recent marine heatwave where surface sea temperatures were over 4 degrees above the long term mean. Marine heatwaves are not uncommon in Irish waters and are often linked to persistent calm weather conditions such as those experienced in June. Persistent heatwaves have the potential to impact on biodiversity and can place stress on various marine organisms, including fish, shellfish, and other aquatic species. Possible disruptions may occur for the fishing industry with fish stocks and their distribution being potentially affected and for aquaculture producers who may need to alter their husbandry of shellfish and finfish during such events.
The Marine Institute issues a bulletin to the aquaculture industry each week in summer that tracks the evolution of ocean temperatures and currents, biological productivity, harmful algal blooms and marine biotoxins. The Institute is examining the feasibility of adding marine heatwave forecasts to their weekly bulletin to assist aquaculture operators prepare for such events in the future.
