Monday, 11 Sep 2023

Written Answers Nos. 1121-1140

Child Protection

Questions (1122)

Réada Cronin

Question:

1122. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Justice to outline the strategic plan for joint training and implementation of the section 16 interview process by both agencies to minimise trauma to child victims and increase conviction rates for perpetrators; to what extent the strategic plan addresses the issues of joint training, capacity building and operational collaboration between both agencies; the third party oversight and accreditation for the training of specialist interviewers and their ongoing continual professional development; operational integration by both An Garda Síochána and Tusla of the specialist interview process with the Barnahus model; the interdepartmental oversight of implementation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37792/23]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

I understand that the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth has provided information in response to the Deputy’s question which explains that both Minister O’Gorman and my Department, along with the Department of Health, are working in partnership to develop this significant initiative to help victims and survivors of childhood sexual abuse.

As the Deputy is aware, the Icelandic Barnahus model is a child-friendly, interdisciplinary and multiagency model of service that brings child protection, policing, medical, therapeutic and forensic services together, under one roof, to provide services for children who experience sexual abuse and their families.

An Interdepartmental Group (IDG) is in place, with representatives from the three Departments and the key service delivery agencies - Tusla, An Garda Siochána, HSE and Children's Health Ireland (CHI).

A Barnahus National Agency Steering Committee (BNASC) is also in place which is independently chaired and co-ordinates and oversees development and implementation of a National Barnahus service.

A pilot service was launched in September 2019 in Galway. The service began receiving referrals in November 2020, and services are provided in a bespoke centre on the outskirts of Galway city. This allows the three agencies (Tusla, the HSE, An Garda Siochána) to provide services for children under one roof. Key professionals in child protection, health care and An Gardaí Síochána meet regularly to review cases of child sexual abuse and plan the steps that need to be taken.

The Joint EU-Council of Europe project, “Support the implementation of the Barnahus project in Ireland”, seeks to address the challenges faced during the implementation of the pilot in Galway and to facilitate the roll out of the Barnahus model in the East and South, adapted to an Irish context.

The Joint EU-Council of Europe project has adopted the IDG as an Advisory Group to the project; this group also includes the Chair of BNASC.

An activity currently being carried out under the Joint EU-Council of Europe project is a training needs/gap analysis, which is seeking to identify the training needs for personnel working in, and in collaboration with, the Barnahus project in Ireland. Joint specialist interviewing training was identified as a topic for inclusion under this analysis. Recommendations will be made on foot of this analysis, which will be considered by the Advisory Group in the overall context of national implementation of the Barnahus Model. It is intended that training materials will be developed under the Joint EU-Council of Europe project before the end of 2023 with pilot training to be planned for early 2024.

More generally, and as noted in the published Inception Report of the Joint EU-Council of Europe project, a legal and policy analysis is taking place, and similarly the recommendations will be considered by the Advisory Group. Subsequent to this, a Strategy and Action Plan to scale-up Barnahus-type services will be developed, it is planned that this will commence in Q4 2023.

Oversight and accreditation of the joint specialist interviewer training for interviews carried out under section 16(1)(b) of the Criminal Evidence Act, 1992 is a matter for An Garda Síochána.

I am awaiting information from An Garda Síochána on the development and provision of specialist interviewer training for interviews carried out under section 16(1)(b) of the Criminal Evidence Act, 1992 which I will provide the Deputy with upon receipt.

Naturalisation Applications

Questions (1123)

Eoin Ó Broin

Question:

1123. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Justice further to Parliamentary Question No. 785 of 25 July 2023, if she is aware the family member of EU/EEA/Swiss citizen section at the visa decisions link provided has not updated for a number of months showing applications for this visa remain on 27 October 2022; and the efforts that are being made by her Department to improve processing times for applications of this nature. [37803/23]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

I can advise the Deputy that all family member of EU/EEA/Swiss citizen visa applications are processed in the Dublin Visa Office.

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.

1,216 visas in this category were processed by my Department at first instance from 1 January 2023 to 31 August 2023.  I understand that while the date indicated on the website referred to concerns the oldest of the visa applications on hand, many more recent applications have been and continue to be processed and decided upon.

Legislative Process

Questions (1124)

Eoin Ó Broin

Question:

1124. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Justice if she has any intention to review the legislation underpinning the advertising of the sale and purchase of property, including the requirement for a pre-purchase inspection to be carried out by the purchaser; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37813/23]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

The conveyancing of a property is a matter between a purchaser, vendor, and their respective legal representatives.

I am advised that the conveyancing system allows purchasers of second hand houses to enquire as to the nature, quality and condition of a property prior to purchase. Detailed written queries and replies about the property (‘Requisitions on Title’) are exchanged between the vendor’s solicitor and the purchaser’s solicitor before the sale is completed, and the vendor may be bound by their replies to those questions.

Obtaining appropriate professional and legal advice, including a structural survey, continues to form part of the due diligence that a person should undertake when considering the purchase of a property. While obtaining a structural survey is not a legal requirement for the purchaser, it is prudent practice and in the best interest of the purchaser. The purchaser should satisfy him/herself as to the condition of the property. By obtaining a structural survey, the purchaser can set out their specific requirements for the future use of the property to a preferred surveyor, who in turn has a contractual duty of care to identify any specified defects in the property.

There are no plans at present for my Department to introduce or amend legislation in this area.

Legislation under the aegis of other Departments provides for building, environmental and energy standards.   

Civil Service

Questions (1125)

Paul Murphy

Question:

1125. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Justice in relation to the civil servants within An Garda Síochána who do not want to lose their status as civil servants, if she will ensure that they are given the right to choose whether they wish to be a public servant or civil servant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37856/23]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

The Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill was formally published in January of this year and is based on the recommendations of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland (CoFPI) report. The report of the Commission recommended that Garda staff be recruited directly to An Garda Síochána, rather than the Civil Service.

A central tenet of the CoFPI report was that An Garda Síochána should be seen and treated as a single organisation with a single workforce who share a common loyalty and mission. It found that more integrated workforce structures were required to leverage the different skills and perspectives of Garda members and Garda staff and thereby to contribute to enhancing the capacity of the organisation to deliver better policing outcomes. 

I acknowledge the concerns of current Garda staff regarding the proposals in this Bill and want existing Garda staff to be reassured that there will be no changes to their terms and conditions, including their status as civil servants of the Government, when the Bill is commenced. I recently met with the trade unions representing Garda staff, Fórsa and AHCPS, in relation to the proposals in the Bill on 7 September 2023.

Any such changes can only take place on foot of further detailed engagement with the recognised trade unions concerned, Fórsa and AHCPS,  through the normal industrial relations structures. In addition, Schedule 3 of the Bill ensures that the scales of pay and terms and conditions of service applicable to existing civil servants will be no less beneficial than those to which they were entitled  as civil servants.

While it remains my intention that the Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill will be enacted before the end of 2023, given the need for consultation with the unions, I do not envisage any change to the status of existing Garda staff taking place until1 January 2025 at the earliest. My Department has written to the Garda Commissioner in this regard in August confirming this position. I hope this will provide further reassurance to current Garda staff.

Dialogue has and will continue to take place between my Department’s officials, Garda management and staff trade unions in relation to this matter. My Department has already met with both Fórsa and AHCPS in relation to their members’ concerns, and these discussions will continue.

Visa Applications

Questions (1126)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

1126. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice the progress to date in the determination of the appeals for visas in the case of the family of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37860/23]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

The visa applications referred to by the Deputy were refused by the Visa Office in Dublin. The reasons for these decisions were set out in the refusal letters sent to the applicants on 16 January 2023. Appeals of these decisions were received on 8 March 2023.

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 our website. Applicants that meticulously follow these guidelines have an improved prospect of receiving a positive decision at first instance.

It should be noted that visa appeals are dealt with in strict chronological order. Processing times and decisions at the Dublin Visa Office can be checked at the following webpage, which is updated each Tuesday: www.irishimmigration.ie/visa-decisions/

Processing times can change during the year, for example before holiday periods or for study applications prior to a new college year.

A decision will be issued to the applicants as soon as full consideration has been given by a Visa Appeals 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 ([e-mail]), 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.

Citizenship Applications

Questions (1127)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

1127. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice the progress to date in the determination of an application for permission to remain in the State on the basis of parentage of an Irish citizen child in the case of a person (details supplied) which was submitted on 1 February 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37863/23]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

An application for permission to remain in the State based on parentage of an Irish Citizen Child (ICCA) was received from the person referred to by the Deputy on 07 February 2023 and continues to be examined by my Department.

In order to be fair to all applicants, applications are dealt with in chronological order. My Department endeavours to process all applications as quickly as possible. However, processing times may vary due to a number of factors, such as the number of applications on hand, the complexity of applications, whether further information is required, and the resources available.

Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to my Department by email using the Oireachtas Mail facility at [e-mail], 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 email service except in the cases where the response is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited

Citizenship Applications

Questions (1128)

Bernard Durkan

Question:

1128. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice the steps being taken to finalise the application for citizenship in the case of a person (details supplied); when it is expected that the application will be finalised given that they applied two years ago; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37873/23]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

The naturalisation application from the person referred to by the Deputy continues to be processed by my Department.

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.

I understand the extended wait times can be frustrating for applicants and my Department has been working hard to clear backlogs. All applicants with applications for naturalisation that were submitted prior to 2023 should have now received a request for e-Vetting to further process their application. Once the vetting is complete, and any additional information is not awaited from an applicant, the file will be progressed towards naturalisation. 

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.

Finally, I can advise the Deputy that the Citizenship Division of my Department intends to regularly communicate with all applicants, to keep them updated on the status of their application.

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: [e-mail], 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.

An Garda Síochána

Questions (1129, 1159)

Cian O'Callaghan

Question:

1129. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice the current number of members of the Garda Reserve. [37917/23]

Patrick Costello

Question:

1159. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice for a breakdown in tabular form for the past five years for the number and ranks of gardaí in the Garda Reserves; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38316/23]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1129 and 1159 together.

As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), for the management of An Garda Síochána as well as the allocation and distribution of resources. This includes responsibility for the recruitment, training and deployment of Garda members and members of the Garda Reserve. 

As Minister, I have no responsibility in these matters. I am assured, however, that Garda management keeps the distribution of resources under continual review, in the context of crime trends and policing priorities, to ensure their optimum use.

As the Deputy is aware the Garda Reserve is a voluntary, unpaid body drawn from the community to assist the existing Service at times when extra personnel are required. I am informed by the Garda authorities that there is no rank structure within the Garda Reserve, each Reserve Garda is assigned to either a regular, events or community policing unit in their assigned Garda station. I am further informed that there are currently 364 Garda Reserves.

I am advised by Garda management that a recruitment campaign for the Garda Reserve is expected in the first quarter of 2024. The Reserve reinforces An Garda Síochána's essential community links, and provides capacity to draw on additional resources to assist in policing.

The table below, which was provided to me by the Garda authorities, sets out the number of Garda Reserves at end December 2019 up to end July 2023, the latest date for which figures are available.

Garda Reserve by Division	2019	2020	2021	2022	July 2023
Waterford	15	7	8	8	8
Wexford	8	8	9	8	8
Kilkenny/Carlow	23	20	20	19	18
Tipperary	12	11	12	12	12
Cork North	8	7	12	10	10
Cork City	33	31	30	28	29
Cork West	7	4	6	6	6
Kerry	16	16	12	11	11
Limerick	25	20	15	13	13
Donegal	12	12	9	8	7
Cavan/Monaghan	8	8	7	7	7
Sligo/Leitrim	14	12	14	10	10
Louth	21	21	20	20	17
Clare	5	3	6	6	6
Mayo	12	12	14	14	14
Galway	24	24	23	22	21
Roscommon/Longford	4	4	6	6	6
Westmeath	11	7	9	10	10
Meath	12	12	17	16	17
Kildare	15	13	13	11	10
Laois/Offaly	16	16	19	11	11
Wicklow	16	14	13	11	11
DMR East	5	5	6	6	3
DMR North	36	35	36	32	32
DMR North Central	33	28	31	16	15
DMR South	14	8	10	10	9
DMR South Central	31	27	27	26	25
DMR West	22	22	19	18	18
TOTAL	458	407	423	375	364

In the interest of transparency, detailed statistics on Garda workforce numbers are published on gov.ie and are updated regularly by my Department from information provided by An Garda Síochána. The statistics can be accessed here:

www.gov.ie/en/publication/bd777-an-garda-siochana-your-police-service-some-facts-and-figures/

An Garda Síochána

Questions (1130)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

1130. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Justice if funding has been provided for the purchase of a replacement truck for the equipment transport truck for the Garda Band. [37942/23]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of Garda business under Section 26 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), which includes all decisions related to the provision of fleet vehicles to the various units of An Garda Síochána. 

I am assured that the purchase and allocation of vehicles by An Garda Síochána is made on the basis of identified operational demands, the availability of resources and is reviewed on a continual basis.

I am informed by the Garda authorities that the purchase of a replacement truck for the Garda Band is currently not planned.

An Garda Síochána

Questions (1131)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

1131. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Justice if a new contract for the purchase of additional mountain bikes for An Garda Síochána will be put out to tender before year end and the number of e-bikes and e-scooters in the Garda fleet. [37944/23]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible by law for the management and administration of Garda business, which includes all decisions related to the provision of Garda equipment to the Garda fleet and the operational deployment of Garda resources. As Minister I play no role in these independent functions and have no role in the issuance of contracts for purchase of Garda equipment, which are governed by standard Government procurement guidelines. 

I have been advised by Garda management that (as of 18 August) there are 556 mountain bikes issued nationally for use by Garda members engaged in bike patrols. There are also six e-bikes being piloted in the Dublin Metropolitan Region North Central and South Central Divisions, with the potential purchase of an three additional e-bikes being considered.

There are no e-scooters within the Garda fleet and there are no plans for the use of mopeds for policing in urban areas at present.

I am further advised that An Garda Síochána intends to tender for additional mountain bikes for the service later this year, with a view to accepting delivery of new bikes in early 2024.

Question No. 1132 answered with Question No. 1086.

Departmental Staff

Questions (1133)

Colm Burke

Question:

1133. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Justice if additional staff will be put in place in order to deal with the backlog in processing applications under the atypical working scheme, and in particular where it relates to qualified medical and care professionals seeking to work in Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38006/23]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

Ireland’s Atypical Working Scheme (AWS) is designed to accommodate the arrival of non-EEA nationals to fill short term labour market gaps. In recognition of the importance of frontline medical personnel, the AWS Unit prioritises these applications.

Additional resources have been added to manage the Scheme earlier this year. I am pleased to say that for medical personnel the processing times for applications have reduced in recent weeks and are now approximately in line with the business target of 20 working days.

There has been an unprecedented demand for AWS permissions this year, with a significant increase in the number of applications for healthcare workers. The number of applications received in the first six months of this year is 5,376. This represents an increase of 65% of applications that were received in the same period of last year.

My Department is continuing to work to reduce processing times through the modernisation of our systems and the introduction of efficiencies, as well as additional streamlining measures which should also reduce processing times for AWS applications.

The AWS unit continues to liaise with all relevant stakeholders in this area and further information on the Atypical Working Scheme, including the criteria for documents, is available here: www.irishimmigration.ie/coming-to-work-in-ireland/what-are-my-work-visa-options/applying-for-a-long-stay-employment-visa/atypical-working-scheme/

Departmental Reviews

Questions (1134)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Question:

1134. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Justice if the policy directive relating to the handling of covert human intelligence sources published on 9 June 2022 has been reviewed; if so, if it is intended to publish that review; if a process is in place to ensure that the tri-annual review set out thereafter is scheduled; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38015/23]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

I am advised by An Garda Síochána that the Covert Human Intelligence Source (CHIS) Policy has been subject to an initial 12 month review and will be subject to review every three years thereafter. The 12 month review resulted in no amendments to the policy, which remains accessible to the public on the Garda website. Any future changes to the CHIS Policy will be reflected as appropriate.

I can further advise the Deputy that mechanisms are in place to ensure full active compliance with procedures for the operation of CHIS and that this is kept under ongoing supervision and review.  The system is subject to internal review on an ongoing basis by the Garda Authorities, including routine review by a senior officer independent of the operation of the system.

In addition, independent, external oversight has been established since 2010 through the Oversight Authority for CHIS which carries out a detailed and comprehensive examination of the operation of the system on an annual basis. 

The Deputy will appreciate that given their nature, it has not been the practice to make these reports public.

An Garda Síochána

Questions (1135)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Question:

1135. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Justice if anyone has ever been convicted under section 8 of the Criminal Justice (Corruption Offences) Act 2018, relating to receiving or giving bribes; and the number of officers of An Garda Síochána’s who are in the National Economic Crime Bureau. [38018/23]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

As the Deputy will also 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 allocation of Garda members and staff to a given unit. As Minister, I have no role in such matters.

The Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB) is a specialist bureau within An Garda Síochána that investigates fraud-related crime including serious and complex cases of commercial fraud, cheque and payment card fraud, counterfeit currency, money laundering, computer crime and breaches of the Companies Acts and the Competition Act.

As of 31 July 2023, there were 98 Garda members attached to the GNECB. 

The Deputy will also be aware that management of the courts, including 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 maintains data on convictions, and has a dedicated email address for the provision of information to members of the Houses of the Oireachtas: [e-mail].

Departmental Data

Questions (1136)

Paul Donnelly

Question:

1136. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Justice the number of vehicles that were seized by Criminal Assets Bureau and are still under the remit of CAB. [38033/23]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

As the Deputy will be aware, the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) is a multi-agency statutory body established under the Criminal Assets Bureau Act 1996. The Bureau’s remit is to target a person's assets, wherever situated, which derive, or are suspected to derive, directly or indirectly, from criminal conduct. Since its inception, the Bureau has been at the forefront of fighting organised crime in this jurisdiction and disrupting the activities of criminal gangs by depriving them of ill-gotten assets.

Under the Criminal Assets Bureau Act 1996, the Chief Bureau Officer is responsible for the administration and business of the Criminal Assets Bureau. Under the Act, the Chief Bureau Officer is responsible to the Commissioner of An Garda Síochána for these functions. As Minister for Justice, I have no direct role in these functions. 

I am advised by the Criminal Assets Bureau that as of the end of July 2023, there were approximately 127 vehicles in their possession. These vehicles include motor cars, motor bikes, caravans, horse boxes, trailers and jet skis. The number of vehicles under the Bureau’s remit is fluid and can vary from week to week and is dependent on the progress of the case they relate to. 

An Garda Síochána

Questions (1137)

Paul Donnelly

Question:

1137. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Justice the projected cost of every twenty additional community gardaí; the estimated cost of every additional dedicated community sergeant; and the estimated cost of a 20% increase overall. [38034/23]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

As you will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of Garda business, including the distribution and stationing of Garda members throughout the State. As Minister, I have no role in these independent, operational functions.

I am assured that the Garda Commissioner keeps the allocation of resources under continued review to ensure their optimum use. This takes into account factors including crime trends, operational strategies and local population figures.

I am advised by the Garda authorities that a member of An Garda Síochána is deemed to be a ‘Community Garda’ where that member is allocated to a Community Policing Team (CPT) and is responsible and accountable for applying a problem–solving approach to appropriate crime and policing quality of life issues in a specified geographic area through partnership and engagement.

I am also advised that in some rural areas existing personnel will form CPTs. They will have dual functions as first responders and community policing members. Additionally, CPTs will be augmented by Community Support Gardaí who will perform frontline duties and will be assigned a particular Community Policing Area to support dedicated Community Gardaí.

I understand that each Division will have a number of CPTs assigned to it, consisting of an Inspector, Sergeant and Community Policing Gardaí. CPTs will prioritise engagement with communities for the delivery of long-term sustainable solutions to community needs.

The below table, provided to me by Garda authorities shows the projected payroll cost of twenty additional community Gardaí, each additional dedicated community sergeant, and a 20% increase overall.  

Estimated annual payroll cost of twenty additional community Gardaí	€1.27m
Estimated annual payroll cost of one additional community Sergeant	€0.075m
Estimated annual payroll cost of a 20% overall increase in 31 July 2023 headcount	€8.41m

It should be noted that salary costs are calculated using the midpoint of the current Garda Salary pay scale and include fixed allowances which the member is entitled to. An estimate of Employer’s PRSI is also included as part of the calculation. Allowances for unsocial hours and any potential overtime payments in excess of standard briefing time are not included. Future pension costs are also not included.

An Garda Síochána

Questions (1138)

Paul Donnelly

Question:

1138. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Justice further to Parliamentary Question No 870 of 25 July 2023, if she has received the necessary information from the Garda authorities to have this question answered. [38035/23]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of Garda business under Section 26 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), which includes all operational policing matters. As Minister, I play no role in these independent functions.

I am advised by the Garda authorities that the table below sets out the amount of revenue from the release of vehicles seized by An Garda Síochána under relevant road traffic legislation for the years requested. It should be noted that information is operational and subject to change.

Year	Value €
2021	3,297,368.55
2022	3,026,550.82
2023	1,730,097.66

An Garda Síochána

Questions (1139)

Paul Donnelly

Question:

1139. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Justice the number of public order operators level 2 training courses that were held for gardaí within the Dublin region in 2022 and to-date in 2023, in tabular form. [38036/23]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

I have contacted the Garda authorities for the information sought by the Deputy. Regrettably, this information was not available in time. I will write again directly 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. 1139 of 11 September 2023 where you asked: ‘the number of public order operators level 2 training courses that were held for gardaí within the Dublin region in 2022 and to-date in 2023, in tabular form.’

As you will recall, I sought the information from the Garda authorities and undertook to contact you again once the information was to hand.

As you may be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of Garda business under Section 26 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), which includes the recruitment and training of Garda members and staff. As Minister I play no role in these independent functions.

I am advised that the table below provides the number of public order operators level 2 training courses were delivered in the Dublin Metropolitan Region.

YEAR	BASIC LEVEL 2 GNPOU OPERATOR	LEVEL 2 GNPOU RECERTIFICATION
2022	4	7
2023	4	0

GNPOU = Garda National Public Order Unit

Information supplied is operational and subject to change and is as available on 19 September 2023.

An Garda Síochána

Questions (1140)

Paul Donnelly

Question:

1140. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Justice if she has received the 2022 Annual Report from An Garda Síochána; and when the report will be published online. [38037/23]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of Garda business under Section 26 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005. The Commissioner is also responsible for compiling the annual report under the Act and submitting the report to the independent Policing Authority for their consideration. 

I recently received An Garda Síochána's annual report from the Policing Authority. I am currently considering it and will soon bring the report to Government. I will then lay it before the Houses of the Oireachtas.