Tuesday, 3 Oct 2023

Written Answers Nos. 127-140

An Garda Síochána

Questions (127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

Question:

127. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Taoiseach how many times, and on what dates, the Policing Reform Implementation Programme Office convened in 2022 and 2023. [42120/23]

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

Question:

128. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Taoiseach how many times, and on what dates, the Implementation Group on Policing Reform convened in 2022 and 2023. [42121/23]

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

Question:

129. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Taoiseach how many times, and on what dates, the High-Level Steering Board on Policing Reform convened in 2022 and 2023. [42122/23]

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

Question:

130. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Taoiseach if he has been presented with annual reports for the ‘A Policing Service for our Future Plan’ for each of the years 2020, 2021 and 2022; and if so, if they can be made available to the public. [42123/23]

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

Question:

131. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Taoiseach when the latest report on progress for APSFF was made to the Cabinet Committee on Social Affairs and Public Services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42124/23]

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin

Question:

132. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Taoiseach if he will provide details of when it is expected that the fourth APSFF iteration report will be provided; what opportunity there is for scrutiny of the progress and future of the plan’s success in achieving the original recommendations from the Commission on the Future of Policing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42125/23]

Written answers

The Taoiseach

I propose to take Questions Nos. 127, 128, 129, 130, 131 and 132 together.

A Policing Service for our Future is the Government’s Plan to implement the Report of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland. The Plan has four distinct phases as follows:

· Building Blocks

· Launching

· Scaling

· Consolidation

Further information on these phases and progress made with regard to them is available at www.gov.ie/en/publication/e5d2a-apsff-plans-and-annual-reports/.

Work on policing reform has been overseen by a dedicated Programme Office in the Department of the Taoiseach which works continuously rather than convening on particular occasions.

In addition, as recommended by COPFI, an Implementation Group on Policing Reform (IGPR) has been established which has collective responsibility for delivery of the Plan.

This group has met on twelve occasions over 2022 and 2023 on the following dates: 26 January 2022, 8 June 2022, 26 July 2022, 27 September 2022, 26 October 2022, 5 December 2022, 9 February 2023, 29 March 2023, 27 April 2023, 19 June 2023, 26 July 2023 and 14 September 2023.

The High-Level Steering Board on Policing Reform (HLSB), chaired by the Secretary General of the Department of the Taoiseach, provides support and guidance for the work of the IGPR. It has met on two occasions during 2022 and 2023: 23 February 2022 and 18 January 2023.

The Cabinet Committee on Social Affairs and Public Services oversees implementation of Programme for Government commitments in the areas of social policy and public services and has most recently considered the police reform programme at its meeting on 25 October 2022. The Committee will be updated on the final phase of the programme later this year and on arrangement for the transition to the new statutory oversight and governance framework set out in the Policing, Security and Community Safety (PSCS) Bill.

A final report on the Consolidation phase is expected later this year as the programme draws to a conclusion and transitions to the new statutory oversight and governance framework set out in the Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill.

It is anticipated that this report will not only provide an overview of the progress made during the distinct consolidation phase but will also provide a more general assessment of level of overall progress as measured against the original COPFI recommendations and whether there are any outstanding major reform issues which should continue to be monitored and progressed under the new governance arrangements that are to be introduced under the PSCS Bill next year.

Question No. 128 answered with Question No. 127.

Question No. 129 answered with Question No. 127.

Question No. 130 answered with Question No. 127.

Question No. 131 answered with Question No. 127.

Question No. 132 answered with Question No. 127.

Data Protection

Questions (133)

Peadar Tóibín

Question:

133. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Taoiseach the number of data breaches experienced by his Department in each of the past ten years and to date in 2023. [42374/23]

Written answers

The Taoiseach

Please see the accompanying table setting out two instances of a data breach identified within the Department during the past decade. In both cases the Department provided an explanation and apology to the two individuals affected with one occurring in 2016 (pre GDPR) and one in 2022.

YEAR	Department of the Taoiseach No. of Personal Data Breaches
2013	0
2014	0
2015	0
2016	1
2017	0
2018	0
2019	0
2020	0
2021	0
2022	1
2023 to date	0

European Union

Questions (134)

Carol Nolan

Question:

134. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Taoiseach if he has acted on his recent statement that he would invite EU Environment Commissioner Virginijus Sinkievicius to Ireland to discuss the outcome of the recent nitrates derogation decision. [42564/23]

Written answers

The Taoiseach

I wrote to the European Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Virginijus Sinkievicius, in September regarding the Irish derogation under the Nitrates Directive.

In my letter, I joined the invitation extended to him by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to visit Ireland in the near future and to meet with us and representatives of the farming sector.

I expressed my view that such a meeting would allow for an informative exchange of views on some of the unique features of the Irish farming sector, on the various ways underway to improve water quality in Ireland, and on the importance of the derogation Ireland enjoys under the Directive being renewed beyond 2025.

I am pleased that the Commission has indicated his intention to accept this invitation and I look forward to his visit.

Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements

Questions (135)

Mick Barry

Question:

135. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Taoiseach to report on his recent meeting with the President of the United States. [41729/23]

Written answers

The Taoiseach

I had the opportunity for a short conversation with President Biden at the reception he hosted, together with First Lady, Dr Jill Biden, for Leaders attending United Nations General Assembly High-Level Week in New York.

I updated him on developments in relation to Northern Ireland, including recent British legislation on legacy cases, setting out our deep concerns on its implications; and on efforts to restore the institutions under the Good Friday Agreement. I thanked him for his continuing interest in the peace process, including his appointment of Joe Kennedy III as Economic Envoy to Northern Ireland.

As on previous occasions when we have met, the President was well-informed and offered his assistance, and that of his Administration, whenever it would be helpful.

Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements

Questions (136)

Mick Barry

Question:

136. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Taoiseach to report on his recent meeting with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. [41730/23]

Written answers

The Taoiseach

I had a bilateral meeting with UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, on 18 September while in New York for UN General Assembly high-level week.

The Secretary General thanked Ireland for its strong and sustained support for the United Nations as the core of rules-based international order.

We discussed the Summit on the Sustainable Development Goals which we had both addressed earlier that day, and we agreed the urgent need for the global community to redouble efforts to achieve the Goals by 2030. As I said in my address, while we are clearly not where we would wish to be at this half-way point, with the necessary drive and leadership we can still reach the targets we have set ourselves.

The Secretary General and I also discussed Russia’s war of aggression on Ukraine, including Russia’s decision to pull out of the Black Sea grain initiative which the SG had helped to put in place. We agreed that this was particularly damaging for the worlds’ vulnerable people who are already experiencing food insecurity. We also agreed the importance of holding those responsible for war crimes to account.

The Secretary General spoke about the UN Summit on the Future to be held next year, and I agreed with him on the need for reform to make the UN, including the Security Council, more reflective of today’s world. I offered Ireland’s support and assistance in advancing this work.

I took the opportunity to recall the tragic loss of Private Sean Rooney and the importance to his family and colleagues of establishing the full facts of the case.

Child Poverty

Questions (137)

Neasa Hourigan

Question:

137. Deputy Neasa Hourigan asked the Taoiseach if he will outline how the new child poverty unit within his Department will address the data deficit in terms of regional mapping of child poverty; what means the unit will use to assess where there are higher concentrations of child poverty; and what ethnic identifiers the unit will use to assess which populations are most at risk and to ensure that culturally appropriate supports are in place. [42689/23]

Written answers

The Taoiseach

The Child Poverty and Well-being Programme Office published its initial work programme for the next two and a half years From Poverty to Potential: A Programme Plan for Child Poverty and Well-being 2023-2025 on 1st August 2023. The initial Programme focuses on six areas that will have the greatest effect on the lives of children who experience poverty. These six areas are:

1) Income supports and joblessness

2) Early learning and childcare

3) Reducing the cost of education

4) Family homelessness

5) Consolidating and integrating family and parental support, health and well-being

6) Enhancing participation in culture, arts and sport for children and young people affected by poverty.

The Child Poverty and Well-being Programme Office will mine existing data sources to bring a sharp focus to and measure progress in these areas.

Over the last two decades, the Government has significantly invested in building a data and research infrastructure to understand children’s lives, including their experiences of poverty.

This investment means we now have a much better understanding both of area-based concentrations of poverty, as well as of how children experience poverty in their daily lives, regardless of whether they live in deprived neighbourhoods or not.

The Pobal HP Deprivation Index, published every five years following the Census, is Ireland’s primary social gradient tool. It provides a valuable tool for the identification of disadvantage and identifying children living in disadvantaged communities. The next iteration of the Pobal HP Deprivation index is currently under construction using data from the 2022 Census. The Index will be launched publicly on the 2 November and will be made available at the Small Area level to Government Departments and State Agencies from this date.

The CSO recently published detailed Census data by small area. This online interactive map includes many indicators which are relevant to understanding the prevalence of child poverty in particular locations.

The CSO Survey on Income and Living Conditions (SILC) is a household survey covering a broad range of issues in relation to income and living conditions. It is the official source of data on household and individual income and provides key national poverty indicators, such as the at risk of poverty rate, the consistent poverty rate, and rates of enforced deprivation. SILC results are published by age group. They are also published by region and urban/rural location. In 2021, there was a SILC module which collected data on child-specific deprivation.

The SILC results are not published by small area, but in the past have been analysed to provide additional insights into the character of child poverty at local level. For example, in 2021, the Department of Children and Youth Affairs published Income, Poverty and Deprivation among Children: A Statistical Baseline Analysis , a commissioned study written by Delma Byrne and Morag Treanor.

Growing Up in Ireland (GUI) is the national longitudinal study of children in Ireland and provides detailed insight into the development of children across socio-economic groups. It includes questions on experiences of poverty and material deprivation as reported by the children themselves, using a set of deprivation items, specific to children.

Because of the nature of the survey, which focuses on a particular group over time, GUI is not suitable for establishing poverty rates among the child population as a whole, but can provide useful insight into the effect of children’s economic background over time. Also, as a sample survey, it is not suitable for mapping detailed regional breakdowns. Several published studies have used GUI data to better understand the experience and impacts of living in poverty.

While the deprivation Index, EU SILC and GUI offer substantial insights into child poverty, there are other important sources of data on children’s lives which are relevant to the work of the Programme Office. The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth publishes an indicator set for the National Framework on Children and Young People. This indicator set (last published in 2022) includes many broader measures which track outcomes in children’s lives.

GUI and SILC use the same ethnic identifiers as used in the Census. The CSO and DCEDIY are currently developing a National Equality Data Strategy. The Strategy will recommend the use of Census classification for equality variables such as ethnicity when collecting and disaggregating data. This strategy will be the starting point for improving the collection, disaggregation and use of equality data by the Civil and Public Service in Ireland.

The Government has recognised that disadvantaged areas require new forms of assistance to help them prosper. A Programme Board of relevant Departments and public bodies has been established under the auspices of the Department of the Taoiseach to explore how local consortia of state and community organisations can be incentivised to work in more integrated ways.

Critical to the success of area-based responses is ensuring that the analysis of issues is data and evidence informed. One area of focus is how to mine all relevant data for these areas in order to focus on the most critical issues facing individual communities. The Department of the Taoiseach is working with partners across government to explore how we can maximise the use of the full range of data sources to generate a deeper understanding and a more bespoke response to the challenges individual families and communities face.

The Child Poverty and Well-being Programme Office will use all the available sources of data to track progress in relation to the six priority areas identified in its initial Programme, including through the publication of an annual report.

The Office will also assist broader initiatives to enhance area-based understanding of poverty generally and child poverty specifically, including through the development of four local child poverty pilot plans, being led by DCEDIY and DRCD.

Departmental Policies

Questions (138)

Ivana Bacik

Question:

138. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Taoiseach if his Department has a policy on the use of artificial intelligence; and if any Departmental functions are assisted by language model-based chatbots (details supplied). [42824/23]

Written answers

The Taoiseach

The National Cyber Security Centre have in recent months provided all Government Departments with high-level guidance focussing on the data, privacy and security risks related to the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI). The Department of the Taoiseach does not currently use artificial intelligence services.

Passport Services

Questions (139)

John Brady

Question:

139. Deputy John Brady asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if a passport application (details supplied) can be expedited as the applicant’s travel date is imminent and all requested supporting documentation has been provided to the Passport Office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42213/23]

Written answers

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs

With regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, the Passport Service has issued the passport to the applicant.

Data Protection

Questions (140)

Peadar Tóibín

Question:

140. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of data breaches experienced by his Department in each of the past ten years and to date in 2023. [42366/23]

Written answers

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs

My Department documents personal data breaches that have occurred in accordance with Article 33(5) of the GDPR.

The table below sets out the number of data breaches reported to the Data Protection Commission (DPC) since the introduction of the GDPR on 25 May 2018 in respect of which this Department bore principal responsibility.

Year	Number of Data Breaches Reported
2018 (since 25 May)	54
2019	124
2020	104
2021	130
2022	149
2023 (to date)	77

On the advice sought and received from the DPC in 2020, my Department further notifies that office of cases of what are described as postal carrier breaches, that is the loss or mis-delivery of documentation in the postal system. This includes consignments, which have been correctly addressed and dispatched by this Department to the intended recipient, but subsequently lost or mis-delivered by the postal provider. In 2020, 36 such cases were notified; in 2021, this figure was 75; in 2022, this figure increased to 328; and so far this year 386 cases of postal carrier breaches have been notified.

From an analysis of the 328 consignments lost or mis-delivered in the postal system in 2022, 58% were dispatched to Britain (110) or the US (80). 19% (61) were dispatched to addresses on the island of Ireland and the remaining 25% were destined for the Rest of the World.

During this period in 2022, the Passport Service issued in excess of 1,085,000 passports while almost 17,000 individuals were entered in to the Foreign Births Register. The total number of postal carrier breaches reported therefore represents 0.03% of the total number of applications approved and dispatched.

My Department exercised caution in light of the wide-spread and protracted nature of Royal Mail strikes last year followed by a cyber-attack on Royal Mail systems and the posting of passports and supporting documents to Great Britain and Northern Ireland was temporarily suspended from 12 December 2022 until 25 January 2023. However, while these measures reduced the number of potential data breaches, the impact of the Royal Mail strikes in particular has contributed to an overall increase in data breaches in 2022 and 2023.

Where a consignment that is correctly dispatched is lost in the postal system, my Department takes responsibility for cancelling the lost or compromised passport and reissues a new passport as standard practice. Similarly, the Passport Service provides assistance to individuals whose supporting documents are lost when being returned to an applicant through the postal system. The Passport Service has also engaged with the postal provider to highlight the issues.