Niall Collins
Question:425. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Justice if her Department can arrange a test (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4210/24]
View answerFamily Reunification
Questions (425)
Written answers
Officials from the Family Reunification Unit (FRU) of my Department have advised they will make direct contact with the person concerned.
It is open to anyone with questions in relation to family reunification to contact the unit at FRU_IPA@justice.ie ensuring to include their Person ID and clearly state that their question is for the Family Reunification Unit.
Ministerial Staff
Questions (426)
Catherine Murphy
Question:426. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Justice to provide a schedule of the number of civilian drivers and Garda drivers attached to her and to Ministers of State of her Department; to provide the official work pattern for each driver and the total annual hours worked by each driver; and to indicate the number of drivers assigned to each Minister and Minister of State. [4224/24]
View answerWritten answers
As I hope the Deputy will appreciate, for policy and security reasons An Garda Síochána do not comment on matters of security.
I can advise the Deputy that there are two civilian drivers in my Department. They are both assigned to the Minister for State. Each driver has a working pattern of seven days on and seven days off, on a week-on, week-off basis, on opposite weeks.
Each civilian driver has a total contracted hours (gross) of 41 hours and 15 minutes per week. This totals 2,145 annual hours.
An Garda Síochána
Questions (427)
Peadar Tóibín
Question:427. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Justice how many times Gardaí have made an official request to management of IPAS accommodation centres seeking to find out information about people who had received a deportation order (details supplied). [4233/24]
View answerWritten answers
When an International Protection claim is being examined by the International Protection Office (IPO), the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) provides accommodation and related services to IP applicants who wish to accept such services.
There is close engagement between my Department, GNIB and IPAS concerning persons subject to deportation orders who are or may have been in IPAS accommodation. The making of requests by An Garda Siochana along the lines referred to by the Deputy are operational matters for the Garda authorities. I am informed that the requested statistics are not recorded in a manner to allow this specific data to be extracted.
An Garda Síochána
Questions (428)
Paul Donnelly
Question:428. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Justice if there are any plans to set up dedicated scrambler apprehension units in urban areas, properly resourced units with the vehicles and equipment needed for their role. [4307/24]
View answerWritten answers
At the outset I would like to assure the Deputy that community safety is a top priority for me as Minister and this Government as a whole. The Department's community safety policy is about people being safe and, importantly, feeling safe in their own community and is being piloted in three locations around the country, ahead of a planned national rollout later this year. As part of that process, a Community Safety Strategy will be developed to address criminal behaviour, anti-social behaviour and other factors that affect people’s perceptions and experiences of safety. This approach goes far beyond the traditional policing response and requires all relevant state bodies and voluntary organisations to work together in a joined-up way, in partnership with the local community, to prioritise and effectively address issues in their own area.
As the Deputy will be aware, under section 26 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of Garda business, which includes all operational policing decisions. Under section 33 of the Act, the Commissioner determines the distribution and stationing of the Garda Síochána throughout the State. As Minister I am unable to direct or seek to influence the Commissioner in regards to the establishment of Garda units.
To be of assistance, I have contacted the Garda authorities and they have advised there are no plans to establish dedicated scrambler apprehension units within An Garda Síochána.
All members of An Garda Síochána have a role in the enforcement of road traffic legislation, including the illegal use of scrambler type motorcycles in public places. An Garda Síochána maintain a dedicated Roads Policing unit within each Garda Division whose focus is on dedicated road safety operations within those Divisions.
These units are supported by their Divisional colleagues, both uniform and detective, in keeping people safe in our communities.
In areas where local problems or issues arise, the Divisional Officer will put in place plans to address these issues, as was seen in Limerick in October 2023 when 44 scramblers were seized and 5 people arrested as part of a targeted operation.
An Garda Síochána
Questions (429)
Paul Donnelly
Question:429. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Justice if there any plans for the use of drones in the following and apprehension of illegally driven scramblers in parks and estates. [4308/24]
View answerWritten answers
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 all operational policing matters like the use of equipment such as drones. As Minister, I have no role in these independent functions and am unable to direct the Commissioner in any operational decisions.
However, to be of assistance I sought the information requested by the Deputy from An Garda Síochána and have been advised that there is, at present, no Garda policy or plan to utilise drones to follow or apprehend illegally driven scramblers in parks and public areas.
For the Deputy's information, the Garda Air Support Unit (GASU) is a national resource based at Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel, Co. Dublin. The unit is under the direction and control of Assistant Commissioner, Organised and Serious Crime, and the operational control of Detective Chief Superintendent, Operational Support Services. The unit provides a 24-hour proactive and reactive service in support of operational Gardaí on the ground and specialist units.
GASU is currently undertaking ongoing trials with a number of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (Drones) and there is an internal Garda working group tasked with examining the wider potential and scope to use drones to assist in various policing operations. The working group is chaired by Superintendent, Operational Support Services under the direction of Assistant Commissioner, Organised and Serious Crime.
I am informed that 21 drones have been procured by GASU for evaluation, training and possible future operational use in the Garda Air Support Unit. 10 members attached to GASU have received formal training in drone operations and the relevant regulations regarding drone flights.
Legislation currently limits the operational use of drones by An Garda Síochána, however, the Deputy will be aware that the Garda Síochána (Recording Devices) Act 2023 will provide a legal basis for the use of recording devices on drones by Gardaí on commencement of the Act, subject to a code of practice.
Separately, I am advised that An Garda Síochána is awaiting additional regulations to be created and signed by the Minister for Transport, as per section 35(a) of the Road Traffic Act 1994, to restrict certain types of vehicles from defined areas of public recreation. This will include, for example, the restriction of the use of motorcycles/scramblers/quads in areas such as public beaches and Coillte Forests.
An Garda Síochána
Questions (430)
Paul Donnelly
Question:430. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Justice if there are any plans to equip the cycle mounted gardaí with electric bikes. [4309/24]
View answerWritten answers
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 have no role in these independent functions.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that An Garda Síochána are currently conducting a pilot exercise on the use of e-Bikes as a means of patrolling. This pilot has been rolled out in two locations, for a defined period, with a review of their effectiveness to be conducted upon conclusion of the pilot exercise.
I am advised there are eight e-Bikes in the Garda fleet at present. The two areas chosen for the pilot are Dublin Metropolitan Region and Cork City.
I am further informed that presently, there are no plans to further expand this pilot scheme until an evaluation takes place.
Prison Service
Questions (431)
Violet-Anne Wynne
Question:431. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Justice to provide an update on the overcrowded conditions in the Irish Prison Service; if any changes have been made to the conditions of temporary release; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4321/24]
View answerWritten answers
As the Deputy will be aware, the Irish Prison Service must accept into custody all people committed to prison by the Courts. As such, the Irish Prison Service has no control over the numbers committed to custody at any given time. Today there were 4,768 people in custody with 101 people sleeping on mattress on the floor.Where the number of people in custody exceeds the maximum capacity in any prison, officials in the Irish Prison Service make every effort to deal with this through a combination of inter-prison transfers and structured Temporary Release. The legislative basis for temporary release is set out in the Criminal Justice Act 1960, as amended by the Criminal Justice (Temporary Release of Prisoners) Act 2003.
The Irish Prison Service is working closely with my officials in the Department of Justice to take steps to ensure a safe working environment for staff, and the safety and security of people in custody. A Prison Overcrowding Response Group has been established, with officials from across the Department, the Irish Prison Service, Probation Service, Courts Service, and An Garda Síochána. This group is currently examining proposals to address overcrowding.
Some recent measures introduced in 2023 include the expansion of criteria for participation in the Community Return and Community Support Schemes to allow additional people to become eligible for assessment for suitability to participate on these structured and supported temporary release schemes.
I can advise the Deputy that no changes have been made to the underlying legislation governing the Temporary Release of Prisoners, all applications for temporary release continue to be assessed by the Irish Prison Service on a case-by-case basis under the Criminal Justice (Temporary Release) Act 2003 and all matters set out are considered before any release is effected. These include risk to the community, nature of offence, previous convictions, engagement with services and reports from An Garda Síochána, the Governor and the Probation Service. The Deputy will wish to note that the safety of the public is paramount when decisions are taken regarding temporary release.
As the Deputy will be aware, the Government has made significant capital funding available to the Irish Prison Service in order to enhance the existing prison infrastructure and to provide additional capacity.
In recent years, works have been completed to modernise the Mountjoy complex, a new prison was constructed in Cork and additional prisoner accommodation was provided in the Midlands Prison.
Furthermore, the Training Unit in Mountjoy was reopened providing an additional 96 spaces and the opening of new male accommodation in Limerick in 2022 has provided an additional 90 cell spaces. The new standalone female prison in Limerick is now providing an additional 22 female cell spaces, bringing additional capacity across the estate to in excess of 200 new spaces.
Plans have also been outlined for 4 capital projects at Castlerea, Cloverhill, the Midlands and Mountjoy prisons to deliver a maximum of 620 additional spaces and I am continuing to engage with the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform to progress an agreed schedule of capital builds, including the delivery of additional Prison spaces. Delivery of these additional spaces is dependent on successful steering through the provisions of the Public Spending Code.
Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence
Questions (432)
Violet-Anne Wynne
Question:432. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Justice if she will report on the removal of the Ombudsman for Children's Office in the Domestic, Sexual & Gender Based Violence Services action due to the failure of delivery of required resources from her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4322/24]
View answerWritten answers
As the Deputy is aware, combatting all forms of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (DSGBV) is a priority for me and my Department and this is reflected in a range of policies and legislation I have introduced, as well as unprecedented increases secured in successive Budget allocations.
As the Deputy will be aware, in June 2022 I published an ambitious €363 million, Zero Tolerance Strategy to be delivered from 2022 to 2026.
The Strategy rightly recognises children as victims / survivors of domestic violence in their own right and includes priority actions on making our systems work better for children who have suffered as a result of sexual and domestic violence.
Zero Tolerance is a whole of Government Plan and as the Deputy will be aware, it is the responsibility of each Department or body to prioritise the implementation of those actions which have been agreed to, either from within existing resources or through funding they secure in the annual estimates process.
While the current implementation plan for the Strategy, which ran to the end of 2023, envisaged that the Office of the Ombudsman for Children would use their expertise to ensure the child-centred actions are implemented in a way that best meets the needs of children, I have been informed that this oversight role is not one the Office feels it can undertake at present due to resource issues.
At the request of the Office of the Ombudsman for Children, I have agreed to remove the reference his Office from the 2024 implementation plan for the Strategy, which I intend to publish shortly.
If in the future, the Office of the Ombudsman for Children is in a position to commit to undertake this role, I would be very happy to re-engage on this.
Departmental Contracts
Questions (433, 434)
Claire Kerrane
Question:433. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number, total value, and duration of each contract for services purchased from an organisation (details supplied) by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3702/24]
View answer
Michael McNamara
Question:434. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine how many tenders from alternative service providers were received for the services now being provided to his Department by an organisation (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3773/24]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 433 and 434 together.
The named organisation is the only body approved by my Department to carry out performance recording, assessment of genetic value and publication of breeding values for dairy and beef cattle in Ireland. No other organisation has applied for similar approval.
My Department approves an annual programme of services and activities with the organisation in relation to those genetic evaluation services, operating in accordance with a service level agreement. The funding by my Department to the organisation in 2024 in relation to those services will comprise a total of €2.9 million.
In addition, my Department has a provision of circa €6 million for National genotyping related activities, which includes the National Genotyping Programme funded equally by the Exchequer, farmers and industry and the Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme.
Question No. 434 answered with Question No. 433.