We have five petitions for consideration. Petition 14/22, on raising the upper age limit in the Defence Forces, is from Mr. Stephen Martin. The petitioner considers that current upper age limits for joining the Defence Forces are restrictive and, as a result, there is a risk the Defence Forces are missing out on suitable candidates who are keen to join but cannot because of their ages. The committee secretariat wrote to the Department of Defence about this petition and the Department responded, providing information on the current age limits for general service, technicians, cadets and certain specialist positions. The Department advised there are no plans to change the upper age limit. The recommendation is the correspondence from the Department be forwarded to the petitioner for comment and that we consider adding this to our work programme for the coming year, should time allow. Do members have views on this?
Decisions on Public Petitions Received
I agree with that recommendation, but the Defence Forces is not all about heading out with a gun or tank. There are possibilities. I have encountered people who are fully qualified engineers, mechanics and the like but who, because of their age, have not been allowed to join the Defence Forces. This matter should be looked into and I would like to revisit it. In cases where people have expertise that would be an asset to some part or other of the Defence Forces, it should be allowed.
Are we agreed that we send the Department's correspondence to the petitioner for comment and that Ms Semple and the rest of the secretariat add it to the work programme, if time allows?
Agreed.
Petition 19/22 is from Mr. Joseph Guerin. The committee secretariat advises the petition is deemed inadmissible, as per committee Standing Orders, and the secretariat will notify the petitioner of our decision. Do members have views on this?
Agreed.
Petition 24/22, on a 100% redress compensation scheme for victims of defective concrete blocks and aggregate and not a grant, is in the name of Ms Mary Morrison. This petition is about houses that are affected by defective blocks and aggregate such as mica and pyrite. The petitioner has concerns about the proposed Government redress compensation scheme and questions about planned legislation, namely, the defective concrete blocks redemption Bill. The committee secretariat wrote to the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy O'Brien, about this petition. The Minister has responded with details of interim enhancements to the defective concrete blocks grant scheme and has advised that he aims to introduce primary legislation in the Oireachtas as soon as possible to give effect to the enhanced scheme. The recommendation is the correspondence from the Minister be forwarded to the petitioner for comment and the secretariat respond to her questions about proposed legislation inasmuch as it can. Do members have views on this?
That is where we are.
To make the committee aware, there is also a petition before the Joint Committee on European Union Affairs on this matter and legislation is in the pipeline. Is it agreed?
Agreed.
Petition 43/21, on supporting access to employment for non-EEA PhD students' spouses, is from Mr. Fernandos Ongolly. This petition was brought to the attention of the Department of Justice by the committee secretariat. The Department has responded by stating that non-EEA nationals who wish to come to Ireland to work are generally required to seek an employment permit first, following which a visa may be granted, if required. Exceptions to this are limited. The Department has provided additional information in this regard. The recommendation is the Department's correspondence be forwarded to the petitioner for comment. Does any member wish to comment or is it agreed?
Agreed.
Petition 2/22, "Homelessness is Cancer - blocked up houses are not a cure", is in the name of Mr. Eamon Broughan. This petition was submitted on 28 January and relates to a housing estate in Kildare where houses were bought by the county council several years ago and have been blocked up since. The committee secretariat contacted Kildare County Council about the petition three times but did not receive a response. During this time, the petitioner contacted the secretariat seeking updates. The recommendation is, first, that direct contact be made with the interim chief executive of Kildare County Council, Ms Sonya Kavanagh, to determine whether she received the correspondence from the secretariat; second, that once that is established, the clerk should write directly to Ms Kavanagh seeking a response within 14 days the committee; and third, that we respond to the petitioner advising him of the first and second parts of this recommendation.
As we discussed during private session yesterday, the secretariat has tried hard and been fully on top of this matter in recent months. Three months without a reply from any Department or local authority should not be tolerated. That is why a period of 14 days is being recommended. The amount of work our secretariat has put into trying to get answers needs to be recognised.
Do any other Members have a view on this, or is that agreed?
I agree with you, Chair, and echo what you said. It is an absolute disgrace. Our case workers have enough work to do. To be waiting nearly three months for a reply is not good enough. The committee, by which I mean the secretariat, the researchers and everybody else, has a responsibility to assist those people who depend on us. To be waiting three months for a reply is ludicrous.
I agree with Deputy Buckley. I am on another committee that wrote to each of the political parties that receive State funding to invite them before the committee and we did not get a response from at least one political party that receives funding from the State and that is represented in this building. It can be extremely frustrating for members of committees when there is not co-operation, particularly when we talk to public authorities, which is ultimately what a local authority is. I therefore fully support the recommendation and share the frustrations of the secretariat. I am sure it is a really difficult job when it is constantly chasing after people and getting nowhere. I think you are right, Chairman, to make contact with the interim chief executive and right about the 14 days. Well done.
I take it that that is agreed.
That concludes our consideration of public petitions this afternoon. I invite members of the public to submit petitions via our online portal, petitions.oireachtas.ie. A petition may be addressed to the Houses of the Oireachtas on a matter of general public concern or interest or an issue of public policy.
No. 4 on our agenda is any other business. Would members like to make any final comments?
I again thank everybody, including all the members and the secretariat. Today was very interesting - again. You learn something new here every day, but I do not think people realise how busy this committee can be and what happens in the background.
I echo that. Coming in today, I did not know what we were facing into. I found it very interesting to hear all the views from Cork and Kildare up to Roscommon. I thank the secretariat for all the work it has done for us.