Written Answers Nos. 1097-1115
1097. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will provide an update on a matter (details supplied) which was being investigated by the Síochána Garda Complaints Board. [38024/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs I advised the Deputy in my responses to previous Parliamentary Questions, I am informed by the Garda authorities that the incident in question, which occurred in 1989, was the subject of a thorough investigation at the time.
Complaints were also made to the Garda Síochána Complaint Board who further investigated the matter and found no evidence of an offence or breach of discipline on the part of the members concerned, whereupon the matter was closed.
As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Síochána Complaints Board was later replaced by the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission which was established following enactment of the Garda Síochána Act 2005.
1098. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the reason for the delays in granting free legal aid; if he will outline exactly what delays are being incurred; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38031/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to inform the Deputy that there is no waiting period associated with the granting of criminal legal aid as under the Criminal Justice (Legal Aid) Act 1962, the courts, through the judiciary, are responsible for the granting of legal aid on the applicant's appearance in Court.
In relation to civil legal aid, it should be noted that demand for legal services from the Legal Aid Board (“the Board”) has increased significantly since the down-turn in the economy. While there was a 10% drop in demand at the general law centres in 2012 compared to 2011, nevertheless the demand for general legal services (excluding asylum) in 2011 was 93% greater than it was in 2006. Demand in 2013 is running at the same level as it was in 2012. The Board has not been subject to the sort of cuts to its grant-in-aid that other public service bodies have had to experience and I have been able to maintain the Board’s grant-in-aid at the same level for 2013 as it was in 2012 (and 2011).
Nevertheless it is a challenging environment that has resulted in lengthened waiting times for those seeking legal services for matters that are not prioritised. Notwithstanding the pressures on resources, the Government has further supported the Board by approving exemptions from the moratorium to enable the organisation to recruit front-line staff for direct service delivery. The Public Appointments Service concluded a solicitor recruitment competition for the Board earlier this year from which a number of permanent appointments have been made and a number of temporary positions have also been filled.
As the Deputy may be aware, on 12 September 2013, I signed into law a new statutory instrument in respect of civil legal aid provided by the Legal Aid Board which, inter alia, provides for an increased contribution from persons availing of the services offered by the Board.
I intend for any funds raised by these measures to be retained by the Board to better fund the provision of services to those in need of them and reduce waiting times for those services. At a time when the State is facing significant demands on its resources an increase in contributions allows the Board to achieve its objectives without money being diverted from other programmes. The increased contributions should result in increased funding of up to €700,000 per annum being available to the Board once the increases have full impact.
I believe this additional resource for the Board will assist it in tackling those waiting times. I am conscious that the increase in the minimum contribution as a percentage is significant. However, I believe the contributions payable still compare favourably with other jurisdictions. Provisions remain in place to allow the contribution to be waived in hardship cases.
In response to the changed environment the Board has taken steps to try and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the delivery of its legal services. Those steps include the following:
The Board has been piloting a ‘triage’ approach to service delivery and this approach is operative in most of its centres at this stage. The pilot is in response to lengthening waiting times. The aim of the ‘triage’ approach is that every applicant gets to see a solicitor within a period of one month for the purpose of getting legal advice (consultations are broadly limited to 45 minutes). If the applicant requires further services they remain on the ‘waiting list’. There is or has been a ‘backlog’ of applicants to be seen for triage purposes hence it is taking time to reduce the waiting time for such an appointment to one month. A first review of the operation of the pilot indicated that clients were satisfied with this particular service initiative. This was because they got early access to a solicitor for advice on their legal disputes that provided clarity about the options open to them and the process through which their disputes might be resolved. (I have included a table showing the waiting times for non-prioritised matters at the Board’s law centres. It will be noted that most of the centres are operating the ‘triage’ approach. For particular reasons a small number are only initiating the process now).
In August 2012 the Board introduced a new case management system in its law centres. This is a ‘start to end’ system which will in the medium term deliver efficiencies in terms of the administration aspect as well as in relation to the delivery of the legal services. It will take time for the full benefits of this system to materialise.
In November 2011 I transferred responsibility for the management and administration of the State funded family mediation service to the Board. A key reason for this transferring was to improve the synergies between the State funded family mediation services and the State funded civil legal aid services (most of the demand for legal services is in the area of family law). Improving the synergies will be for the benefit of the customer and will help move away from a ‘litigation first’ approach that may on occasion be too common. Already there are very positive signs from a pilot initiative operating in Dolphin House (where the Dublin District Family Court sits) involving the co-location of the courts and a mediation service with a legal service located there also. Similar initiatives have now been introduced in Cork and Naas and are being evaluated.
While the Board’s asylum related legal services were previously funded from a separate grant, since 2012 I have funded the Board on the basis of a single ‘grant-in-aid’. With the drop in demand for asylum, the Board has taken steps to integrate the delivery of its asylum related services into the general law centre service delivery model thus effectively transferring resources from the asylum area to the general legal service area where the demands have increased.
I am aware that the Board has maintained a high level of usage of private solicitors for family law cases in the District Court. Cases in the District Court are often those that need the most immediate remedy.
I am also aware that the Board continues to engage with other key players in the justice / legal area such as the Courts Service and the Health Service Executive, with a view to trying to ensure that State funded resources that impact on its area of business are used to best effect.
Finally, the table outlines the waiting period (in months), up to 1 September 2013, for persons awaiting a first or second consultation at the various Law Centres in the State, and may be of assistance to the Deputy.
|
Law Centre |
Waiting times (months) * General – Law centres not operating triage |
Waiting times (months) ** for a triage appointment |
Further waiting time (months) *** where Law Centre triage appointment previously given |
|
Blanchardstown |
3 |
- |
- |
|
Brunswick St |
- |
4 |
5 |
|
Clondalkin |
- |
1 |
13 |
|
Finglas |
- |
10 |
5 |
|
Gardiner St |
- |
0 |
19 |
|
Tallaght |
- |
1 |
12 |
|
Popes Quay |
- |
9 |
3 |
|
South Mall |
14 |
- |
|
|
Athlone |
- |
4 |
7 |
|
Castlebar |
- |
2 |
6 |
|
Cavan |
- |
2 |
2 |
|
Dundalk |
5 |
- |
- |
|
Ennis |
15 |
- |
- |
|
Galway- Francis St |
- |
7 |
8 |
|
Galway – Seville H |
- |
0 |
11 |
|
Kilkenny |
- |
1 |
11 |
|
Letterkenny |
- |
10 |
6 |
|
Limerick |
10 |
- |
- |
|
Longford |
- |
3 |
4 |
|
Monaghan |
4 |
- |
- |
|
Navan |
- |
5 |
2 |
|
Nenagh |
- |
1 |
5 |
|
Newbridge |
- |
6 |
11 |
|
Portlaoise |
- |
7 |
10 |
|
Sligo |
- |
3 |
9 |
|
Tralee |
6 |
- |
- |
|
Tullamore |
6 |
- |
- |
|
Waterford |
7 |
- |
- |
|
Wexford |
9 |
- |
- |
|
Wicklow |
- |
1 |
8 |
* waiting times for centres not operating the triage approach.
** waiting times for centres operating the triage approach.
*** additional time that a person who has had a triage appointment is likely to have to wait for a second consultation.
1099. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of Garda age cards that have been issued each year over the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38107/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Garda Age Card is a voluntary proof of age card currently issued to persons 18 years and over under the Intoxicating Liquor Act 1988 (Age Card) Regulations 2010. The purpose of the card is to verify a person's age in relation to matters referred to in the Intoxicating Liquor Act, as provided for in section 40 of the Act.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that the following table contains the number of Garda National Age Cards issued from 2009 to 2012 and in 2013, up to 31 August.
|
Year |
Number of Cards Issued |
|
2013 (up to 31 August) |
34,826 |
|
2012 |
47,625 |
|
2011 |
41,054 |
|
2010 |
39,952 |
|
2009 |
36,351 |
Anyone aged 18 years and over may apply for an Age Card on-line at www.agecard.ie.
1100. Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will confirm if An Garda Síochána carries out surveys or commissions reports on the state of the morale of the force; if so, details of the most recent report; if he will provide details of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38120/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have requested the detailed information sought by the Deputy from the Garda Commissioner and as soon as it is to hand I will pass it on to the Deputy.
1101. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Justice and Equality when a person (details supplied) in County Offaly may expect a decision on an application for naturalisation. [38235/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI refer the Deputy to Parliamentary Question No. 425 of Tuesday, 30th April 2013. The position remains as stated.
Reply to Parliamentary Question No. 425 of Tuesday, 30th April 2013:
I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the person referred to had his application granted and was presented with a Certificate of Naturalisation at a citizenship ceremony held at the Convention Centre, Dublin on 14 June 2012.
1102. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the current legal status of a notary public here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38266/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraA Notary Public is a public officer constituted by law to serve the public in non-contentious matters usually concerned with foreign or international business. Notaries Public are appointed by the Chief Justice and I have no function in this matter.
1103. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the progress to date in the determination of eligibility for Stamp 4 in the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 7; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38287/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am informed by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) that the person referred to by the Deputy entered the State on 18/01/2007 and was registered as a Student in the State on 01/02/2007. This person currently has permission to be in the State on Student conditions until 31/01/2014.
The person concerned does not have an application pending with INIS. However, all non-EEA students resident in the State are subject to the student immigration rules set out under the "new immigration regime for full time non-EEA students" which was published in September 2010 and has been in effect since 1 January 2011. These rules stipulate that non-EEA nationals may reside in Ireland as students, subject to the provisions of the new regime, for a maximum period of seven years. The person referred to by the Deputy arrived in the State and registered in 2007. This person will have accumulated 7 years in January 2014. As such she does not qualify for a Stamp 4 status. When her permission expires she will have to leave the State.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to the INIS by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility 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 from the INIS is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.
1104. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the safety regulations pertaining to prisoners being transported throughout the State. [38294/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to advise the Deputy that the Irish Prison Service considers the safety of the transport of prisoners and staff with the utmost seriousness.
Furthermore I wish to advise the Deputy that all prisoner journeys are conducted in accordance with the terms of the PSEC (Prison Service Escort Corps) regulations manual. The manual is a comprehensive document and outlines strict procedures for Escorting Prisoners throughout the state. The aim of this policy is to provide safe humane and efficient arrangements across its operations for the escorting of prisoners and to contribute to the efficient operation of the criminal justice system. A further purpose is to ensure that escorts are carried out in a secure, safe, efficient and consistent manner.
All staff must have the relevant licence for the relevant vehicle. The categories required are B, D1 & D licence. Staff are trained by a qualified in-house approved driving instructor and are tested by an official Road Safety Authority approved driving tester. In addition all vehicles are subject to statutory DOE tests. Vehicle and tyre checks are carried out every three months, and any vehicle faults are rectified as soon as is possible.
1105. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans for increasing the number of personal insolvency practitioners from 37 for the entire State. [38295/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised by the Insolvency Service of Ireland (ISI) that as of 16 September 2013 a total of 47 Personal Insolvency Practitioners have been authorised. In addition, there are 27 individuals within 8 Money Advice and Budgeting Service companies, authorised to act as Approved Intermediaries.
I understand that the ISI is currently processing a large number of practitioner applications and the number of authorised Personal Insolvency Practitioners and Approved Intermediaries is expected to increase over the coming weeks.
Lists of the authorised Personal Insolvency Practitioners and Approved Intermediaries are available on the ISI website, www.isi.gov.ie and those lists will be added to on a continuous basis as persons are authorised.
1106. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the position regarding an application for residency status in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38307/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person concerned was granted permission to remain in the State on 5 September, 2005 for an initial two year period, under the revised arrangements applicable for the non-EEA national parents of Irish born children born in the State before 1 January, 2005, more commonly known as the IBC/05 Scheme. This permission was renewed at three year intervals and is currently valid until 22 July, 2016. I am informed that no application for a certificate of naturalisation has been received from the person concerned in the Citizenship Division of my Department to date.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to INIS by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility 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 from INIS is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.
1107. Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons who have and are seeking free legal aid from the Newbridge Free legal Aid Centre, County Kildare; if there is a waiting list; the period of such; if there are plans to address this problem; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38326/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy will be aware that demand for legal services from the Legal Aid Board (“the Board”) has increased significantly since the down-turn in the economy. While there was a 10% drop in demand at the general law centres in 2012 compared to 2011, nevertheless the demand for general legal services (excluding asylum) in 2011 was 93% greater than it was in 2006. Demand across the organisation in 2013 is running at the same level as it was in 2012. Demand for services at Newbridge Law Centre has remained consistently high. In the 12 months up to 1 September 2013 it received 868 new applications. In common with the vast majority of the Board’s law centres it is a relatively small office staff wise.
The Board has not been subject to the sort of cuts to its grant-in-aid that other public service bodies have had to experience and I have been able to maintain the Board’s grant-in-aid at the same level for 2013 as it was in 2012 (and 2011).
Notwithstanding the pressures on resources, the Government has further supported the Board by approving exemptions from the moratorium to enable the organisation to recruit front-line staff for direct service delivery. The Public Appointments Service concluded a solicitor recruitment competition for the Board earlier this year from which a number of permanent appointments have been made and a number of temporary positions have also been filled.
As the Deputy may be aware, on 12 September 2013, I signed into law a new statutory instrument in respect of civil legal aid provided by the Legal Aid Board which, inter alia, provides for an increased contribution from persons availing of the services offered by the Board.
I intend for any funds raised by these measures to be retained by the Board to better fund the provision of services to those in need of them and reduce waiting times for those services. At a time when the State is facing significant demands on its resources an increase in contributions allows the Board to achieve its objectives without money being diverted from other programmes. The increased contributions should result in increased funding of up to €700,000 per annum being available to the Board once the increases have full impact.
I believe this additional resource for the Board will assist it in tackling those waiting times. I am conscious that the increase in the minimum contribution as a percentage is significant. However, I believe the contributions payable still compare favourably with other jurisdictions. Provisions remain in place to allow the contribution to be waived in hardship cases.
In response to the changed environment the Board has taken steps to try and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the delivery of its legal services. Those steps include the following:
The Board has been piloting a ‘triage’ approach to service delivery and this approach is operative in most of its centres at this stage. The pilot is in response to lengthening waiting times. The aim of the ‘triage’ approach is that every applicant gets to see a solicitor within a period of one month for the purpose of getting legal advice (consultations are broadly limited to 45 minutes). If the applicant requires further services they remain on the ‘waiting list’. There is or has been a ‘backlog’ of applicants to be seen for triage purposes hence it is taking time to reduce the waiting time for such an appointment to one month. A first review of the operation of the pilot indicated that clients were satisfied with this particular service initiative. This was because they got early access to a solicitor for advice on their legal disputes that provided clarity about the options open to them and the process through which their disputes might be resolved. (I have included a table showing the waiting times for non-prioritised matters at Newbridge Law Centre).
In August 2012 the Board introduced a new case management system in its law centres. This is a ‘start to end’ system which will in the medium term deliver efficiencies in terms of the administration aspect as well as in relation to the delivery of the legal services. It will take time for the full benefits of this system to materialise.
In November 2011 I transferred responsibility for the management and administration of the State funded family mediation service to the Board. A key reason for this transferring was to improve the synergies between the State funded family mediation services and the State funded civil legal aid services (most of the demand for legal services is in the area of family law). Improving the synergies will be for the benefit of the customer and will help move away from a ‘litigation first’ approach that may on occasion be too common. Already there are very positive signs from a pilot initiative operating in Dolphin House (where the Dublin District Family Court sits) involving the co-location of the courts and a mediation service with a legal service located there also. Similar initiatives have now been introduced in Cork and Naas and are being evaluated.
While the Board’s asylum related legal services were previously funded from a separate grant, since 2012 I have funded the Board on the basis of a single ‘grant-in-aid’. With the drop in demand for asylum, the Board has taken steps to integrate the delivery of its asylum related services into the general law centre service delivery model thus effectively transferring resources from the asylum area to the general legal service area where the demands have increased.
I am aware that the Board has maintained a high level of usage of private solicitors for family law cases in the District Court. Cases in the District Court are often those that need the most immediate remedy.
I am also aware that the Board continues to engage with other key players in the justice / legal area such as the Courts Service and the Health Service Executive, with a view to trying to ensure that State funded resources that impact on its area of business are used to best effect.
Finally, the table outlines the waiting period in months for persons waiting for a first or second consultation at Newbridge Law Centre.
|
Law Centre |
Waiting time for a triage appointment (months) |
Further waiting time where triage appointment previously given (months) |
|
Newbridge |
6 |
11 |
1108. Deputy Derek Keating asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the position regarding an application for Garda clearance in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Dublin. [38388/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am informed by the Garda authorities that a vetting application on behalf of the individual referred to was received by the Garda Central Vetting Unit (GCVU).
The application was processed and returned to the registered organisation concerned on 13 September 2013.
1109. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if it is possible to extend the validity of an existing Stamp 4 in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare while awaiting a decision on his application without being conditional as to time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38395/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have been informed by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) that the person referred to by the Deputy, is currently registered with the Garda National Immigration Bureau on Stamp 4 conditions until 3 October 2013. The person has an application for Stamp 5 conditions currently with INIS. A decision will issue on his case very shortly.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to INIS by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility 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 from INIS is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.
1110. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Justice and Equality when an application made by a person (details supplied) in Dublin 22 will be dealt with; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38403/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have been informed by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration service (INIS) that the person referred to by the Deputy made an application on 6 August 2013 for permission to remain in the State on the basis of a De Facto relationship with an Irish national. These applications are dealt with in chronological order and currently it is taking up to six months to process them. A decision will issue on this application in the coming months.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to the INIS by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility 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 from the INIS is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.
1112. Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of subsidiary protection and leave to remain applications that were approved in July and August 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38422/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn relation to cases finalised under Section 3 of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended), I can advise the Deputy that in the period 1st January, 2013 to 30th June, 2013 (the standard reporting period used by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service of my Department), a total of 1,400 such cases were finalised with 822 deportation orders having been made, the voluntary return of 206 persons was facilitated while a further 372 persons were granted permission to remain.
The position more generally with regard to subsidiary protection is that in light of recent judgments in the Superior Courts, I am introducing new arrangements for the processing of these applications. My Department, in consultation with the Attorney General's Office, is developing a new legislative and administrative framework for the processing of current and future applications. This work is being given high priority, is close to completion and applicants will be advised of the new arrangements as soon as possible.
1113. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Justice and Equality in view of the proposals to close court offices in County Kerry and locations around the country, if there has been a cost benefit analysis carried out regarding these closures, that is, the amount it will cost for all witnesses and gardaí to travel and if it will cost more than it would save; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38517/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy may be aware, under the provisions of the Courts Service Act 1998 management of the courts is the responsibility of the Courts Service which is independent in exercising its functions, which include the provision of accommodation for court sittings.
However, in order to be of further assistance to the Deputy, I have had enquiries made and have been informed that the Courts Service has been reviewing all aspects of its organisational and operational structures throughout the country with the specific objective of ensuring that the Service can continue to maintain the delivery of front line court services and an appropriate level of service to court users. I understand that no court venue has been singled out for or indeed exempted from the review and all court venues in County Kerry are included in this process.
In this context the Courts Service has established a general framework within which such venues are being assessed taking into account a range of criteria such as caseload, proximity to an alternative venue, physical condition of the building, availability of cells etc. The likely impact on other Justice agencies, such as An Garda Síochána and the Irish Prison Service, is also taken into account. The review identified a range of venues nationwide which, based on the criteria applied, could be considered for closure subject to a detailed assessment and the preparation of a business case in respect of each identified venue which has now commenced.
I am informed that the Courts Service in considering any venue for closure undertakes a cost analysis exercise which includes an assessment of the costs associated with the holding of court sittings in a court venue over a 12 month period. Witness costs are not included in this assessment. However, the cost analysis includes an assessment of the net Garda travel and subsistence costs based on Garda attendances at the venue identified for closure when compared with the proposed alternative venue calculated over the number of sittings held over a period of 3 months and extrapolated over a 12 month period; the travel and subsistence costs for courts staff attending the identified venue when compared with the alternative venue; the travel and subsistence costs for the permanently assigned Judge to the relevant District; additional legal aid costs arising from the holding of the court sittings over the 3 month period extrapolated over a 12 month period and operational costs associated with the identified venue over a 12 month period e.g. courthouse maintenance, light, heat & fuel. I am informed that the cost analysis in relation to the Kerry venues has not yet been undertaken.
Following this review four courthouses in Co. Kerry, Killorglin, Cahirciveen, Kenmare and Dingle were identified as venues which should be considered for closure subject to a detailed assessment and the preparation of a business case. I am informed that there are currently no plans to close the court office located in Tralee, Co Kerry. The Courts Service has assured me no decision in relation to the future of any of the court venues will be taken without prior consultation with local interested parties and court users. This consultation process has recently commenced and the views expressed in that process will be taken into account in the decision making process which will be a matter for the Courts Service Board.
1114. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the action he will take on the matter of anti-social activity at a location (details supplied) in Dublin 5. [38533/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have requested a report from the Garda authorities in relation to the matter referred to by the Deputy. I will contact the Deputy directly as soon as the report is to hand.
1115. Deputy Heather Humphreys asked the Minister for Justice and Equality when a Garda clearance certificate will issue in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Cavan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38565/13]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am informed by the Garda authorities that a vetting application on behalf of the individual referred to by the Deputy was received by the Garda Central Vetting Unit (GCVU) on 22 August 2013. The application is currently being processed and once completed will be returned to the registered organisation concerned.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that the current average processing time for applications is approximately 9 weeks from date of receipt. However, seasonal fluctuations and the necessity to seek additional information on particular applications can result in this processing time being exceeded on occasion. In the interest of fairness and equity, Garda vetting applications are processed in chronological order based on the date of receipt in the GCVU and all organisations registered for Garda Vetting are aware of the processing time-frames for the receipt of Garda vetting and have been advised to factor this into their recruitment and selection process.
It is essential that the GCVU has the resources required to perform this most critical of roles effectively and I have given this matter particular priority. In that regard I have been actively engaged with my colleague the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. As a result of that engagement, I am pleased to say that the Commissioner has confirmed to me that there are now 134 whole-time equivalent staff (130 civilians and 4 members of the Garda Síochána) assigned to the GCVU, some 41 of whom have been redeployed from elsewhere in the public service since the end of March 2013. Some of these redeployed staff have only recently completed their training in the vetting process, and the full impact of their work will be seen in the coming weeks. Furthermore, I have also recently received sanction for the redeployment of 40 additional staff to the GCVU. This brings the total number of staff in that service to over 170 which, when compared to the average staff allocation of 78 at the Unit over the past two and a half years, represents an increase of 117%.
Development of an e-Vetting solution is underway. This will facilitate the processing of all applications in an e-format, thus removing the time-consuming current process of manually managing all applications received . The initial phase of testing this e-vetting system will take place in the fourth quarter of 2013. When this is achieved, this system will streamline the overall vetting process in this jurisdiction, and further contribute to reductions in processing times for all vetting applications.
