Written Answers Nos.100-110
100. Deputy Noel Harrington asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the progress on the drafting of the sea-fisheries and maritime jurisdiction (amendment) Bill; and when this will be brought before Dáil Éireann. [18095/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn amendment is proposed to the Sea Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act 2006 in order to address a number of issues. Firstly it is required under the Fisheries Control Regulation (EU) 1224/2009 to implement a points system for skippers of fishing vessels found to have committed serious fishery infringements. Secondly it is intended to introduce a system of Fixed Penalty Notices for minor fishery infringements; this will deliver on a commitment in the Programme for Government. Thirdly it is intended to affirm in legislation that fishing quotas are a national resource. In addition to this, it is intended that the Bill will resolve some typographical errors and introduce a number of miscellaneous minor amendments. The implementation of the Points system and the system of fixed penalties have proved to be legally complex systems to draft.
The proposal to amend the Sea Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act to address these matters was sent to Public Consultation, accompanied by a Regulatory Impact Analysis which looked at the implementation of these commitments and sets out the legal parameters within which the amended legislation must fit.
The consultation period was completed on 9 January 2015 and a range of responses were received which will be considered in the drafting of the Bill. It is intended that the Heads of Bill will be submitted to Government in the Autumn at which time the Bill can commence its legislative passage.
101. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if provision will be made in the national reserve for old young farmers to ensure that such farmers who had their deeds stamped subsequent to the allocation of a herd number and who were not able to avail of the installation aid scheme will have their application for the national reserve considered on the basis of the date of the stamping of the deed rather than the allocation of the herd number; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18097/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraApplications under phase 2 of the National Reserve for the group commonly referred to as ‘Old Young Farmers’ opened on 1 April 2015. This measure will cater for farmers who established their holdings in 2008 or 2009, who comply with the definition of young farmer for the purposes of the National Reserve ‘young farmer’ priority category, but who missed out on both the Young Farmer Installation Scheme which closed for applications in 2008 and the young farmer category of the National Reserve which caters for farmers who commenced farming since 2010.
While the Young Farmer Installation Scheme closed for applications on 14 October 2008, I have opted to extend the eligibility date back to include eligible ‘Old Young Farmers’ who established their holdings between 1 January 2008 and 31 December 2009. In this way I have granted the maximum possible flexibility regarding the date of establishment of holdings. Under all of the measures pertaining to the Basic Payment Scheme the date of establishment of the holding is the date the herd number is allocated to the farmer.
102. Deputy Eoghan Murphy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the cost to the Exchequer of the payment of increments to all public sector staff under his remit per year since 2008. [18326/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe following table sets out the number of increments paid to the staff in my Department for the years 2008-2015:
|
YEAR |
Number of Increments |
|
2008 |
1706 |
|
2009 |
1685 |
|
2010 |
1578 |
|
2011 |
1246 |
|
2012 |
1086 |
|
2013 |
958 |
|
2014 |
694 |
|
Jan-Apr 2015 Inclusive |
223 |
The awarding of an increment is dependent on satisfactory performance by the staff member.
It is not feasible to provide the costs for each year in the time frame available, however the information will be provided directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
103. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Defence the number of Defence Forces personnel, by rank, who retired in the years 2013 and 2014 and to date in 2015. [18006/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe number of personnel who left the Defence Forces in the period 1st January 2013 to 1st May 2015 was 1,125. A detailed breakdown of these personnel by rank is contained in the table.
Defence Forces Discharges by Rank, 1 January 2013 to 1 May 2015
|
Rank |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
Total |
|
Lieutenant General |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
Brigadier General |
1 |
2 |
0 |
3 |
|
Colonel |
3 |
8 |
2 |
13 |
|
Lieutenant Colonel |
12 |
16 |
2 |
30 |
|
Commandant |
20 |
28 |
9 |
57 |
|
Captain |
21 |
21 |
9 |
51 |
|
Lieutenant |
2 |
8 |
3 |
13 |
|
Sergeant Major |
0 |
5 |
0 |
5 |
|
Battalion Quartermaster Sergeant |
1 |
5 |
2 |
8 |
|
Company Sergeant |
11 |
19 |
4 |
34 |
|
Company Quartermaster Sergeant |
14 |
13 |
3 |
30 |
|
Sergeant |
51 |
44 |
22 |
117 |
|
Corporal |
59 |
39 |
22 |
120 |
|
Private |
272 |
269 |
92 |
633 |
|
Cadets |
2 |
5 |
3 |
10 |
|
Total Discharges |
470 |
482 |
173 |
1,125 |
104. Deputy Eoghan Murphy asked the Minister for Defence the cost to the Exchequer of the payment of increments to all public sector staff under his remit per year since 2008. [18330/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraIt has not been possible in the time available to compile the information requested. The information will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.
105. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will confirm that there will be no changes to the current payment system for retired members of An Garda Síochána; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17901/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraTo date no proposals have been agreed to change the process by which retired members of An Garda Síochána are paid their pension from the current method of payment in advance. I can, however, state that consideration of this matter is at an exploratory stage.
106. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will report on the Garda Síochána Operation Obair; the number of persons arrested and charged under this operation to date; the number of successful convictions to date; and if this operation is still active. [18001/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am informed by the Garda authorities that Operation Obair was launched in each Division in the Eastern Garda Region in April 2012. The primary objective of Operation Obair is to disrupt and prevent mobile and organised criminal groups from committing criminal offences, to apprehend suspects in the commission or the attempted commission of offences and to fully investigate, detect and, where possible, prosecute any offences outstanding against these suspects.
I am further informed that Operation Obair is one of a number of specific burglary related operations which have been implemented in each Garda Region, in support of Operation Fiacla, to target suspect offenders, disrupt their activities and secure their attendance before the courts. The Operation provides both a preventative and detection element, and focuses on geographical areas and specific targets. Targeted offences include; burglary, aggravated burglary, robbery, possession of house breaking implements, possession of stolen property and trespassing.
I am advised that, as of 30 April 2015, Operation Fiacla has led to the arrest of 13,027 persons with charges being brought against 7,394 persons nationally. I am further advised that An Garda Síochána is not in a position to provide the specific information requested by the Deputy in relation to Operation Obair as this would require a disproportionate amount of Garda time and resources to collate.
As the Deputy will be aware, I have also been carrying out a broad review of the criminal justice system’s response to the problem of burglaries. This includes a focus on interagency measures in relation to the management of prolific offenders, visible policing, crime prevention support for communities, and an examination of legislative issues. In this regard I recently published the General Scheme of the Criminal Justice (Burglary of Dwellings) Bill which was approved by Government. This legislation targets repeat burglary offenders through bail measures and provisions concerning the imposition of consecutive sentencing for repeat burglary offending.
107. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will provide a detailed breakdown of the most up-to-date number of gardaí in each district in the Dublin metropolitan area, in each year since 2011. [18002/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution of personnel among the Garda Regions, Divisions, and Districts. Garda management keep this distribution under continuing review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities so as to ensure that the best possible use is made of these resources.
I have received the information from the Garda Commissioner on the personnel strength for each Division and District in the Dublin Metropolitan Region for the years ending 31 December 2011-2014 and on 31 March 2015, the latest date for which figures are readily available. I have arranged that this information which is set out in spreadsheets be sent to the Deputy directly.
108. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 126 of 20 April 2015, if she will take steps to enforce the relevant provision in the Judicial Separation and Family Law Reform Act 1984 in order to ensure that judges, barristers and solicitors do not wear wigs and gowns in the family court proceedings. [18062/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, the Courts are, subject only to the constitution and the law, independent in the exercise of their judicial functions. The presiding judge is responsible for the administration of his or her court. The conduct of any court case, including adherence to the provisions of the Judicial Separation and Family Law Reform Act 1989 is a matter for the presiding judge.
109. Deputy Eoghan Murphy asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of visas required by English language students currently registered in IBAT College, Dublin [18067/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am informed that as of 30 April 2015 the college referred to by the Deputy had 364 non-EEA students registered with the Garda National Immigration Bureau as pursuing an English language course of studies.
110. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the reason for the delay in making a decision in respect of a mutual assistance request relating to a prosecution (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18083/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is obliged to deal in confidence with requests for mutual legal assistance in criminal investigations. However, given that reference has been made in a court in Northern Ireland to the making of a request for assistance in this instance, I can confirm that a request has been received and that it is being dealt with, in accordance with legal requirements, as expeditiously as possible. I am not in a position to make any further comment in relation to this particular matter.
