Written Answers Nos. 136-146
136. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the position regarding an application for appeal in respect of residency status in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Carlow, along with that person's spouse and children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19084/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraIf the person whose details were supplied or her dependant children have made an application for asylum or subsidiary protection, the Deputy will be aware that it is not the practice to comment on such applications for so long as they remain in the protection process. The position in this regard is in accordance with Section 19 of the Refugee Act 1996 (as amended) which provides for the protection of the identity of asylum applicants.
Protection applicants are issued with a temporary residence permission pending a final decision on their application.
The spouse of the person in question was determined to be eligible for subsidiary protection in September 2014 and was notified of this decision by my Department shortly afterwards.
137. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the current or expected residency status in the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 22; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19085/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraIf the person whose details were supplied has made an application for asylum or subsidiary protection, the Deputy will be aware that it is not the practice to comment on such applications for so long as they remain in the protection process. The position in this regard is in accordance with Section 19 of the Refugee Act 1996 (as amended) which provides for the protection of the identity of asylum applicants.
Protection applicants are issued with a temporary residence permission pending a final decision on their application.
138. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the current and-or expected residency status in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 22; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19086/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the person concerned was, by letter dated 11th February, 2010, refused a declaration as a refugee. This communication advised the person concerned of their entitlement to apply for subsidiary protection. I am advised that such an application was made and refused. The person concerned will be contacted in the near future in relation to their position in the State.
I am advised also that the child of the person concerned has had their asylum claim refused, at both first instance and on appeal. They proceeded to initiate judicial review proceedings in the High Court challenging the Decision of the Refugee Appeals Tribunal in their case. These proceedings were finalised in the Tribunal's favour on 22nd April, 2015 meaning that the earlier Decision of the Tribunal stands. Upon receipt of the written Judgment of the High Court, contact will also be made in relation to their position in the State.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to the INIS of my Department 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.
139. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the current and-or expected residency status in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Waterford; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19088/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraIf the person whose details were supplied has made an application for asylum or subsidiary protection, the Deputy will be aware that it is not the practice to comment on such applications for so long as they remain in the protection process. The position in this regard is in accordance with Section 19 of the Refugee Act 1996 (as amended) which provides for the protection of the identity of asylum applicants.
Protection applicants are issued with a temporary residence permission pending a final decision on their application.
140. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the position regarding eligibility for naturalisation in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19090/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am informed by the Citizenship Division of the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) that there is no record of an application for a certificate of naturalisation on hand from the person referred to.
It is open to any individual to lodge an application for citizenship if and when they are in a position to meet the statutory requirements as prescribed in the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956 as amended. Detailed information on Irish citizenship and naturalisation is available on the INIS website at www.inis.gov.ie. The website also contains an on-line naturalisation residency calculator which individuals may find of assistance in establishing if the residency requirements are met.
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.
141. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the position regarding an assessment in respect of naturalisation in the case of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 15; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19097/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that an application for a certificate of naturalisation has been received from the person referred to and that processing of this application is well advanced and the case will be submitted to me for decision in due course.
The Deputy may wish to note that 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 established specifically 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.
142. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the system by which third parties who have incurred property damage as a result of a Garda Síochána operation may recoup the cost of repair work; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19108/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraClaims from property owners for damage caused to their properties arising from searches undertaken by the Garda Síochána should be submitted in writing the State Claims Agency which has delegated authority to manage such claims on behalf of the State. Each claim is considered separately depending on the particular facts of the case.
Any claim from a property owner in respect of damage arising from a Garda operation is contested unless there is demonstrable negligence on the part of the Garda authorities. Claims arising from situations where the members of the Garda Síochána did not have a search warrant or other lawful authority to carry out a search would similarly not be contested. Search warrants authorise the Gardaí to, if necessary, use force to gain entry to a property and the Gardaí have no legal liability to the property owner for damage caused in executing a lawfully issued search warrant.
144. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Justice and Equality when an application for retention for a Stamp 4 European Union permission, which was been lodged in May 2012 by a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath will be dealt with; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19110/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that a decision on the application in question was issued to the individual concerned by letter dated 6 May, 2015.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to the INIS of my Department 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.
145. Deputy Tom Fleming asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the progress with regard to negotiating a bilateral agreement with Russia to enable some of the many thousands of children who remain in State care in that jurisdiction to be adopted legally into loving families here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18932/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraEfforts are ongoing in my Department in relation to a bilateral agreement on intercountry adoption between Ireland and the Russian Federation. It was intended to visit Russia in January of this year. However it has been decided to liaise with officials in the Ministry of Education and Science in Russia to ensure that Irish proposals in regard to the provision of post placement reports are acceptable to the Russian Federation.
The Irish Constitution protects the integrity of family life and once adopted in Ireland the child is treated in the same way as other Irish children. This means that the ability of the State to intervene in a family, when a child’s welfare and protection are not compromised, is limited. The Department has advised the Russian Federation of this Constitutional imperative in instances where families, who had given commitments to the Russian authorities in regard to the provision of post placement reports, fail to adhere to those commitments. In these instances the State has no legislative power to enforce compliance with the commitments given by Irish families, legal or otherwise, to provide post placement reports. It is imperative that this matter is fully addressed so as to ensure that further discussions on other aspects of the bilateral agreement are beneficial.
146. Deputy Joanna Tuffy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the total expenditure on consultancy by his Department; the number of consultants engaged by his Department in the years 2011 to 2014; the names of the consultancy companies awarded contracts; and the steps which have been taken to reduce the expenditure on consultancy and the reliance on consultants by his Department, in these years, and for the future. [18965/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraIt is the policy of my Department to minimise to the greatest extent possible the use of external consultancy and to ensure that where it is necessary to engage an external consultant my Department achieves maximum value for money. The data provided in the following table relate to consultancy firms engaged by my Department from 2011 to 2014. As my Department was established on 2nd June 2011 information is provided from that date. The information which you requested is outlined below in tabular form excluding VAT. Final payments to the service providers are reduced to take account of Professional Services Withholding Tax.
|
Payee |
Payee Totals - 2011 |
Payee Totals - 2012 |
Payee Totals - 2013 |
Payee Totals - 2014 |
|
Angela O'Connell |
€5,750 |
|||
|
Ann Sanson |
€23,002 |
€3,807 |
€13,421 |
|
|
Behaviour and Attitudes Ltd. |
€83,700 |
|||
|
BFK Brand Ltd |
€19,841 |
|||
|
Bramell Lane Ltd. |
€23,700 |
|||
|
Burtenshaw Kenny Associates |
€4,990 |
€2,480 |
€3,920 |
€980 |
|
Capita Business Services Ltd. |
€19,350 |
€8,200 |
||
|
Carmel Corrigan |
€12,600 |
€4,000 |
||
|
Cnag an Doras |
€46,886 |
€14,717 |
€56,906 |
€26,500 |
|
Conal Devine & Associates |
€11,159 |
|||
|
CPD Ireland |
€2,850 |
€4,800 |
€3,275 |
|
|
Deloitte & Touche |
€6,295 |
€7,365 |
€6,088 |
€6,088 |
|
HV McElfatrick |
€2,974 |
|||
|
Jane Clarke |
€4,800 |
|||
|
Kevin Rafter |
€4,200 |
|||
|
Lisney Chartered Surveyors |
€1,750 |
|||
|
Liz Harper |
€7,417 |
€8,020 |
€4,900 |
|
|
Mazars |
€180,907 |
|||
|
Niall Watters & Associates |
€5,996 |
€3,998 |
||
|
Peter Smyth Management Consultancy Ltd |
€8,400 |
|||
|
Richard Sinnott |
€8,000 |
|||
|
Roger Jupp |
€33,600 |
|||
|
Sandra Roe |
€12,000 |
|||
|
Satya Brink |
€32,508 |
€15,471 |
€15,502 |
