Written Answers Nos. 585-609
586. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will provide an update on the status of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2014; if she will expedite the matter before the summer recess, and in light of the recent enactment of Northern Ireland’s Human Trafficking and Exploitation Act 2015. [22425/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraOn 27 November, I published the General Scheme of a Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill which includes two new offences of purchasing, in the context of prostitution, sexual services.
The first is a general offence of purchasing sexual services which carries a penalty of a fine of up to €500 for a first offence and fines of up to €1000 for a second or subsequent offence. The second is the more serious offence of purchasing a sexual service from a trafficked person and carries a potential penalty of up to 5 years imprisonment and/or a fine. In both cases, the person selling the sexual service will not be subject to an offence.
These new offences are comparable to those introduced in section 15 of the Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Criminal Justice and Support for Victims) Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 which came into force on 1 June.
The Bill is priority legislation and is currently being drafted. It is my intention to publish the Bill in the current parliamentary session.
As an additional means of combating the exploitation which is associated with prostitution, these offences will target the demand side of prostitution. However, there is already legislative provisions addressing the trafficking of persons for the purposes of exploitation (including sexual exploitation) which can attract significant penalties. I would draw the Deputy's attention to the Criminal Law (Human Trafficking) Act 2008 which prohibits trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation. Any person found guilty of such an offence shall be liable to imprisonment for life or a lesser term, and at the discretion of the court, to a fine. It is also an offence for a person to solicit or importune a trafficked person for the purposes of prostitution with a potential penalty of imprisonment for up to 5 years and / or a fine.
I would also like to advise the Deputy of existing laws in the area of prostitution. Under section 6 of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 1993, it is an offence to solicit in a street or public place for the purpose of prostitution. It is also an offence under the 1993 Act to organise prostitution, to knowingly live on the earnings of a prostitute or to keep or manage a brothel. In addition, public order legislation prohibits the advertising of brothels and prostitution. I am satisfied that these provisions are adequate to address any impacts to this State arising from upcoming reforms in other jurisdictions.
587. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality further to her reply of 27 May 2015 to Parliamentary Question No. 103 of 25 March 2015, with the breakdown on cases before each District Court for road traffic offences where the outcome included donations to the court poor box, if she will clarify how many of these instances were for penalty point offences; the number of cases per District Court for road traffic offences with convictions for penalty point offences; the number of non-convictions due to payments to the court poor box in lieu of conviction and application of penalty points; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22426/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe court poor box is a non-statutory system used mostly by the District Courts to impose a financial charge on a defendant to be used for a charitable purpose, usually instead of imposing a criminal conviction. Payments made to the court poor box are accounted for by the court office concerned and the accounting procedures are subject to audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General. Generally, charities are the recipients of poor box contributions but the decision is solely at the discretion of the Judge who is independent in the matter of sentencing, as in other matters concerning the exercise of judicial functions, subject only to the Constitution and the law. In February 2014, the Government approved the drafting of the Criminal Justice (Community Sanctions) Bill, which will replace the Probation of Offenders Act 1907 with modern provisions dealing with community sanctions and the role of the Probation Service in the criminal justice system. It is intended that the legislation will provide for a statutory Reparation Fund to replace the Court Poor Box, as recommended by the Law Reform Commission in its 2005 report The Court Poor Box: Probation of Offenders.
I and my Department are at present actively reviewing issues relating to the various aspects of enforcement of penalty points in the justice system generally and this process will be completed shortly. In order to be of assistance to the Deputy, I have had made enquiries about the number of defendants recorded on the Courts Service Criminal Case Tracking System (CCTS) who were before the court for offences under the Road Traffic Act in respect of the categories requested by the Deputy and the outcome of whose cases involved payments to the Court Poor Box. I am arranging for a table setting out this information to be provided to the Deputy as soon as it can be completed.
588. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality further to the reply to Parliamentary Question No. 257 of 6 May 2015, which was in follow up to Parliamentary Question No. 399 of 21 April 2015, the total figures for drivers who were convicted of penalty point offences in court in 2013, 2014 and in 2015 to date by District Court area and whether this information is now available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22427/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy will be aware that, under the provisions of the Courts Service Act 1998, management of the courts is the responsibility of the Courts Service and I have no role in the matter. Section 4(3) of the 1998 Act provides that the Courts Service is independent in the performance of its functions, which includes the provision of information on the courts system.
However, in order to be of assistance, I have had enquiries made and the table below provides details of the number of drivers who were convicted of penalty point offences in court in 2013, 2014 & January to March 2015. Where a person is convicted of a penalty point offence, details of the conviction imposed including the driver licence number where recorded, is sent to the National Vehicle and Driver File. I understand that further matching of details of persons convicted against vehicle and driver records is also carried out by the National Vehicle and Driver File for the application of penalty points as appropriate.
|
Court Area |
2013 |
2014 |
Jan – Mar 2015 |
|
Court Area |
2013 |
2014 |
Jan – Mar 2015 |
|
ABBEYFEALE |
42 |
24 |
0 |
|
ACHILL |
3 |
1 |
0 |
|
ARDEE |
59 |
109 |
39 |
|
ARKLOW |
187 |
185 |
34 |
|
ATHLONE |
163 |
373 |
151 |
|
ATHY |
60 |
94 |
47 |
|
BALLINA |
40 |
57 |
22 |
|
BALTINGLASS |
41 |
0 |
0 |
|
BANDON |
78 |
198 |
36 |
|
BALLYCONNELL & SWANLINBAR |
11 |
0 |
0 |
|
BEAL AN MHUIRTHEAD |
12 |
16 |
2 |
|
BIRR |
35 |
0 |
0 |
|
BALLINASLOE |
158 |
174 |
40 |
|
BALLAGHADERREEN |
34 |
39 |
7 |
|
BALLYHAUNIS |
9 |
0 |
0 |
|
BALLYSHANNON |
48 |
74 |
21 |
|
BANTRY |
25 |
41 |
15 |
|
BRAY |
295 |
302 |
122 |
|
BUNCRANA |
55 |
46 |
19 |
|
CAHIRCIVEEN |
1 |
3 |
2 |
|
CARLOW |
157 |
236 |
144 |
|
CASHEL |
86 |
195 |
51 |
|
CAVAN |
106 |
137 |
47 |
|
CASTLEBAR |
90 |
153 |
42 |
|
CLIFDEN |
19 |
24 |
14 |
|
CLONMEL |
104 |
146 |
34 |
|
CLONES |
6 |
0 |
0 |
|
CLONAKILTY |
59 |
51 |
8 |
|
CORK CITY |
1,285 |
1,461 |
426 |
|
CARRICK ON SHANNON |
116 |
83 |
60 |
|
CARRICKMACROSS |
78 |
101 |
13 |
|
CARNDONAGH |
41 |
55 |
15 |
|
CARRICK ON SUIR |
37 |
46 |
15 |
|
CASTLEREA |
43 |
55 |
16 |
|
AN DAINGEAN |
7 |
1 |
|
|
DUBLIN METROPOLITAN DISTRICT |
6,286 |
6,224 |
1,660 |
|
DUNGARVAN |
66 |
155 |
34 |
|
DONEGAL |
28 |
35 |
6 |
|
DROGHEDA |
183 |
284 |
46 |
|
DOIRE AN FHEICH |
52 |
48 |
31 |
|
DUNDALK |
166 |
204 |
76 |
|
AN CLOCHAN LIATH |
18 |
28 |
8 |
|
EDENDERRY |
44 |
0 |
0 |
|
ENNIS |
438 |
627 |
198 |
|
AN FAL CARRACH |
13 |
25 |
5 |
|
FERMOY |
129 |
185 |
69 |
|
GALWAY |
445 |
643 |
264 |
|
NA GLEANNTA |
22 |
18 |
2 |
|
GORT |
39 |
59 |
63 |
|
GOREY |
279 |
272 |
90 |
|
Court Area |
2013 |
2014 |
Jan – Mar 2015 |
|
KELLS |
63 |
0 |
0 |
|
KENMARE |
9 |
8 |
0 |
|
KILLALOE |
46 |
67 |
39 |
|
CILL RONAIN |
2 |
0 |
0 |
|
KINSALE |
39 |
0 |
0 |
|
KILCOCK |
146 |
150 |
27 |
|
KILKENNY |
310 |
375 |
199 |
|
KILLORGLIN |
4 |
12 |
0 |
|
KILRUSH |
48 |
78 |
10 |
|
KILLARNEY |
43 |
87 |
17 |
|
LETTERKENNY |
188 |
218 |
68 |
|
LIMERICK |
731 |
740 |
253 |
|
LISMORE |
19 |
30 |
3 |
|
LISTOWEL |
48 |
76 |
11 |
|
LONGFORD |
232 |
295 |
83 |
|
LOUGHREA |
104 |
163 |
36 |
|
MACROOM |
121 |
181 |
63 |
|
MALLOW |
270 |
291 |
129 |
|
MANORHAMILT-ON |
6 |
9 |
3 |
|
MIDLETON |
276 |
310 |
88 |
|
MONAGHAN |
54 |
97 |
48 |
|
MULLINGAR |
207 |
357 |
92 |
|
NAAS |
527 |
745 |
250 |
|
NENAGH |
84 |
112 |
72 |
|
NEWCASTLE WEST |
236 |
370 |
100 |
|
NAVAN |
163 |
285 |
93 |
|
PORTLAOISE |
296 |
531 |
132 |
|
ROSCOMMON |
108 |
127 |
32 |
|
SKIBBEREEN |
29 |
34 |
9 |
|
SLIGO |
116 |
152 |
80 |
|
AN SPIDEAL |
14 |
0 |
0 |
|
STROKESTOWN |
41 |
55 |
30 |
|
SWINFORD |
6 |
0 |
0 |
|
THURLES |
95 |
166 |
39 |
|
TIPPERARY |
47 |
43 |
17 |
|
TRALEE |
46 |
112 |
23 |
|
TRIM |
57 |
68 |
30 |
|
TUAM |
145 |
278 |
94 |
|
TUBBERCURRY |
37 |
27 |
9 |
|
TULLAMORE |
235 |
478 |
130 |
|
VIRGINIA |
119 |
157 |
34 |
|
WEXFORD |
292 |
381 |
170 |
|
WICKLOW |
145 |
273 |
49 |
|
WESTPORT |
14 |
12 |
2 |
|
WATERFORD CITY |
399 |
424 |
104 |
|
YOUGHAL |
31 |
42 |
15 |
Note 1: Report includes mandatory court appearances and non mandatory court appearances.
Note 2: If a defendant appeared in court more than once in the year, they only appear once on the report.
589. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons arrested and charged with theft of a vehicle in Dublin in each of the years 2012 to 2014 and in 2015 to date; the number of successful convictions obtained in each of these years; the number of cases ongoing at present; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22429/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Garda Síochána Act 2005 makes provision for the compilation and publication of crime statistics by the Central Statistics Office (CSO), as the national statistical agency, and the CSO has established a dedicated unit for this purpose. I have requested the CSO to provide available statistics directly to the Deputy.
590. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality when she expects the two posts of Deputy Garda Commissioner to be filled; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22430/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn open competition to fill the two vacancies at Deputy Commissioner level was held by the Public Appointments Service. An application for an interlocutory injunction in relation to that competition is currently being considered by the High Court. In those circumstances it would not be appropriate to make any further comment on the matter.
591. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will confirm the current residency status of a person (details supplied) in County Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22435/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the subsidiary protection application made by the person concerned was refused on 8th May, 2015.
Following that refusal decision, and in response to a notification pursuant to the provisions of Section 3 of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended), the person concerned has submitted written representations. These representations, together with all other information and documentation on file, will be fully considered, under Section 3 (6) of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended) and Section 5 of the Refugee Act 1996 (as amended) on the prohibition of refoulement, in advance of a final decision being made.
In relation to the cases of the family of the person concerned, I am advised that their applications for renewal of permission to remain are currently under consideration and decisions will be conveyed in writing to the persons concerned as soon as possible.
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.
592. Deputy Joe Costello asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the current status of plans for legal and constitutional change to facilitate a restructuring of the family court system; if it is still intended to introduce a restructured family court system; if so, the timescale for establishment of the new courts and details of the legal and constitutional changes that will be required; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22440/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe position is that the Programme for Government contains a commitment to establish a dedicated Family Court in order to improve levels of judicial expertise and training in family law matters and to streamline family law proceeding with a view to making them more user-friendly and less costly. While it was originally anticipated that a referendum to amend Article 34 of the Constitution might be required in order to remove any constitutional obstacle to the establishment of a separate Family Court, more recent examination of the issues arising in this context indicates that it will be possible to proceed with the establishment of the Court in a manner which does not require such a referendum. This can be achieved by establishing the family court as a separate division within the existing court structures.
My Department is currently finalising proposals for future legislation based on submissions which have been received and consultations with interested parties. I intend to bring my proposals to establish the new Family Court to Government as soon as they are finalised. The draft General Scheme will then be subject to the usual pre-legislative scrutiny by the Justice Committee prior to formal drafting of the Bill.
593. 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 County Waterford; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22444/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI refer the Deputy to the Reply given to his recent Parliamentary Question No. 104 of Thursday, 28th May 2015. The status of the person concerned is set out in that reply.
I am informed by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the person concerned is the subject of a Deportation Order and therefore has no entitlement to residency in the State.
Representations were received from the persons' legal representative, pursuant to Section 3 (11) of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended), to revoke the Deportation Order. The Deputy might wish to note that any such decision will be to 'affirm' or to 'revoke' the existing Deportation Order. In the mean-time, the Deportation Order remains valid and in place.
The enforcement of the Deportation Order is an operational matter for the Garda National Immigration Bureau.
The cases of the children of the person concerned are at various stages of the immigration process and will be determined in due course. As none of them have a current permission to remain in the State, other than in the context of making applications for asylum or subsidiary protection, they are not eligible to apply for naturalisation.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to the INIS by email 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.
594. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the progress, to date, in the determining an application, by reference to provisions of section 3(6) of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended) and section 5 of the Refugee Act 1996 (as amended), in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Meath; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22445/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that, in response to a notification pursuant to the provisions of Section 3 of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended), the person concerned has submitted written representations. These representations, together with all other information and documentation on file, will be fully considered, under Section 3 (6) of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended) and Section 5 of the Refugee Act 1996 (as amended) on the prohibition of refoulement, in advance of a final decision being made.
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.
595. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the progress made, to date, in determining an application for right to residency based on parentage of an Irish citizen child in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Waterford; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22446/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the person concerned has applied for a right of residency in the State, accompanied by a right to work, based on their parentage of an Irish citizen child. While the person concerned has submitted some of the required documentation, other items of documentation remained outstanding. Foremost among the outstanding items are a clear copy of the bio-data page from the Irish citizen child's passport and documentation which shows the role they are playing in the child's life. Accordingly, this application was considered and refused and the decision notified by letter dated 4 December, 2014.
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.
596. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the current position in respect of an application for naturalisation in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22447/15]
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 by the Deputy. The application is at an advanced stage of processing and will be submitted to me for decision in due course.
As the Deputy will appreciate, the granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is a privilege and an honour which confers certain rights and entitlements not only within the State but also at European Union level and it is important that appropriate procedures are in place to preserve the integrity of the process.
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.
597. 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 County Clare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22448/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that while the Deputy states that person in question has resided in the State for ten years, our records show they were registered for one year as a student from 15 July 2011 to 16 May 2012 and there is no further record of immigration permission in relation to this person. If it is the case that the individual in question has resided in the State all this time it would therefore seem that this person has remained here without permission, with the exception of the period from 2011 to 2012. This is in breach of Section 5 (1) of the Immigration Act 2004 which provides that no non-Irish national may be in the State other than in accordance with the terms of any permission given to them by or on behalf of the Minister. Furthermore, Section 5(2) of the Act provides that a non-Irish national who is in the State in contravention of subsection (1) is for all purposes unlawfully present in the State.
It would seem that this person failed to meet the requirements of Section 9 of the Act of 2004 which sets out the obligations of non nationals in respect of registration and in particular to the requirements of Section 9(2)(b) of the Act of 2004.
A person who is found to be in breach of the requirements of the Immigration Act 2004 may have committed an offence. A person found guilty of such an offence is liable under section 13 of the Act of 2004 to a fine not exceeding €3,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both.
The person in question should now present himself to his local Garda Station.
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.
598. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will review the case of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22449/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the person referred to is the subject of a Deportation Order and therefore has no entitlement to residency in the State.
The effect of the Deportation Order is that the person concerned must leave the State and remain thereafter outside the State. The enforcement of the Deportation Order is an operational matter for the Garda National Immigration Bureau.
Representations were received asking that the Deportation Order be revoked, in accordance with the provisions of Section 3 (11) of the Immigration Act, 1999 (as amended). Following consideration of the information submitted, the Deportation Order was affirmed.
Queries in relation to the Status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to the INIS by Email 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 to long awaited.
599. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of commissions of investigation established under the aegis of her Department, in tabular form, since the Commissions of Investigation Act 2004 came into effect; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22757/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra600. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of commissions of investigation under the aegis of her Department which have yet to complete and publish their reports; if she will provide a time frame for same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22768/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra601. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of commissions of investigation established under the aegis of her Department during the term of the current Dáil Éireann; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22779/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 599 to 601, inclusive, together.
Five Commissions of Investigation have been established under the aegis of my Department since the Commissions of Investigation Act 2004 came into effect. Details of these are set out in the table below.
|
Year Established |
Name |
|
2006 |
Commission of Investigation into Child Sex Abuse |
|
2006 |
Dean Lyons Commission of Investigation |
|
2007 |
Commission of Investigation into the death of Gary Douch |
|
2014 |
The MacLochlainn Commission of Investigation |
|
2015 |
Commission of Investigation into matters relative to the Cavan/Monaghan Garda Division |
Two of the five Commissions have yet to complete and publish their reports. These are the Commission of Investigation into matters relative to the Cavan/Monaghan Garda Division, which is due to report February 2016, and the MacLochlainn Commission of Investigation, which was due to report April 2015. An extension of time has been sought by the Commission and a revised timeframe for publication of the report is being finalised.
Two of the five commissions set up since the Commissions of Investigation Act 2004 came into effect were set up during the term of the current Dáil. These are the MacLochlainn Commission of Investigation and the Commission of Investigation into matters relative to the Cavan/Monaghan Garda Division.
602. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will provide, in tabular form, the amount of funding awarded to the resource centre in Mullingar, County Westmeath in the past four years [21373/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information requested by the Deputy is set out in tabular format below.
Cara Phort Family Resource Centre, Ballynacargy, Co. Westmeath – funding under the Family Resource Centre Programme
|
Year |
Total funding |
|
2011 |
€99,880 |
|
2012 |
€100,471 |
|
2013 |
€84,232 |
|
2014 |
€88,038 |
|
2015 |
€84,910 (€21,227 paid to date) |
|
Total funding |
€457,531 |
603. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if an appropriate placement will be provided by Tusla in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Louth; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21255/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraI want to thank the Deputy for brining this to my attention. The Deputy will appreciate that this is an operational matter for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, and it would be inappropriate for me to comment on the specific matter raised. My Department has, however, referred this to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, for attention and asked that they liaise directly with the person concerned.
604. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will provide assurances that there will be no cuts to the Disability Equality Specialist Support Agency after June 2015, as feared by those relying on the service. [21315/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Disability Equality Specialist Support Agency (DESSA) was contracted by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, to provide support, advice and training for Family Resource Centres across the area of disability awareness and staff/volunteer training in personal advocacy for people with disabilities. The organisation is funded by Tusla up to the end of June 2015.
Family Resource Centres are front-line services rooted in the community they serve. They offer an open door and respectful service. This universal accessibility allows for early identification of need, provision of appropriate interventions and timely referrals to appropriate services and for more intensive and targeted work as required. Acting as a focal point within their community, Family Resource Centres provide a holistic service of child, family and community support and advocacy to all children and families. This is inclusive of children and families who may have a disability.
Tusla values the work of DESSA and recognises the impact of its work across the Family Resource Centre Programme. I am assured by Tusla that the existing Family Resource Centre network has the capacity to deliver the services in question and to the required level. Tusla intends to build on the significant strengths of Family Resource Centres in meeting its mandate for community-based early intervention and family support. In this regard, Tusla is providing funding of €13.09m to 109 Centres across the country in 2015.
In seeking to improve outcomes and well being for children and young people, Tusla must ensure that it makes the most efficient use of its resources and in a way that is efficient, equitable, proportionate and sustainable. Tusla is giving particular priority in 2015 to the protection of front-line services and those which are best aligned to the priority outcomes as set out in the Agency's Corporate Plan.
Tusla is in receipt of Exchequer funding of €643m in 2015 which represents an increase of €34m or 5.6% over 2014. The level of funding provided represents tangible evidence of this Government's commitment to improving services for the most disadvantaged children and families.
605. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his views on correspondence (details supplied) regarding the ceasing of funding of the Disability Equality Specialist Support Agency, which is an important front-line organisation that works with families of children and young persons with disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21382/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Disability Equality Specialist Support Agency (DESSA) was contracted by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, to provide support, advice and training for Family Resource Centres across the area of disability awareness and staff/volunteer training in personal advocacy for people with disabilities. The organisation is funded by Tusla up to the end of June 2015.
Family Resource Centres are front-line services rooted in the community they serve. They offer an open door and respectful service. This universal accessibility allows for early identification of need, provision of appropriate interventions and timely referrals to appropriate services and for more intensive and targeted work as required. Acting as a focal point within their community, Family Resource Centres provide a holistic service of child, family and community support and advocacy to all children and families. This is inclusive of children and families who may have a disability.
Tusla values the work of DESSA and recognises the impact of its work across the Family Resource Centre Programme. I am assured by Tusla that the existing Family Resource Centre network has the capacity to deliver the services in question and to the required level. Tusla intends to build on the significant strengths of Family Resource Centres in meeting its mandate for community-based early intervention and family support. In this regard, Tusla is providing funding of €13.09m to 109 Centres across the country in 2015.
In seeking to improve outcomes and well being for children and young people, Tusla must ensure that it makes the most efficient use of its resources and in a way that is efficient, equitable, proportionate and sustainable. Tusla is giving particular priority in 2015 to the protection of front-line services and those which are best aligned to the priority outcomes as set out in the Agency's Corporate Plan.
Tusla is in receipt of Exchequer funding of €643m in 2015 which represents an increase of €34m or 5.6% over 2014. The level of funding provided represents tangible evidence of this Government's commitment to improving services for the most disadvantaged children and families.
606. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs his views on correspondence on a community playgroup (details supplied) in Dublin 9; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21383/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraCapital funding totalling €11.25 million was provided over the past 3 years to support the refurbishment and upgrading of early years services. This funding was targeted primarily at the community/not for profit sector with the objective of ensuring that previously-funded community facilities remained fit-for-purpose and in a position to maintain and improve quality, and to make community services more efficient and sustainable through improving the energy rating of these facilities.
€7 million is being made available in 2015 under the Early Years Capital Programme 2015, with €5 million of this funding available for grants specifically for community/not for profit services. This funding will provide grant aid, in the region of €500,000, for significant upgrades of community/not-for-profit services, such as major refurbishment or relocation to new premises. Also under this strand of funding, grants of up to €50,000 will be available for essential maintenance, or works undertaken to improve the energy performance of childcare facilities. The remaining €2 million in capital funding is being made available for both private and community childcare facilities to access grants of up to €500 for quality improvement measures, specifically in the area of upgrading IT facilities.
I understand that this facility has submitted a Strand 3 application (Quality and Sustainability) and a Strand 4 application (ICT equipment) to Pobal, who is administering this programme on behalf of my Department. Pobal has now commenced the process of appraising all of the applications. All applicants will be advised of the outcome as soon as possible.
607. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will provide, in tabular form, the number of children held on remand since January 2013, on a monthly basis; the average length of time these children are held on remand; the percentage of children held on remand who are eventually sentenced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21389/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraSection 88 of the Children Act 2001 allows that a court may remand a child in custody who is charged with or found guilty of an offence , who is being sent forward for trial or in respect of whom the court has postponed a decision. The judiciary are independent in the performance of their functions and the discretion as to whether or not to remand a child in custody is solely for the judge to decide.
The number of individual children remanded in custody by courts to the Children Detention Schools at Oberstown, Lusk, County Dublin in each month from January 2013 to April 2015 is set out in the table below. With effect from 30th March 2015 the Children Detention Schools began to accommodate 17 year old boys on remand. These figures for 2013 and 2014 and further information below is based on a general analysis of information available to my Department.
|
- |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sept |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
|
2013 |
19 |
14 |
11 |
11 |
12 |
8 |
9 |
12 |
12 |
15 |
12 |
9 |
|
2014 |
16 |
19 |
17 |
11 |
16 |
12 |
17 |
15 |
19 |
10 |
6 |
10 |
|
2015 |
13 |
15 |
14 |
26 |
The average number of days for which children were remanded in custody to the Children Detention Schools in 2013 was 25 days and in 2014 it was 22 days. Data in respect of 2015 is not currently available.
An overall total of 96 children were remanded in custody by the courts to the Children Detention Schools in 2013 ( some of these children were remanded in more than one month ). Of these, 26 children subsequently received a detention order, representing 27% of the total.
A total of 110 children were remanded in custody to the Children Detention Schools in 2014. Of these, 49 children subsequently received a detention order, representing 45% of the total.
608. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will ensure that the funding from Tusla is not removed from agencies such as the Disability Equality Support Agency (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21399/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Disability Equality Specialist Support Agency (DESSA) was contracted by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, to provide support, advice and training for Family Resource Centres across the area of disability awareness and staff/volunteer training in personal advocacy for people with disabilities. The organisation is funded by Tusla up to the end of June 2015.
Family Resource Centres are front-line services rooted in the community they serve. They offer an open door and respectful service. This universal accessibility allows for early identification of need, provision of appropriate interventions and timely referrals to appropriate services and for more intensive and targeted work as required. Acting as a focal point within their community, Family Resource Centres provide a holistic service of child, family and community support and advocacy to all children and families. This is inclusive of children and families who may have a disability.
Tusla values the work of DESSA and recognises the impact of its work across the Family Resource Centre Programme. I am assured by Tusla that the existing Family Resource Centre network has the capacity to deliver the services in question and to the required level. Tusla intends to build on the significant strengths of Family Resource Centres in meeting its mandate for community-based early intervention and family support. In this regard, Tusla is providing funding of €13.09m to 109 Centres across the country in 2015.
In seeking to improve outcomes and well being for children and young people, Tusla must ensure that it makes the most efficient use of its resources and in a way that is efficient, equitable, proportionate and sustainable. Tusla is giving particular priority in 2015 to the protection of front-line services and those which are best aligned to the priority outcomes as set out in the Agency's Corporate Plan.
Tusla is in receipt of Exchequer funding of €643m in 2015 which represents an increase of €34m or 5.6% over 2014. The level of funding provided represents tangible evidence of this Government's commitment to improving services for the most disadvantaged children and families.
609. Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of city and county child care committees in existence; the budget for each one of these; the way these committees differ in function from Pobal regarding administration of funds from his Department for child care purposes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21441/15]
Amharc ar fhreagra33 City and County Childcare Committees (CCCs) were established in 2001 to advance the provision of childcare facilities in their local areas. They comprise local representatives from the statutory, community and voluntary sectors, childcare providers and parents. There are now 31 CCCs, as Limerick City and Limerick County CCs have amalgamated, as have Waterford City and Waterford County CCs.
City and County Childcare Committees offer a wide variety of services locally including; advice on setting up a childcare business; childcare information sessions; training courses for those considering a career in childcare; and advice and support on applying for childcare programmes. City and County Childcare Committees also offer services to parents, such as providing information on local childcare facilities and information on parent networks.
The role of the CCCs was expanded under the National Childcare Investment Programme to enable greater flexibility and responsiveness to local needs, and they had a key role in the development of local childcare infrastructure, quality standards and training and information. More recently, CCCs have been increasingly dedicated to locally managing administrative processes associated with the national childcare support programmes (the Community Childcare Subvention programme, the Early Childhood Care and Education programme and the Training and Employment Childcare programmes). They also provide advice and support regarding the performance and sustainability of childcare services in their respective areas.
The CCCs work collaboratively and collectively with the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, Pobal and the National Voluntary Childcare Organisations to achieve this. There is ongoing review of programmes to ensure effectiveness and that there is no duplication. Pobal's primary function is the provision of technical administrative support in respect of programme delivery nationally while the CCCs focus on more local level issues. The very strong data management role that Pobal plays is a key factor in the Department's ability to review and assess programmes effectiveness, efficiency and value for money.
Each CCC receives annual funding from my Department and details of the allocations for 2015 are shown in the attached table.
City/County Childcare Committee Allocations 2015
|
CCC |
Total |
|
Carlow |
224,000 |
|
Cavan |
234,000 |
|
Clare |
304,000 |
|
Cork City |
299,000 |
|
Cork County |
482,000 |
|
Donegal |
363,000 |
|
Dublin City |
826,200 |
|
DLR |
373,000 |
|
Fingal |
460,000 |
|
Galway |
454,000 |
|
Kerry |
347,000 |
|
Kildare |
385,000 |
|
Kilkenny |
255,000 |
|
Laois |
230,000 |
|
Leitrim |
209,000 |
|
Limerick * |
546,000 |
|
Longford |
209,000 |
|
Louth |
304,000 |
|
Mayo |
313,000 |
|
Meath |
381,000 |
|
Monaghan |
234,000 |
|
Offaly |
241,000 |
|
Roscommon |
234,000 |
|
Sligo |
234,000 |
|
South Dublin |
472,000 |
|
Tipp North |
234,000 |
|
Tipp South |
245,000 |
|
Waterford * |
458,000 |
|
Westmeath |
241,000 |
|
Wexford |
352,000 |
|
Wicklow |
307,000 |
|
Total |
€10,450,200 |
*Limerick City Childcare Committee and Limerick County Childcare Committee have merged
*Waterford City Childcare Committee and Waterford County Childcare Committee have merged
