Written Answers Nos. 244-264
244. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the average costs associated with processing and answering written and oral parliamentary questions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49125/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraParliamentary Questions, priority, oral and written, are dealt with by the staff of the Divisions within my Department with responsibility for the issues raised in individual Questions as part of their typical day to day work. The number and level of staff, and the time allocated to preparing individual replies depends on the complexity and urgency of the issues raised, the ease of access to the required information, and the degree of cross-Divisional coordination required in preparing the reply. The cost of answering Parliamentary Questions can vary considerably, therefore, and it would be challenging to isolate the administrative costs associated with the processing of individual Questions. My Department has developed an electronic system to expedite the processing of Parliamentary Questions which has greatly improved the administration process and has reduced the time and cost involved in replying to Parliamentary Questions generally.
245. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the measures he is planning to ensure no emergence of regulatory divergence from those rules of the Internal Market and the customs union which are necessary for meaningful North-South co-operation, the all-island economy and protection of the Good Friday Agreement. [49074/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government's clear position is that we need to avoid any risks presented by regulatory divergence so as to ensure that North South cooperation, which is facilitated and supported by a shared EU regulatory framework on this island, can continue unimpeded after the UK leaves the EU. Therefore, the Government will continue to advocate that the best solution for Northern Ireland is for the UK to remain effectively in a Customs Union and Single Market arrangement.
If the UK continues to rule out this option, it must present alternative workable solutions that will ensure there is no hard border nor any border infrastructure on the island of Ireland. Avoiding regulatory divergence will be an important element in this regard. North/South cooperation is a central part of the Good Friday Agreement. The EU Commission Taskforce has recognised the central importance of North South Cooperation and states that it should be protected across all relevant sectors.
Officials have been carrying out detailed work over the last few weeks to map out areas of cooperation that operate on a North South basis on the island of Ireland and which rely on EU law and policies. There is still more work to be done in this area, but it has underlined the need to avoid risks presented by any regulatory divergence from the rules of the EU Single Market and Customs Union. North South cooperation has made an important contribution, through the provisions of the Good Friday Agreement, to the improvement of people's lives on this island. We want to ensure that this cooperation can continue in a meaningful way.
The UK has a responsibility to ensure that it does not hinder or impede the continuation and development of North South cooperation by its withdrawal from the EU.
Ireland is working closely with the Commission Task Force to advance progress on Irish issues in the negotiations with the UK. The EU is united in the negotiations and fully behind the excellent work being done by its Chief Negotiator, Michel Barnier, and his team.
246. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the working paper in relation to the dialogue on Ireland and Northern Ireland. [49075/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am not going to comment on the detail of internal EU working documents tabled in Brussels. However, both the EU and Ireland have been clear about the current state of play on negotiations on the priority exit issues, including the Irish issues.
There is nothing new emerging about EU positions on Ireland and Northern Ireland; the principles set out in the EU Guidelines for the negotiations and subsequent papers strongly acknowledge Ireland's concerns and priorities.
The Government has also been consistent in what we require.
At this point in the negotiations, it is entirely appropriate that the EU would seek further clarity on UK positions and call on the UK to provide strong political assurances and tangible commitments ahead of any decision on whether sufficient progress has been achieved on the Irish specific issues that recognise the unique situation on the island of Ireland, and that flexible and imaginative solutions will be required.
Ireland is working closely with the Commission Task Force to advance progress on Irish issues in the negotiations with the UK. The EU is united in the negotiations and fully behind the excellent work being done by its Chief Negotiator, Michel Barnier, and his team.
247. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on the ongoing conflict in Yemen; the efforts being made at national, EU and international level to find a peaceful resolution to this conflict; the efforts that are being made to ensure vital aid shipments are allowed into the country, in view of the fact that millions of persons are on the brink of starvation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49246/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am extremely concerned about the current situation in Yemen, in particular as the humanitarian crisis continues to deteriorate. The war has entered into its third year, the political process has stalled, and the fighting is having devastating consequences for civilians, with credible allegations of violations of international humanitarian law. Yemen is also facing the world's fastest-growing cholera epidemic.
When EU Foreign Ministers last discussed the situation in Yemen in April, they called on the parties to start negotiating a peace agreement, and committed to increasing its engagement with Yemen once a political solution to the conflict is agreed. The EU is the largest humanitarian donor to Yemen and has provided over €170 million in aid since the conflict began, to which Ireland contributes via the EU Development Budget. In addition, Ireland has also contributed over €10 million in humanitarian assistance from our own aid programme, since the start of the conflict in 2015.
Ireland takes the issue of humanitarian access extremely seriously. The closure of land, air and sea ports this month, following a missile attack on Riyadh, was an alarming development, especially given the impact on humanitarian aid. When my officials last met with officials from the Saudi Embassy in Dublin earlier this month, they condemned the attack on Riyadh, which endangered the lives of civilians. They also relayed my request that all parties to the conflict do everything possible to facilitate the delivery of aid. There have also been EU contacts with Saudi Arabia on this issue.
I note the announcement by Saudi Arabia that it intends to allow the reopening of some ports and border crossings. This must proceed urgently. Yemen has no resilience to the suspension of humanitarian assistance, as locally held supplies are extremely limited. I will continue to monitor the situation closely, and I take this opportunity to reiterate my call on all parties to the conflict to allow unrestricted humanitarian access to those in need.
The conflict in Yemen has led to grave concerns about human rights, and Ireland has worked in the UN system to address this. At the Human Rights Council in September 2017, I decided that Ireland should join a small core group of countries that drove forward the adoption of a Resolution on Yemen. This Resolution establishes a group of international experts, who will establish the facts in relation to violations of human rights and humanitarian law on the ground. This group will report back to the Human Rights Council, as an important step towards accountability in Yemen.
The only way to bring about a long-term sustainable improvement in the situation for the Yemeni people is through a negotiated end to this conflict. Ireland fully supports the efforts of UN Special Envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed and his team, who are working towards a peace agreement. Ireland will continue to take every appropriate opportunity to press for a negotiated settlement, respect for human rights and international humanitarian law, and improved humanitarian access.
248. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on the situation of the Rohingya people; the efforts being made at national, EU and international level to protect the Rohingya people; the specific steps Ireland has taken or will take in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49247/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI continue to have deep concerns about the violence in Rakhine State and I have condemned the excessive actions of the Myanmar security forces on numerous occasions since 25 August.
A devastating humanitarian crisis has developed as a result of these actions, and over 600,000 people, most of whom are members of the Rohingya community, have fled to Bangladesh where they are facing extremely challenging circumstances.
As humanitarian aid and media access to Rakhine State remains severely limited, it has been difficult to obtain comprehensive reports of the situation facing the Rohingya people and other communities remaining in Rakhine State. However the UN has reported that many thousands of people remain displaced there and in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. There are other reports, notably from a range of UN representatives outlining details of serious human rights violations in the area.
The wide-ranging efforts being made at national, EU and the wider international levels to address this issue have been outlined in my recent responses to questions in this House, most recently on 16 November.
At a political level, Ireland, and the EU, continue to address this crisis in line with the Conclusions setting out the EU's position on the situation in Myanmar which were adopted by the Foreign Affairs Council on 16 October. Ireland fully endorses this position.
This week, Minister of State Ciarán Cannon T.D. directly conveyed Ireland's concerns about the situation in Rakhine State to Myanmar's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs' U Kyaw Tin in a bilateral meeting in Nay Pyi Taw. He raised concerns about the reports of human rights violations and the need to restore humanitarian access to Rakhine State.
He urged the Government of Myanmar to allow the safe, voluntary and sustainable return of the people that have fled their homes and he welcomed Myanmar's engagement with the Government of Bangladesh to address this issue.
Minister Cannon urged the Government of Myanmar to implement the recommendations of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State in full. In doing so, he emphasised the need to put the conditions in place to enable those returning to Rakhine State to be reintegrated and to ensure their livelihoods.
On behalf of the EU, High Representative Mogherini, along with a representative group of EU Foreign Ministers met with Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi on 20 November to discuss the situation in Rakhine State. After the meeting, the High Representative issued a statement on behalf of the EU, Norway and Switzerland, which emphasised that the humanitarian and human rights situation in Rakhine State remains extremely serious and called on the Government to ensure accountability for those responsible for committing atrocities. Prior to this meeting, HRVP Mogherini visited the refugee camps in Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh.
Minister of State Cannon visited Myanmar to participate in a meeting of Asian and European foreign ministers in the ASEM format, which in addition to allowing broader discussions, offered an opportunity for European ministers to express their concern on the situation in Rakhine state. The Minister of State is also meeting with UN and Non Governmental Organisations to learn at first hand of the work they are doing and the challenges they face.
My Department will continue to engage at a national level, through our EU membership and with the broader international community to press for a positive and long-term solution to the situation in Rakhine State, including for the Rohingya community, and for the significant number of refugees who are now situated in Bangladesh.
249. Deputy Darragh O'Brien asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will report on the current situation in Zimbabwe; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49248/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe situation in Zimbabwe continues to evolve, and my Department is monitoring the situation closely in cooperation with our EU partners and the EU Delegation in Harare. As things unfold, I urge the authorities to respect the fundamental rights of all citizens, and underline the need for all stakeholders to exercise restraint and ensure a peaceful resolution to this situation.
Over the weekend, there were very large, but peaceful, public demonstrations in Harare and Bulawayo, with the participation of perhaps 100,000 people, urging President Mugabe to step down. This was followed on Sunday by a special session of the Central Committee of the ruling ZANU-PF party, which formally removed President Mugabe from the position of party president and First Secretary. The party set a deadline of noon on Monday for his resignation as head of state of Zimbabwe. That deadline has now been missed. Signals are that an impeachment process will now begin. President Mugabe, for his part, has indicated that he will address a ZANU-PF party conference next month.
I strongly urge all relevant players to work towards an early and peaceful resolution to this situation, with a view to facilitating the return to civilian government. All those with influence in Zimbabwe should respect democratic and constitutional processes, as well as the rule of law.
My Department's primary concern is the safety and security of Irish citizens in Zimbabwe. The Irish Embassy in South Africa, which is accredited to Zimbabwe, is monitoring the situation closely, and is in close contact with the Irish Honorary Consul, the Irish Community in Zimbabwe and our EU partners on the ground.
The travel advice on my Department's website has been updated to encourage all Irish citizens in the country to remain indoors, to exercise caution, to avoid areas when demonstrations may take place, and to monitor the Department's travel advice regularly. The Irish Embassy in Pretoria is also providing updates on twitter and its website, and is in regular contact with the Irish Honorary Consul and the EU Delegation in Harare. It will continue to monitor the situation closely.
250. Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of a case (details supplied) and the level of engagement with the person concerned by the consular services. [49266/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is continuing to do everything it can to support and assist this citizen. However, the Irish Government is limited in what it can do in the case of an Irish citizen who is involved in a criminal case overseas. The Irish Government cannot intervene in a matter that is before the courts in another jurisdiction, just as no foreign Government can interfere in our judicial system.
Nonetheless, both I and my officials have been working very hard on this citizen's behalf. We have made repeated representations to the authorities in Manila stressing the humanitarian concerns in this case and requesting that the pending appeal against this man's conviction be expedited.
The Irish Government made a direct request to the Administrator of the Supreme Court to ask that this Appeal be expedited on humanitarian grounds. In April of this year, the Administrator of the Supreme Court acknowledged the Irish Government's concerns and interest in the matter and instructed that the papers related to the Appeal should be elevated to the Supreme Court for consideration.
In July 2017 attorneys acting on behalf of this citizen advised that all relevant papers had been filed in relation to the appeal. The matter is now with the Supreme Court for resolution.
Last September while I was attending the UN General Assembly session in New York I personally raised the case directly with the Philippines Foreign Minister, Mr Alan Cayetano. I underlined the Irish Government's concerns about this situation and asked for Foreign Minister Cayetano's assistance, specifically in relation to our request that the Supreme Court consider the appeal urgently. Minister Cayetano agreed to follow up on the matter on his return to Manila.
Most recently this month I followed up with a letter to Foreign Minister, Mr. Cayetano reiterating my serious concerns about this case and in view of the compelling humanitarian consideration in this case.
The Irish Ambassador to The Philippines has also, on my instruction, raised the case again at senior official level in recent weeks with the Philippines Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
251. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 469 of 7 November 2017, the status of the query in view of the fact it has not been resolved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48731/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised by the Property Registration Authority that the case (Ref: Number S2017LR010904X) referred to by the Deputy is being dealt with and has been referred to an Examiner of Titles for review. I am advised by the Authority that a decision in this case is being finalised and it is expected that a reply will issue to the applicant on 23 November 2017.
252. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the legislation that may need to be passed, as indicated by An Taoiseach recently, before the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities will be implemented, in view of the commitment made 12 months ago in Dáil Éireann; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48756/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraIreland signed the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2007 and since then, successive Governments have emphasised Ireland's strong commitment to proceed to ratification as quickly as possible, taking into account the need to ensure all necessary legislative and administrative requirements under the Convention are met. This Government remains committed to ratification of the Convention.
It is essential that the State is in a position to meet the obligations that it assumes under the terms of an international agreement from the moment of its entry into force for Ireland. Before the State can ratify the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, enactment of new legislation and amendment of existing legislation is required to ensure obligations will be met upon entry into force for Ireland. Ratification of a Convention before we have amended domestic legislation that contradicts it makes no sense and does nothing to ensure compliance or to protect the people for whose benefit the Convention exists. The previous Government published a Roadmap in October 2015, which sets out the legislative measures needed to meet those requirements, along with declarations and reservations to be entered by Ireland on ratification.
Considerable progress has already been made to overcome the remaining legislative barriers to Ireland's ratification of the Convention. The Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 was signed into law on 30 December 2015 and is a comprehensive reform of the law on decision-making capacity. The Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017 has reformed Section 5 of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 1993 to facilitate the full participation in family life of persons with intellectual disabilities and the full expression of their human rights.
The Disability (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2016 was published immediately prior to Christmas and completed Second Stage in February 2017. The primary purpose of the Bill is to address the remaining legislative barriers to Ireland's ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). Work is ongoing on all the other issues set out in the previous Government's Roadmap for Ratification published in October 2015 and these will be progressed as Committee Stage amendments. The Bill will be progressed to enactment at an early date to facilitate ratification of the UN Convention as soon as possible.
The precise timing of ratification now depends on how long it will take for this Bill to progress through the enactment process and on issues in relation to commencement both of deprivation of liberty provisions, which will be included in the Bill at Committee Stage, and of the Assisted Decision Making (Capacity) Act 2015.
I would like to take this opportunity to assure the Deputy that ratification of the UNCRPD remains a very high priority for me as Minister.
253. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if officials in his Department were asked for or gave permission to the legal team for the former Garda Commissioner in respect of its legal strategy at the O'Higgins commission of inquiry. [48889/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra256. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if officials within his Department were contacted in relation to the cross-examination of a person (details supplied) at the O'Higgins commission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48762/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra257. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality when his Department first became aware that the former Garda Commissioner had instructed her legal team in the O'Higgins cmmission to call evidence from two senior Garda officers with a view to establishing that a person (details supplied) was motivated by malice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48763/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra258. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality when his Department first learned that the former Garda Commissioner's legal team was not going to call evidence in the O'Higgins commission from two senior Garda officers in relation to a meeting they had with a person (details supplied) in 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48764/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra259. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the involvement his Department had in deciding the witnesses that would be called to give evidence in the O'Higgins commission by the legal team for the former Garda Commissioner; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48765/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra260. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the extent of communication between his Department and the legal team for the Garda and the Garda Commissioner in the O'Higgins commission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48766/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra261. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality when his attention was drawn to the fact that the former Garda Commissioner had instructed her legal team to attack the motivation and integrity of a person (details supplied) at the O'Higgins commission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48767/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra262. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if officials within his Department took issue with or disapproved of the instruction of the former Garda Commissioner to her legal team to attack the motivation and integrity of a person (details supplied) at the O'Higgins commission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48768/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 253 and 256 to 262, inclusive, together.
I have clearly stated in response to previous Parliamentary Questions on this matter that my Department did not have any input into the instructions provided by the Garda Commissioner to her legal team at the O'Higgins Commission of Investigation. It should be obvious to the House that it would have been wholly inappropriate for my predecessor or my Department to seek to influence in any way the Garda Commissioner's instructions or to have direct contact with her legal team.
In particular there is no question of my Department having any say in what witnesses would be called before the Commission of Investigation. Consequently there can be no question of my Department being asked to, or offering, advice or approval for the Commissioner's approach to the Commission of Investigation.
I can assure Deputies, that there is no question of my Department having had prior knowledge of any legal strategy adopted by the Garda Commissioner at the Commission of Investigation.
My Department has clarified that my predecessor was made aware in May 2015, after the event, of an issue having been raised at the Commission of Investigation. However, as also previously stated, neither my predecessor nor my Department was aware of certain issues which arose at the Commission of Investigation until the matter entered the public domain almost a year later.
I should mention that in May 2016 the Garda Commissioner wrote to the Department referring to the public concerns arising from the media reports in question. The Commissioner requested that matters arising from the O'Higgins Commission of Investigation pertaining to a 2008 meeting in Mullingar be referred to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) for investigation. On 16 June 2016 the former Minister referred the matter to GSOC for investigation under Section 102(5) of the Garda Síochána Act (as amended). GSOC's investigation into this matter is on-going.
My Department has, today, written to the Disclosures Tribunal in relation to the manner in which, in May 2015, my Department was made aware that an issue had been raised at the O'Higgins Commission of Investigation. It will be for the Tribunal to decide on what action, if any, it should take in relation to the matter and, as a result, I do not propose to comment further on it.
254. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the status of the ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; the reasons for the delays to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48687/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraIreland signed the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2007 and since then, successive Governments have emphasised Ireland's strong commitment to proceed to ratification as quickly as possible, taking into account the need to ensure all necessary legislative and administrative requirements under the Convention are met. This Government remains committed to ratification of the Convention.
It is essential that the State is in a position to meet the obligations that it assumes under the terms of an international agreement from the moment of its entry into force for Ireland. Before the State can ratify the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, enactment of new legislation and amendment of existing legislation is required to ensure obligations will be met upon entry into force for Ireland. Ratification of a Convention before we have amended domestic legislation that contradicts it makes no sense and does nothing to ensure compliance or to protect the people for whose benefit the Convention exists. The previous Government published a Roadmap in October 2015, which sets out the legislative measures needed to meet those requirements, along with declarations and reservations to be entered by Ireland on ratification.
Considerable progress has already been made to overcome the remaining legislative barriers to Ireland's ratification of the Convention. The Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 was signed into law on 30 December 2015 and is a comprehensive reform of the law on decision-making capacity. The Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017 has reformed Section 5 of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 1993 to facilitate the full participation in family life of persons with intellectual disabilities and the full expression of their human rights.
The Disability (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2016 was published immediately prior to Christmas and completed Second Stage in February 2017. The primary purpose of the Bill is to address the remaining legislative barriers to Ireland's ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). Work is ongoing on all the other issues set out in the previous Government's Roadmap for Ratification published in October 2015 and these will be progressed as Committee Stage amendments. The Bill will be progressed to enactment at an early date to facilitate ratification of the UN Convention as soon as possible.
The precise timing of ratification now depends on how long it will take for this Bill to progress through the enactment process and on issues in relation to commencement both of deprivation of liberty provisions, which will be included in the Bill at Committee Stage, and of the Assisted Decision Making (Capacity) Act 2015.
I would like to take this opportunity to assure the Deputy that ratification of the UNCRPD remains a very high priority for me as Minister.
255. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 278 of 4 July 2017, his plans to fill the vacant Garda posts in the Edgeworthstown district (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48718/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will appreciate, it is the Garda Commissioner who is responsible for the distribution of resources, including personnel, among the various Garda Divisions and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter. Garda management keeps this distribution of resources under continual review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities so as to ensure that the optimum use is made of these resources.
I am informed by the Commissioner that in regard to the deployment of Garda personnel, a distribution model is used which takes into account all relevant factors including population, crime trends and the policing needs of each individual Garda Division. Where a deficiency in resources is identified the matter is considered fully and addressed accordingly. In addition, as you will appreciate, in order to deliver an effective policing service, it is essential that Garda management have the flexibility to deploy Garda resources to meet operational policing needs and address critical issues as they arise. For this reason, the number of Garda available in any one Garda Station on a particular day is subject to the operational requirements of the overall Division.
The Edgeworthstown Garda Station forms part of the Granard District in the Roscommon/Longford Division. I have been informed that the number of Gardaí assigned to the Division on the 30 September 2017, the latest date for which figures are readily available, was 305, of which 46 members were assigned to Granard District and 11 to Edgeworthstown Station. There are also 9 Garda Reserves and 28 Civilians attached to the Roscommon/Longford Division. When appropriate, the work of local Gardaí is supported by a number of Garda national units such as the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the Armed Response Units, the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau and the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau.
I am further informed by the Commissioner that since the reopening of the Garda College in September 2014, close to 1,400 recruits have attested as members of An Garda Síochána and have been assigned to mainstream duties nationwide, 10 of whom have been assigned to the Roscommon/Longford Division. In addition, another 200 trainee Garda are scheduled to attest next month which will see Garda numbers, taking account of projected retirements, increase to around the 13,500 mark by year end - an increase of 500 since the end of 2016.
This Government is committed to ensuring a strong and visible police presence throughout the country in order to maintain and strengthen community engagement, provide reassurance to citizens and to deter crime. The substantial increase in Garda numbers is tangible progress on achieving this Government's vision of an overall Garda workforce of 21,000 personnel by 2021 comprising 15,000 Garda members, 2,000 Reserve members and 4,000 civilians.
I am pleased to say that Budget 2018 will support the continuation of this high level of investment in the Garda workforce and ensure that the vision of an overall workforce of 21,000 by 2021 remains on track. A further 800 new Garda Recruits will enter the Garda College, an additional 500 civilians will also be recruited to fill critical skills gaps across the organisation and to facilitate the redeployment of Gardaí from administrative and technical duties to front-line operational duties. There are plans to strengthen the Garda Reserve with new Reserves expected to commence training early in 2018.
This focus on investment in personnel is critical. The moratorium on recruitment introduced in 2010 resulted in a significant reduction in the strength of An Garda Síochána. We are now rebuilding the organisation and providing the Commissioner with the resources needed to deploy increasing numbers of Gardaí across every Garda Division, including the Roscommon/Longford Division, in the coming years.
263. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the preparations made in his Department in the event of no agreement being reached between the United Kingdom and the European Union on the terms of the UK's exit from the EU; if such preparations involve the drawing up of detailed and specific contingency plans in the event of a hard Brexit and a trade regime based on WTO tariffs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48781/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade with special responsibility for Brexit, Minister Coveney has responsibility for coordinating the whole-of-Government response to Brexit. In this capacity, he is working closely with his colleagues across Government to address the many challenges resulting from Brexit. This cooperation also involves the relevant State Agencies.
Work at Cabinet level is being prepared through cross-Departmental coordination structures. These represent a frequent and active channel through which all relevant Departments are providing their research, analysis and overall policy input to the Government's wider response to Brexit, including its priorities for the ongoing Article 50 negotiations between the EU and the UK.
As the outcome of the negotiations is not yet known, an important focus of the planning and preparation being undertaken through these structures is on deepening the Government's analysis and understanding of the exact consequences of a range of different possible scenarios. This represents an intensification of efforts to build on the Government's contingency planning.
Within my own Department, analysis and research on the possible impacts of the UK departure from the EU commenced in early 2016. A Working Group of senior officials was established to manage the Department's response and to carry out a risk analysis of the UK's potential departure, taking into account engagement with relevant justice sector agencies and other stakeholders. This work is ongoing and evolving.
264. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the steps being taken to have CCTV cameras erected on motorways in an effort to counter the activities of roaming criminal gangs preying on vulnerable persons and businesses in rural areas, in addition to the community-based CCTV grant aid scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48786/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy will be aware that the Programme for a Partnership Government commits to supporting investment in CCTV systems and, in this context, my Department launched the Community-based CCTV Grant-aid Scheme in April 2017, as the vehicle to assist community groups in the establishment of CCTV systems in their local areas.
Under the Scheme, eligible community groups can apply for grant-aid of up to 60% of the total capital cost of a proposed CCTV system, up to a maximum grant of €40,000. Upon approval of the grant, the applicant will receive an up-front payment of 50% of the grant with the balance to be paid when the system is fully operational. Some €1 million was secured in Budget 2017 for the purposes of the Scheme and it is envisaged that a similar amount will be made available in 2018 and 2019.
Unfortunately, the number of applications received to date is well below expectations. Guidance is available to help local groups to apply for this important funding and I am keen to ensure that groups take full advantage of the availability of this funding.
Full details of the Scheme, including guidelines, application forms, code of practice and other relevant documentation are available to download from my Department's website - www.justice.ie.
