Written Answers Nos. 262-280
262. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of anti-social behaviour prosecutions issued in the Dublin metropolitan west division in each of the years 2015 to 2017 and to date 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27926/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have requested the information from the Garda authorities and I will contact the Deputy directly when the information is to hand.
263. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if personnel in his Department have been removed from their positions, have been transferred to another role or had their employment terminated in the past four years due to breaches of departmental standards or professional misconduct or incompetence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27955/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAll employees are assessed under the performance management system and newly appointed employees must complete a one year probationary period.
I can inform the Deputy that five staff have had their employment terminated in my Department in the past four years, one established officer and four officers who were on probation, in relation to attendance and performance issues.
264. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the reason for the delay in the roll-out of red light running cameras in Dublin city other than at the junction of Benburb Street and Blackhall Place; the timeline for progress; the proposed locations for a further roll-out; and the number of different types of vehicles found breaking the traffic signals in the past year for which figures are available. [27971/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised by An Garda Síochána that responsibility for the matters raised in the Deputy's question is jointly held by Dublin City Council and the National Transport Authority. The role of An Garda Síochána in relation to these matters is to perform its statutory function in prosecuting offenders identified by the device installed at the location referenced by the Deputy.
I am further advised by the Garda authorities that the cameras, which were installed at the location to which the Deputy refers, were installed as part of a pilot project under the auspices of Dublin City Council, and that the pilot period has now ended. An Garda Síochána is not aware of current plans by any local authority to introduce such devices at any other locations.
I have requested a report from An Garda Síochána in relation to the statistics sought by the Deputy and I will be in contact with the Deputy directly on receipt of this report.
265. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the progress on each action outlined in the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy 2017-2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27974/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy (NTRIS) Steering Group has been tasked with the development and oversight of the implementation of the actions contained in the strategy. Since the launch of the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy in June 2017, the NTRIS Steering Group has met four times - on 2 August 2017, 18 October 2017, 13 December 2017 and 28 March 2018. The next meeting is planned for 4 July 2018. To date, work has begun on about 130 of the 149 Actions included in the Strategy. The Steering Group will continue to monitor progress on these Actions and to focus on actions where progress has not yet commenced.
Three sub-committees have been set up to report back to the Steering Group on specific issues:
- The sub-committee on the issue of data collection on ethnic grounds has met three times. Departments have been asked to indicate whether or not they are collecting ethnic data and, if so, the categories of such data being collected. Responses are still awaited from some Departments.
- The sub-committee to deal with the issue of the retention of Traveller and Roma children in education has met four times. At the meeting on 8 March 2018 it was agreed that a pilot project would be undertaken in each of the TUSLA Education Welfare Services regions – South/South East – Wexford, West/North West – Galway, North Dublin/North Leinster – North County Dublin and South Dublin/Kildare/West Wicklow – Tallaght, Clondalkin. Each area will have the additional resource of an Educational Welfare Officer (EWO), Home School Liaison Coordinator (HSCL) and 2 Traveller/Roma Education Workers. The team will work together with parents, children and young people, schools, Traveller and Roma communities and service providers to improve Traveller and Roma children’s attendance, participation and retention in education.
- The third sub-committee was set up to deal with the problem of feuding in the Traveller Community, and has met three times. A proposal from the Traveller Mediation Service for addressing this issue through an expanded mediation service is currently being examined.
In addition to this information, I have asked my officials to forward a detailed tabular report on progress on all of the actions in the NTRIS to the Deputy.
266. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of marked and unmarked Garda cars and vans allocated to the Kildare Garda division as of 31 December 2016 and 2017 and 8 June 2018 respectively. [27989/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government's Capital Plan 2016 – 2021 provides €46 million for investment in the Garda fleet, to ensure that An Garda Síochána has a modern, effective and fit-for-purpose fleet. This is in addition to the investment of almost €30 million in the period 2013 to 2015. Indeed in the period 2013 to the end of 2017, almost €44 million has been invested in the fleet with some 2,000 vehicles coming on stream in that period to assist gardaí in being mobile, visible and responsive on the roads and in the community to prevent and tackle crime.
As the Deputy will appreciate, decisions in relation to the provision and allocation of Garda vehicles across the various Garda divisions are a matter for the Garda Commissioner in the light of his identified operational demands and the availability of resources. As Minister, I have no direct role in that matter.
I understand that Garda management keeps the 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 Garda authorities that the table below outlines the number of marked and unmarked Garda cars and vans allocated to the Kildare Garda Division for the dates requested by the Deputy.
|
Year |
Cars |
|
|
Vans |
|
|
|
|
Marked |
Unmarked |
Total |
Marked |
Unmarked |
Total |
|
2016 |
23 |
17 |
40 |
8 |
3 |
11 |
|
2017 |
23 |
19 |
42 |
9 |
3 |
12 |
|
2018 (as at 15 June) |
21 |
18 |
39 |
10 |
3 |
13 |
267. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of firearms recovered in each of the years 2013 to 2017 and to date in 2018, by rifles, handguns, shotguns and other firearms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28064/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraA report from the Garda Commissioner has been sought in relation to the number of firearms, by type, recovered in each of the years 2013 to 2017 and to date in 2018
I will write to the Deputy with a full reply when the information sought has been received.
268. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans in relation to allowing persons seeking asylum here the right to meaningful, unrestricted work while their application is being considered; when such plans will be implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28066/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraFrom 9 February 2018, when section 16(3)(b) International Protection Act 2015 was struck down by the Supreme Court, until the date of entry into force of the EU (recast) Reception Conditions Directive, any eligible International Protection applicants can access the employment permit system on the same basis as other non-EEA nationals. The interim arrangements for the short period prior to the opt-in enables those seeking international protection to access the labour market through the Employment Permit Acts. Employment permits are the remit of the Department of Business Enterprise and Innovation and I have no remit or authority in this area.
Following Government approval, I used my executive powers to introduce an administrative scheme to allow (from the date the Supreme Court struck down the prohibition), for an additional access to the labour market not provided for under the employment permit system. This also allowed eligible applicants to activate their qualification for such access which will continue under any new scheme to be announced. This current interim scheme provides for eligible applicants for international protection (i.e. those in the system for over nine months without a first instance recommendation), to engage in self-employment. As on 21 June 2018, the total number of applications for self-employment received under this scheme is 752, of which 523 have been granted.
The arrangements that are currently in place are interim arrangements pending the completion of the process to opt-in to the EU (recast) Reception Conditions Directive. The opt-in process has proceeded quickly and, on Tuesday 22 May 2018, the decision of the EU Commission confirming Ireland’s opt in to the EU (recast) Reception Conditions Directive was adopted. The decision was published in the Official Journal the following day. The implementation group, chaired by the Department of Justice and Equality and with representatives from all relevant Departments and Agencies, is finalising the details of the more permanent arrangements, which will include less restrictive access to different categories of work than the employment permits regime which applies in the interim period. It is expected that the more permanent and broader labour market access arrangements will be in place upon the completion of the transposing measures from the end of June this year.
269. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the prisons which are remand prisons; if remand prisoners can be transferred to another prison; the person who must request such a transfer; and the person or body that authorises it. [28076/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to advise the Deputy that Courts can commit remand prisoners to Cloverhill, Cork, Limerick, Portlaoise, Mountjoy female and Castlerea Prisons.
I wish to further advise the Deputy that remand prisoners can be transferred to other prisons and that such applications for a transfer can be made by a wide number of individuals but primarily are made by prison governors and prisoners themselves. All such applications are considered by my officials in the Irish Prison Service and any decisions arising are made on my behalf by those officials.
270. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the conditions remand prisoners are kept in; the entitlements prisoners while on remand to visits, wearing their own clothes and exercise and so on. [28077/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to advise the Deputy that the detention of unconvicted prisoners is conducted in accord with SI 252 of 2007 (the Prison Rules) which outlines the various entitlements of such prisoners, including clothing, family visits, professional visits. Full details on the range of such entitlements are contained in the SI 252 of 2007 (the Prison Rules) which are available on the Irish Prison Service website www.irishprisons.ie.
I wish to further advise the Deputy that, insofar as is operationally possible, the majority of unconvicted prisoners are held in Cloverhill Prison. However, prisoners are also transferred to other prisons in order to alleviate overcrowding in that prison.
271. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation her plans to review employment permit regulations to include the role of healthcare assistants; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27396/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra292. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the steps she plans to take to regularise the status of migrant care workers working here that come from outside the EEA and the EU; her plans to change the rules to allow care workers from outside the EU and EEA to work legally here; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28011/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 271 and 292 together.
At my request, my Department is currently conducting a review of economic migration policies underpinning the current employment permits system to ensure that our policies are fully supportive of Ireland’s emerging labour market needs, be they skills or labour shortages in certain sectors. A full report on the review is due by end June. Following on from that Report, it is expected that a review of the Lists of Occupations for employment permits will be conducted in the second half of this year.
Where specific skills prove difficult to source within the State and wider EEA, an employment permit may be sought by an employer to hire a non-EEA national. The employment permits system is managed in part through the operation of the highly skilled and ineligible occupation lists for the purpose of grant of employment permits.
Changes to access to the Irish labour market for specific occupations via the employment permits system are made on the basis of research undertaken by the Expert Group of Future Skills Needs and, coordinated by the National Skills Council, the annual National Skills Bulletin and the annual Vacancy Overview Report in tandem with a public consultation process.
Care workers are currently included on the ineligible list of employments. In order to remove a skill from this list, there would need to be a clear demonstration that recruitment difficulties are solely due to shortages and not to other factors such as salary and/or working conditions. Organisations in the relevant sector would need to provide the necessary data to substantiate their claims. A detailed business case for removal of care workers from the ineligible list, based on this detailed data, would then need to be put forward by the Department of Health, as the lead Department for the sector, to my Department.
I am aware that my colleague, Minister of State Daly, with special responsibility for Older People, has had various meetings with the nursing home sector and this matter has been discussed. To date, such detailed evidence has yet to be provided by the sector to his Department. However, I understand Minister Daly is willing to work with the industry on this important issue to ensure continuity of service in the best interests of residents.
272. Deputy Eugene Murphy asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the number of IDA site visits that have taken place to Castlerea, County Roscommon, in each of the years 2012 to 2017 and to date in 2018, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27417/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra273. Deputy Eugene Murphy asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the number of IDA site visits that have taken place to Boyle, County Roscommon, in each of the years 2012 to 2017 and to date in 2018, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27418/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra275. Deputy Eugene Murphy asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the number of IDA site visits that have taken place to Tarmonbarry and or the Clondra area of Counties Roscommon and Longford in each of the years 2012 to 2017 and to date in 2018, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27457/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra276. Deputy Eugene Murphy asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the number of IDA site visits that have taken place to Rooskey, County Roscommon, in each of the years 2012 to 2017 and to date in 2018, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27458/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra277. Deputy Eugene Murphy asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the number of IDA site visits that have taken place to Roscommon town in each of the years 2012 to 2017 and to date in 2018, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27459/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 272, 273 and 275 to 277, inclusive, together.
IDA Ireland continues to highlight the benefits of expanding or locating in all counties of Ireland to its client base. It is important to remember, however, that the final decision as to where to invest always rests with the company concerned. It is also the case that site visit activity does not necessarily reflect investment potential, as at least 70% of all new foreign direct investment (FDI) comes from existing IDA Ireland client companies.
Data on IDA Ireland site visits is collated on a county-by-county basis. Information on site visits to particular towns is therefore unavailable. In 2017, County Longford hosted seven site visits with County Roscommon hosting three site visits by IDA client companies.
The table below outlines the number of site visits by IDA client companies to Counties Longford and Roscommon from 2012 to Q1 2018.
|
County |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
Q1 2018 |
|
Longford |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
6 |
7 |
0 |
|
Roscommon |
0 |
4 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
274. Deputy Billy Kelleher asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation her views on a submission by an organisation (details supplied) with regard to the transposition of the EU Trade Secrets Directive and the Protected Disclosures Act 2014. [27421/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraEU Directive 2016/943 on the protection of undisclosed know-how and business information (trade secrets) against their unlawful acquisition, use and disclosure has been transposed by way of S.I. No. 188 of 2018 which was laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas on 13 June 2018. The Regulations, made under the 1972 European Communities Act, provide for civil redress measures and remedies in the event a trade secret is unlawfully acquired, used or disclosed.
During the course of my Department's transposition of the Directive, it received the submission referred to by the Deputy. Both my Department and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, which sponsored the Protected Disclosures legislation, obtained legal advice to the effect that the Directive imposes a requirement of a subjective public interest test and that the transposing legislation should amend the Protected Disclosures Act 2014 by adding a requirement that a "protected disclosure" coming within Article 5 (b) of the Directive i.e. a disclosure involving revealing misconduct, wrongdoing or illegal activity, must be made for the purpose of protecting the public interest. Accordingly the S.I. contains such an amendment so that Ireland achieves a full transposition of the Directive.
278. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the number of individual contractors employed by the IDA; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27543/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere are eight externally contracted people currently employed by IDA Ireland. This figure includes six people engaged via recruitment agencies and two freelancers/sole traders.
The Enterprise agencies under my remit are provided with an overall pay ceiling within which they have some flexibility to align their staffing resources to manage their overall operations and priorities. Staffing resources are reviewed as an ongoing priority to ensure my Department’s continued ability to facilitate the wide mission and volume of work in a range of challenging policy areas.
When responding to individual key strategic priorities and individual workforce planning exercises, each Agency including IDA Ireland works with my Department to ensure they remain within agreed pay-budget limits.
279. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the number of individual contractors employed by Enterprise Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27544/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraEnterprise Ireland (EI) is the agency responsible for helping Irish companies to scale, innovate and succeed in global markets.
EI utilises contractors to provide key short-term functions. The agency uses a tendering process to select contractors, and these contractors then perform a variety of functions. An example of the kind of tasks that these contractors perform includes sitting on evaluation and analysis panels for client supports such as the Competitive Start Fund or the R&D Fund, providing expert input into the process. Contractors have also provided support on key capabilities for client companies, helping to address client companies’ individual weaknesses and areas for improvement. This is in line with EI’s aim of developing strong, resilient companies that can withstand the challenges and avail of the opportunities posed by Brexit.
Since 1 January 2017, there have been 22 individuals contracted by EI for services. This number does not include companies or self-employed persons operating through a third party (not PAYE), or mentors, for example.
280. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the number of employees in Enterprise Ireland in salary brackets (details supplied) in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27545/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraEnterprise Ireland (EI) supports companies in every region of Ireland to start and scale, innovate and remain competitive in international markets, now and in the future. In order to help its clients achieve employment growth in the context of a rapidly changing marketplace, EI uses a developmental approach across all aspects of clients’ needs, including business development, sales and marketing capabilities, innovation and R&D activity, technology development, continuous competitiveness and lean improvements, leadership and management development, and access to finance.
EI has changed significantly in recent years. The agency has developed and adopted new business models for working with its clients and implemented new approaches to deliver services. EI needs to have the necessary skills, experience and expertise to enable them to work effectively with their clients and stakeholders and successfully deliver key objectives.
I am committed to working closely with EI so that the Agency is best-placed to optimise the growth potential that now exists for Irish companies to continue being a primary driver of economic growth and prosperity in Ireland.
TABLE 1: Number of Employees in EI by Salary Bracket*
Enterprise Ireland Employees by Salary Bracket June 2018
|
Salary Bracket € |
Number of Staff |
|
0 - 23,000 |
30 |
|
23,001- 30,000 |
72 |
|
30,001 - 40,000 |
43 |
|
40,001 - 50,000 |
92 |
|
50,001 - 60,000 |
31 |
|
60,001 - 80,000 |
141 |
|
80,001 - 100,000 |
188 |
|
100,001 -150,000 |
35 |
|
150,001 > |
4 |
|
Total |
636 |
*Please note the figures do not include local overseas staff.
