Tuesday, 24 Jul 2018

Written Answers Nos. 873-893

Sexual Offences Data

Ceisteanna (873)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Ceist:

873. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons convicted of serious sexual offences per annum. [33746/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Justice and Equality

As the Deputy is aware, under the provisions of the Courts Service Act 1998, management of the courts is the responsibility of the Courts Service, which is independent in exercising its functions, including the provision of information on the courts system.

However, in order to be of assistance to the Deputy, I have had enquiries made and the Courts Service has informed me that the information sought by the Deputy in relation to the number of persons convicted of a serious sexual offence per annum (sexual assault/rape) is available in the Courts Service Annual Reports 2010 – 2017.

Sexual Offences Data

Ceisteanna (874)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Ceist:

874. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons released from prison per annum that were in prison by reason of a conviction of a serious sexual assault. [33747/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Justice and Equality

I wish to advise the Deputy that the information requested in relation to the number of persons released per annum for the past 5 years where the person's most serious offence was a sexual offence is set out in the table below.

The Irish Prison Service does not differentiate between different categories of sexual offences.

Year	Number
2013	144
2014	161
2015	150
2016	122
2017	127

Garda Administrative Costs

Ceisteanna (875)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Ceist:

875. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the estimated cost of ensuring all gardaí have a secure encoded USB device at all times for compiling evidence. [33749/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Justice and Equality

As the Deputy will appreciate, decisions in relation to the provision and allocation of Garda resources including ICT resources are a matter for the Garda Commissioner in light of his identified operational demands and the availability of resources. As Minister, I have no direct role in the matter.

The Deputy will further appreciate that the security and appropriate handling of information by Garda personnel is a matter of the highest importance.

I am informed by the Garda authorities that all Garda personnel are provided with centralised secure storage for files.  I am further informed that encrypted USB storage devices are allocated to Garda personnel on application and approval, only where necessary for operational reasons.   I understand from the Garda authorities that a strict Garda policy limits the use of such devices and that they are only to be utilised in unavoidable situations where data needs to be securely transferred.

In certain very limited instances, an unencrypted device may have to be used e.g. if the gathering of CCTV footage from a business premises involves a system which is unable to read encrypted devices.  However, Garda policy dictates that in any such instance, which would in any event arise only in very limited cases, all data must be transferred to a secure medium as soon as practicable.  Garda ICT has a USB management solution in place to assist with this process.

Regarding costs, I am informed by the Garda authorities that Garda ICT utilise Government frameworks for the purchase of encrypted USB devices, with an approximate cost of between €12 and €150 depending on the capacity of the device. As set out above, it is Garda policy that these devices are provided to Garda personnel strictly on application and approval, where necessary for operational reasons, rather than issued to all members as a matter of course.

Garda Administrative Costs

Ceisteanna (876)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Ceist:

876. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the estimated cost of ensuring all Garda stations have broadband access; and the estimated cost for all Garda stations to have high speed broadband access. [33750/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Justice and Equality

There has been unprecedented investment in An Garda Síochána in recent years, in support of the Government’s commitment to ensuring a strong and visible police presence throughout the country in order to maintain and strengthen community engagement, provide reassurance to citizens and deter crime.  The Modernisation and Renewal Programme sets out a series of initiatives which will enable An Garda Síochána to deploy the latest cutting-edge technologies in the fight against crime. In support of this plan, some €342 million, including €217 million under the Capital Plan, is being invested in Garda ICT infrastructure between 2016 and 2021.

As the Deputy will appreciate, decisions in relation to the provision and allocation of Garda resources including the installation of broadband in stations and their connection to the Garda network are a matter for the Garda Commissioner, in light of his identified operational needs and the availability of resources. As Minister, I have no direct role in these matters.

I have been informed by the Garda authorities that the estimated cost to connect all the remaining stations to the Garda network will be in the order of €650,000, which would include the estimated costs of connection, the required IT hardware and any infrastructural works required.  It is important to note, however, that this is a broad estimate only and that a confirmed or more exact figure would not be possible until a broadband solution is tailored for each of the relevant Garda stations.

Garda Civilian Staff Recruitment

Ceisteanna (877)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Ceist:

877. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of civilian members of staff An Garda Síochána has taken on each year for the past five years; the number of civilian members it is possible to train in a given year; and the estimated cost for training and recruiting that number of civilian members of staff. [33751/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Justice and Equality

As the Deputy will appreciate, it is the Garda Commissioner who has responsibility to carry on and manage and control generally the administration and business of An Garda Síochána, including by arranging for the recruitment, training and appointment of its members and civilian staff. 

I have requested the specific information sought by the Deputy from the Garda Commissioner and I will write to him on receipt of same.  

For the information of the Deputy I have set out below in tabular form from year-end the number of civilian staff for 2010 to 2017. I am informed by the Commissioner that there were 2,192 civilians undertaking administrative, technical and other duties within An Garda Síochána as of 31 December 2017. I am encouraged that the number of civilians working in An Garda Síochána continues to increase with the end of year numbers for 2017 showing more civilians working in the organisation than in each of the previous seven years. In addition, the most recent figure provided to me by the Commissioner indicates that, as at 31 May 2018 approximately 2,300 civilians were employed in An Garda Siochána.

The Deputy will be aware that as part of the Five Year Reform and High-level Workforce Plan for An Garda Síochána, the Government has agreed an overall vision for a Garda workforce of 21,000 personnel by 2021 to include 15,000 Garda members, 2,000 Garda Reserve members and 4,000 civilians. The projected 4,000 civilians represents a medium-term target of 20% of the Garda full-time workforce comprised of civilians. This target will be achieved through a twin-track approach of firstly, a “civilian by default” policy to be adopted in relation to the filling of all new posts other than operational policing posts and for non-operational policing posts that become vacant and, secondly, the redeployment of Gardaí to policing roles where their skills can be used to best effect with the backfilling of these roles by suitably qualified civilians where necessary.  The Garda Inspectorate identified some 1,500 posts held by Gardaí that could be examined for suitability for civilian staff.

Progress is being made in relation to civilianisation. Since the beginning of 2017 approximately 290 new civilian posts have been sanctioned by the Policing Authority with the consent of my Department and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. The bulk were to address critical skills gaps and capacity issues with a proportion sanctioned to make a start on the redeployment of Gardaí to policing duties. Of particular significance is that a number of civilians have been appointed to newly created senior leadership posts at Executive Director level to take responsibility for Strategy & Transformation and Legal & Compliance. 

In addition, approximately 110 Gardai have been redeployed to operational policing duties with some of the roles vacated by Gardai now being undertaken by civilians.

Civilianisation is a key element of the reform programme that is being pursued by An Garda Síochána. It will not be done overnight but progress on achieving the target of 20% implementation must continue and, indeed, must move at a greater pace.

 

Year End	Civilian Strength	Percentage Civilian
2010	2099	13%
2011	2012	13%
2012	1970	13%
2013	2071	14%
2014	2055	14%
2015	2007	14%
2016	1998	13%
2017	2192	14%

Rape Crisis Network Funding

Ceisteanna (878)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Ceist:

878. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the amount provided by his Department to rape crisis centres each year for the past ten years; and the services and supports provided from this funding by each centre or project. [33752/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Justice and Equality

Details of the funding amount provided by my Department to rape crisis centres each year for the past ten years; and the services and supports provided from this funding by each centre or project are provided in the enclosed tables. Grants for awareness raising activities ceased to be paid to individual non-governmental organisations from 2016 onwards arising from a call from them for a national campaign to be held which commenced in 2016.

My Department does not have information on the funding provided by other Government Departments to the sector. As the Deputy will be aware, Tusla is the main funder of domestic and sexual violence services.  Tusla is providing €23.8m for these services in 2018.

Rape Crisis Centres Funding

Victim Support Services

Ceisteanna (879)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Ceist:

879. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the grants his Department provides to organisations representing or supporting victims of crime, statutory or otherwise. [33753/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Justice and Equality

My Department provides funding through its Victims of Crime Office to promote and assist the development of support services to victims of crime. 

In this regard, the Victims of Crime Office allocated a total of €1.712m in 2017,  to provide funding support to 58 victim support services, details of which are appended in the accompanying table.

Such services continue to provide important information and support to victims of crime, including emotional support, court accompaniment, accompaniment to Garda interviews, accompaniment to sexual assault treatment units, counselling and referral to other services.

In addition, my Department also provides a number of other supports to organisations representing or supporting victims of crime. Details of this are appended in the other accompanying table.

Table 1 - Groups funded by Victims of Crime Office 2017

	Organisation	Type of Organisation	Funding granted 2017
1	Adapt(Kerry)                                                                                              Kerry Women's Refuge and Support Services	Domestic Violence	€23,000.00
2	Adapt (Limerick)	Domestic Violence	€61,000.00
3	AdVIC	General	€28,000.00
4	Amen	Domestic Violence	€23,500.00
5	Aoibhneas Women & Children Refuge	Domestic Violence	€9,300.00
6	Ascend	Domestic Violence	€16,500.00
7	Barnardos	Children	€38,000.00
8	Beacon of Light Counselling Centre	Counselling Services	€18,000.00
9	Bray Women's Refuge	Domestic Violence	€15,000.00
10	CARI	Children	€60,000.00
11	Carlow Women's Aid	Domestic Violence	€23,000.00
12	Clare Haven Services	Domestic Violence	€13,000.00
13	Cope Galway Waterside House	Domestic Violence	€5,500.00
14	Crime Victims Helpline	General	€110,000.00
15	Cuan Saor Women's Refuge Ltd.	Domestic Violence	€23,000.00
16	Dignity for Patients	General	€11,000.00
17	Domestic Violence Advocacy Service (Sligo)(formerly Waves)	Domestic Violence	€11,000.00
18	Domestic Violence Response Galway	Domestic Violence	€15,500.00
19	Donegal Domestic  Violence Service	Domestic Violence	€17,000.00
20	Drogheda Women's Refuge and Children's Refuge Centre	Domestic Violence	€11,500.00
21	Dublin 12 Domestic Violence Service	Domestic Violence	€7,500.00
22	Dublin Rape Crisis Centre	Sexual Violence	€25,000.00
23	Dundalk Counselling Service	Counselling Services	€20,000.00
24	Esker House	Domestic Violence	€13,000.00
25	Family Resource Centre Ltd	Domestic Violence	€6,700.00
26	Federation for Victim Assistance	General	€110,000.00
27	Greystones Family Resource Centre	Domestic Violence	€1,000.00
28	Hope Trust (Counselling)	Counselling Services	€1,000.00
29	Irish Tourist Assistance Service	General	€50,000.00
30	Kilkenny Women's Refuge Ltd	Domestic Violence	€9,000.00
31	Laois Domestic Abuse  Service	Domestic Violence	€22,500.00
32	Le Cheile	General	€7,500.00
33	Letterkenny Women's Centre (Counselling)	Counselling Services	€7,500.00
34	Living Life Voluntary Counselling Centre	Counselling Services	€15,000.00
35	Longford Women's Link	Domestic Violence	€21,000.00
36	Mayo Women's Support Services	Domestic Violence	€22,000.00
37	Meath Women's Refuge	Domestic Violence	€34,000.00
38	Missing in Ireland Support Services	General	€20,000.00
39	Mna Feasa Domestic Violence Project	Domestic Violence	€27,500.00
40	Oasis House Women's Refuge Waterford	Domestic Violence	€10,000.00
41	Offaly Domestic Violence Support Service	Domestic Violence	€12,000.00
42	One in Four	Sexual Violence	€113,000.00
43	Rape Crisis Network Ireland	Sexual Violence	€45,000.00
44	Roscommon Safe Link	Domestic Violence	€18,000.00
45	Safe Ireland	Domestic Violence	€20,000.00
46	Saoirse Housing Association	Domestic Violence	€16,000.00
47	Sexual Violence Centre, Cork	Sexual Violence	€26,000.00
48	Sonas	Domestic Violence	€5,500.00
49	Support After Crime	General	€143,000.00
50	Support After Homicide	General	€60,000.00
51	Tearmann Housing Association	Domestic Violence	€17,000.00
52	Victim Support at Court	General	€110,000.00
53	West Cork Women's Project	Domestic Violence	€10,000.00
54	Westmeath Support Service against Domestic Abuse	Domestic Violence	€17,000.00
55	Wexford Women's Refuge	Domestic Violence	€16,000.00
56	Women's Aid Dublin	Domestic Violence	€100,000.00
57	Women's Aid Dundalk	Domestic Violence	€17,500.00
58	YANA	Domestic Violence	€3,000.00
			€1,712,000.00

Table 2 - Additional Grants provided by the Department of Justice and Equality to organisations representing or supporting victims of crime in 2017.

Name of Scheme/Programme	Amount allocated in 2017	Number of organisations
Crime Victims Helpline Dormant Accounts Funding	€50,000	1
Services to Victims of Human Trafficking	€360,000	2
Dormant Accounts Funding Scheme supporting human trafficking projects	€66,441	2
Restorative justice community based projects	€526,000	2

Criminal Assets Bureau

Ceisteanna (880)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Ceist:

880. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the regularity with which the provisions in the Proceeds of Crime (Amendment) Act 2016 which lowered the threshold value of property which can be pursued and seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau from €13,000 to €5,000 and cash amounts from €6,500 to €1,000 have been used; and the areas to which the proceeds of these moneys are directed. [33754/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Justice and Equality

The Proceeds of Crime (Amendment) Act 2016 was commenced on 12 August 2016.  As the Deputy is aware, the Act lowered the threshold value of property that may be seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) from €13,000 to €5,000.  I am informed by CAB that between the date of commencement of the Act and 18 June last, there were ten cases in which High Court Orders were granted where the total value of the assets was less than the old threshold amount of €13,000. This represents 21% of the 48 cases where Orders were granted during this time.

With regard to the reduction in cash amounts referred to by the Deputy, it might be noted that the statutory provisions involved in this regard were Regulations made under the Criminal Justice Act 1994 as opposed to the Proceeds of Crime (Amendment) Act 2016.  The Regulations were made for the purpose of section 38 of the 1994 Act which is concerned with the powers of members of An Garda Síochána and customs and excise officers to seize and detain cash being imported into or exported from the State which is suspected to be proceeds of drug trafficking crime.

In accordance with the provisions of the Proceeds of Crime Act 1996 (as amended), all confiscations relating to the proceeds of crime are transferred to the Minister for Finance to be paid into, or disposed of, for the benefit of the exchequer.  As the Deputy may know, CAB submits an Annual Report, through the Garda Commissioner, to the Minister for Justice and Equality each year which provides full details of all assets seized and disposed of by the Bureau.  The Bureau's Annual Report for 2017 was published on 5 July 2018.

Garda Stations

Ceisteanna (881, 882)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Ceist:

881. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the capital costs of a new Garda station; and the full year costs of running such a station in circumstances in which the station is not a district headquarters or a divisional headquarters. [33755/18]

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Ceist:

882. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the estimated cost of reopening a Garda station. [33756/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Justice and Equality

I propose to take Questions Nos. 881 and 882 together.

The programme of replacement and refurbishment of Garda accommodation is progressed by the Garda authorities working in close cooperation with the Office of Public Works (OPW), which has the responsibility for the provision and maintenance of Garda accommodation. As Minister I have no direct role in the matter.

The capital costs of Garda buildings, including the costs of reopening or refurbishing Garda Stations, vary widely.

Costs are dependent on factors including the scale and complexity of the build or refurbishment, location, geographic and other site conditions and so on. Further, Garda Stations range from small Garda Stations, designed for public interaction and suitable for a small number of staff large, up to complex facilities designed to accommodate up to 300 people and a wide variety of operational functions. Cost associated with individual Garda capital projects are also dependent on prevailing market conditions in the construction sector in the relevant geographic area.

As such, it is not possible to provide an estimate of the capital costs, including cost or reopening or refurbishing, of an unspecified Garda station.

Similarly, running costs associated with Garda stations vary even at the level below District and Divisional Headquarters. These costs, including maintenance, repair and upgrade costs, are dependent on the size, usage, age and complexity of each station. As a result, it is not possible to give an accurate estimate of the annual upkeep costs of a sub-District Garda Station.

Garda Data

Ceisteanna (883, 884)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Ceist:

883. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the population to Garda ratio. [33757/18]

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Ceist:

884. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the population to Garda station ratio. [33758/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Justice and Equality

I propose to take Questions Nos. 883 and 884 together.

As the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution of personnel and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter. Garda management keeps this distribution under review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities to ensure optimum use is made of the resources.

I am advised by the Commissioner that recent census data is currently being incorporated into the personnel allocation model. I understand that Census information received on a specific county format is amended by the Garda Síochána Analysis Service to reflect Garda Divisional boundaries. However, it should be noted that ratios such as the number of Garda per head of population are not an appropriate tool to use when considering the allocation of Garda resources as they fail to take account of, among other things, the fact that crime levels and types can vary significantly among communities of similar population size. The information requested by the Deputy in relation to the population to Garda and  station ratio is not readily available in my Department as the recording of the population by area is a matter for the Central Statistics Office.

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. To achieve this the Government has put in place a plan for an overall Garda workforce of 21,000 personnel by 2021 comprising 15,000 Garda members, 2,000 Reserve members and 4,000 civilians. We are making real, tangible progress on achieving this goal.

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 Division as new Garda recruits come on stream. The work of local Gardaí is also supported by a number of Garda national units such as the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the Armed Support Units, the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau and the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau and these specialist units are also receiving significant investment.

I am informed by the Commissioner that since the reopening of the Garda College in September 2014, almost 2,000 recruits have attested as members of An Garda Síochána and have been assigned to mainstream duties nationwide. Garda numbers, taking account of retirements, increased to 13,551 at the end of 2017 – a net increase of over 600 since the end of 2016. This year a further 800 new Garda Recruits will enter the Garda College and we are on track to reach 14,000 by the end of 2018.

In addition, funding has been provided for the recruitment of up to 500 further civilians 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 in 2018.

This focus on investment in personnel is critical and I am pleased that funding is in place to maintain this high level of investment in the Garda workforce to ensure that the overall vision for 2021 remains on track.

Garda Retirements

Ceisteanna (885)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Ceist:

885. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of members of An Garda Síochána that retire per annum. [33759/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Justice and Equality

Retirement of members of An Garda Síochána is governed by statute which sets the mandatory retirement age for all members at 60 years of age.  Members of An Garda Síochána who joined prior to 1 April 2004 may retire on full pension at 50 years of age once they have served at least 30 years and those who joined on or after 1 April 2004 may retire on full pension at 55 years of age and 30 years' service. Gardaí have the option of continuing to serve until they reach 60 subject to the Garda Commissioner being satisfied that they are fully competent and available to undertake their duties.

It is expected that there will be approximately 300 retirements, either voluntary or compulsory, in each of the next three years. I can assure the Deputy that projected departures are kept under continuous review and the level of recruitment is adjusted as necessary in order to maintain the desired strength.

For the Deputy's information, the attached table, as supplied by the Commissioner, sets out the number of departures since 2016, which include voluntary, compulsory, or cost neutral early retirement, resignation, death, dismissal and medical discharge.

Departures from An Garda Síochána 2016- 2018 *

-	Com	D/Com	A/C	C/Supt	Supt	Insp	Sgt	Garda	Total
2018*	0	0	1	2	9	8	38	98	156
2017	1	0	3	6	11	20	72	169	282
2016	0	0	2	5	6	15	64	172	264

*As of 13 July 2018

Garda Administrative Costs

Ceisteanna (886)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Ceist:

886. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the estimated full year cost of a Garda insurance fraud unit in circumstances in which the cost of this would be borne by the State. [33760/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Justice and Equality

The Deputy will be aware that Recommendation 26 of the ‘Report on the Cost of Motor Insurance’, published in January 2017, relates to exploring the potential for further cooperation between the insurance sector and An Garda Síochána in relation to insurance fraud investigation. Specifically, this involves considering the feasibility of establishing a specialised and dedicated insurance fraud unit within An Garda Síochána, funded by industry.

The Garda Commissioner authorised the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB) to engage with Insurance Ireland in exploratory talks about this recommendation, resulting in the GNECB submitting a mechanism for further cooperation and a costed proposal to Insurance Ireland in the latter half of 2017. Insurance Ireland agreed to explore the proposal further, subject to a full cost benefit analysis, which was carried out by Insurance Ireland’s Chief Financial Officers Working Group. 

Insurance Ireland informed the Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Mr Michael D’Arcy, T.D., of the outcome of its analysis on 2 July 2018, recommending industry funding of a Garda insurance fraud unit. This outcome has been communicated to An Garda Síochána.

Officials in my Department are currently engaging with the GNECB in relation to this recommendation. The intention is that such a dedicated Garda unit will be funded by Insurance Ireland members and non-members alike, i.e. all entities writing non-life insurance business in Ireland. 

I am advised that activity to date in relation to this recommendation consists of scoping out the possible cost and feasibility of setting up such a unit. I understand that, at this stage, the Garda Commissioner has yet to form a view on the proposal, and a proposal or recommendation has not been submitted to me as Minister. As such, I am not currently in a position to provide the Deputy with an estimate as to the full-year cost of a Garda insurance fraud unit.  

There are a number of serious issues which will require further consideration before any decision whether or not to proceed in this manner is taken and discussions will remain ongoing between relevant officials in my Department and An Garda Síochána in this regard.

It will be a matter for me, as Minister for Justice and Equality, on foot of a recommendation from the Garda Commissioner, to decide whether the establishment of the proposed unit is something which should be pursued.

I have requested An Garda Síochána to provide me with an estimate as to the full-year cost of a Garda insurance fraud unit and will contact the Deputy directly on receipt of this information.

Direct Provision Data

Ceisteanna (887)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Ceist:

887. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the cost of the direct provision system; the centres that are run publicly and privately; and when each of the existing contracts for the direct provision centres will come to a conclusion. [33761/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality

The Direct Provision system is a whole of government approach to meet the needs of those persons who have entered the country and are seeking international protection. My Department is responsible for meeting the accommodation needs of those persons in the process who wish to avail of the offer of accommodation made to them. All centres are managed by commercial companies but seven of the centres are owned by the State.

The total expenditure in 2017 on accommodation and ancillary services by my Department to meet the accommodation needs of those persons seeking international protection was €57,679,449. This does not include the cost for the provision of Emergency Reception and Orientation Centres to meet the accommodation needs of those persons brought into the state under the Irish Refugee Protection Programme which entailed a further expenditure of €7,727,601 in 2017.

The table below details the current accommodation portfolio, whether the centres are commercially owned or state owned and the current contract expiration dates:

County	Centre	Address	Current Contracted Capacity	Contract Expiry Date	Commercially/State Owned
Clare	King Thomond Hotel	The Bog Road, Lisdoonvarna	115	10/03/2019	Commercially Owned
	Knockalisheen	Meelick	250	24/11/2019	State Owned
Cork	Ashbourne	Glounthane	95	11/12/2018	Commercially Owned
	Glenvera	Wellington Road	130	04/03/2019	Commercially Owned
	Kinsale Road	Cork City	299	24/11/2019	State Owned
	Millstreet	Millstreet	284	17/09/2018	Commercially Owned
	Clonakilty Lodge	Clonakilty	110	15/10/2018	Commercially Owned
Dublin	Balseskin	St. Margarets, Finglas, Dublin 11	350	15/02/2020	Commercially Owned
	Hatch Hall	Hatch Street, Dublin 22	220	17/01/2019	Commercially Owned
	The Towers	Clondalkin, Dublin 22	225	03/12/2018	Commercially Owned
Galway	Eglinton	The Proms, Salthill	210	21/05/2019	Commercially Owned
	Great Western House	Eyre Square	162	11/09/2018	Commercially Owned
Kerry	Atlas House	Killarney	90	09/11/2019	State Owned
	Atlas House	Tralee	100	09/11/2019	State Owned
	Linden House	Killarney	57	12/12/2018	Commercially Owned
	Johnston Marina	Tralee	90	09/11/2019	State Owned
	Park Lodge	Killarney	55	19/11/2019	State Owned
Kildare	Eyrepowell Hotel	Newbridge	87	25/09/2018	Commercially Owned
Laois	Montague Hotel	Emo	202	26/11/2018	Commercially Owned
Limerick	Hanratty's Hotel	Glentworth Street, Limerick City	118	24/05/2020	Commercially Owned
	Mount Trenchard	Foynes	85	14/10/2018	Commercially Owned
Longford	Richmond Court	Richmond Street, Longford Town	80	15/01/2019	Commercially Owned
Louth	Carroll Village	Dundalk	60	19/10/2018	Commercially Owned
Mayo	The Old Convent	Ballyhaunis	245	16/10/2018	Commercially Owned
Meath	Mosney	Mosney	600	15/09/2018	Commercially Owned
Monaghan	St. Patricks	Monaghan	175	19/06/2019	Commercially Owned
Sligo	Globe House	Chapel Hill	218	18/09/2018	Commercially Owned
Tipperary	Bridgewater House	Carrick-On-Suir	156	15/11/2018	Commercially Owned
Waterford	Atlantic House	Tramore	82	21/08/2018	Commercially Owned
	Birchwood	Ballytruckle Road	145	11/12/2018	Commercially Owned
	Ocean View	Tramore	100	21/11/2018	Commercially Owned
	Viking House	Coffee House Lane, Waterford	81	06/03/2019	Commercially Owned
Westmeath	Lissywoolen	Athlone	300	24/11/2019	State Owned
	Temple Accommodation Centre	Horseleap, Moate	80	28/04/2019	Commercially Owned
Total			5,656

Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission Staff

Ceisteanna (888)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Ceist:

888. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the estimated cost of providing the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission with an investigator, a senior investigating officer and a head of unit at principal officer grade. [33762/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Justice and Equality

The information which the Deputy is seeking is not typically retained within my Department as matters relating to the salary scales of GSOC staff is a matter for the Commission in relation to the limits set out by DPER. 

However, upon request, the Commission has provided me with the following information.

- An Investigations Officer (Higher Executive Officer equivalent) - €64,132;

- A Senior Investigations Officer (Assistant Principal Officer equivalent) - €83,982; and

- A Principal Officer - €95,441.

The above listed annual salary costs are based on the mid-point of the pay scales in each grade in accordance with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform Circular 22/2017 which sets out the relevant pay scales applicable from 1 January 2018.  These costs do not include employer PRSI, and ancillary costs such as accommodation, equipment, travel and subsistence, etc.

Legal Aid Service Reform

Ceisteanna (889)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Ceist:

889. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the estimated cost of ending the requirement for victims of domestic violence to make financial contributions for legal aid. [33764/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Justice and Equality

I can inform the Deputy that, from 1 January 2018, a contribution is no longer required of persons granted legal aid in connection with proceedings where the sole remedy sought is an order pursuant to the Domestic Violence Act 1996.  Statutory Instrument 626 of 2017, which I signed in December 2017, gave effect to this.  Based on 2016 contribution figures, the estimated cost of implementing this change was €150,000 per annum.

Legal Aid Service Data

Ceisteanna (890)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Ceist:

890. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the estimated cost of increasing funding to the Legal Aid Board for the purposes of civil legal aid cases by 5%, 10%, 15% and 20%, respectively. [33765/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Justice and Equality

Following contact with your office, I understand your question refers to the cost of increasing the overall funding of the Legal Aid Board.  The information sought, based on applying percentage increases to the 2018 Budget of €40.275m, can be found in the table below.

%	Increase Amount
5%	€2.013m
10%	€4.028m
15%	€6.041m
20%	€8.055m

Legal Aid Service Waiting Times

Ceisteanna (891)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Ceist:

891. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the average waiting times for civil and criminal legal aid, respectively by centre. [33766/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Justice and Equality

The provision of civil legal aid in the State is delivered by the Legal Aid Board pursuant to the Civil Legal Aid Act 1995 and the Civil Legal Aid Regulations 1996 to 2017.

There are significant demands on the Board and I am conscious that this gives rise to waiting times for certain services at most of the Board's law centres.  However, waiting times have been reduced over the last number of years due to measures introduced by the Board and the Deputy will be glad to know that the Board's budget was increased to €40.275m in 2018.

The Board is extremely conscious that delays in service can lead to difficulties not just for the client but also for the wider community, as well as the courts system.  In this regard, certain matters are dealt with as priority matters which means they receive the next available appointment at the law centre. Such matters include domestic violence, child abduction, child care, and asylum and related matters.  In addition, the Board refers the vast majority of applications relating to private District Court remedies, for example maintenance, custody, access and guardianship, to private solicitors on its panels. 

All other applications are placed on the waiting list.   I can advise the Deputy that details of the waiting times in each law centre are published on a regular basis by the Board on their website https://www.legalaidboard.ie/en/Our-Services/Legal-Aid-Services/Waiting-times/.  

I wish to inform the Deputy that there is no waiting period associated with the granting of criminal legal aid as under the Criminal Justice (Legal Aid) Act, 1962, the courts, through the judiciary, are responsible for the granting of legal aid on the applicant's appearance in Court.

Legal Costs

Ceisteanna (892, 893)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Ceist:

892. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the estimated cost of developing a contact centre for the purposes of facilitating court directed supervised access; and the estimated full year cost of running such a facility. [33767/18]

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Ceist:

893. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to ensure that court directed supervised access can be facilitated through publicly funded facilities; his further plans to provide funding for this purpose; and the estimated cost of providing 100 hours of access per annum. [33768/18]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Justice and Equality

I propose to take Questions Nos. 892 and 893 together.

The Department of Children and Youth Affairs has informed my Department that it is conducting a scoping exercise to establish background information on Family Contact Centres. The objectives of the scoping exercise are to:

- Establish the availability and location of Family Contact Centres in Ireland, the services they provide and current data available on their usage

- Identify and review previous research, evaluation reports and other studies conducted in Ireland on Family Contact Centres

- Identify and compare similar services in other jurisdictions

A survey has been issued to all Family Resource Centres (109) to gather information about the facilitation of family contact visits.  To date, 82 responses have been completed and the results are being analysed. 

The results of the scoping exercise will inform the next steps to be taken in relation to Family Contact Centres in Ireland.

My Department is not in a position to provide the detailed costing information requested by the Deputy.