Written Answers Nos. 316-338
316. Deputy Johnny Mythen asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of affordable houses that have been built in County Wexford in 2020 and to date in 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48236/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Housing for All Strategy delivers on the Programme for Government commitment to step up housing supply and put affordability at the heart of the housing system, with an ambitious target of 300,000 homes over the next decade for social, affordable and cost rental, private rental and private ownership housing.
Measures to deliver this housing are supported by over €4 billion in funding annually, representing the highest ever level of Government investment in building social and affordable housing. 54,000 affordable homes interventions will be delivered between now and 2030 to be facilitated by local authorities, Approved Housing Bodies, the Land Development Agency and through a strategic partnership between the State and retail banks.
Delivery of affordable housing, in accordance with the schemes set out in the Affordable Housing Act, 2021 and the funding being made available, will be underpinned by the preparation by local authorities of Housing Delivery Action Plans. Local authorities will be submitting their Plans to me, to include social and affordable housing, before the end of December 2021. This will allow each Local Authority, including Wexford County Council, to determine any affordability constraint in their area based on the Housing Need and Demand Assessment and plan provision accordingly.
Wexford County Council submitted a Serviced Sites Fund application to my Department in 2019 in respect of a project in Ramsfort Park, Gorey for funding to assist in the delivery of 20 affordable purchase homes. Wexford County Council has advised my Department that the delivery of these affordable homes is expected to be in 2023.
317. Deputy Johnny Mythen asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of void council properties that have been brought back into local authority use in County Wexford per year since 2016 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48237/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraSince 2014, Exchequer funding has been provided through my Department's Voids Programme to support local authorities in preparing vacant units for re-letting. This funding was initially introduced to tackle long term vacant units and is now increasingly targeted at ensuring minimal turnaround and re-let times for local authority vacant stock.
Over the period 2016-2020, 132 properties were remediated in Wexford under the Voids Programme funded by my Department. The table below provides the breakdown by year. This figure does not include properties returned to productive use by the local authority using funding from their own resources.
|
- |
Units Returned in 2016 |
Units Returned in 2017 |
Units Returned in 2018 |
Units Returned in 2019 |
Units Returned in 2020 |
Units Returned 2016-20 |
|
Wexford |
17 |
34 |
8 |
29 |
44 |
132 |
My Department announced earlier this year that funding will be provided for the refurbishment and re-letting of approximately 3,000 social homes this year. Each local authority has been allocated a number of properties and work in this regard is underway but it will be later this year before significant recoupment claims are lodged with my Department. Full details in relation to the 2021 Voids programme will be available early in 2022.
318. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the status of and reason for the delay in a decision being made in relation to his statement at the end of August 2021 during a visit to County Clare, that the decision to include County Clare homeowners in the national redress scheme would be made within a number of weeks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48247/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra319. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the grounds on which the delay on the inclusion of homeowners in County Clare is based given in the findings of the working group’s report homeowners in the county are not represented on the working group and their consideration into the redress scheme is wholly unrelated to the established working group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48248/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra320. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the reason direction has not been given to Clare County Council to accept further submissions and or testing which is not being carried out at present. [48249/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 318 to 320, inclusive, together.
My Department received correspondence from Clare County Council in October 2020, requesting the extension of the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant scheme to County Clare. A comprehensive reply was subsequently issued to the Council in November 2020.
My Department informed the Council that before any extension of the scheme can be considered, the same rigorous analysis as that put in place prior to the roll out of the scheme to the counties of Donegal and Mayo would have to be undertaken. Following further discussions between my Department and Clare County Council it was agreed that the local authority would take a lead role in determining, in accordance with the IS: 465 protocol, that issues arising in homes in County Clare are in fact due to the presence of excessive amounts of deleterious materials (mica or pyrite) in the aggregate used to manufacture the concrete blocks and secondly quantify the likely extent of the problem in the county.
Subsequently a report was finalised and submitted by Clare CoCo at the end of July 2021 and is being reviewed with a response to issue imminently. Any extension of the scheme would also have to be part of wider discussions particularly with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of the Attorney General.
As Donegal and Mayo are currently the only local authority areas within the scope of the Defective Concrete Blocks grant scheme only applications from those local authority areas can be processed.
In respect of the existing scheme, I established a time-bound working group, with representatives from my Department, the local authorities and homeowner representative groups, to review and address any outstanding issues in relation to the operation of the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme. As part of this review an extension of the scheme to other local authority areas was also discussed.
A final output report arising from the engagement of the working group has been prepared which includes the final homeowner’s position paper. I will now consider proposals which I will present to Cabinet following consultation with Ministerial colleagues.
323. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he can address the reason income thresholds and rent limits have not kept pace with rising rent expenses with many households now topping up their HAP to private landlords exceeding 30% of their net income; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48333/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraApplications for social housing support are assessed by the relevant local authority, in accordance with the eligibility and need criteria set down in section 20 of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and the associated Social Housing Assessment Regulations 2011, as amended.
The 2011 Regulations prescribe maximum net income limits for each local authority, in different bands according to the area concerned, with income being defined and assessed according to a standard Household Means Policy. The 2011 Regulations do not provide local authorities with any discretion to exceed the limits that apply to their administrative areas.
Under the Household Means Policy, which applies in all local authorities, net income for social housing assessment is defined as gross household income less income tax, PRSI, Universal Social Charge and Additional Superannuation Contribution. The Policy provides for a range of income disregards, and local authorities also have discretion to decide to disregard income that is temporary, short-term or once-off in nature.
The income bands are expressed in terms of a maximum net income threshold for a single-person household, with an allowance of 5% for each additional adult household member, subject to a maximum allowance under this category of 10% and separately a 2.5% allowance for each child.
The income bands and the authority area assigned to each band were based on an assessment of the income needed to provide for a household's basic needs, plus a comparative analysis of the local rental cost of housing accommodation across the country. It is important to note that the limits introduced in 2011 also reflected a blanket increase of €5,000 introduced prior to the new system coming into operation, in order to broaden the base from which social housing tenants are drawn, both promoting sustainable communities and also providing a degree of future-proofing.
Given the cost to the State of providing social housing, it is considered prudent and fair to direct resources to those most in need of social housing support. The current income eligibility requirements generally achieve this, providing for a fair and equitable system of identifying those households facing the greatest challenge in meeting their accommodation needs from their own resources.
However, as part of the broader social housing reform agenda, a review of income eligibility for social housing supports in each local authority area is underway. As set out in Housing for All, the efficiency of the banding model and its application to local authorities will be considered. Equivalisation as between singles and families will also be considered. The review will also have regard to new initiatives being brought forward in terms of affordability and Cost Rental housing and will be completed when the impacts of these parallel initiatives have been considered.
Increased rent limits for the Housing Assistance Programme (HAP) and the Rent Supplement Scheme were introduced in 2016. These limits were agreed in conjunction with the Department of Social Protection (DSP). In reviewing the rent limits, my Department worked closely with DSP and monitored data gathered from the Residential Tenancies Board and the HAP Shared Services Centre. The HAP rent limits were increased significantly, in the order of 60% in some cases.
Maximum rent limits for the HAP scheme are set out for each housing authority area by the Housing Assistance Payment (Amendment) Regulations 2017. The current maximum HAP rent limits are available on the Irish Statute Book website at the following link: irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2017/si/56/made/en/print?q=housing&years=2017 .
Local authorities also have discretion, because of local rental market conditions, to exceed the maximum rent limit by up to 20%, or up to 50% in the Dublin region for those households either in, or at immediate risk of homelessness. It should be noted that it is a matter for the local authority to determine whether the application of the flexibility is warranted on a case by case basis and also the level of additional discretion applied in each case.
In considering this issue, I am conscious that increasing the current HAP rent limits could have negative inflationary impacts, leading to a detrimental impact on the wider rental market, including for those households who are not receiving HAP support.
My Department is aware that some HAP recipients are making payments directly to their landlords, beyond the amount of HAP being paid on their behalf. There is no legislative provision precluding HAP supported households contributing towards the monthly rent to their landlord beyond that of their HAP payment. However, decisions in relation to HAP, including the suitability of HAP accommodation, is solely a matter for the local authority concerned and local authorities have a responsibility to ensure that tenancies are sustainable and are advised not to provide HAP support to tenancies where the household would not be in a position to meet the rental costs being sought.
My Department continues to keep the operation of the HAP scheme under review and closely monitors the level of discretion being used by local authorities, taking into account other sources of data, including Residential Tenancies Board rent data published on a quarterly basis.
The Programme for Government commits to ensuring that HAP levels are adequate to support vulnerable households, while we increase the supply of social housing. Under Housing for All, my Department will undertake an analytical exercise to examine whether an increase in the level of discretion available to Local Authorities under HAP is required, in order to maintain adequate levels of HAP support.
324. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of applicants currently in receipt of HAP and RAS in County Mayo from 2016 to 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48334/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraDetails on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each local authority area are set out in the annual statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA). The purpose of the SSHA is to capture the total number of households qualified for social housing support across the country whose social housing need has not yet been met, in order to better understand the level of need for such support.
The most recent summary, conducted in November 2020, shows that 61,880 households were assessed as qualified for and being in need of social housing support.
Below is the link to the summary reports for 2016 - 2020, which include breakdowns by each local authority, including for County Mayo, across a range of categories:
gov.ie/en/collection/62486-summary-of-social-housing-assessments/.
The table below shows the number of active Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) and Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) tenancies in Co. Mayo from 2016 to 2021 (Q2):
|
Scheme |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 (Q2) |
|
HAP |
402 |
817 |
1,120 |
1,280 |
1,356 |
1,376 |
|
RAS |
893 |
866 |
817 |
821 |
799 |
793 |
The HAP and RAS schemes continue to be effective and secure forms of social housing support and remain a part of the suite of social housing options currently available across the country.
The recently published Housing for All strategy is the Government’s plan to increase the supply of housing to an average of 33,000 per year over the next decade, including an average of 10,000 new build social homes. As new build supply of social housing ramps up, there will be reducing reliance on the HAP and RAS schemes.
325. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the total number of social homes under Mayo County Council ownership; the number of new social housing builds and acquisitions completed by Mayo County Council from 2016 to 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48335/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraInformation on the social housing stock of each local authority, including Mayo County Council, is published by the National Oversight and Audit Commission in their Performance Indicator Reports. These reports are available at the following link:noac.ie/?search=advancedPublications&categories=Performance+Indicator+Reports&year.
Statistics on social housing built and acquired in Mayo County Council for the period 2016 to 2020 and for Quarters 1 and 2 of 2021, are published on my Department’s website at the following link: housing.gov.ie/housing/social-housing/social-and-affordble/overall-social-housing-provision.
326. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the process he plans to follow to ensure the local authority in County Mayo implement an affordable housing scheme that is fit for purpose and adequately resourced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48336/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAffordable purchase and Cost Rental schemes delivered by local authorities will be subject to the provisions of the Affordable Housing Act 2021. Under Action 4.12 of Housing for All, in the period to December 2021 local authorities will be preparing Housing Action Delivery Plans to include social and affordable housing where necessary (affordable purchase and cost rental). This will allow each Local Authority to determine the affordability constraint in their area based on the Housing Need and Demand Assessment.
The Housing for All Strategy delivers on the Programme for Government commitment to put affordability at the heart of the housing system. It is the largest State-led building programme in our history, backed up by an unprecedented financial commitment in excess of €4bn per annum.
At a national level, over 300,000 new homes will be built by the end of 2030, including a projected 90,000 social homes, 36,000 affordable purchase homes and 18,000 cost rental homes. These homes will be provided by Local Authorities, Approved Housing Bodies, the Land Development Agency, as well as through a strategic partnership between the State and retail banks.
Specifically regarding affordability-constrained households wishing to buy homes, the Housing for All strategy contains a multi-pronged approach to improving affordability.
The Local Authority Affordable Homes scheme and the First Home scheme are primarily focused on supporting first-time buyers purchasing newly built homes. Both of these schemes will be targeted at households constrained by the maximum mortgage and deposit available to them. The gap between the market value and what the household can afford (including with the assistance of the ‘Help to Buy’ incentive) will be bridged via the provision of equity support. The equity support can subsequently be redeemed at any time at the home-owners discretion, or remain outstanding until the home is sold or passed on.
In addition to these distinct shared equity schemes, the Housing for All strategy also provides for the 'Local Authority Home Loan', which will be in place later in 2021. The Local Authority Home Loan is a successor to the Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan Scheme, and will include an increase in the income ceiling for single applicants, thus increasing the number of people eligible. From 10 September 2021, I have already implemented a reduction of the mortgage interest rate by 0.25% for new borrowers under the existing Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan. This lower rate will also apply to loans issued under the forthcoming Local Authority Home Loan. The Help to Buy scheme is also currently available to help purchasers in accessing homes.
Further to the above, the Housing for All strategy also provides for the Croí Cónaithe initiative intended to service sites and refurbish existing vacant properties in regional towns and villages.
Collectively, these measures will improve affordability for all families or individuals wishing to purchase a home.
327. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the extent to which he and his Department have any responsibility for endangered listed and or unlisted buildings throughout the country; his plans to take any specific initiatives to ensure their protection; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48359/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraWith regard to the safeguarding of protected structures, Part IV of the Planning and Development Act 2000 gives primary responsibility to local authorities to identify and protect architectural heritage by including particular structures on their respective Records of Protected Structures (RPS). Inclusion on the RPS places a duty of care on the owners and occupiers of protected structures and also gives planning authorities powers to deal with any development proposals affecting them.
My Department provides financial support, however, for the protection of heritage buildings and historic structures through two grant schemes which are, in the main, administered by the local authorities. These are the Built Heritage Investment Scheme (BHIS) and the Historic Structures Fund (HSF). This year 562 heritage projects across every county in the country were allocated funding from a combined sum of €6m under these schemes, an increase of nearly 40% on 2020.
My Department also provides financial support through the Community Monuments Fund (CMF) for work relating to monuments. This year funding was allocated to 139 projects across all local authorities to a value of just over €4.2m.
Details of the projects have been published on my Department’s website and on local authority websites. While the 2021 schemes are now closed, it is intended that details of the 2022 schemes will be published online in the coming weeks.
As the Deputy will be aware, preparation is well advanced in my Department on Heritage Ireland 2030, Ireland’s new national heritage plan. It will be a coherent, comprehensive and inspiring framework of values, principles, strategic priorities and actions to guide and inform all aspects of our national heritage policy over the next decade. Heritage Ireland 2030 will be published later this year and will address priority issues for heritage, including those identified in the Programme for Government.
328. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the actions the Government is taking to ensure justice for the victims of atrocities committed by ISIS-Daesh in Iraq; if he plans to table a UN Security Council resolution referring this matter to the International Criminal Court; if not, if Ireland will commit to establishing an ad-hoc international tribunal to bring the perpetrators of atrocities committed by ISIS-Daesh to justice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47472/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraIreland is a member of the Global Coalition Against Daesh, and strongly supports all efforts to ensure justice for the victims of atrocities committed by ISIS/Daesh in Iraq.
Ireland has consistently called for accountability for crimes committed by ISIS on the Security Council. We strongly support the work of the United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability Against ISIS/Daesh (UNITAD). UNITAD supports efforts to hold Da’esh members accountable by collecting, preserving and storing evidence of the most serious crimes committed in Iraq in line with the highest possible standards. Ireland welcomes the extension of UNITAD's mandate for a further 12 months on 17 September.
Ireland also supports the work of the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI), including the Mission's efforts on promoting accountability, protecting human rights, and supporting judicial and legal reform in Iraq.
Ireland welcomes all efforts by the Iraqi government to identify and bring to justice the perpetrators of ISIS atrocities. We also welcome the introduction of legislation by the Iraqi government to support the victims of ISIS crimes, such as the Yazidi Female Survivors Law in March 2021, which sets out to provide reparations to survivors of sexual violence.
We urge continued sustained efforts to ensure justice for the victims of all atrocities committed by ISIS/Daesh in Iraq.
329. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the assessment he has made of the fourth report to the UN Human Rights Council by the UN Group of Eminent Experts on Yemen (details supplied) which suggests the International Criminal Court examine the situation in Yemen as a priority; if he plans for Ireland to either table or support a UN Security Council resolution referring the situation in Yemen to the International Criminal Court; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47473/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraIreland is a member of the Core Group in support of the Group of Eminent Experts which was established in 2017 under the auspices of the Human Rights Council to monitor and report on the situation of human rights in Yemen.
The fourth and most recent report by the Group of Eminent Experts was published last month and documented disturbing breaches of international humanitarian law and human rights law by parties to the conflict in Yemen. Ireland strongly supports the work of the Group of Eminent Experts, and has consistently called on all parties to fully cooperate with their work.
In all relevant fora, including in multiple statements to the Security Council, Ireland has called for accountability for all violations of IHL, and human rights abuses in Yemen.
Ireland will continue to fully support the UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg in his efforts to pursue an agreement on a nationwide ceasefire, and the resumption of an inclusive Yemeni-led and Yemeni-owned political process, as set out in relevant United Nations resolutions, including Security Council resolution 2216 (2015).
I have engaged extensively with both the Government of Yemen and countries of the region this year to urge them to work urgently and constructively towards a sustainable peace. At the recent High Level Week in New York, I met with the Foreign Ministers of Yemen, Saudi Arabia and Iran, urging all to support all efforts towards peace in Yemen.
330. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the role that freedom of religion and belief plays in Ireland’s international human rights advocacy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47474/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraIreland condemns all forms of persecution on the basis of religion or belief, irrespective of where they occur or who the victims are. We are committed to promoting and protecting freedom of religion or belief, as affirmed in ‘The Global Island: Ireland’s Foreign Policy for a Changing World’. This commitment is demonstrated in particular through our engagement in multilateral fora, including the UN Human Rights Council.
At the 43rd and 46th sessions of the Human Rights Council, in June 2020 and March 2021 respectively, Ireland led for the European Union in negotiations on the resolution on Freedom of Religion or Belief. At the 43rd session, Ireland also delivered a statement responding to the report of the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, which focused on the interplay between freedom of religion or belief, gender equality and non-discrimination. At the 46th session of the Human Rights Council, Ireland again delivered a national statement responding to a report by the Special Rapporteur, which focused on anti-Muslim hatred.
More recently, on 22 September, at a UN High Level event on the Durban Declaration that marked the 20th Anniversary of the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, Ireland expressed our deep concern at the alarming proliferation of religious intolerance, and its contribution to the denial of human rights, and indeed to fuelling conflict. We welcomed that the Political Declaration adopted on 22 September condemned prejudices based on religion or belief, including hatred or discrimination of an anti-Christian; anti-Muslim; or anti-semitic nature, amongst others.
Ireland is also a member of the International Contact Group on Freedom of Religion or Belief, a cross-regional and informal network that aims to encourage information sharing and cooperation between governments on joint advocacy strategies in the promotion and protection of Freedom of Religion or Belief internationally.
331. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if a passport will issue ahead of travel on 3 October 2021 in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47558/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra332. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if passport applications by persons (details supplied) will be expedited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47632/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra333. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs when a passport will issue for a person (details supplied) in view of the fact that a family have been separated by virtue of the fact that this person has not received their passport. [47669/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra337. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if a passport will issue in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47781/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra338. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the reason for a delay in the witness checking stage of child passport applications; the status of an application (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47813/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra341. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the reason a passport application (details supplied) has not been finalised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48013/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra342. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the reason a passport application by a person (details supplied) has not been finalised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48014/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra344. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the reason a passport has not been finalised in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48077/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra345. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if a passport will issue for a person (details supplied) in view of the fact that this person has imminent travel plans. [48078/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra346. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if a passport will issue for a person (details supplied) in view of their upcoming travel plans. [48084/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra351. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs when a passport will issue for a person (details supplied) in County Mayo in view of the fact that this person is due to travel with their family shortly. [48159/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra352. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the reason a passport has not been finalised in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48169/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra353. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the reason a first-time passport has not been finalised for a child (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48170/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra354. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs when it is likely passports will be finalised for persons (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48171/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra356. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs when a passport will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Mayo in view of the fact this person has submitted the requested information. [48190/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra358. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the status of a passport application by a person (details supplied);; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48240/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra359. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if a passport application for a person (details supplied) can be expedited to enable travel for a vital family reason; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48242/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra360. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if the return of passport of a person (details supplied) will be expedited in time for their travel plans; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48257/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra361. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs when a passport will issue for a baby (details supplied) in Dublin 9; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48274/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra362. Deputy Michael Collins asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the status of passport applications by a family (details supplied); if the passports will be expedited; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48317/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 331 to 333, inclusive, 337, 338, 341, 342, 344 to 346, inclusive, 351 to 354, inclusive, 356, 358, and 359 to 362, inclusive, together.
With regard to the specific applications about which the Deputies have enquired, the Passport Service has provided updates on the status of the passport applications to the applicants.
The current turnaround times are 10 working days for Simple Adult renewals, 15 working days for Complex renewals, 40 working days for First Time Applications on Passport Online and 8 weeks for Passport Express for applications which have been completed correctly.
334. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his Department will amend the passport form and corresponding website information to reflect the fact that persons securing a new Irish passport can photocopy their original and have it witnessed and signed by a member of An Garda Síochána instead of surrendering their existing in-date passport which they may need for travel purposes while their new passport is being processed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47720/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraFor the vast majority of applications, the Passport Service does not require a person to submit their current passport and this is reflected in published guidance. The requirement to submit a current passport applies only where an applicant has more than twelve months validity on their current passport in the case of an adult and six months validity in the case of a child applicant. This is an integrity measure to ensure that each citizen only holds one valid passport at any one time. In addition, the Passport Service also offers a large passport book with a ten year validity to facilitate customers who travel frequently.
The Passport Service continually examines how to improve processing times. The Passport Online service continues to offer an exceptionally quick turnaround time of 10 working days for adult renewals with almost 45% of these applications issuing within 1 business day.
335. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs when the passport office will recommence the processing of postal applications; the number of postal applications that are currently waiting to be processed; the estimated timeframe for this backlog to be cleared; the processing times for postal applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47772/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Passport Service currently has approximately 14,000 paper passport applications on hand of which 92% (13,035) are applications that have been sent through the post via the Passport Express Service. Of the 130,000 total passport applications currently on hand at the Passport Service, just 11% of these are paper passport applications.
Over 450,000 passports and passport cards have been issued to date in 2021. Almost 45% of passports for simple adult renewals continue to issue within one business day.
The processing of Passport Express applications resumed in July 2021. The current turnaround time for Passport Express applications that are completed correctly is 8 weeks.
Adequate staffing of the Passport Service to respond to demand remains a priority for my Department and is an issue that is kept under constant review. My Department is working closely with the Public Appointments Service to recruit additional staff to meet the current and forecasted demand for passports in the coming period. The Public Appointments Service has recently assigned Temporary Clerical Officers to augment the Passport Service and more will be assigned in the coming weeks in line with the planned relaxation of social distancing measures. The Passport Service expects to see a reduction in passport processing times once additional staff have been assigned and trained.
336. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the estimated amount in hours and costs of overtime for staff in the passport office on a monthly basis from February 2020 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47775/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe table below sets out the monthly cost of overtime for Passport Service staff from February 2020 to September 2021.
|
Period |
Total |
|
2020/002 |
7,470.59 |
|
2020/003 |
7,948.82 |
|
2020/006 |
3,757.85 |
|
2020/007 |
4,018.96 |
|
2020/008 |
3,035.74 |
|
2020/009 |
3,735.13 |
|
2020/010 |
4,095.26 |
|
2020/011 |
2,706.90 |
|
2020/012 |
2,162.75 |
|
2021/001 |
3,623.28 |
|
2021/002 |
1,315.39 |
|
2021/003 |
706.95 |
|
2021/004 |
2,674.50 |
|
2021/005 |
2,704.85 |
|
2021/006 |
67,933.08 |
|
2021/007 |
114,870.76 |
|
2021/008 |
89,712.00 |
|
2021/009 |
117,493.10 |
|
Grand Total |
439,965.91 |
The Passport Service scaled up operational levels on 4 May 2021, in line with the phased easing of restrictions set out in “COVID-19 Resilience and Recovery 2021 – The Plan Ahead”. As evidenced by the figures provided, overtime costs rose in June of this year to meet passport demands as operations scaled up.
The Passport Service monitors the volume of applications on an ongoing basis to ensure that staff resources are available to meet demand. My Department is currently working with the Public Appointments Service to recruit additional staff to meet the current and forecasted demand for passports in the coming period. The Public Appointments Service has recently assigned Temporary Clerical Officers to augment the Passport Service and more will be assigned in the coming weeks in line with the planned relaxation of social distancing measures.
