Written Answers Nos. 95-108
95. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of passport express applications which have been processed and issued since the resumption of the service on 19 July 2021 to date, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56240/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra96. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of passport express applications processed and issued in 2019, 2020 and to date in 2021, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56241/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 95 and 96 together.
My Department fully recognises that Passport Express, and Northern Ireland Passport Express, continue to be an important channel for applicants who do not wish to use the online system or who do not have access to online services.
The Passport Express channel was created in partnership with An Post’s Swiftpost option to provide customers with a passport application option through their local Post Office. In line with the continued scaling up of Passport Services, the Passport Express service resumed on 19 July 2021.
The current turnaround times for Passport Online is 10 working days for Simple Adult renewals, 15 working days for Complex renewals and 40 working days for First Time Applications. The current turnaround time for Passport Express applications which have been completed correctly is 40 working days. Prior to the pandemic the turnaround time for Passport Express was 6-8 weeks for all application types. The most complex online applications at that time had a turnaround time of 4 weeks.
Below is a table outlining the number of passports issued through the Passport Express service since 2019. Demand for the Passport Express service has fallen significantly since 2019 as more applicants choose the Passport Online service to benefit from the faster turnaround times available through this efficient online service. Over 90% of passport applicants choose the Passport Online service and it offers several efficiencies to both the customer and the Passport Service. The processing of an online application is consistently up to four times faster than the processing time of a paper application.
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 actively working with the Public Appointments Service to recruit and assign additional staff to meet the current and forecasted high demand for passports. Additional permanent and temporary officers will be assigned between now and the end of January 2022, bringing total staff numbers to 920 and effectively doubling the number of staff at the Passport Service since June of this year. The assignment of additional staff currently underway will help to improve customer experience and application processing times, including applications received through the Passport Express Service.
In the context of the National Development Plan, my Department is making a major investment in the future of the Passport Service. Over the next couple of years, we will replace the core technology underpinning the service, which will deliver efficiencies and a more resilient passport system. Budget 2022 also included an investment of an additional €10m in passport services in response to the increasing demand for passports both at home and abroad.
The Emergency Passport service remains available in cases of medical emergency or death of a family member abroad. In addition, the Passport Offices in Mount St, Dublin 2 and in Cork are now offering an Urgent Appointment Service for the renewal of passports. To avail of the Urgent Appointment Service for Passport Renewal, applicants can book an appointment through the Department of Foreign Affairs website (www.dfa.ie/passports). Over 800 urgent appointments have been facilitated since the Passport Service launched this service on 27th September 2021.
Passport Online can be accessed by all first time applicants, irrespective of age both children and adults, in Ireland, Northern Ireland, Great Britain, Europe, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the USA. All Irish citizens, including children, can use the online system to renew their passports from anywhere in the world.
|
Year |
Passports issued through Passport Express |
|
2019 |
198,163 |
|
2020 |
42,275 |
|
Since 19 July 2021 to date |
6,480 |
|
2021 Total to date |
6,498 |
97. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the current backlog on new passport applications; the backlog on renewals; and if consideration is being given to purchasing an additional printing machine to base it in County Cork. [56268/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Passport Service has issued over half a million passports to date in 2021 and 45% of simple adult renewals issue within one business day.
The current passport processing 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
- 8 weeks for An Post’s mail-in “Passport Express” service
Passport processing times are based on current average application turnaround times and apply to passport applications that are fully complete, where all required supporting documentation has been correctly submitted to the Passport Service by the applicant. The projected passport issue date provided to applicants on the online Passport Tracker provides an indication only of the estimated issue date based on current averages and is not an intended guarantee of service.
Applications can take longer than the average turnaround time if applicants have not provided all of the required documentation to correctly complete their application. There are currently 110,000 passport applications on hand at the Passport Service. Of the online applications on hand, 34,000 or 35% of applications are incomplete and require the applicant to submit additional documents. The Passport Service engages with all applicants who have not submitted the required documentation to ensure that their application is completed correctly and can proceed through the processing system. Of the online applications that are currently with the Passport Service for processing, approximately 8% are past the estimated issue-by date. These applications are being prioritised by the Passport Service who are working very hard to eliminate these delays.
The Passport Service is currently experiencing a high demand for first time passports. Of the 110,000 passport applications currently on hand, 70,000 (63%) are first time applications. These first time applications are necessarily complex to process, since they are essentially applications for Irish citizenship. It is the statutory responsibility of the Passport Service to protect the integrity of the Irish passport. Accordingly, a rigorous analysis process is in place to verify the identity and citizenship status of applicants. In the case of first time passport applications for children, the consent of guardians must also be thoroughly validated. Due to the intensive analysis underpinning first time online passport application processing it takes 40 working days.
The Passport Service of my Department is a unified service composed of three constituent offices located in Lower Mount Street and Balbriggan in Dublin and South Mall in Cork. It operates three passport printing machines, two of which are located in the main production facility in Balbriggan and the third in the Passport Office in Lower Mount Street, Dublin.
Passport applications from citizens residing in Ireland or elsewhere in the world are distributed for processing across the three Passport Offices. All passport applications are processed through the centralised automated passport service system. All production facilities can print a passport, irrespective of the channel through which the application is processed. The printing system allows for flexibility between printing machines if any one machine has reached capacity. Each passport printer has a printing capacity of 250 passports per hour.
I am satisfied that the printing capacity of production equipment currently employed by the Passport Service is sufficient to meet demand.
98. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of persons currently waiting on a passport in Cork city and county, by incremental time periods, in tabular form. [56362/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThere are currently 5,874 passport applications from Cork with the Passport Service. While we cannot set out the applications from Cork that were on hand on previous dates or periods as requested by the Deputy, the table beneath summarises the applications by type - Adult and Child first time applications and Adult and Child renewal applications.
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
- 8 weeks for An Post's mail-in "Passport Express" service
Processing times are based on current average application turnaround times and apply to passport applications that are fully complete, where all required supporting documentation has been correctly submitted to the Passport Service by the applicant. The projected passport issue date provided to applicants on the online Passport Tracker provides an indication only of the estimated issue date based on current averages and is not an intended guarantee of service.
I urge citizens to check the validity of their passports before booking travel and to ensure that they apply in plenty of time in order to have their passport well in advance of their travel date. In the case of people planning to travel in 2022, whose passports are already out of date or who have children who are first-time applicants, I would encourage them to apply now online.
The Passport Online service continues to be the fastest and most efficient channel for passport applications and is available to first time applicants, both children and adults, in Ireland, Northern Ireland, Great Britain, Europe, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the USA. All Irish citizens, including children can use the online system to renew their passports from anywhere in the world.
|
Passport Applications originating from Cork |
Applications |
Totals |
|
Child First Time Applications |
1,831 |
|
|
Adult First Time Applications |
691 |
|
|
Total First Time Applications |
2,522 |
|
|
Adult Renewal Applications |
1,381 |
|
|
Child Renewal Application |
1,971 |
|
|
Total Renewal Applications |
3,352 |
|
|
Overall Total |
5,874 |
99. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the engagement has he had with his European Union counterparts with regard to the forcible eviction of Palestinians from the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood and dispossession of their properties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56540/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI remain concerned by the situation in East Jerusalem where tensions remain high.
Palestinian residents in the neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah have faced a longstanding threat of eviction. I have clearly and repeatedly conveyed our concerns on this issue directly to the Israeli authorities, at EU level and at the UN Security Council.
Ireland’s Representative Office in Ramallah regularly visits Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan along with EU and other diplomatic representatives and continue to monitor the situation closely, including attending legal proceedings on eviction cases.
I have engaged on these matters repeatedly with my EU counterparts, including at the Foreign Affairs Council. At the FAC meeting of 12 July, during which we held an exchange of views with Israeli Foreign Minister, Yair Lapid, I called on the Israeli authorities to halt illegal settlement activity, including forced evictions, as well as settlement expansion and demolitions and seizures of Palestinian property.
During my recent visit to Israel and the oPt, I raised my grave concerns with Israeli interlocutors at the impact of settler activity and the recent announcements on settlements on Palestinians in Jerusalem and the West Bank and urged for an end to these actions.
Ireland continues to be active on these issues at the UN Security Council. I addressed the Security Council on 16 May, stressing the need to move past the current recurring cycles of violence and stating that a return to business as usual, including forced evictions, is no longer an option.
Ireland supported a request for the most recent announcement on settlements to be discussed at the Security Council. This discussion took place on 8 November. The UN Deputy Special Coordinator in Jerusalem, Lynn Hastings, briefed the Council. Ireland’s Permanent Representative underlined our concerns at the impact of this development on the viability of a future Palestinian State. Ireland along with EU members of the Council as well as Norway and incoming member, Albania, made a joint press statement after the Council meeting highlighting the illegality of such settlements.
Ireland provides humanitarian assistance, legal and other supports to specific development projects to improve the situation of Palestinians. We fund a number of civil society partners that are active on human rights issues, which impact specifically on Palestinians in East Jerusalem, including in relation to evictions. During my visit to the region, I announced a further €100,000 of Irish funding to support the work of the West Bank Protection Consortium.
100. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Defence the impact he envisages the development of a new cadet school at the Curragh will have in terms of recruitment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56242/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Cadet School Headquarters projects involves the upgrading of the current Mission Preparation Centre and adjacent Mess with the provision of a new build extension complete with administration offices, recreation areas, interview/meeting rooms, ablution facilities and storage areas to support the induction and training of officer cadets.
The new facility will provide for a mix of military training support uses, having capacity for all training staff personnel involved in training, both those involved on a full time basis and those attached during the Cadet School academic year.
The number of cadets recruited on an annual basis is influenced by the operational requirements of the Defence Forces and appropriate workforce planning to ensure that the training pipeline of new Officers is adequate to address current and future needs. Projects such as this upgrade, and others within the Defence Forces Built Infrastructure Programme, demonstrate my commitment to the development and improvement of the physical environment in military installations throughout the country.
101. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Defence the position regarding the public and private consultation initiated by his Department on ways to preserve and manage the Curragh Plains, County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56280/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department with Kildare County Council have commissioned consultants to conduct public consultations to inform the development and future management of the Curragh Plains. The first round of consultations were completed earlier this year and resulted in excess of 3,600 responses. The next phase of the project relating to the development of a Conservation Management Plan and a Branding Plan is now underway. It is anticipated that further consultations will take place early 2022 with a view to the project being completed mid 2022.
102. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Education if additional resources will be provided for a school (details supplied) to allow for an increase in the student population specifically in order that additional first year students can be taken in for the academic year 2022. [56198/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to advise the Deputy that my Department received an application for additional school accommodation (ASA) from the school authority in question.
The purpose of the ASA scheme is to ensure that essential mainstream classroom and Special Education Needs (SEN) accommodation is available to cater for pupils enrolled each year, where the need cannot be met by the school’s existing accommodation.
The main focus of resources over the last decade and for the coming period is on provision of additional capacity to cater for increasing demographics. The second half of the National Development Plan will see an increasing focus on the upgrade and refurbishment of the existing school stock. This modernisation programme will include PE Halls and associated accommodation to ensure that students in all post-primary schools have access to appropriate facilities to support PE provision.
The application has been assessed and a decision has issued to the school authority directly in line with these priorities.
103. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Education when a planning application will be submitted to Meath County Council for the planned permanent school building for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56208/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe project to provide the permanent building for the school referred to by the Deputy is in early architectural planning which involves site surveys, school design stages and the preparation of statutory applications.
As with all school building projects, pre-planning meetings are required with the Local Authority in advance of preparing a Planning Application. This is to ensure the highest probability of a successful planning application in the shortest time possible. A considerable amount of work is required following the pre-planning meeting to prepare a suitably detailed application.
At the pre-planning meeting for the interim accommodation currently on the site, the Local Authority made it clear that the planning application for the permanent accommodation must be cognisant of the overall Shannon Homes Masterplan for the area. Discussions have been ongoing between my Department and Shannon Homes Ltd. in relation to the overall plan for the area. The Shannon Homes Masterplan for the area has been received by my Department and a planning application is being prepared for the additional interim accommodation which the school will require for the 2022/23 academic year. The planning application for the additional interim accommodation is currently being finalised and it is anticipated that it will be submitted to the relevant local authority before the end of this month.
A decision by the Local Authority on the planning application for the further interim accommodation for 2022/23 must be secured before planning can be submitted for the schools permanent accommodation. However, work on preparing for the planning application for the permanent accommodation will be progressed in parallel with the Local Authority's processing of the interim application.
104. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Education if there is a remedy for a person (details supplied) as due to an overpayment beyond their control they have been denied a grant for their masters, refused a mortgage and developed a health condition; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56210/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to advise the Deputy, that notwithstanding the fact that overpayments may sometimes arise, in circumstances where the person who has received the extra payment is not at fault in creating the overpayment, Department officials do not have discretion to waive, or exempt overpayments from recovery.
Departments and Offices have an obligation to put repayment plans in place for all overpayments, regardless of how they have occurred.
The Department of Education’s Policy and Procedures for dealing with the recovery of Overpayments of Salary or Pension are set out in DE Circular 084/2015.
Circular 84/2015 notes that all overpayments should be repaid as soon as possible and also sets out the options which are available to persons to make repayments.
The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform Circular 07/2018 notes that Departments and Offices are under an obligation to seek to recover the amount of the overpayment and to correct the mistake in the disbursement of public monies, subject to relevant procedures and practices in Government accounting. Staff members/former staff members/pensioners have a reciprocal obligation to repay.
I can advise the Deputy that officials from the post primary payroll section of my Department have again been in contact with the teacher concerned, in order to explain the position, and to seek to put in place a repayment option which could minimise the financial impact for the teacher concerned, to the greatest extent possible.
105. Deputy Joe Flaherty asked the Minister for Education the provisions being made for predictive grades in the 2022 leaving certificate exam; and if it will be a traditional exam format in 2022. [56243/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe State Examinations Commission has statutory responsibility for operational matters relating to the certificate examinations.
In view of this I have forwarded your query to the State Examinations Commission for direct reply to you.
106. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Education her plans to deal with shortages of post-primary school teachers in Cork city and county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56266/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn recent years school management bodies, school leaders and teacher unions have reported that some schools are experiencing difficulties in recruiting teachers, particularly substitute teachers at both primary and post-primary levels and teachers of certain subjects at post-primary level.
In response to these difficulties in March 2018, the Teacher Supply Steering Group, chaired by the Secretary General of my Department, was established. The Steering Group is leading on the identification of issues, the development of a programme of actions on teacher supply and overseeing its implementation. It is supported by an Implementation Group and a number of working groups which are considering specific areas of policy.
The Teacher Supply Action Plan, published in November 2018, includes a range of actions under four policy headings: data/research to support teacher supply planning; higher education; policies and arrangements impacting on teacher supply; and communications / promotion of the teaching profession.
A number of measures have been put in place to increase the supply of teachers at post-primary level, particularly in subjects where difficulties in recruitment have been reported.
Following engagement with the Higher Education Authority (HEA), higher education institutions (HEIs) put in place new post-primary initial teacher education (ITE) undergraduate programmes in 2019 and 2020 in priority subject areas, including mathematics, modern foreign languages, computer science and Irish.
In addition the HEA, on behalf of my Department, issued a call to ITE providers for proposals for programmes to upskill registered teachers in targeted post-primary subjects (Spanish, mathematics and physics). The programmes, which commenced in January 2021, are provided over two years on a part-time, flexible basis. There is no fee charge for participating teachers.
Earlier this year I, along with my colleague Minister Harris, announced an additional programme to upskill teachers in Irish, to begin in 2022. My Department is currently engaging with the HEA in regard to a call to ITE providers for the provision of this programme.
My Department also introduced the ‘Scheme to Share Teachers between Recognised Post-Primary Schools’ to facilitate an arrangement whereby two schools can share a teacher to teach subjects in both schools. The objectives of the Scheme are to assist schools in filling vacancies in high priority subjects and to enhance teaching hours for teachers in employment on less than full hours.
A number of measures have been taken by education partners which are aimed at matching teachers with teaching vacancies. Turasabhaile, a service developed by the post-primary school management bodies and the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals, matches registered teachers, resident abroad with post-primary vacancies in schools here at home. The Irish Primary Principals’ Network is also developing a new central portal for the recruitment of teachers to long-term positions in both primary and post-primary schools. It is anticipated that this portal will be available to schools and teachers in the coming months.
In November 2019, my Department published a technical report “Developing a Teacher Demand and Supply Model for Ireland 2020-2036”. The report was updated in May 2021 with projections of teacher demand and supply to 2038. Ultimately, the intention is to establish a robust data based model for the effective projection of future teacher demand and supply across the school system. The report projects that, at post-primary level, the demand for teachers, on a no policy change basis, will follow a largely downward trend to 2032. It is important to note that the report’s projections are based on high level demographics and to demonstrate trends in demand and supply. Work is ongoing in my Department to produce projections of post primary teacher demand and supply on a subject level basis to inform future teacher supply planning.
The various measures to support teacher supply are underpinned by the Teaching Transforms campaign, which promotes the teaching profession and encourages students to follow a career in teaching. The campaign uses digital, radio and video media, and is supported by a dedicated webpage, www.gov.ie/teachingtransforms.
My Department will continue, with the cooperation of the education partners, to develop and implement measures to support the supply of teachers to our schools.
107. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Education if she will address a matter regarding the case of a person (details supplied). [56273/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraIt is my belief that children with special educational needs should receive their education in placements which are appropriate to their needs alongside their peers wherever possible unless such an approach would be inconsistent with the best interests of the individual child or other children in the school.
This approach is consistent with the provisions of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act 2004.
My Department's policy is therefore to provide for the inclusive education of children with special educational needs in mainstream schools. The majority of children with special needs attend mainstream education with additional supports
Next year, my Department will spend in excess of €2 Billion, or over 25% of the Department’s budget on providing additional teaching and care supports for children with special educational needs.
Only where it has been assessed that the child is unable to be supported in mainstream education, are special class placements or special school placements recommended and provided for.
It is therefore not the case that special educational placements are required to support all children with special educational needs, nor is it intended that this should be the case.
The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has responsibility for coordinating and advising on the education provision for children nationwide. It has well established structures in place for engaging with schools and parents. NCSE seeks to ensure that schools in an area can, between them, cater for all children who have been identified as needing special education placements.
In respect of the case in question I understand the NCSE has met with and are continuing to engage with the child’s parents to discuss the options available until a Special School Placement is found. The NCSE has allocated 1 additional Special Needs Assistant to the school to support this child and this remains in place.
My Department is concerned to ensure that an appropriate solution is put in place for this child and my officials are liaising with the NCSE in that regard. In the meantime, the local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) continues to be available to assist and advise both schools and the parents of children with special educational needs. Parents may contact SENOs directly using the contact details available at: ncse.ie/regional-services-contact-list.
108. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Education if she will consider closing schools on 17 December 2021 for the Christmas holidays to enable families to spend Christmas with vulnerable loved ones; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56284/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe scheduling of the school holiday periods during the academic years is agreed between the managerial authorities of schools, the teacher unions and my Department for the purposes of standardising breaks at Christmas, Easter and mid-term. This is important to ensure certainty for the school community about the dates of school holidays.
There are no plans to alter the school break at Christmas. My Department, the Department of Health and Public Health continue to work closely to support schools to operate safely during Covid-19 to follow and implement public health advice.
