Written Answers Nos. 139-158
139. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the level of direct Exchequer funding that is being provided to deliver the upgrading of the Tyndall National Institute; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57779/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraTyndall National Institute was established in 2004 as a partnership between Government and University College Cork, to provide a national focal point for excellence in deep-tech research, development and graduate training in ICT.
As a key national Institute, Tyndall works through world-class teams performing ground-breaking research on new materials, devices and systems with an ‘economic impact through research excellence’ philosophy, focusing on the delivery of value from research to the Irish economy. Tyndall sits in a unique position in Ireland (and internationally) at the mid-point between traditional HEI research activities and the demanding industry interface, and over many years through an industry-experienced commercial team, Tyndall has built the required credibility and trust with industry partners which is critical to successful engagements. Tyndall is a national leader in achieving success within EU funding programmes – and in particular is an acknowledged key player in Europe within the Horizon 2020 ICT programme. It is involved in projects with a value of €782m, with €62m coming to Tyndall, and €53m to other Irish partners.
Tyndall’s research excellence and impact has been acknowledged through prestigious international awards from ERC, Royal Society, IEEE, IoP, and EARTO and also through a number of its staff being appointed as Fellows of the IEEE. Tyndall is also a national leader in the commercialisation of its technology output and in that regard has generated license income, unrivalled in the sector, from key consumer product manufacturers in recent years. It also commercialises its research through the creation of new spin-off and start-up companies, and Tyndall’s technology has been instrumental in the establishment of 22 such companies to date.
A significant multi-year Tyndall core underpinning equipment upgrade is currently underway, with €26m committed to date through a combination of direct Exchequer funding and competitively won infrastructure funding from SFI.
I am pleased to support Tyndall and I have committed to increase Tyndall’s annual funding to €10 million by 2024.
The Government have fully supported the Tyndall ambition to double in size in the coming years. This expresses strong confidence in Tyndall’s ability to continue to deliver for Ireland on the international stage. It will also allow Tyndall/UCC to draw down the enabling €75m EIB loan to fund the project, and importantly also ensure the project timeline can be maintained in order to deliver the new facility by the end of 2024.
This will result in a national research facility of international scale, which will become a magnet for international research talent and will substantially assist the Governments FDI agenda with consequent significant economic impact.
Related to the Tyndall expansion, in May 2021 I launched what will be an important activity within the expanded Institute – Ireland’s first Quantum Computer Engineering Centre (QCEC) at Tyndall, which will ultimately lead to the creation and retention of high-quality sustainable ICT jobs.
140. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the status of the need to incentivise Irish universities and institutes of technology to offer physician associate courses in view of the plan in the UK to have 6,000 physician associate graduates by 2023 to meet demand in its primary care system and its offer of £5,000 grants to students taking the courses as an incentive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57785/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe matter of health workforce planning and ensuring an appropriate pipeline of qualified healthcare workers within Ireland, is a major priority for my Department. This would be a priority even in normal times, but the COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant strain on our healthcare sector, further underscores its importance.
The Programme for Government commits the Department of Health to working with the education sectors, regulators, and professional bodies to improve the availability of health professionals and reform their training to support integrated care across the entire health service. My Department and I are continuing to engage with the Department of Health to ensure that we can continue to deliver graduates with the skills necessary to support our healthcare system and support the strategic workforce planning by the health sector.
141. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if personnel in his Department have been removed from their positions, have been transferred to another role or had their employment terminated from 2011 to date due to breaches of Departmental standards or professional misconduct or incompetence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57900/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraSince 2011 no member of staff of my department has had their contract terminated or been transferred to another section due to breaches of standards or professional misconduct.
142. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Justice when she expects the Garda training college in Templemore to intake its next group of recruits. [57699/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will appreciate, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of Garda members and staff. As Minister, I play no role in these independent functions.
As the Deputy will be aware, public health restrictions have unavoidably impacted on intakes to the Garda College, Templemore, particularly in 2020. I am advised, however, that the College has resumed intakes this year and that four intakes of a total of 385 recruits have commenced training, the most recent of which was on 15 November 2021.
An Garda Síochána have advised that a recruitment plan for 2022 is currently being developed to manage the recruitment processes for Garda members and Garda staff roles. Implementation will of course be dependent on public health guidelines but I very much hope it will be possible to maximise the intake to Templemore next year.
The matter of dates for future intakes is, of course, under the remit of the Commissioner. I am advised that An Garda Síochána intends to hold a recruitment campaign early in 2022. Budget 2022 provides for the recruitment of up to 800 additional Gardaí next year as part of the unprecedented allocation of in excess of €2 billion to An Garda Síochána.
143. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Justice if she will consult with the Garda Commissioner on any plans for ex-Garda reserves to receive a commemorative medal in 2022 for the centenary anniversary of the foundation of An Garda Síochána as many ex-reserves have given years of voluntary service to the State and regular ex-gardaí are receiving one; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57715/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have requested the information sought by the Deputy from An Garda Síochána, but I have not received this information in time. I will write to the Deputy as soon as the information is to hand.
144. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Justice the change in the rate of drug offences recorded in the Dublin metropolitan area in the past five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57742/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am acutely aware of the sustained and significant damage that drug dealing has on communities across the country. Organised criminal activity, including drug dealing, represents a serious threat to community safety.
As the Deputy will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005, the detection of and response to any criminal activity is an operational function for the Garda Commissioner. As Minister, I have no direct role in these matters.
The operational review of crime statistics, at a national and regional level, is the responsibility of the Garda Commissioner under the Garda Síochána Act 2005. Again, I play no role in these independent functions.
The Deputy may be interested to note that the most recent available crime statistics, published by the CSO on 29 September and covering the 12 months to the end of June 2021, are available on the CSO website www.cso.ie. The recorded crime statistics show crime trends in each Garda region, division and station.
The most recent statistics show increases across most drug offence categories in the Dublin Metropolitan Region over the last five years. For the period 2016 to 2020, increases were recorded for controlled drug offences of 59%, possession of drugs for sale and supply of 65% and possession for personal use of 52%. A decrease of 19% was recorded for the importation of drugs for the same period.
The Deputy may also be interested to note that in the recent CSO release on Recorded Crime Detection 2020, which identifies the percentage of crimes recorded by Gardaí in 2020 that had been deemed ‘detected’ by 2 September 2020, 83.1% of Controlled drug offences in the DMR region were deemed detected.
While the increase of drug offences is a cause for concern, it also reflects the work of the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau and their success in detecting those involved in drug dealing. I can assure the Deputy that the continued disruption of the supply of all illicit drugs remains a priority for An Garda Síochána and the other state agencies tasked with responsibilities in this regard. A concerted effort has been made over the past year to ensure that the detection and prevention of these types of criminal activity have not been adversely affected by the unprecedented demands placed on policing services by the vital support of public health guidelines. As at 18 November 2021, the Bureau has seized controlled drugs worth €51.84m this year, in addition to €5.1m in cash.
Recent operations in the Dublin area include the seizure of approximately €360,000 of suspected cannabis in the Tallaght area on 11 November 2021 and the seizure of approximately €348,000 of suspected cannabis in the Dublin 2 area on 2 November 2021.
145. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Justice the change in the rate of theft offences in the Dublin metropolitan area in the past five years; the change in the rate of detection of such crimes over the period; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57743/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, the detection of and response to any criminal activity is an operational function for the Garda Commissioner, as per the Garda Síochána Act 2005. As Minister, I have no direct role in these matters.
The operational review of crime statistics, at a national and regional level, is the responsibility of the Garda Commissioner under the Garda Síochána Act 2005. Again, I play no role in these independent functions.
The Deputy may be interested to note that the most recent available crime statistics, published by the CSO on 29 September and covering the 12 months to the end of June 2021, are available on the CSO website www.cso.ie. The recorded crime statistics show crime trends in each Garda region, division and station.
The most recent statistics show that for the period 2016 to 2020, there has been a decrease of 19% for Theft & Related Offences in the Dublin Metropolitan Region.
A concerted effort has been made over the past year to ensure that the detection and prevention of criminal activity have not been adversely affected by the unprecedented demands placed on policing services by the vital support of public health guidelines.
There will be no relaxation in the collective effort of the Government and Gardaí to suppress crime. It is vital that we continue to encourage all citizens to report all instances of criminality to An Garda Síochána. Only then can the crime be properly investigated by Gardaí. These reports will allow the Garda authorities to identify any new or emerging crime trends and, where necessary, allocate Garda resources in order to tackle these developments.
146. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Justice if she has considered introducing a new offence of dog theft; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57786/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraPet theft is an incredibly traumatic crime. I fully appreciate the strong emotional attachment we all have to our pets and that theft not only leads to their loss in our lives, but also a high level of concern for their welfare. It is also a crime which often affects, and is indeed often targeted against, older and particularly vulnerable people, for whom their pet is of huge emotional importance.
It is important to emphasise that theft offences already apply to this crime, and can carry very heavy penalties. The Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001 provides for a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment in the case of offences of theft and handling of stolen property; while a maximum sentence of 5 years imprisonment is provided for the offence of possession of stolen property.
When imposing sentence, judges are not limited to considering the monetary value of a pet – the emotional distress to the victim caused by the offence is absolutely relevant and can be, and is, taken into account where appropriate. However, I acknowledge that the existing offence considers the offence as being one against property rather than a person or an animal and I am committed to examining the options to address the issue, including, if necessary, making legislative changes.
From an enforcement perspective, An Garda Síochána take this issue very seriously and have conducted several important actions against those responsible. Gardaí have also disseminated information through the national Crime Prevention Officer Network regarding keeping animals secure and preventing these forms of theft. The Garda National Crime Prevention Unit's advice on pet safety, which is in line with the advice from animal welfare groups and animal insurance companies about keeping animals safe, can be viewed on the Garda website.
I would like to emphasise the importance of microchipping. Every dog must be microchipped by the time it reaches 12 weeks of age, or earlier if it is sold or moved from its place of birth (Microchipping of Dogs Regulation 2015), and the microchip must be registered with an authorised database. Microchipping of all dogs protects the animals’ welfare, and assists with speedy identification of lost or stolen dogs and their owners. It is an offence to keep a dog over 12 weeks that has not been chipped; it’s an offence to sell such a dog. Microchips can be easily checked at vets and by Gardaí. They are by far and away the most effective means of tracking and identifying dogs.
The Department of Agriculture have also made regulations covering the advertising for sale of animals under the Animal Welfare (Sale or Supply of Pets Regulations) 2019.
147. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Justice the engagement her Department has had with the Department of Health and the HSE to ensure the booster vaccine roll-out includes the prison population given the nature of the congregated setting; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57787/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can advise the Deputy that the Irish Prison Service continues to engage with Public Health/Health Services Executive with regard to access to the Covid-19 booster vaccine.
Prisoners will receive their booster vaccinations in line with the roll of the booster vaccination in the general community.
The Deputy will be aware that a prison vaccination programme commenced on a prison by prison basis in June this year and Covid-19 vaccinations were administered to all prisoners who wished to avail of them by the National Ambulance Service and Prison Service healthcare teams.
The vast majority of prisoners availed of the vaccine with over 85% of the prison population being vaccinated. Since then vaccination clinics have continued in prisons to provide Covid-19 vaccinations to new committals or those who are to receive either a first or second dose.
148. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Justice the status of a citizenship application by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57789/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn application for a certificate of naturalisation was received from the person referred to by the Deputy on 22 July 2020. This application is currently being processed with a view to establishing whether the applicant meets the statutory conditions for the granting of naturalisation and will be submitted to me for decision as expeditiously as possible.
The granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is a privilege and an honour which confers certain rights and entitlements not only within the State but also at European Union level and it is important that appropriate procedures are in place to preserve the integrity of the process.
It is recognised that all applicants for citizenship would wish to have a decision on their application without delay. However, the nature of the naturalisation process is such that, for a broad range of reasons, some cases will take longer than others to process. In some instances, completing the necessary checks can take a considerable period of time.
In addition, the combined impact of the 2019 High Court judgment in the Jones case and the necessary health restrictions arising from the pandemic, has resulted in the processing time for standard applications increasing.
However, my Department is taking a number of steps to speed up the processing of applications and a number of digitisation measures have also been introduced to increase efficiency in the process, including eTax clearance, eVetting and online payments. The end result of the digitisation process will be to free up more staff to focus on processing applications in a timely and efficient manner, to improve service to our customers and reduce waiting times.
This year, we are on track to deliver approximately 11,000 decisions, significantly exceeding the levels achieved in the last two years. Additional staff have also been assigned to the citizenship team. Based on these measures, my Department's objective is to achieve an improved timeframe of 6-9 months for decisions on a majority of applications during 2022.
149. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Justice the expected timeline for completion of the new Limerick women’s prison; if it will remain a medium security prison; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57854/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised by the Irish Prison Service that the construction of the new women's prison forms part of a major redevelopment project currently underway at Limerick Prison.
The construction of the new women's prison, which will provide accommodation for 50 female prisoners, is a core element of the project which also includes the construction of a new accommodation block for male prisoners, new kitchen, vehicle gate lock, visits/reception area, exercise yards and facilities to support rehabilitation programmes.
The contract was awarded in February 2019 with the construction element currently anticipated to be completed in April 2021. This will be followed by the installation and commissioning of the various security and safety systems with the new facility expected to be operational in Summer 2022. This timeline assumes no further impact on construction activity or supply chain issues due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The design concept for the new women's prison was influenced by best practice in prison design and similar rehabilitation facilities found in Scandinavia. The new prison will have perimeter security features associated with medium level security, as it forms part of the overall prison site.
However, the women's prison facility differs in many respects to the current prison, having been designed around the principles of normalisation, progression and rehabilitation, underpinned by a therapeutic environment to support women in prison to reintegrate back into society on completion of their sentence.
150. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Justice the number of visits to prisons that took place with a child present in 2020 and to date in 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57855/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can advise the Deputy that a total of 11,079 children physically visited an adult in prison in 2020 and 2,238 children physically visited an adult in prison in 2021.
The Prison Service is acutely aware of the importance of assisting prisoners to maintain close contact with family and friends while in custody. Families and friends play an important and supportive role in the rehabilitation of prisoners and in their preparation for life in the community post release.
The Deputy will be aware that in order to protect the prison population from the risk of Covid-19, a number of infection control measures were introduced throughout 2020 and 2021. Regrettably, this included the suspension of physical visits to prisoners for extended periods of time. The Irish Prison Service introduced a new video visit system to ensure that prisoners could continue to have visual contact with their families throughout this time.
In 2020, physical visits were suspended from March to July across all prisons. Physical visits continued to operate with protective measures until September 2020 when they were again suspended in line with the then Framework for Prison Restrictions for Living with Covid-19.
The Prison Service restored physical visits in December 2020 to allow prisoners to have a physical visit during the Christmas period however, following the Government announcement on 23 December, 2020 physical visits were again suspended. They remained suspended until July 2021 when they were restored on a phased basis in line with the roll out of the Covid-19 vaccination programme.
As the Deputy will appreciate, the operation of physical visits is kept under constant review and is subject to a number of critical factors including: latest Government and Public Health advice; the need to maintain infection control measures; the level of prevalence of Covid-19 in the community, and the level of vaccination of prisoners. Any decisions regarding the operation of physical visits is guided by HSE/Public Health advice at all times.
In addition to the roll out of video visits, the Prison Service has introduced a number of initiatives to allow families to continue to communicate with and support those in custody. These included the roll out of in-cell telephones and the provision of additional telephone calls for prisoners and the introduction of Electronic Funds Transfer and An Post Bill Pay service to allow families to continue to lodge money to prisoner accounts.
Finally, I can advise the Deputy that these new measures, including the video visit system have proven very successful with both prisoners and their families and will be continued to be offered by the Irish Prison Service as an additional means of family support going forward.
151. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Justice the number of disciplinary proceedings taken against individual members of An Garda Síochána in 2018, 2019 and 2020; the number of these cases which are currently pending; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57862/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána under the provisions of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended). The Commissioner is also responsible for the maintenance of Garda discipline under the Garda Discipline Regulations. As Minister, I play no role in these independent functions.
To be of assistance to the Deputy, the Garda authorities have provided me with the following two tables. The first outlines the number of internally generated discipline matters under the Garda Síochána Discipline Regulations and the second outlines the number of discipline matters arising from complaints to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission.
Internal Discipline (matters that originated internally)
|
Year |
Files Opened |
Files Still Pending |
|
2018 |
284 |
73 |
|
2019 |
291 |
93 |
|
2020 |
300 |
114 |
|
Total |
875 |
280 |
GSOC Complaints (matters that originated as a result of GSOC Complaints – Section 94(1), 94(5) and Section 95 Investigations)
|
Year |
File Opened |
Files Still Pending |
|
2018 |
865 |
1 |
|
2019 |
726 |
17 |
|
2020 |
666 |
85 |
|
Total |
2257 |
103 |
152. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Justice the number of Afghan nationals who have been granted political asylum here to date since the fall of the democratically-elected Government in Afghanistan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57872/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is currently reviewing all international protection applications on hand from Afghan nationals with a view to expediting their progress. This is in line with updated advice provided by UNHCR. These applications are already prioritised, as agreed with UNHCR. The processing of these applications takes full account of whether a person will be in danger if not provided with protection here.
There are currently 158 applications on hand in the International Protection Office from people providing Afghanistan as their country of nationality at the time of application. 140 of these applications have been made this year (up to the end of October). All of these cases are being expedited for processing.
So far this year (to end October), a total of 75 international protection applicants who provided Afghanistan as their country of nationality were granted international protection (either refugee status or subsidiary protection status). This figure includes 62 Afghan applicants who were granted international protection since the the beginning of the current crisis in Afghanistan in August 2021.
More than 750 Afghan nationals have already been granted immigration permissions to reside in the State so far this year. This includes over 500 Afghans who have been granted visa waivers by my Department under the Irish Refugee Protection Programme, administered by Minister O'Gorman's Department.
153. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Justice the number of Irish prisons that do not currently have comprehensive hepatitis C treatment programmes in place for which prisoners can receive treatment within the prison facility and without having to attend a hospital setting; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57873/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI wish to advise the Deputy of the ten closed prisons under the remit of the Irish Prison Service, six have in-prison access to specialist hepatology services provided by St. James’s Hospital.
I can further advise the Deputy that the Irish Prison Service, in conjunction with the HSE, have planned a pilot programme for two of the prisons who do not have in-prison access to specialist hepatology services.
Unfortunately the ongoing Covid-19 situation has delayed the commencement of these programmes but progress is being made. Meetings have taken place with all relevant stakeholders and pre-planning initiatives such as prisoner education and enhanced prisoner communication have also begun.
It is envisaged that these pilot programmes will complement the existing Hepatitis C and Hepatology services in the Irish Prison Service.
It is also important to note that any prisoner who is already linked in to Hepatology services in a hospital will have their appointments facilitated. Furthermore, if a prisoner receives a diagnosis of Hepatitis C in prison they are immediately referred to specialist services if the specialist services are not available in the prison.
In respect of the two open prisons (Loughan House and Shelton Abbey) all prisoners in these institutions have already been through a closed prison which would give them access to such services and any appointments or treatment continue to be facilitated.
154. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Justice the programme the Government is developing to have a structure in place for dealing with hepatitis C and infectious diseases amongst the prison population and within the clinic setting in the prison; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57874/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, all prisoners committed to prison are subject to a medical assessment by the Prison Healthcare Team. Healthcare staff are guided by the infectious disease policy with support from prison and national committees to implement a range of infection control measures for TB, HIV, Hepatitis B and other infections.
Hepatitis screening is offered to all new prisoners as part of this assessment which includes Hepatitis C. Prisoners can also avail of Hepatitis screening through their local Prison Healthcare Team at any stage of their time in custody.
If at any time a prisoner displays any signs and symptoms of hepatitis or any other infectious disease they are reviewed by a member of the Prison Healthcare Team and managed in accordance with infectious disease policy and public health advice.
I can advise the Deputy that the Irish Prison Service is currently in consultation with the HSE to develop a comprehensive Hepatitis C screening programme that builds on the existing screening and treatment service in the Dublin and Midlands Prisons. Where necessary, this programme will facilitate access to assessment and treatment for Hepatitis C by a specialist clinical team.
The ongoing Covid-19 situation has delayed the planned introduction of a pilot programme and also delayed the subsequent roll out the Hepatitis C “seek and treat” programme across the entire prison estate. However, it is expected that a pilot programme will be introduced in the first quarter of 2022 and extended to the remaining prisons during 2022.
155. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Justice the current status of the review by her Department of the impact of the Community Service (Amendment) Act 2011 in addition to the use of short custodial sentences; when the publication of the findings of this review can be expected; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57882/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraNon-custodial penalties, particularly supervised community sanctions, play a significant and important role in addressing criminality, reducing reoffending and providing a degree of protection to the public. This is supported by Central Statistics Office figures on recidivism.
As the Deputy will be aware, the Programme for Government 2020 contains a broad range of policies and proposals that represent a coherent approach to enhancing and sustaining a more just and safe society with a specific commitment to review policy options for prison and penal reform.
As part of this work, a cross-sectoral group which includes the Head of Criminal Justice Policy, the Director-General of the Irish Prison Service and the Director of the Probation Service, was established last year. This Group is taking forward the Government’s commitment to review policy options for prison and penal reform.
The completion of the review of the Community Service (Amendment) Act 2011 and the use of short custodial sentences forms part of this group’s ongoing work on penal policy which is due to be completed by the end of the year.
156. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Justice when the 2020 report of the Self-Harm Assessment and Data Analysis Project will be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57883/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraSafe and secure custody is one of the key pillars of the Prison Service Strategic Plan 2019-2022. Addressing self-harm in Irish Prisons is a central part of delivering that.
Since 2016, the Irish Prison Service has put in place a system to provide robust data on the incidence and profile of self-harm and suicide attempts in Irish Prisons.
A copy of the 2019 report will be published on the website of the Irish Prison Service shortly.
I am advised by the Irish Prison Service that a full in depth analysis is underway and a detailed statistical analysis and formal report for 2020 will be published before the end of March 2022.
This will be the fourth annual report detailing all episodes of self-harm by persons in the custody of the Prison Service.
157. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Justice if personnel in her Department have been removed from their positions, have been transferred to another role or had their employment terminated from 2011 to date due to breaches of Departmental standards or professional misconduct or incompetence; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57903/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraCompliance with the Civil Service Code of Standards and Behaviour is a condition of employment within the Department of Justice. Where a breach of the Code arises it is dealt with in accordance with the Civil Service Disciplinary Code (Circular 19/2016) which contains a range of sanctions up to and including termination of employment.
Since 2011 one individual was given a written warning and assigned to another area of the Department for a breach of the Code of Standards and Behaviour and 15 individuals have had their employment terminated for non-performance issues as outlined in the table below.
|
Number of employments terminated by year |
2013 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 (Year to date) |
|
Total |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
4 |
0 |
5 |
1 |
158. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Justice the breakdown of the funding her Department has provided to rape crisis support centres across the country since 2016, in tabular form; if there are plans to provide ring-fenced funding to these organisations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57955/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraProtecting and supporting victims of crime is a key priority for me as Minister for Justice and I would like to thank the Deputy for raising this issue.
As part of our work in this area, my Department operates a funding scheme for NGOs who provide specific supports to victims of crime, which of course includes victims of domestic, sexual and gender based violence. These services provide important information and support, including emotional support, court accompaniment, and accompaniment to Garda interviews, to sexual assault treatment units and referral to other services.
Under this scheme, organisations that provide support to victims of sexual crime, such as Rape Crisis Centres, can apply to receive funding. I should also say that many of the other organisations who receive funding from the Victims of Crime fund, such as Women’s Aid and the Crime Victim Helpline, also provide support to victims of sexual violence, even if that is not their primary remit.
Our commitment in this area is reflected in the additional funding that has been secured by my Department under Budget 2022 with a total of €4.9m allocated to Victims of Crime. This includes the retention of emergency COVID-19 funding of €400,000 to address the impact of the pandemic on support services and an additional €785,000 in direct supports to NGOs and for specific domestic violence intervention programmes. This will be important to ensure the momentum gained in supporting victims of domestic and sexual violence throughout the pandemic continues to grow.
In relation to the Deputy’s question on ring-fenced funding, as part of the Supporting a Victim's Journey plan, my Department recently undertook a review of the Victims of Crime and Domestic, Sexual, Gender Based Violence funding in order to ensure that the grants we provide are as effective as possible in supporting victims of crime within criminal justice processes.
An important acknowledgment that has come out of the review is that that long-term funding commitments can offer organisations funding certainty and assist them to better plan for the future. Therefore, we are now in the process of developing multi-annual funding commitments for those organisations providing court accompaniment and other justice-related services.
As the Deputy is aware, Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, under the aegis of the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, has statutory responsibility for the care and protection of victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (DSGBV). As such they are the primary funders of Rape Crisis Centres and other organisations that deliver frontline services to victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence.
The information provided in the table below provides details of organisations funded by my Department whose primary remit is to support victims of sexual violence. However, as noted above, other organisations that my Department provides funding to also play a role in supporting victims of sexual violence through their work to support victims of crime more generally.
I would also like to let the Deputy know that a post reply to his question on 20 October, on domestic violence services, will issue at the same time as this reply. I thank the Deputy for his patience while we compiled the figures.
|
Organisation |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021* |
|
Dublin Rape Crisis Centre |
€50,500 |
€47,000 |
€47,000 |
€47,000 |
€47,000 |
€332,758 |
|
One in Four |
€90,000 |
€118,000 |
€113,000 |
€113,000 |
€113,000 |
€182,698 |
|
Rape Crisis Network Ireland |
€85,000 |
€85,000 |
€78,034 |
€95,000 |
€145,000 |
€165,000 |
|
Sexual Violence Centre, Cork |
€23,000 |
€26,000 |
€26,000 |
€26,000 |
€26,000 |
* The figures for 2021 reflect the annual commitment. Final payments will not be made until closer to end of year
