Written Answers Nos. 437-458
437. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Justice the number of members of An Garda Síochána that retired due to occupational injury in each of the years 2015 to 2020 and to date in 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60103/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible under the law for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, including Garda personnel matters. I, as Minister, have no role in such matters.
In order to assist the Deputy, the Garda authorities have provided me with the below table which outlines the number of Garda members that retired on medical grounds in each of the years from 2015 to date. The total number of 55 includes both 'ordinary ill health' and 'special ill health ' retirements as a result of an injury on duty. I am advised that information on the breakdown of these two categories is not to hand at this time.
|
Year |
Total retirements on medical grounds |
|
2021* |
6 |
|
2020 |
9 |
|
2019 |
11 |
|
2018 |
6 |
|
2017 |
7 |
|
2016 |
7 |
|
2015 |
9 |
|
Total |
55 |
* Figures for 2021 up to 3 December 2021.
438. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice the current and expected residency status in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60106/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person referred to by the Deputy holds a Stamp 4 permission, which has been extended until 15 January 2022, under the automatic extension of immigration permissions announced on 14 September last. All permissions have been extended on the same terms and conditions to the permission already held.It is open to the person concerned to contact their local Immigration Office before 15 January 2022 to apply for a further renewal of their immigration permission. For those living in the Dublin area all permissions are renewed online at inisonline.jahs.ie. I strongly recommend that they make efforts to renew their permission as early as possible rather than waiting until January when demand for renewals will be significantly greater.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to my Department by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility at INISOireachtasMail@justice.ie, which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Question process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in the cases where the response is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.
439. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice the progress to date in the determination of an application for naturalisation in the case of a person (details supplied); when an application can expect to be finalised; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60123/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn application for a certificate of naturalisation was received from the person referred to by the Deputy on 2 September 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 unfortunately 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.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to my Department by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility at: INISOireachtasMail@justice.ie, which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Question process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in the cases where the response is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.
441. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Justice when an application for asylum by a person (details supplied) will be processed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60255/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can inform the Deputy that the person concerned has brought a Judicial Review to the High Court. As the case is before the courts and therefore sub judice it would not be appropriate for me to comment further at this time.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to my Department by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility (inisoireachtasmail@justice.ie), which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.
442. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Justice the person in the Irish Prison Service who dealt with the Health and Safety Authority in relation to a complaint by a person (details supplied); and the title and role of the person in the Irish Prison Service. [60276/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI understand that the Irish Prison Service was informed by Health and Safety Authority that it was investigating the complaint in question, and of the outcome of the investigation, which is now closed.
I am advised that the Prison Service has fully complied with the Authority in relation to this investigation. Release of detailed information with regard to the Authority's investigation would be a matter for the Authority to consider.
443. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Justice the status of an application by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60305/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can inform the Deputy that my Department has no record of a person with the details supplied (name and date of birth) having made an immigration application. If the Deputy can provide further details I would be happy to have my officials follow up.
However, if the person is the parent of an Irish citizen child it is open to them to make an application directly to the Repatriation Division of my Department on this basis. Further details, along with the application form, can be found on my Department's Irish Immigration website at:
www.irishimmigration.ie/my-situation-has-changed-since-i-arrived-in-ireland/the-parent-of-an-irish-citizen-child/.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to my Department by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility (inisoireachtasmail@justice.ie), which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.
444. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Justice the number of applications for a certificate of nationality that have been made on behalf of children who have been identified as stateless under section 28 of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956 in each of the years 2016 to 2020 and to date in 2021; and the number of certificates of nationality that have been issued to such applicants in each of these years. [60312/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra445. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Justice the number of residence applications that have been made on behalf of children by Tusla in which statelessness has been identified, in each of the past five years. [60313/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra447. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Justice the number of applications for Irish citizenship that have been made by a stateless person in each of the past five years. [60315/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 444, 445 and 447 together.
Statelessness results from the complex interaction of many legal and other factors. There is no specific determination process for recognition of stateless persons in Ireland; claims of statelessness can arise at any point in the immigration and protection processes and the numbers involved are very low.
My Department deals with such cases without recourse to a determination of their statelessness status.
The determination of any such cases are not centralised in a single process or section of my Department's Immigration Service Delivery. As such, applications for immigration permission or naturalisation are determined through the procedures set out under the Immigration Acts, the International Protection Act 2015 or the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended.
The Domestic Residence and Permissions Unit of my Department has no record of any residence applications being received from Tusla in the past five years, in relation to children where the child was categorised as stateless.
In relation to applications for citizenship, I can confirm that there were 14 applications received where a claim of statelessness has been made, of which nine continue to be processed at this time. This refers to all applicants for citizenship, not just children.
446. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Justice the number of applications for international protection that have been made each of the past five years; and the number of such applicants who have applied as a stateless person in each of the past five years. [60314/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe International Protection Office (IPO) of my Department is responsible for examining all international protection applications received.
Under the International Protection Act 2015, each application is assessed individually on its merits. Generally, all applicants for international protection are carefully interviewed and their cases are individually assessed by experienced caseworkers. The circumstances of each individual case is assessed having regard to both the subjective elements (the applicant’s own account or personal history) and objective elements (up-to-date information on the applicant’s country or place of origin).
Where it appears that an applicant may be stateless, the international protection officer makes a finding (solely for the purposes of the international protection determination process) as to whether the applicant is stateless. This finding is made having regard to all relevant evidence and to country of origin information as appropriate. The claims of stateless persons are determined in respect of their country of former habitual residence (the country with which the applicant has the closest connection).
While an applicant with multiple nationalities must establish a well-founded fear of persecution or a real risk of serious harm against each of his or her countries of nationality, in the case of a stateless applicant with multiple countries of former habitual residence, it is sufficient if the applicant can establish such a well-founded fear or risk with respect to any country of former habitual residence.
The table below provides the details requested by the Deputy on the total number of applications made by international protection applicants for the period 2017 to date (end October 2021).
Applications for International Protection 2017 to Date
|
Year of Application |
No. of Applications for International Protection 2017- 2021 (end October) |
|
2017 |
2,920 |
|
2018 |
3,674 |
|
2019 |
4,781 |
|
2020 |
1,566 |
|
2021 (to end October) |
1,808 |
During the period 2017 to 2021 (end October) there have been less than 6 applications in respect of persons who specifically claimed that they were ‘stateless’ when they lodged their applications for international protection. Many stateless applicants do not identify themselves as such when applying. The IPO’s statistical databases do not provide the facility for generating statistics on the number of applicants who have been found to be stateless.
Where the number of applications referred to is low, a breakdown by year is not provided. This is for reasons of confidentiality, as provided for under Section 26 of the International Protection Act 2015.
448. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Justice the number of bench warrants currently outstanding in the Garda K district as of 30 November 2021; and the number of these warrants that are outstanding for a minimum 18 months. [60377/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have requested a report on the information sought by the Deputy from An Garda Síochána, unfortunately the report was not to hand in time. I will write to the Deputy on receipt of the requested information.
|
District |
Outstanding |
18 Months or Older |
|
Blanchardstown |
3826 |
3049 |
449. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Justice the number and age of the Garda vehicle fleet in the Dublin west division, by district, in tabular form. [60378/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the administration and management of An Garda Síochána, including the purchase and distribution of Garda resources such as Garda vehicles. As Minister for Justice, I have no direct role in these matters.
I am advised however, that Garda management keeps the distribution of resources under continual review to ensure their optimum use in light of identified operational needs and emerging crime trends.
The Garda authorities have provided me with the below tables showing the strength of the Dublin Metropolitan Region (DMR) West fleet by District and the age profile of the DMR West fleet.
Currently, the total strength of the Garda fleet is at 3,237 vehicles, and 106 of those are assigned to the D.M.R. West Division.
DMR West Division Fleet by District as at 3 December 2021:
|
District |
Cars |
Vans |
M/cycles |
4x4 |
Other |
Total |
|
Total |
Total |
Total |
Total |
Total |
||
|
BLANCHARDSTOWN |
44 |
6 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
51 |
|
CLONDALKIN |
23 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
27 |
|
LUCAN |
20 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
28 |
|
Total |
87 |
13 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
106 |
DMR West Division Fleet by Age as at 3 December 2021:
|
Age Profile |
No of Vehicles |
|
< 1 year |
8 |
|
1-2 years |
22 |
|
2-4 years |
28 |
|
4-6 years |
18 |
|
6+ years |
30 |
|
Total |
106 |
450. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Justice the stage of preparation of a strategic threat risk assessment for An Garda Síochána at present. [60379/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will appreciate, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána which includes the policy and procedures to manage operational and corporate risk.
I am advised by the Garda authorities that a comprehensive review of the organisation's risk management framework was conducted in 2015 and 2016 and resulted in the implementation of the 'Revised Approach to Risk Management’. This approach is compliant with obligations under An Garda Síochána Act 2005, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform guidance, ‘Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies’ (August 2016) and ‘Risk Management Guidance for Government Departments and Offices’ (February 2016). It also aligns with ISO 31000 ‘Risk Management – Principles and Guidelines’.
I am informed that the Deputy Commissioner, Strategy, Governance & Performance is the Chief Risk Officer for An Garda Síochána, on behalf of the Commissioner, and chairperson of the Risk & Policy Governance Board. This role includes the identification of corporate risks, holding risk owners to account, championing risk management at all levels in the organisation and advising the Commissioner on the status and effectiveness of risk management.
In identifying strategic and corporate risks facing An Garda Síochána, I am further informed that the Chief Risk Officer conducts a ‘risk-proofing’ of the Annual Policing Plan, considers risks recorded on local risk registers and undertakes a process of environmental scanning. The Garda Risk Management Unit support the Chief Risk Officer in this process. The Corporate risks facing An Garda Síochána fall under a number of categories including Operational, Technological, Financial, Innovation, Infrastructure and numerous other categories.
The Chief Risk Officer appoints a Corporate Risk Owner, usually of Assistant Commissioner rank or Executive Director grade, and assigns them responsibility to manage specific corporate risks. The Chief Risk Officer presents the Corporate Risk Register, with assigned Corporate Risk Owners, to the Risk and Policy Governance Board for consideration and approval.
I am advised that the Risk and Policy Governance Board, chaired by the Chief Risk Officer has overall responsibility for the risk management process and for certifying its continuation and effective functioning. The Board meet at least quarterly and provide an annual assurance statement to the Garda Commissioner. The Board also has responsibility for approving corporate risks, managing the Corporate Risk Register, assigning risk owners to manage corporate risks and monitoring the effectiveness of risk controls for each corporate risk.
The Garda Risk Management Unit comes under the remit of Assistant Commissioner, Governance and Accountability and is headed by a Superintendent supported by Garda Staff. The Unit supports the Chief Risk Officer, the Risk and Policy Governance Board and all risk management stakeholders, and ensures organisation-wide compliance with policy by way of training, guidance, support and quality assurance.
The Garda authorities have advised me that there are currently 11 principal risks captured on the Corporate Risk Register, which are being actively managed by assigned Corporate Risk Owners. Risk registers are considered restricted documentation and only personnel who are involved in the management or auditing of risks, or the risk process, are provided with access to risk registers. Access to risk registers is determined based on requirement.
451. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Justice the status of her Department’s research into parental alienation; when this research will be completed; the next steps in relation to same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60508/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy is aware, to better inform further discussion, my Department arranged for research on parental alienation to be carried out this year, with the Research and Data Analytics Unit of my Department having prepared a research brief.
Following a competitive tender process in May, research commenced on this important work in June. The aims of the research include to:
- Identify the various definitions and characteristics of parental alienation being used internationally.
- Investigate what is known about the prevalence of this issue (in Ireland or internationally) through examination of the literature.
- Identify and outline the various approaches and responses being taken in other jurisdictions to deal with the issue of parental alienation (legislative and otherwise).
- Describe, outline and evaluate any studies which have examined the effectiveness of these various international approaches and assess the relevance of these studies to the Irish context.
I am pleased to say that a draft report was received by my Department at the end of November and is now being reviewed. This important research will help to inform our understanding of the issue, and inform my Department’s consideration of policy and law in this area.
452. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Justice if there is a special rate of payment or grant which could be made available to pay for the Irish citizenship process for students or low-income families (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60526/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAll fees payable under the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended, are kept under ongoing review by my Department. However, there is no provision for the discretionary waiver or reduction of fees, or for different fees to be applied.
The fees charged in respect of applications for a certificate of naturalisation are governed by the provisions of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Regulations 2011 and have not increased in the last ten years. The standard certification fee is set at €950. By way of comparison, in the UK, the adult fee has increased from £756 to £1,330 during the same period.
The fee is charged in two parts. The current application fee is €175, payable when an application for naturalisation is lodged. I am informed that the introduction of the application fee had an immediate positive effect on the quality and completeness of applications, which is ultimately to the benefit of all applicants.
A certificate fee of €950 is payable to successful applicants when a certificate of naturalisation issues. A reduced fee of €200 applies in the case of an application made on behalf of a minor or in certain cases where the application is made by a widow, widower or surviving civil partner of an Irish citizen. In the case of recognised refugees and stateless persons, there is no certificate fee.
The standard fees payable by an applicant are designed to reflect the effort and cost involved in processing applications for a certificate of naturalisation which, given the benefits involved, is quite a detailed process. In addition, the overall fees enabled citizenship ceremonies to be introduced at no additional cost and to develop digital solutions to enhance and speed up the application process.
All non-EEA nationals currently residing in the State are required to pay an annual registration fee of €300. However, once citizenship is granted this registration fee no longer applies.
453. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Health if a tender for a respite service for young adults with autism in community healthcare east has been completed; if so, the details of the successful tender; the location of the service; the type of respite that will be provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59797/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
454. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Health the reason the salaries of the staff that make up the Traveller primary health teams across the country have been frozen since 2008 with no increments; the reason the HSE social inclusion team is not working with the Traveller health units to address the issue as a matter of urgency; and if he will ensure that Traveller health and the staff are treated with respect, dignity and fairness. [60174/21]
Amharc ar fhreagrathe issues raised by the Deputy are operational in nature. I have accordingly referred the query to the Health Service Executive, and requested that they reply directly to the Deputy.
455. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Health the proposals he has put to airlines and ferry companies in respect of ensuring inbound persons have taken a valid professional antigen test; and if he has communicated to them the definition of a professional antigen test. [60299/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraBefore travel, travellers to Ireland are required to complete a COVID-19 Passenger Locator Form and to have evidence of vaccination, recovery or a relevant test result. From 5 December, all passengers are required to have a test result which in the case of vaccinated or recovered persons may be the result of an antigen test. Other passengers are required to have a PCR test result.
Travel organisers are obligated under S.I. 135/2021 to check that passengers have completed a PLF and a have proof of a relevant test result before departure. Where a passenger does not have the required documents, they may be denied boarding.
456. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health if he will revise the means testing applicable to medical card applications for those aged over 70 years on the basis that the income limits could be considered discriminatory to married couples; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60381/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraEligibility for a Medical Card is primarily based on a financial assessment which is conducted by the HSE in accordance with the Health Act 1970 (as amended). The HSE assesses each medical card application on a qualifying financial threshold. This is the amount of money that an individual can earn a week and still qualify for a card. It is specific to the individual’s own financial circumstances.
Persons aged 70 or older are assessed under the over 70s medical card income thresholds which are based on gross income. It should be noted that in November 2020, the weekly gross medical card income thresholds for those aged 70 and over were increased to €550 per week for a single person and €1050 for a couple. This increase ensures that a greater proportion of those aged 70 and over now qualify for a medical card.
In addition, to ensure the medical card system is responsive and sensitive to people's needs, it should be noted that this Department keeps medical card issues such as existing income thresholds under regular review, having regard for Government policy, increases in the Consumer Price Index and other issues which may be relevant.
Furthermore, it should be noted that since 2015 every individual aged 70 and over has automatic eligibility for a GP visit card.
457. Deputy Verona Murphy asked the Minister for Health the discussions his Department has undertaken with an association (details supplied) to address the rising numbers of dentists resigning from the dental treatment services scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59771/21]
Amharc ar fhreagra466. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Health when he will undertake a review of the dental treatment services scheme; the timeframe to complete the review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59804/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 457 and 466 together.
A new National Oral Health Policy, Smile agus Sláinte, was launched in April 2019. That Policy set out the roadmap for the future provision of oral healthcare to the eligible population. It has two key goals; first, to provide the supports to enable every individual to achieve their best oral health, and second, to reduce oral health inequalities across the population, by enabling vulnerable groups to access oral healthcare and improve their oral health.
The Dental Treatment Services Scheme (DTSS), which dates from the 1990s is available to medical card holders aged 16 and over. The dental care is provided by independent dental practitioners who have a contract with the HSE. There is a need to align the DTSS with best international evidence and practice, and legislation, as outlined in Smile agus Sláinte. Regretfully, the COVID-19 pandemic caused the roll-out of the Policy to be delayed and the proposed review of the DTSS contract to be deferred.
Nevertheless, there has been continued engagement between my officials, the HSE and the dental community throughout the pandemic on infection control measures, guidelines for safe dental practice, and ensuring that dental professionals were included in the high-risk group for early vaccination. This sustained engagement was with a view to ensuring that a safe satisfactory service could be continued for the eligible population.
I have acknowledged that there is a need for a substantive review of the DTSS and have given a commitment that the review would be undertaken.
I am aware that preliminary talks were held with the Irish Dental Association in June this year and that it is proposed to hold further talks in the coming weeks.
I would also wish to point out that I secured additional funding of €10 million in Budget 2022 to address immediate issues with the DTSS, which is on top of the annual allocation of €56 million for 2022.
458. Deputy Verona Murphy asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 164 of 29 April 2021, the details of the orthodontic waiting list initiative referenced in the response; the details of the specific timeframe for the delivery of these initiatives; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59772/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
