Written Answers Nos. 130-147
130. Deputy Emer Higgins asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will engage with the HSE to examine if the site in Crooksling, Brittas, County Dublin is suitable for medium-term accommodation for Ukrainian refugees. [23763/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) is responsible for meeting the immediate and short-term accommodation needs of persons arriving in Ireland from the conflict in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, my Department is focusing on the medium and long-term accommodation challenges and is leading cross-government efforts through a Housing Taskforce established by Government for this purpose. All options are being examined by the Taskforce, including refurbishment and reconfiguration of vacant buildings.
As part of this work, my Department requested central and local government to identify and inventory public or private owned vacant buildings that may be used or configured for multi-occupancy accommodation in the medium to long-term term.
More than 500 vacant properties have been identified and notified to my Department to date. Some 90 or so, capable of accommodating around 5,000 persons, have been deemed suitable for almost immediate occupation and my Department has passed these over for use in DCEDIY-led response efforts.
The remaining properties, and those still being returned by local authorities, government departments and State agencies, continue to be screened and validated. My Department is engaging bilaterally with the departments and agencies, including the HSE, regarding the refurbishment or reconfiguration of such properties as multipurpose accommodation. It would be premature to comment on any individual buildings at this time.
Information regarding the status of particular buildings owned or controlled by government departments or State agencies, including their availability as temporary accommodation, should be directed to those departments and agencies.
Question No. 131 answered with Question No. 102.
132. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of social homes that were delivered in 2021 under Part V arrangements; the number of these Part V agreements that were long-term leases; the breakdown of same showing Part V delivery and a breakdown between acquisitions and leases for each local authority area in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23842/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraHousing for All, is the Government’s plan to increase the supply of housing to an average of 33,000 per year over the next decade. This includes the delivery of 90,000 social homes by 2030. Housing for All is supported by an investment package of over €4bn per annum, through an overall combination of €12bn in direct Exchequer funding, €3.5bn in funding through the Land Development Agency and €5bn funding through the Housing Finance Agency. Under Housing for All, the Government will deliver 47,600 new build social homes and 3,500 social homes through long-term leasing in the period 2022-2026.
My Department publishes comprehensive programme level statistics on a quarterly basis on social housing delivery activity, including details by individual local authority, approved housing body delivery and acquisitions. This data is available to the end of 2021, and is published on the statistics page of my Department’s website, at the following link: gov.ie - Local Authority Housing Scheme Statistics (www.gov.ie). The breakdown of Part V social homes delivered in 2021 can be accessed via the link: gov.ie - Affordable housing and Part V statistics (www.gov.ie).
Of the 913 Part V units delivered in 2021, 57 were Part V leased units. The breakdown of these 57 Part V leased units is provided in the following table.
|
Local Authority |
No. of Units |
|
Dublin City |
30 |
|
Kildare |
18 |
|
Meath |
2 |
|
Wicklow |
7 |
133. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if his Department and public bodies and agencies that operate under his remit have policies in place to install artificial structures that provide shelter and habitat space for wild species such as, but not limited to, insect hotels, bat boxes, nesting towers and beehives; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23859/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department's National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) administers a number of grant schemes, including the Local Biodiversity Action Fund and the Peatlands Community Engagement Scheme, to assist locally led biodiversity projects throughout the country. Appropriately sited and installed structures may be eligible for funding under these schemes subject to the criteria of the scheme and the funding available.
In addition, the NPWS provides funding annually for Lesser Horseshoe Bat roost works. In 2022, an amount of €50,000 has been allocated for this.
134. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the status of a passport application by a person (details supplied). [23530/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra139. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will review the two passport renewals for persons (detail supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23573/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra152. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will ensure that the passport applications of persons (details supplied) will be processed urgently by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23779/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra153. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will ensure that a passport application by person (details supplied) will be processed urgently by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23780/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 134, 139, 152 and 153 together.
With regard to the specific applications about which the Deputies have enquired, the Passport Service has issued passports to the applicants.
135. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if there are plans to increase the number of staff answering passport telephone queries from members of the Houses of the Oireachtas in advance of the summer 2022 season given that it is already extremely difficult to get through to obtain information for persons who are experiencing delays in obtaining passports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23540/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn response to the high volume of applications being submitted to the Passport Service, a temporary phone line was established in October 2021 to respond to Oireachtas Members' queries on urgent passport cases.
In each case raised by an Oireachtas Member, the Passport Service reviews the application in question. However, applications can only be expedited in cases of genuine emergency such as a need for urgent medical treatment overseas or the death of a family member abroad. Such applications are expedited through the Travel Emergency service.
In cases where the estimated issue-by date has passed and all required supporting documents have been submitted, the Passport Service will prioritise the application to ensure that no further delay is experienced.
My Department has made an unprecedented level of investment in the Passport Service in terms of additional staff and improvements to the passport and customer service systems.
The Passport Service is proactively managing the current demand for passports and has put in place resources and structures to address the estimated significant increase in demand for passports in 2022 in this essential citizen service.
In terms of staffing, the Department has been working with the Public Appointments Service on a major recruitment drive over the past several months. Since June 2021, over 300 members of staff at all grades have been assigned to the Passport Service.
In addition to this, and to complement staffing recruitment through the Public Appointments Service, the Passport Service is running its own recruitment competition for Temporary Clerical Officers with a view to assigning additional staff and to maintain staffing levels throughout the year to meet the demand expected in the coming months. This competition is currently underway and once completed, will see staffing numbers of over 900 at the Passport Service, which represents a doubling of staff numbers since last summer.
In April, the volume of queries to the Oireachtas line increased by 20% to over 3,300 cases. An average of 66 members of the Oireachtas called the line each day in April. Each call can handle up to 5 queries.
The Passport Service is developing an online portal that will allow Oireachtas Members to query the status of passport applications on behalf of their constituents.
The testing element of this project is yet to be completed. Once the online portal is finalised, the Passport Service expects to roll it out over the summer of this year.
Passport applicants can also track the status of their passport application online via the Passport Tracker which is available on my Department's website - www.dfa.ie/passporttracking/
136. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if passports will issue for children (details supplied) in County Donegal in time for intended travel; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23542/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra140. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will ensure that passport applications by persons (details supplied) will be processed urgently by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23578/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra142. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if a passport will be processed on time for a child (details supplied) in order that they can travel with their family; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23607/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra154. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if the passport for a person (details supplied) will be expedited. [23846/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 136, 140, 142 and 154 together.
With regard to the specific applications about which the Deputies have enquired, the Passport Service has provided an update on the status of the passport applications to the applicants.
137. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will condemn comments from United States officials which refused to rule out military action against the Solomon Islands; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23557/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs a small island, Ireland recognises the challenges that many island nations face. Like Ireland, the Solomon Islands, as one of the Small Island Developing States and as a member of the Pacific islands Forum, are strong supporters of the rules-based international order, with the United Nations at its core.
The Department of Foreign Affairs is aware that China has signed a minimum five-year security agreement with the Solomon Islands last month, however the detail of this agreement between the two countries has not yet been made public. This is primarily a matter for the Solomon Islands Government. However, together with our partners in the European Union, Ireland closely monitors security issues in the Indo-Pacific region. The EU’s Indo-Pacific Strategy includes commitments to step up EU engagement in the region, including with the South Pacific, to contribute to the region’s stability, security, prosperity and sustainable development, in line with the principles of democracy, rule of law, human rights and international law.
I am aware that a senior US delegation visited the Solomon Islands last week and met with Prime Minister Sogavare. I understand that the US delegation raised their concerns about the deal and the possibility of steps being taken to establish a permanent military presence on the Solomon Islands. I understand that the US Administration’s strategy will involve pursuing stronger co-operation with the Solomon Islands, including expediting the opening of a US Embassy and advancing co-operation on climate, health and people-to-people ties.
We continue to monitor developments through our Embassies in the region (in Canberra, Australia and Wellington, New Zealand) and through our engagement with the US administration in Washington D.C.
138. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if a passport application for a person (details supplied) will be dispatched in time for their travel plans; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23572/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraWith regard to the specific application about which the Deputy has enquired, the Passport Service is working with the Deputy's office to clarify the information supplied for the application. Once clarification is received the Passport Service will review the application.
Question No. 139 answered with Question No. 134.
141. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the difficulties experienced by members of the Defence Forces (details supplied) who have served as part of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force mission in Syria in obtaining visas to visit the United States; if he will raise this matter with the United States authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23580/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe processing of U.S. visas is solely a matter for the U.S. authorities and my advice to those seeking to apply for a U.S. visa is to get information from the website of the US Embassy in Dublin and to engage with them directly on their application.
On the broader question of Irish Defence Forces personnel who may have difficulties travelling to the US because of travel overseas as part of their peacekeeping duties, I have asked my officials to ensure the US authorities have relevant information about our deployments in order to inform their decision making.
More generally, I am aware that any applicant who is denied an ESTA for the US can apply for a visa through the US Embassy. I understand that ineligibility for an ESTA based on travel to Syria, or any of the other countries listed under the restrictions for US Visa Waiver Programme eligibility, does not necessarily constitute an ineligibility for a visa.
143. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will establish a passport office in Belfast; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23618/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Passport Service is a unified service composed of three constituent offices located in Lower Mount Street and Balbriggan in Dublin and South Mall in Cork, respectively. Passport applications from all citizens - whether at home or abroad - are distributed for processing across the three Passport Offices, on the basis of the type of application rather than county or country of residence of the applicant.
Over 90% of all passport applications, including first time applications, are now being made through Passport Online. The Passport Service is committed to continuing to offer a range of application channels, including an offline service for citizens who are not eligible or do not wish to use the Passport Online service.
Passport Online is the priority channel for applications as there are many efficiencies built into the system for both the applicant and the Passport Service. The Passport Online service offers Irish citizens the ability to apply online for their passport 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It is a user-friendly, efficient service that consistently offers processing times up to 4 times faster than paper-based passport renewal applications.
The paper-based, mail-in "Passport Express" service is available to citizens at almost 1,000 An Post post offices and at over 70 post office locations in Northern Ireland. With the availability of both Passport Online and Passport Express very few applicants are required to travel a significant distance in order to apply for their passport.
In the relatively small number of cases where citizens need to travel urgently and do not have a valid passport, the Passport Offices in Dublin and Cork offer an Urgent Appointment service for passport renewal with a 1 or 4-day turnaround. The Passport Service offices in Dublin and Cork have processed almost 5,000 Urgent Appointments to date in 2022. These Urgent Appointment applications represents just 0.9% of the total 540,000 applications received by the Passport Service since January of this year.
I am satisfied overall that the range of service options available meets the current needs of passport applicants and that recent service improvements allow the Passport Service to provide this essential citizen service in an efficient and effective manner. While there are no plans to open additional passport offices, the Passport Service will continue to consider ways in which to enhance customer experience for citizens.
144. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of applications for passports from counties Kildare, Laois and Offaly, respectively, that are currently outstanding; the planning that is being carried out to ensure that there is no repeat of the delays experienced in 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23619/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Passport Service is proactively managing the current demand for passports and has put in place resources and structures to address the estimated significant increase in demand for passports in 2022 in this essential citizen service.
The Passport Service has recently reduced the turnaround time for first time applications from 40 working days to 30 working days. This is a direct result of the staffing and resources the Department has invested in the Passport Service.
In addition, 45% of adult renewal online applications are issued within one working day of receipt.
While there is a very high volume of applications in the Passport Service system, this does not represent a backlog. These applications are all being processed in the usual way, with a continuous stream of new applications and a continuous dispatch of completed passports happening every day.
Figures show that of the total number of applications in the system, 61% are fully complete and are being processed by the Passport Service. The other 39% of applications in the system are incomplete, which means the Passport Service is waiting for the applicant to submit the necessary documentation required. While the Passport Service makes every effort to contact applicants in such circumstances, their experience is that many applicants take weeks and sometimes months to send in the necessary documents.
The Passport Service is taking a number steps to deal with increased demand on its services:
- The Passport Service has a comprehensive plan to ensure that adequate staff, accommodation and technology supports are in place to meet expected demand for passports in 2022.
- A major recruitment drive has been underway over the past several months, which has seen the number of Passport Service staff increase by over 300 since June 2021.
- The Passport Service is currently running its own recruitment competition for Temporary Clerical Officers. This recruitment effort will bring staffing numbers to over 900, which represents a doubling of staff compared to June 2021.
- Intensive training of new staff and upskilling of existing staff is underway to increase the resources that can process complex applications, such as first time child applications.
- The Passport Service is prioritising first time applications and directing increased resources to processing these complex applications with a view to reducing the current turnaround time. Passport Service staff are working targeted overtime in this regard.
- The Urgent Appointment Service is available for customers who wish to renew their passport at short notice. Customers availing of this service can renew their passport within 1 or 4 days in Dublin, within 4 days in Cork and within 5 days in London.
- In February, the Passport Service increased the number of appointments at its public offices by 100%, providing an extra 170 Urgent Appointments per week.
- A new document management system was put in place at the beginning of March. This aims to improve the processing speed in the Passport Service offices, and subsequent turnaround times for the applicant. One particular feature of the new system improves the processing time for applicants who have been asked to submit additional documents. Once the additional documents are received, they are being prioritised and complete applications can then be processed in 3 weeks. This significantly reduces the processing time, particularly for first time applicants.
- Public information media campaigns reminding citizens to check and renew their passports will continue during this busy year.
- There is an updated Department of Foreign Affairs website, which includes a new passport service section where applicants can easily find out what additional documents are required for their type of application.
- The Passport Service is also working on public education materials, including video tutorials, with a view to assisting applicants to complete their application correctly. These videos will be shared on social media and will include instructions on submitting consent forms for child applications properly.
I am confident that the measures that have been implemented will help to reduce passport turnaround times in the course of 2022, particularly for first time applications, and will assist the Passport Service in meeting the high demand forecast for this year.
I strongly urge anyone who is considering travelling overseas this year, particularly families with young children, to check the validity of their passports before booking travel and to apply for their passports online in plenty of time.
The information requested by the Deputy is outlined as follows in tabular form.
The table also breaks down the number of applications from each county that are currently being processed by the Passport Service and the number of applications from each county that require further action from the applicant, such as the submission of additional documentation.
|
County |
Total applications in system |
Passport Service processing |
Further action required by applicant |
|
Kildare |
4,343 |
2,603 |
1,740 |
|
Laois |
1,366 |
811 |
555 |
|
Offaly |
1,199 |
710 |
489 |
145. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the steps that will be taken in 2022 and 2023 to enhance Ireland’s network of embassies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23620/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government’s Global Ireland programme, launched in 2018, envisages an expanded and strengthened diplomatic presence across the world, with a target of opening of 26 new Missions in the period to 2025. Fourteen missions have opened to date, and, over the course of 2022 and 2023, a further five will open in Dakar, Lyon, Miami, Tehran and Toronto.
The opening of new Missions has been complemented by the strengthening of existing, strategically important missions such Brussels, London, Paris, Berlin, New York UN, Tokyo and Beijing). This involves the assignment of additional staff from several Government departments, such as Finance, Enterprise, Trade and Employment and Agriculture.
My Department will continue to explore options for further expanding and strengthening our mission network. This involves is a robust process involving a range of factors, including our national, political and economic priorities, as well as the availability of resources for each potential mission location. Other Government Departments and the State Agencies will be consulted as part of this process, given their important role in Ireland's presence and activities overseas.
146. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will provide an update on the work in relation to the Ireland Protocol; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23621/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland was designed and agreed by the UK and EU to mitigate against the inevitable disruptions arising from Brexit on the island of Ireland and to protect the Good Friday Agreement in all its dimensions.
EU-UK engagement on resolving outstanding issues under the Protocol is an ongoing process. The EU-UK Joint Committee met on 21 February and the Specialised Committee on the Protocol on 8 March.
The EU has listened carefully to the genuine concerns expressed by citizens and business in Northern Ireland about the Protocol, including in the run up to the Northern Ireland Assembly elections.
The clear message I have heard first hand from people and businesses in Northern Ireland is that they want the Protocol to work well. They see the very real opportunities, including for jobs, trade and investment, which are presented by the Protocol for Northern Ireland.
Ireland and the EU also want these opportunities to be fully realised. This was why last October the Commission made proposals to address directly the concerns raised by people in Northern Ireland. These include proposals to reduce significantly checks on goods moving between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and giving people in Northern Ireland a greater say in how the Protocol works. In April, the EU adopted legislation to ensure the continuity of medicines supply to Northern Ireland.
Member States support for minimising disruption in Northern Ireland remains strong. The flexibility shown by the EU now needs to be reciprocated by the UK Government.
I remain in regular contact with counterparts in the EU, UK and the US and I have spoken in recent days to Commission Vice President Maroš Šefcovic, UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, Secretary of State Brandon Lewis and US National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan.
Our message is clear. We continue to urge the UK government to engage constructively with the EU. Only joint solutions can provide long-term legal certainty and predictability to Northern Ireland.
147. Deputy Patricia Ryan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will report on his most recent conversation with the UK Foreign Secretary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23622/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraOn 4 May, I spoke with the UK Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, Elizabeth Truss, M.P. This followed calls between us in January and a meeting in February. We discussed co-operation in support of Ukraine, the ongoing EU-UK discussions on the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland, and the elections in Northern Ireland.
We addressed the grave situation in Ukraine and agreed on the need for tough sanctions on Russia and the need to continue and develop collaboration right across Europe in the face of Russian aggression. We reviewed action being taken by the EU collectively, by Ireland and by the UK.
We had a detailed discussion regarding the ongoing EU-UK discussions related to the Protocol. This addressed broad strategic issues, the background to where we are today, current technical discussions and the then upcoming elections in Northern Ireland.
We both articulated our preference for a negotiated approach between the EU and UK.
I underlined the need to find joint EU-UK solutions on the remaining issues, working in partnership and with flexibility in regards to its implementation. I emphasised that the EU remains fully committed to working with the UK to find pragmatic solutions for genuine issues raised by people and businesses in Northern Ireland. I referenced my engagements with NI business and what I have heard from them on how the protocol is actually working on the ground.
As you will know, the Protocol was designed and agreed by the UK and EU to address the challenges faced by Northern Ireland following the UK’s decision to leave the European Union, and I noted that unilateral action will not deliver a sustainable outcome. I underlined our support for the work of European Commission Vice-President Šefcovic and his team.
I called for the UK to commit genuinely to detailed discussion to work through the current issues. I committed that Ireland would continue to support those discussions.
We recognised the importance of our continued communication.
