Written Answers Nos. 1371-1387
1371. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Justice if she will support a person (details supplied) in obtaining their Irish residence permit card renewal given their current circumstances; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30817/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm that an application for a renewal of permission from the person referred to by the Deputy has been processed and a new IRP card will be delivered within the next 10 days.
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.
1372. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice the value of fines levied on airlines for failure to carry out adequate checks on travel documents prior to flying in the past five years, in tabular form. [30824/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy may be aware, information in relation to fines levied on airlines for failure to carry out adequate checks on travel documents is maintained by An Garda Síochána.
Following enquiries made by my Department with An Garda Síochána, the information requested by the Deputy is provided in the attached table.
Carrier Liability paid to An Garda Síochána
|
Year |
Amount for year |
|
2017 |
€628,500.00 |
|
2018 |
€688,669.85 |
|
2019 |
€1,003,470.00 |
|
2020 |
€624,000.00 |
|
2021 |
€826,500.00 |
|
Total 2017 to 2021 |
€3,771,139.85 |
1373. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice the number of individuals who have been detained when arriving in Ireland and charged with travelling on fake South African passports in the past five years, in tabular form. [30825/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy may be aware, this data is maintained by An Garda Síochána.
I have sought the information requested from the Garda Commissioner and I will write to the Deputy directly once the information is to hand.
1374. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Justice the number of gardaí in County Longford that are currently on sick leave due to stress. [30837/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will appreciate, it is the Garda Commissioner who is responsible for managing An Garda Síochána, including personnel matters.
I am advised by the Garda Commissioner that sickness absences are recorded on the Sickness Management Absence System under the following categories:
- Ordinary illness
- Occupational injury / illness arising from duty
- Critical illness
I am informed that there is currently no specific sub-category on the Sickness Absence Management System for the recording of absences due to stress. In light of this, and having regard to the need to avoid the identification of individuals, it is not possible to provide the information sought by the Deputy.
I can, however, assure the Deputy that An Garda Síochána has an established employee assistance service and a number of wellbeing initiatives in place for its employees, including in the circumstances referred to.
1375. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice if an emergency travel document will issue in the case of a person (details supplied); if she will outline the process to apply for same; when an emergency document will issue if granted; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30849/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraTravel Documents are processed by the Travel Documents Unit of my Department and are then printed by the Passport Office in the Department of Foreign Affairs. I can advise the Deputy that my Department has not yet received an application for the person concerned.
They can apply to the Travel Document Unit by completing and submitting a Travel Document Application Form, which is available online along with information on how to apply at:
irishimmigration.ie/coming-to-join-family-in-ireland/applying-for-a-travel-document/.
The Deputy should be aware that the Travel Document Unit has recently experienced a very high volume of applications requiring processing and this has unfortunately had a negative impact on processing times. The recent pandemic has also contributed to difficulties. Efforts are being made to process applications as quickly as possible and these include the provision of additional staff to the Unit and the roll out of replacement technology.
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.
1377. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice the extent to which international police co-operation is helping to impede the distribution of illegal drugs amongst young people with particular reference to ensuring that drug rehabilitation programmes are readily available and that the supply chain is adequately interrupted to such a way as to benefit the health and wellbeing of the younger population; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30973/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 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 two years 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 enforcement of public health restrictions.
As the Deputy will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, including Garda operations aimed at preventing and countering criminal activity, and the enforcement of legislation pertaining to illegal drugs. As Minister, I have no direct role in these matters.
Given the global nature of the drugs trade, international law enforcement co-operation remains a key element in the overall response. An Garda Síochána has strong and strategic partnerships in place at international level targeting drug trafficking, including working closely with relevant law enforcement agencies such as INTERPOL and Europol and participating in the Maritime Analysis Operations Centre for Narcotics (MAOC-N) based in Lisbon.
In this regard, I also wish to acknowledge the work of the Gardaí in harnessing an international coalition of support to tackle the criminality associated with the Kinahan Organised Crime Group. The enforcement of sanctions demonstrates the tremendous value and power of international co-operation in tackling organised crime and the actions taken recently send a very clear message to those involved in the gang, or associated with the gang, that criminality will not go unnoticed or unpunished.
The Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB) is having significant success in disrupting drug trafficking and the supply of illicit drugs by organised crime groups. The success is evident by the nationwide results of Operation Tara, which has a focus to disrupt, dismantle and prosecute drug trafficking networks at all levels - international, national and local - involved in the importation, distribution, cultivation, production, local sale and supply of controlled drugs. The Bureau’s work is supported by Divisional Drugs Units nationwide, and by all Gardaí working in local communities. GNDOCB also works closely and productively with international law enforcement partners. Gardaí continue to work closely with local authorities, the HSE, NGOs, community groups and other State agencies to tackle drug related harms.
The Deputy may be aware that the Department of Health leads on Government policy in the area of drugs, including drug rehabilitation programmes, and this policy is guided by the national drugs and alcohol strategy "Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery - a health-led response to drug and alcohol use in Ireland 2017-2025". This strategy represents a whole-of-Government response to drug and alcohol use in Ireland. While implementation of the strategy is led by the Department of Health, the strategy includes actions for all stakeholders, including my Department and An Garda Síochána.
The strategy recognises the need for a balanced health-led approach - reducing demand, while also reducing access to illegal drugs - and is aimed at reducing the number of people criminalised for the possession of drugs for personal use. While this strategy supports vulnerable people who use drugs, it is also matched with strengthened enforcement measures across Government to tackle the supply of illegal drugs. Sustained action by An Garda Síochána continued unabated throughout the pandemic, bringing significant convictions and ongoing seizures of drugs, firearms and ammunition.
Additionally, my Department is also taking a range of actions designed to break the link between criminal gangs and the children they seek to recruit. This includes the enactment of new criminal legislation which will outlaw the grooming of children to commit crime. I also intend to bring forward legislation shortly which will increase the sentence of conspiracy to murder from ten years to life in prison. These new laws will ensure that An Garda Síochána and our Courts have the tools they need to take firm and decisive action to deal with our most serious criminals. In addition, we will continue to roll out the Greentown initiative which is designed to target those children most at risk of being recruited by criminal gangs.
1378. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Health the number of staff employed in the Progressing Disability Services for Children and Youth Programme in Dublin 22; and the number of children who have accessed this service in 2019, 2020, 2021 and to date in 2022. [29593/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy's question relates to a service issue, it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
1379. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health if the Government has undertaken an assessment of needs created by the arrival of Ukrainian refugees; and the contingency planning that is in place. [30495/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra1380. Deputy Seán Canney asked the Minister for Health the planning assessments that are being carried out in relation to health given the arrival of Ukrainian refugees. [30496/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI thank Deputy Canney for his questions.
The Department of Health is part of the whole of government humanitarian response to the crisis in Ukraine. A Senior Official's Group , chaired by Dept. of Taoiseach and comprised of senior government Dept representatives, meets weekly to discuss scenario planning and service provision aimed at supporting the Ukrainian Refugees on arrival in Ireland with the wide range of state supports available to them through their Temporary Protection status.
At a Department level a Ukrainian Refugee Coordination Group has been set-up since early March to coordinate the Dept's health response, and working closely with the HSE to deliver on the health needs of the Ukrainian refugees in Ireland. The HSE has also set up a National Health Response Planning and Coordination Group to plan for and implement the necessary health provision for Ukrainian arrivals, including 9 separate workstreams that focus on key areas of work. At a community level the Community Response Forums have been established in every Local Authority in the state, chaired by the Chief Executive, to coordinate the community-led response to support for Ukrainian refugees as they are accommodated around the state. The Dept of Health engages in regular meetings with local authorities and with NGOs stakeholders through the NGO Stakeholder Engagement Forum comprised of representative from government depts and NGOs and other relevant bodies working collaboratively on the humanitarian response to the crisis in Ukraine.
1381. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health the steps that he will take to ensure that the promised bonus to those who worked on the frontline during Covid-19 including those in section 38 funded projects, is paid without further delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28828/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra1727. Deputy Richard O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to fact that many health service workers entitled to the €1,000 Covid-19 pandemic bonus have still not received the payment; the reason for this delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30117/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1381 and 1727 together.
On January 19th, the Government announced a COVID-19 pandemic recognition payment for frontline public sector healthcare workers, to recognise their unique role during the pandemic. Following extensive engagement with healthcare unions on the matter, the HSE published eligibility guidelines and FAQs on 19th April, which are available on its website: hse.ie/eng/staff/resources/hr-circulars/hr-circular-012-2022-pandemic-special-recognition-payment.html
Work is now well underway by the HSE, individual hospitals and CHOs to use the funding allocated by government and ensure prompt payment. I have been assured that all HSE and Section 38 organisations are in process of actioning the payment to those staff that have been deemed eligible to receive it, and that this is receiving priority attention across services. Thousands of staff have been paid already, with a number of local sites having already paid many all of their eligible staff.
The HSE and the Department are currently examining progressing the rollout to the list of 6 non-HSE/S38 organisation types covered by the Government Decision. Rolling out the payment to eligible non-HSE and non-Section 38 employees is a complex task, particularly as these employees are not normally paid by the public health service, duplicate payments need to be avoided, and there are many organisations to be covered.
Officials in my Department and the HSE are prioritising the work needed to progress this. They shall shortly publish information for those certain non-HSE/S38 healthcare employees that are covered by the Government Decision and the process available to their employers to implement this measure for their eligible staff. This shall cover eligible staff in:
- Private Sector Nursing Homes and Hospices (e.g. Private, Voluntary, Section 39 etc.);
- Eligible staff working on-site in Section 39 long-term residential care facilities for people with disabilities;
- Agency roles working in the HSE;
- Health Care Support Assistants (also known as home help / home care / home support) contracted to the HSE;
- Redeployed members of Department of Defence to work in frontline Covid-19 exposed environments for the HSE;
- Paramedics employed by the Department of Local Government, Housing and Heritage.
1382. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Health when all healthcare workers who are entitled to the bonus for those who worked on the front line during Covid-19 will receive same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28829/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra1716. Deputy Francis Noel Duffy asked the Minister for Health when the pandemic bonus payment will be paid to healthcare workers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30098/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 1382 and 1716 together.
On January 19th, the Government announced a COVID-19 pandemic recognition payment for frontline public sector healthcare workers, to recognise their unique role during the pandemic. Following extensive engagement with healthcare unions on the matter, the HSE published eligibility guidelines and FAQs on 19th April, which are available on its website: hse.ie/eng/staff/resources/hr-circulars/hr-circular-012-2022-pandemic-special-recognition-payment.html
Work is now well underway by the HSE, individual hospitals and CHOs to use the funding allocated by government and ensure prompt payment. I have been assured that all HSE and Section 38 organisations are in process of actioning the payment to those staff that have been deemed eligible to receive it, and that this is receiving priority attention across services. Thousands of staff have been paid already, with a number of local sites having already paid all of their eligible staff.
The HSE and the Department are currently working to progress the rollout to the list of 6 non-HSE/S38 organisation types covered by the Government Decision. Rolling out the payment to eligible non-HSE and non-Section 38 employees is a complex task, particularly as these employees are not normally paid by the public health service, duplicate payments need to be avoided, and there are many organisations to be covered, but this work is being given priority attention.
Officials in my Department and the HSE are prioritising the work needed to progress this. They hope to shortly publish information for those certain non-HSE/S38 healthcare employees that are covered by the Government Decision and the process available to their employers to implement this measure for their eligible staff. This shall cover eligible staff in:
- Private Sector Nursing Homes and Hospices (e.g. Private, Voluntary, Section 39 etc.);
- Eligible staff working on-site in Section 39 long-term residential care facilities for people with disabilities;
- Agency roles working in the HSE;
- Health Care Support Assistants (also known as home help / home care / home support) contracted to the HSE;
- Redeployed members of Department of Defence to work in frontline Covid-19 exposed environments for the HSE;
- Paramedics employed by the Department of Local Government, Housing and Heritage.
1383. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health if an assessment of need for a child (details supplied) will be expedited. [28857/22]
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.
1384. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health further to parliamentary question No. 282 of 20 January 2022, when a full analysis of service demand need for long-stay beds and palliative care beds in Tipperary will be completed by the HSE; when the findings of this analysis will be made public; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28865/22]
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.
1385. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health further to parliamentary question No. 282 of 20 January 2022, if this analysis will contain an endorsement for the number of level 2 palliative care beds required for the St. Anthony’s unit in Clonmel, County Tipperary when the full analysis of service demand need for long-stay beds and palliative care beds will be completed by the HSE; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28866/22]
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.
1386. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 282 of 20 January 2022, if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the construction of the new St. Anthony’s unit in Clonmel is due to start in Q3 of 2022; if additional palliative care beds are required for County Tipperary in the unit following the publication of the service demand need for long-stay beds and palliative care beds; if arrangements will be made to include these additional beds immediately while construction of the new St. Anthony’s Unit in Clonmel is taking place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28867/22]
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.
1387. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Health further to parliamentary question No. 282 of 20 January 2022, if all level 2 palliative care beds currently provided in the new St. Anthony’s unit in Clonmel will have attached to each level 2 palliative care bedroom, associated family sleep amenities and access to basic kitchen facilities (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28868/22]
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.
