Written Answers Nos. 432-442
432. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice if an urgent review of a residency card can be undertaken in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31636/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person referred to by the Deputy lodged a review application in respect of their EU Treaty Rights application decision on 28 September 2021. This application was examined in detail and a decision was made to uphold the decision to refuse their EU Treaty Rights application on 27 April 2022. Reasons for the refusal are outlined in the refusal letter.
As this person's EU Treaty Rights application is now closed this case has now be forwarded to the Repatriation Unit in my Department for further processing. The Repatriation Unit will be in contact with the person concerned in due course.
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.
433. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice the current position in regard to citizenship in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31640/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraApplications for naturalisation and general queries in respect of same are dealt with in chronological order by date received. When applications for a certificate of naturalisation are received by the Citizenship Division of my Department, they are subject to an initial check/examination. Citizenship Division is currently completing initial checks on applications received in December 2021. On completion of the initial checks, my Department will contact the applicant to assign them an application number and issue an acknowledgment to the address given at the time of making the application. I am deeply conscious of how important the granting of naturalisation is to those who apply for it and my Department has continued to accept and process citizenship applications throughout the pandemic and during all levels of public health restrictions. However, the combined impact of the 2019 High Court judgment in the Jones case, the necessary health restrictions arising from the pandemic, and my Department's response to the Ukraine crisis has regrettably 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.
434. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice the current position in regard to the consideration of an application for naturalisation in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31641/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe application for naturalisation from the person referred to by the Deputy, continues to be 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 in due course.
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.
In 2021, my Department issued 11,512 citizenship decisions, which is the highest number of decisions made since 2015, and reflects positively the significant changes undertaken to date.
It is open to the applicant to contact the Citizenship Division of my Department at citizenshipinfo@justice.ie for an update on their application.
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.
435. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice the current position in regard to the consideration of application for naturalisation in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31642/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraApplications for naturalisation and general queries in respect of same are dealt with in chronological order by date received.When applications for a certificate of naturalisation are received by the Citizenship Division of my Department, they are subject to an initial check/examination. Citizenship Division is currently completing initial checks on applications received in December 2021. On completion of the initial checks, my Department will contact the applicant to assign them an application number and issue an acknowledgment to the address given at the time of making the application. I am deeply conscious of how important the granting of naturalisation is to those who apply for it and my Department has continued to accept and process citizenship applications throughout the pandemic and during all levels of public health restrictions. However, the combined impact of the 2019 High Court judgment in the Jones case, the necessary health restrictions arising from the pandemic, and my Department's response to the Ukraine crisis has regrettably 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.
It is open to the applicant to contact the Citizenship Division of my Department at citizenshipinfo@justice.ie for an update on their application.
436. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice the number of gardaí assigned to each Garda station in the Milford Garda district as of 31 May 2022 or the latest date available; the number of vehicles assigned to each Garda station in the Milford district as of 31 May 2022 or the latest date available; and the figures for both gardaí and vehicles assigned to each Garda station in the Milford district on the equivalent dates for 2019, 2020 and 2021. [31693/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government is committed to ensuring that An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs, with the unprecedented allocation provided in Budget 2022 of over €2 billion.
As the Deputy will be aware, in accordance with the Garda Síochána Act 2005, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, which includes decisions on the deployment of personnel among the various Garda Divisions. As Minister, I have no direct role in these matters.
I understand that it is a matter for the Divisional Chief Superintendent to determine the optimum distribution of duties among the personnel available to them, having regard to the profile of each area within the Division and its specific needs.
The following tables, which have been provided to me by the Garda authorities, set out the number of Gardaí assigned to Milford District at 31 May 2019, 2020 and 2021 and at 31 May 2022, the latest date for which figures are available.
|
31-May-19 |
Station |
GD |
SG |
IN |
SU |
CS |
AC |
Total |
|
MILFORD District |
AN BUN BEAG |
10 |
2 |
12 |
||||
|
AN CLOCHÁN LIATH |
6 |
1 |
7 |
|||||
|
AN CRAOSLACH |
1 |
1 |
||||||
|
AN FÁL CARRACH |
8 |
1 |
9 |
|||||
|
CARRAIG AIRT |
1 |
1 |
||||||
|
DÚN FIONNACHAID |
2 |
2 |
||||||
|
KERRYKEEL |
2 |
2 |
||||||
|
KILMACRENNAN |
1 |
1 |
||||||
|
MILFORD |
27 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
32 |
|||
|
TOTAL |
58 |
7 |
1 |
1 |
67 |
|
31-May-20 |
Station |
GD |
SG |
IN |
SU |
CS |
AC |
Total |
|
MILFORD District |
AN BUN BEAG |
10 |
1 |
11 |
||||
|
AN CLOCHÁN LIATH |
6 |
1 |
7 |
|||||
|
AN CRAOSLACH |
1 |
1 |
||||||
|
AN FÁL CARRACH |
8 |
1 |
9 |
|||||
|
CARRAIG AIRT |
1 |
1 |
||||||
|
DÚN FIONNACHAID |
2 |
2 |
||||||
|
KERRYKEEL |
1 |
1 |
||||||
|
KILMACRENNAN |
1 |
1 |
||||||
|
MILFORD |
33 |
4 |
1 |
1 |
39 |
|||
|
TOTAL |
63 |
7 |
1 |
1 |
72 |
|
31-May-21 |
Station |
GD |
SG |
IN |
SU |
CS |
AC |
Total |
|
MILFORD District |
AN BUN BEAG |
10 |
1 |
11 |
||||
|
AN CLOCHÁN LIATH |
6 |
1 |
7 |
|||||
|
AN CRAOSLACH |
1 |
1 |
||||||
|
AN FÁL CARRACH |
8 |
1 |
9 |
|||||
|
CARRAIG AIRT |
1 |
1 |
||||||
|
DÚN FIONNACHAID |
2 |
2 |
||||||
|
KERRYKEEL |
1 |
1 |
||||||
|
KILMACRENNAN |
1 |
1 |
||||||
|
MILFORD |
31 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
36 |
|||
|
TOTAL |
61 |
6 |
1 |
1 |
69 |
|
31-May-22 |
Station |
GD |
SG |
IN |
SU |
CS |
AC |
Total |
|
MILFORD District |
AN BUN BEAG |
9 |
1 |
10 |
||||
|
AN CLOCHÁN LIATH |
6 |
1 |
7 |
|||||
|
AN CRAOSLACH |
1 |
1 |
||||||
|
AN FÁL CARRACH |
8 |
1 |
9 |
|||||
|
CARRAIG AIRT |
1 |
1 |
||||||
|
DÚN FIONNACHAID |
1 |
1 |
||||||
|
KERRYKEEL |
1 |
1 |
||||||
|
KILMACRENNAN |
1 |
1 |
||||||
|
MILFORD |
29 |
4 |
1 |
1 |
35 |
|||
|
TOTAL |
57 |
7 |
1 |
1 |
66 |
Further detailed information in relation to Garda numbers is available on my Department’s website. This information is updated every month with the latest data provided by An Garda Síochána, and includes the number of Gardaí by station across the whole country.
The information can be found at the following link: http://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/An_Garda_Siochana_facts_and_figures
I am informed by the Garda authorities that the table below sets out the number of vehicles allocated to Milford District at 31 May 2019, 2020, 2021 and 31 May 2022 the latest date for which figures are available. I am further informed that An Garda Síochána do not provide vehicle allocations by Garda Station for security reasons.
|
Milford District |
Cars |
Vans |
4 x 4 |
Total |
|
31-May-19 |
7 |
2 |
1 |
10 |
|
31-May-20 |
7 |
3 |
1 |
11 |
|
31-May-21 |
9 |
2 |
1 |
12 |
|
31-May-22 |
8 |
1 |
1 |
10 |
The Deputy may also wish to be aware that An Garda Síochána publish information on Garda fleet, including a Divisional/District monthly breakdown, on their website at: www.garda.ie/en/about-us/our-departments/finance-services/finance-fleet-management.html.
437. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Justice the number of visa applications that have been received which relied on paragraph 1.12 of the policy document on pon-EEA family reunification due to the fact that the sponsor did not meet the financial criteria; the number of those applications which were granted and refused, respectively, by country covering the period between 1 June 2021 and 31 May 2022, inclusive, in tabular form; the number of those applications which involved minors; and the number of those which were granted and refused, respectively. [31732/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information requested by the Deputy in relation to visa applications which rely on paragraph 1.12 of the Policy Document on Non-EEA Family Reunification, is not readily available to my Department.
However, to be of some assistance to the Deputy, the following table shows the number of join family applications, by nationality of applicant, granted and refused between 1 June 2021 and 31 May 2022.
|
Nationality |
Granted on Appeal |
Application Granted |
Application Refused |
Revoked |
Total Granted |
Total Refused |
|
Afghanistan |
24 |
252 |
311 |
0 |
276 |
287 |
|
Bangladesh |
29 |
103 |
50 |
0 |
132 |
21 |
|
Cameroon |
8 |
12 |
13 |
0 |
20 |
5 |
|
Congo Democratic Republic of |
6 |
50 |
15 |
0 |
56 |
9 |
|
India |
41 |
8123 |
111 |
5 |
8159 |
70 |
|
Iran |
9 |
99 |
12 |
1 |
107 |
3 |
|
Iraq |
7 |
35 |
13 |
0 |
42 |
6 |
|
Nigeria |
54 |
241 |
169 |
1 |
294 |
115 |
|
Pakistan |
155 |
834 |
233 |
1 |
988 |
78 |
|
People's Republic of China |
32 |
261 |
25 |
3 |
290 |
-7 |
|
Philippines |
53 |
472 |
53 |
0 |
525 |
0 |
|
South Africa |
11 |
38 |
14 |
0 |
49 |
3 |
|
Thailand |
12 |
48 |
13 |
0 |
60 |
1 |
|
Zimbabwe |
21 |
478 |
33 |
0 |
499 |
12 |
|
Other* |
134 |
2737 |
398 |
4 |
2867 |
264 |
|
Grand Total |
596 |
13783 |
1463 |
15 |
14364 |
867 |
*Where the total number of people of any given country of origin is less than five, no further breakdown is provided to protect the identity of the people concerned.
438. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Justice if her Department and public bodies and agencies that operate under her remit that operate in direct contact with members of the public have policies in place for members of the public to report instances of sexual harassment or assault that occur on the property of her Department or public body and agency under her remit; if so, if these policies are publicly accessible on the relevant website; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31747/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra439. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Justice if her Department and public bodies and agencies that operate under her remit have policies in place for employees to report instances of sexual harassment or assault that occur involving other employees or members of the public or on the property of her Department or each public body and agency that operate under her remit; if so, if these policies are publicly accessible on the relevant website; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31766/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 438 and 439 together.
My Department and all of its offices and agencies are fully committed to promoting respect, dignity, safety and equality in the workplace. Every effort is made to ensure that appropriate behaviours are displayed by all staff in our work environment All organisations under my remit are subject to the Civil Service’s Dignity at Work policy, which outlines reporting procedures for sexual harassment, and the Civil Service Disciplinary Code, which states that sexual harassment is deemed to be serious misconduct. An Garda Síochána has its own anti-bullying policy, Working Together to Create a Positive Working Environment. The Civil Service is committed to protecting dignity and respect across the organisation. The 2015 Dignity at Work policy was developed in partnership between Civil Service management and staff unions, and aims to promote respect, dignity, safety, and equality in the workplace. Every member of staff should be aware that all forms of bullying, harassment, and sexual harassment are unacceptable and every member of staff has a duty to behave in an acceptable and respectful manner. The Dignity at Work policy can be found at: hr.per.gov.ie/en/publications/dignity-at-work-policy/
Working Together to Create a Positive Working Environment is available at www.garda.ie/en/about-us/publications/policy-documents/harassment-sexual-harrassment-and-bullying-in-the-workplace.pdf.
In matters relating to members of the public, there are no specific policies in place in relation to serious matters of this nature. If an individual believes that a potential crime has been committed in the course of any interactions with my Department or organisations under my remit, including sexual harassment and assault, they should immediately report it to An Garda Síochána. Any allegation of inappropriate behaviour against a member of my Department or any of the agencies under its remit should be reported to the Head of the Organisation concerned.
440. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health if patients in County Kerry with neurofibromatosis, nf1, who are currently receiving chemotherapy for inoperable benign bilateral optic pathway glioma will receive some of the less complex elements of their treatment offered to them at University Hospital Kerry to ease the logistical difficulties of travelling long distances to Cork and Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31540/22]
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.
441. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health if expanded haematology services will be provided at University Hospital Kerry to help prevent cancer patients from County Kerry having to make long and regular journeys to Cork for treatment and disease management; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31541/22]
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.
442. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health the reason that information in relation to endoscopy waiting times (details supplied) for patients at University Hospital Kerry has not been provided to this Deputy; if this is a deliberate change in policy by his Department, the HSE or hospital group; if not, if the current figures will now be provided; if the figures will be provided in respect of previously submitted parliamentary questions by this Deputy on the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31542/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm to the Deputy that the HSE continue to report on the acute hospital key performance indicator (KPI) of the percentage of people waiting less than13 weeks following a referral for colonoscopy or upper G.I. endoscopy (OGD), with the KPI for 2022 set at 65%. This information is collected monthly and reported through the HSE Management Data Report (MDR). The Department oversees the performance of the HSE in relation to the delivery of services and KPIs set out in its National Service Plan. This is achieved through an on-going monthly performance management process where the HSE reports against the targets set out in the Service Plan. Monthly high-level meetings between management in both organisations are held to discuss on-going or emerging performance issues and to determine actions to resolve and improve areas of concern.
In addition, my Department also closely monitors the waiting list for G.I. Endoscopy services. This waiting list information is collected, collated, validated, and published by the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF). This waiting list data is published by hospital and nationally in standardised time bands of 0-6, 6-12,12-18 and 18+ months. This information is used by my Department to monitor demand for G.I. Endoscopy services, with endoscopy services remaining a key component of the 2022 Waiting List Action Plan. The NTPF data is also a central source of waiting list figures used for answering parliamentary questions by my Department.
The waiting lists for G.I. Endoscopy consist of procedures for both colonoscopy and upper G.I endoscopy (OGD). In a recent parliamentary questions raised by the Deputy, it was this published total G.I. Endoscopy figure which was provided in respect of University Hospital Kerry, in the standardised time bands made available to my Department by the NTPF.
In response to the Deputy’s current request for specific waiting time bands for endoscopy by 13 week time bands, I have asked the NTPF to extract the figures for colonoscopy for UHK for each month in 2022 and in addition I have also requested the figure for OGD by month, both of which are provided in the attached table. The over-arching G.I. Endoscopy waiting list for University Hospital Kerry by standardised time bands remains available on the NTPF website.
Total Waiters for a GI Scope Procedure by GI Type by Wait Time Band for 2022
|
Row Labels |
0-13 Weeks |
13-26 Weeks |
Small Volume Time Band |
Grand Total |
|
Jan-22 |
305 |
133 |
1 |
439 |
|
Colonoscopy |
164 |
77 |
241 |
|
|
OGD |
141 |
56 |
1 |
198 |
|
Feb-22 |
325 |
134 |
1 |
460 |
|
Colonoscopy |
191 |
62 |
253 |
|
|
OGD |
134 |
72 |
1 |
207 |
|
Mar-22 |
359 |
104 |
463 |
|
|
Colonoscopy |
209 |
50 |
259 |
|
|
OGD |
150 |
54 |
204 |
|
|
Apr-22 |
401 |
82 |
483 |
|
|
Colonoscopy |
245 |
44 |
289 |
|
|
OGD |
156 |
38 |
194 |
|
|
May-22 |
323 |
90 |
413 |
|
|
Colonoscopy |
189 |
44 |
233 |
|
|
OGD |
134 |
46 |
180 |
