Paul Murphy
Ceist:391. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Justice if a stamp 4 visa holder is required to have a UK visa to visit Belfast; and if so, the process for obtaining this visa. [33357/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraVisa Agreements
Ceisteanna (391)
Freagraí scríofa
My Department is responsible for the administrative functions in relation to international protection, immigration (including visas) and citizenship matters for this jurisdiction. Neither I nor my Department have any role in the administration of immigration matters of any other jurisdiction, including the United Kingdom. Any queries relating to immigration matters in another jurisdiction should be addressed to the immigration authorities of that jurisdiction.
It is open to any person to leave the State. However, they should check with the authorities of their intended destination if they are subject to any specific immigration requirements.
Departmental Funding
Ceisteanna (392)
Fergus O'Dowd
Ceist:392. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Justice if an application by a service (details supplied) will be examined and expedited; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33393/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The new Community Safety Innovation Fund closed for applications for its first year of operation on 8 June last. My Department has received 120 applications from a diverse range of organisations to access funding under this new scheme for innovative projects to improve community safety. Officials in my Department are currently assessing the applications.
The Deputy will appreciate that I cannot comment on individual applications to the Fund. I can assure the Deputy however that the consideration of all applications will be progressed in as timely a manner as possible.
Question No. 393 answered with Question No. 385.
Visa Applications
Ceisteanna (394)
Róisín Shortall
Ceist:394. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Justice the number of non-European economic area nationals who have obtained residency in Ireland since the Ireland Immigrant Investor Program was established by country of origin, year, investment option and category of project in tabular form; the total investment made via this programme by investment option to date in 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33500/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP) was introduced in April 2012 to encourage inward investment and create business and employment opportunities in the State. The programme provides investors with the opportunity to invest in Ireland. Key to the programme is that the investments are beneficial for Ireland, generate or sustain employment and are generally in the public interest. To date, more than 1,500 IIP applications have been approved for investment with a value of over €1 billion.
The tables below provide the data sought by the Deputy.
|
Year |
Approved applications |
Value of Approved Investment |
|
2012 |
2 |
1,500,000 |
|
2013 |
16 |
12,200,000 |
|
2014 |
8 |
4,450,000 |
|
2015 |
71 |
38,800,000 |
|
2016 |
33 |
18,750,000 |
|
2017 |
373 |
253,700,000 |
|
2018 |
156 |
139,750,000 |
|
2019 |
237 |
209,300,000 |
|
2020 |
270 |
188,000,000 |
|
2021 |
265 |
186,100,000 |
|
2022 |
116 |
82,500,000 |
|
TOTAL |
1,547 |
1,135,050,000 |
|
Nationality |
Overall number of approvals |
|
China |
1,458 |
|
USA |
32 |
|
Vietnam |
12 |
|
Rest of World |
45 |
|
TOTAL |
1,547
|
The tables below provides a breakdown by investment type and by category of project.
|
Investment Type |
Total Applications Approved |
Total Value of Investment |
|
Enterprise |
826 |
684,000,000 |
|
Investment Fund |
228 |
210,000,000 |
|
REIT |
6 |
12,000,000 |
|
Endowment |
431 |
175,100,000 |
|
Bond & Mixed Investment |
56 |
53,950,000 |
|
TOTAL |
1,547 |
1,135,050,000 |
|
Category of project |
Value of Approved Investment € |
|
Social Housing |
353,500,000 |
|
Investment Fund |
206,000,000 |
|
Nursing Home |
184,700,000 |
|
Hospitality/Tourism |
120,200,000 |
|
Property/Housing |
50,950,000 |
|
Healthcare |
45,800,000 |
|
Education/Training |
35,200,000 |
|
Sports |
22,500,000 |
|
Other |
116,200,000 |
|
TOTAL |
1,135,050,000 |
Naturalisation Applications
Ceisteanna (395)
Bernard Durkan
Ceist:395. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice if she will ascertain the degree to which a person (details supplied) who has lived in this country since he was one year old and is currently awaiting the results of their application for naturalisation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33553/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The residence conditions applying to any non-EEA minor under the age of 16 who is resident in the State is dependent on their parent's immigration permission in the State.
Once a non-EEA national reaches 16 years of age while resident in the State, they are required to attend at their local immigration office to register their permission and to receive an Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card in their own right.
The 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.
When submitting an application for naturalisation, the onus is on the applicant to determine if they satisfy all of the eligibility criteria. Applicants are required to have five years reckonable residence in the State prior to making an application, except for spouses of Irish nationals where the requirement is three years. In both cases, the final 12 months must be continuous residence in the State with up to six weeks allowed to facilitate foreign travel for business, family or holiday purposes.
Detailed information on Irish citizenship and the naturalisation process, along with the relevant application forms and guidance notes, is available on my Department's immigration website at: www.irishimmigration.ie/how-to-become-a-citizen/ .
Visa Applications
Ceisteanna (396)
Bernard Durkan
Ceist:396. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice further to Parliamentary Question No. 613 of 31 May 2022, if it may be possible for a specific appointment to be made in respect of a person (details supplied) to make arrangements to update their Stamp 4 and who have tried to do so unsuccessfully on several occasions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33554/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As previously advised to the Deputy, if a person is residing in the Dublin area and has an existing valid permission to be in the State, then they do not need to seek an appointment to renew their permission. Since 20 July 2020 all renewals for the Dublin area are being processed online at: inisonline.jahs.ie.
Since its introduction, more than 138,000 renewal applications have been completed. Customers can now apply up to 12 weeks in advance of their current permission’s expiration date and I have significantly increased staff capacity to process the applications on hand due to high demand.
Further information is available on my Department's immigration website at: www.irishimmigration.ie/registering-your-immigration-permission/how-to-renew-your-current-permission/registration-renewal-dublin/
If customers are experiencing any difficulties they can contact the Immigration Service Helpdesk at: immigrationsupport@justice.ie who will endeavour to assist them.
Hospital Services
Ceisteanna (397)
Brian Stanley
Ceist:397. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health if there are plans to restart the children’s ophthalmic clinic in Portlaoise Hospital as at present parents have to arrange transport to get their children to the nearest clinic which is in Athlone. [33257/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Health Services Staff
Ceisteanna (398)
Brian Stanley
Ceist:398. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Health when the frontline health workers with Locum Link will receive the one-off Covid bonus payment. [33266/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Firstly I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to all healthcare workers for their efforts during this most challenging period.
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, on 19th April the HSE published eligibility guidelines and FAQs, as apply to the HSE and Section 38 agencies, which are available on its website: www.hse.ie/eng/staff/resources/hr-circulars/hr-circular-012-2022-pandemic-special-recognition-payment.html.
The HSE and the Department are currently examining progressing the rollout to the list of 6 non-HSE/non-Section 38 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 the Department and the HSE are prioritising the work needed to progress this. It is hoped that information will be published shortly 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.
The Government is mindful of other workers who played their own part during this difficult period in sustaining other services. It is tough to draw a line on this matter, but the Government based its decision on the risks which the above frontline workers faced. In recognition of the efforts of all workers, volunteers, and the general public during the COVID-19 pandemic, and in remembrance of people who lost their lives due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government announced a public holiday which took place on 18 March 2022. From February next year there will also be a new permanent public holiday established to mark Imbolc/St Brigid’s Day.
Hospital Waiting Lists
Ceisteanna (399)
Denis Naughten
Ceist:399. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health the current waiting time for COPD assessments at the hospitals within the Saolta Group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33267/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
Health Services
Ceisteanna (400)
Michael Healy-Rae
Ceist:400. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health if matters raised (details supplied) in relation to children undergoing chemotherapy in County Kerry will be examined; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33270/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.