Written Answers Nos. 253-272
253. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the extent to which he continues to promote and propel issues of assistance to persons with disabilities in line with representations received from the disability sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57226/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister of State with responsibility for Disability, I am committed to ensuring that people with disabilities are supported to live the lives they want to. I would also highlight that key achievements have been made across a number of Government Departments in this regard.My Department receives a significant number of representations from members of the public concerning disability policy development in Ireland. Many of these representations are from disability organisations and those with lived experience of a disability. This is important as the inclusion of people with disabilities in the policy making process is set out as a clear obligation in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and is a priority to me as Minister of State.Effective and meaningful consultation with people with disabilities and their representative organisations is a critical component of inclusive policy making processes and in that regard, the Disability Participation and Consultation Network (DPCN) was established in 2020 with funding from my Department. The DPCN successfully facilitated a comprehensive and inclusive consultation on Ireland's first State Report under the UNCRPD, and the final Report that was submitted to the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in November 2021 benefits greatly from contributions made through this process. The DPCN continues to be an important forum through which people with disabilities, including Disabled Persons Organisations, are supported to become involved in consultations that inform the development of law and policy in Ireland.The Disability Stakeholder Group (DSG) is another example of a way in which government directly engages with people with disabilities in the policy development process. The DSG is a voluntary group of individuals with expertise and lived experience of disability. It is comprised of 24 members, representing a cross-cut of the disability community, and includes an independent Chairperson. The DSG has an important role in independently monitoring the implementation of the National Disability Inclusion Strategy (NDIS) and the Comprehensive Employment Strategy for People with Disabilities (CES) which are key national frameworks for policy and action to address the rights of persons with disabilities in Ireland.
The NDIS contains over 120 actions and serves to coordinate action at a whole of government level on disability issues. Similarly, the CES serves to coordinate whole of government efforts to increase access to, and participation in, the labour market and employment for persons with disabilities. Consultation is also at the centre of current efforts to develop a national Autism Innovation Strategy. As the first step in the development of the strategy, a public consultation was launched in April 2022 to gather feedback, opinions and insights into the current supports and services provided and to identify specific issues to be addressed by the strategy. These insights will feed directly into a first draft of the Autism Innovation Strategy. Efforts are also underway to appoint an Oversight and Advisory Group to oversee implementation of the strategy. It is intended that this group will represent lived experience as much as possible. Once a draft strategy has been published, a further public consultation will be carried out to give people the chance to have their say before the strategy is finalised and adopted.The Government is furthermore committed to developing a UNCRPD Implementation Plan and I look forward to working through the development of this Plan in consultation with people with disabilities and their representative organisations.
254. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the extent, if any, to which he remains satisfied that issues of equality are fully honoured in situations where mothers of children find themselves in the family law courts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57227/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThis is a matter for my cabinet colleague, the Minister for Justice, as the court services are under her remit.
255. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the extent to which he continues to interact with youth organisations throughout the country with a view to identifying their priorities and providing assistance if and when required; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57228/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraOfficials from my Department meet with various youth organisations on an individual basis when the need arises, in regular formal meetings with individual organisations or as a group, and by maintaining informal contacts.
My Department provides funding to all 16 Education and Training Boards (ETB) to support youth services in their area and to support the work of the Youth Officer. Youth Officers provide an important support role to my Department in the co-ordination and administration of youth services at local level. My officials hold quarterly meetings with the ETBs and these meetings assist my Department in identifying service needs and emerging issues, particularly for vulnerable young people.
My officials also maintain contact with all 30 national youth organisations funded under the Youth Service Grant Scheme and with Gaisce. This has included meetings twice a year in an open forum attended by myself and officials. These meetings took place online during COVID-19 but the first in-person meeting of this group took place this week on November 16th. This meeting provided a fantastic opportunity for my officials and I to connect with the sector in this forum in person for the first time since 2019.
The Department will continue to ensure there is sufficient engagement with this important sector which provides enormous value to young people.
256. Deputy Kieran O'Donnell asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science his views on whether students who are attending the National Learning Network, who were awarded the disability allowance, should receive the €500 cost-of-living disability support grant in the same way as persons who were awarded the disability allowance and are receiving their payment from his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57159/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFollowing consultation with colleagues in the Department of Social Protection, eligible learners, including those attending the National Learning Network, will receive the once-off payment of €500 announced in Budget 2023. My officials are engaging with SOLAS in relation to arrangements being put in place for the payments to be made. I will provide you with an update once these arrangements are in place.
257. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the total amount in Government funding allocated to the student assistance fund for the academic years 2017-2018, 2018-2019, 2019-2020, 2020-2021, 2021-2022 and to date in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57067/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe funding allocated to the Student Assistance Fund for the years mentioned by the Deputy are attached in tabular format.
|
Academic Year |
General Student Assistance Fund |
Part-time Allocation |
COVID-19/ Cost of Living Funding |
Professional Masters of Education Funding |
Total Allocation |
|
2017/2018 |
€8,100,000 |
€1,000,000 |
€9,100,000 |
||
|
2018/2019 |
€8,100,000 |
€1,000,000 |
€1,000,000 |
€10,100,000 |
|
|
2019/2020 |
€8,100,000 |
€1,000,000 |
€1,000,000 |
€10,100,000 |
|
|
2020/2021 |
€8,100,000 |
€1,000,000 |
€8,100,000 |
€1,000,000 |
€18,200,000 |
|
€8,100,000 |
|||||
|
2021/2022 |
€8,100,000 |
€1,000,000 |
€1,300,000 |
€18,500,000 |
|
|
2022/2023 (to date) |
€8,100,000 |
€1,000,000 |
€8,000,000 |
€17,100,000 |
258. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will address a situation involving a person (details supplied) who is having difficulty gaining a college placement for their apprenticeship; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57240/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the Further Education and Training Act (2013), SOLAS has statutory responsibility for planning, funding, and co-ordinating Further Education and Training (FET) in Ireland.
My officials have referred your query to SOLAS for direct reply on this individual matter. If you do not receive a response from SOLAS within 30 days, please do come back to my office for further follow-up.
259. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Justice if the licence issued on 17 July 2022 to a company (details supplied) has been reviewed in view of Private Security Authority legislation point 3.6. Clause 13; if the company has been given five weeks' notice to correct this outstanding issue given its failure to comply with Private Security Authority guidelines to allow the security ERO to be implemented. [57135/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have requested information in order to be able to respond to the Deputy, unfortunately the information was not forthcoming in the time allowed and I will respond directly to the Deputy once this information is received.
260. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Justice if she will set out the amount allocated in Budget 2023 to update ICT in her Department; the amounts to be allocated to updating the digitalisation needs relating to asylum, migration or border controls including Eurodac, SIS and VIS; if she will set out the expenditure on these issues in 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57054/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 2023 allocation for projected overall ICT Strategic expenditure for the Department of Justice Vote is approximately €23 million current and €10 million capital which includes additional allocation to fund the digitalisation of a range of ICT services.
While these figures are not broken down by the categories outlined by the Deputy, digitalisation needs relating to immigration and international protection are a significant component of this expenditure across a number of categories of expenditure including hardware, software and professional services.
My Department's ICT related expenditure year to date (end of October) in 2022 is in the region of €14.5m.
261. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Justice if her Department has calculated a death gratuity payment owed to a deceased member of staff (details supplied) given that the delay is leading to a delay in finalising probate; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57057/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have been in contact with the Deputy directly who has advised that she has received an update on this matter.
262. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Justice the number of bicycles which have been stolen in each of the past five years in the Dublin metropolitan region including to date in 2022; the number that have been recovered and returned to their owners; the understanding of the gardaí in respect the market for these bicycles; the strategy that is being pursued to reduce this number; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57153/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, theft is an offence under section 4 of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001. Anyone convicted of a theft offence is liable to a penalty of a fine or up to 10 years imprisonment. Under section 14 of the Act, a person found guilty of robbery (theft using coercion or force) is potentially liable on conviction on indictment to life imprisonment. As the Deputy will appreciate, the sentence in any individual case is a matter for the presiding Judge.
I am advised by the Garda authorities that a search of the PULSE database was conducted to identify any incident of theft/unauthorised taking of a pedal cycle reported in the DMR between 1 January 2017 up to 15 November 2022. Please be advised that the Garda authorities are unable to provide a count of bicycles which were recovered/returned to owners.
The table below sets out the number of bike thefts reported in the DMR during this period.
|
Year Reported |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
*2022 (to 15/11/2022) |
|
Incident Count |
4073 |
3637 |
3720 |
3638 |
3298 |
3067 |
*These figures are operational and may be liable to change. Crime counting rules are applied.
The Deputy may be aware that there are a number of initiatives being taken by An Garda Síochána to tackle bike theft, including the ‘Lock it or Lose it’ initiative which focuses on reminding the public to take extra precautions to keep their bikes safe by locking them in the most secure way possible.
The Blue Bike scheme has also been designed to highlight bike theft hotspots by placing an end of life bike, painted blue, in such areas with a large sign warning members of the public to lock their bikes and be aware of bike theft. This scheme has three goals:
1. To warn the public that bike thieves are operating in the area;
2. To deter crime by informing offenders that An Garda Síochána are monitoring the area; and
3. To thereby create a safer place for members of the public to lock and secure their bikes.
I am informed that, in addition to the ‘Lock it or Lose it’ and Blue Bike initiatives, Gardaí will be resuming property marking schemes and the use of so-called ‘bait bicycles’ in areas which have been identified as bike theft hotspots. Other responses that will be pursued by Gardaí include surveillance of known offenders, the monitoring of any offenders’ current bail conditions and where necessary the appropriate action of any breach of their bail with the relevant courts, and proactive policing, both overt and covert, of hotspot areas.
263. Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin asked the Minister for Justice the average length of time that is taken from application to grant of probate in each of the past five years; if work has been carried out by her Department to compare the process in Ireland with other countries; if actions have been taken or are proposed to speed up the process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57165/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraManagement of the courts, operational matters and logistical functions are the responsibility of the judiciary and Courts Service, which are independent in exercising their functions under the Courts Service Act 1998 and given the separation of powers in the Constitution. The Courts Service has a dedicated email address for the provision of information to members of the Houses of the Oireachtas at: oireachtasenquiries@courts.ie.
Probate is an operational matter for the Courts Service. Therefore, I have referred your question to the Courts Service for their direct reply.
264. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Justice the current wait time for a decision on a citizenship application from when a person first applies to the issuing of the final decision; the number of applications currently in the system; the current wait time for applications made prior to 2022; the current wait time for applications made in 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57171/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am deeply conscious of how important the granting of naturalisation is to those who apply for it and my Department continued to accept and process citizenship applications throughout the pandemic and during all levels of public health restrictions.
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.
The Citizenship division of my Department receives approximately 1000 applications per month and regrettably, the current median processing time for naturalisation applications is 19 months.
My Justice Plan 2022 commits to developing a fully digital, customer-centric immigration service and to enhance the efficiency of our immigration system. In line with these commitments, a number of actions have been taken to reduce the impact on immigration processing times, including the introduction of online applications, a new customer service helpdesk and a new customer-focused immigration website.
As a result of the introduction of the temporary statutory declaration process in January 2021, and the assignment of additional staff to the citizenship team, last year, 11,512 citizenship decisions were made. This is the highest number of decisions made annually since 2015 and reflects positively the significant changes undertaken to date.
For the first six months of 2022, almost 7,900 citizenship decisions have been issued, including 1,005 decisions on minor applications. This exceeds the total number of minor decisions issued during the whole of last year when 868 minor decisions were made.
Since 1 January 2022, new applicants for citizenship no longer have to submit their original passport with their application. Instead, they can provide a full colour copy of their passport. This is freeing up staff that up to now have been engaged in returning passports to applicants and will also help to reduce processing times.
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.
The table below sets out the average processing times by year since 2015, along with the number of applications decided in each of those years.
|
Year |
Number of Applications decided |
Average Processing Time (Months) |
|
2015 |
12,869 |
7 |
|
2016 |
11,081 |
6 |
|
2017 |
9,190 |
7 |
|
2018 |
11,139 |
10 |
|
2019 |
9,319 |
12 |
|
2020 |
3,551 |
13 |
|
2021 |
11,512 |
23 |
265. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Justice the number of persons who are due to receive Irish citizenship at ceremonies before the end of 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57172/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am pleased to confirm that my Department intends to host the next in-person citizenship ceremonies on the 5th and 6th of December 2022 in the Killarney Convention Centre (Gleneagle Hotel).
It is expected that almost 3250 persons will be invited and it is intended that at least 4 ceremonies will be held over the 2 days.
The granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is governed by the provisions of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended, and all applications are processed in line with the eligibility criteria as set out under the Act. Each application is assessed individually in accordance with the provisions of the Act. A determination on whether an applicant satisfies the statutory criteria attendant to naturalisation can only be made after an application is received.
Applicants are required to have 5 years reckonable residence in the state prior to making an application, except for spouses of Irish nationals where the requirement is 3 years. In both cases, the final 12 months must be continuous residence in the State with up to 6 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 Irish Immigration website at: www.irishimmigration.ie/how-to-become-a-citizen/ .
266. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Justice the average number of decisions on applications for asylum that are made each month; the number of applications for asylum that have been granted to date in 2022 compared to 2019 to 2021 inclusive; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57173/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe International Protection office of my Department endeavours to make recommendations on international protection applications as soon as possible. This ensures that those who are found to be in need of protection from the State can receive it quickly and begin rebuilding their lives here with a sense of safety and security.
In recent months, the number of people claiming international protection has increased significantly, with 11,140 applications made so far this year to the end of October 2022. This is a 165% increase on the same period in 2019, the last year in which application numbers were not impacted by COVID-19.
My Department is taking steps to ensure that applications are dealt with as quickly as possible. New measures and procedures have been put in place to improve efficiencies across all aspects of the protection process. The introduction of these new procedures are in parallel with a commitment to significantly increase the resources available for the international protection system in Budget 2023.
The information sought by the Deputy with regard to the average number of decisions on applications for asylum and the number granted a protection status can be found in the attached tables.
The average figure for monthly decisions (Refugee Status and Subsidiary Protection only) issued by the Ministerial Decisions Unit in 2022 to end October is 503.
Ministerial decisions (RS and SP) in 2022 (to 31 October)
|
Month |
RS Grants |
SP Grants |
RS/SP Refusals |
Total |
|
Jan |
200 |
23 |
122 |
345 |
|
Feb |
157 |
1 |
261 |
419 |
|
Mar |
162 |
15 |
288 |
465 |
|
Apr |
107 |
5 |
261 |
373 |
|
May |
191 |
8 |
349 |
548 |
|
Jun |
174 |
2 |
391 |
567 |
|
Jul |
220 |
6 |
416 |
642 |
|
Aug |
89 |
2 |
455 |
546 |
|
Sep |
104 |
6 |
489 |
599 |
|
Oct |
191 |
9 |
323 |
523 |
|
Totals |
1,595 |
77 |
3,355 |
5,027 |
Figures for ministerial grant decisions (RS and SP) from 2019 to 2021 and in 2022 to 31 October can be found in the table below.
|
Year of Decision |
RS Grant |
SP Grant |
RS and SP combined |
|
2019 |
954 |
166 |
1,120 |
|
2020 |
1,033 |
164 |
1,197 |
|
2021 |
1,107 |
105 |
1,212 |
|
2022 |
1,595 |
77 |
1,672 |
|
Total |
6,196 |
843 |
7,039 |
267. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Justice the number of gardaí by rank and other support staff in each of the northside of Dublin Garda stations; and the way that this has evolved since 2016. [57184/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra268. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Justice if she has received a report on the extent to which a community policing structure has been put in place in the districts covering Dublin’s northside. [57185/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 267 and 268 together.
As the Deputy will be aware, in accordance with the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), 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 role in these matters.
The Government is committed to ensuring that An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs, with the unprecedented allocation provided in Budget 2023 of €2.14 billion.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that the table below sets out the number of Garda members assigned to the DMR North and North Central at 31 December 2016 and at 30 September 2022, the latest date for which figures are available.
|
Garda by DIVISION |
2016 |
30 Sept 2022 |
% Increase |
|
D.M.R. NORTH |
676 |
780 |
15% |
|
D.M.R. NORTH CENTRAL |
612 |
655 |
7% |
The table below sets out the number of Garda staff assigned to Division during the same period.
|
Garda Staff by Division |
2016 |
30 Sept 2022 |
% Increase |
|
D.M.R. North Central |
38 |
66 |
74% |
|
D.M.R. NORTH |
43 |
69 |
60% |
The above information is based upon operational data which has been provided by An Garda Síochána and may be liable to change.
I am advised by the Garda authorities that the attached spreadsheets provide a breakdown of the above information by rank and station.
The Deputy will also be aware that, to date, the official categorisation as a Community Garda has simply referred to those who are exclusively assigned to building relationships with local communities and civil society, including giving talks to schools, community groups and others.
It is important to note, however, that community policing is at the heart of An Garda Síochána and that all Gardaí have a role to play in community policing in the course of carrying out their duties.
Indeed, this is fundamental to the new Garda Operating Model recommended by the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland and currently being rolled out under 'A Policing Service for Our Future', the Government's implementation plan for the Commission's recommendations.
I am informed by the Garda authorities, that the table below sets out the number of Gardaí assigned to Community Policing in the DMR North and North Central at 31 December 2016 and at 30 September 2022, the latest date for which figures are available.
|
DMR North Central Division |
31-Dec-16 |
30-Sep-22 |
|
Store Street |
47 |
25 |
|
Bridewell |
21 |
10 |
|
Fitzgibbon Street |
0 |
0 |
|
Mountjoy |
42 |
21 |
|
Total |
110 |
56 |
|
DMR NORTH DIVISION |
31-Dec-16 |
30-Sep-22 |
|
Santry |
3 |
9 |
|
Ballymun |
6 |
7 |
|
Raheny |
5 |
6 |
|
Clontarf |
5 |
7 |
|
Howth |
3 |
2 |
|
Coolock |
14 |
11 |
|
Swords |
10 |
8 |
|
Malahide |
4 |
0 |
|
Balbriggan |
2 |
9 |
|
Skerries |
1 |
1 |
|
Lusk |
0 |
1 |
|
Rush |
0 |
1 |
|
Garristown |
0 |
1 |
|
Total |
53 |
63 |
The above information is based upon operational data which has been provided by An Garda Síochána and may be liable to change.
For the Deputy's information, detailed statistics on Garda workforce numbers are published on my Department's website and can be accessed using the below link.
Garda Civilian Staff by Station 2010 - 30 September 2022
|
Station |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
Sep-22 |
|
DMR NC |
|||||||
|
Store Street |
13 |
16 |
16 |
28 |
30 |
36 |
34 |
|
Bridewell |
13 |
14 |
17 |
19 |
21 |
20 |
18 |
|
Fitzgibbon Street |
9 |
9 |
7 |
5 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
|
Mountjoy |
3 |
4 |
3 |
9 |
12 |
13 |
12 |
|
Total |
38 |
43 |
43 |
61 |
63 |
70 |
66 |
|
DMR NORTH |
|||||||
|
Santry (Garda Reserve) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Santry (Central Stores) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Santry |
3 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
6 |
6 |
|
D/Airport |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
Whitehall |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Ballymun |
10 |
8 |
14 |
17 |
17 |
15 |
18 |
|
Raheny |
6 |
5 |
7 |
7 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
|
Clontarf |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
|
Howth |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
Coolock |
11 |
10 |
12 |
16 |
13 |
15 |
14 |
|
Swords |
3 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
|
Malahide |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
Balbriggan |
4 |
5 |
7 |
9 |
9 |
9 |
11 |
|
Rush |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
|
Skerries |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
|
Total |
43 |
39 |
52 |
62 |
60 |
65 |
69 |
www.gov.ie/en/publication/bd777-an-garda-siochana-your-police-service-some-facts-and-figures/.
269. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Justice if she intends to amend or repeal the Forcible Entry Act 1381. [57192/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can inform the Deputy that there are currently no plans to amend or repeal the Forcible Entry Act 1381. It should be noted that this area of the law is also partially covered in legislation by the Prohibition of Forcible Entry and Occupation Act 1971.
270. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Justice the number of fatal road traffic collisions in each of the years 2016 to 2021; the number of drivers involved per year; the number of drivers in which the status of their driver licence or learner permit is unknown; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57200/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am conscious of the traumatic impact that road traffic fatalities have on those who has lost loved ones as a result of road traffic accidents. Every single fatality on our roads is one too many.
An Garda Síochána are committed to working closely with all road safety agencies to focus on high risk behaviour with the key objective of reducing the number of serious injury collisions and fatalities on our roads.
Levels of enforcement are high and involve targeted policing and awareness raising measures, including the deployment of safety cameras throughout the country with a view to preventing the commission of offences, detecting errant road users, changing the behaviour and ultimately reducing death and injuries on our roads.
The Central Statistics Office (CSO), as the national statistical agency, is responsible for the compilation and publication of all crime statistics including the number of road deaths (fatalities) and the number of injured casualties on the roads in Ireland between each year.
These statistics are prepared by the Road Safety Authority following analysis of the fatality reports provided to the RSA by An Garda Síochána and are available at the link below:
www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-wbhub/well-beinginformationhub/safetyandsecurity/personskilledorinjuredonroads/
I am informed that information pertaining to the status of the driver’s license statuses is not available as a component of the driver fatality statistics.
271. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice if an application for family reunification might be considered in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57231/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person referred currently does not have any open Join Family visa application with my Department. Long Stay Join Family visa applications are processed in accordance with the guidelines set out in the Policy Document on Non-EEA Family Reunification. This policy document may be accessed at the following link:
www.irishimmigration.ie/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Policy-document-on-Non-EEA-family-reunification.pdf
If the person concerned wishes to make a Join Family visa application they can do so online at:
www.visas.inis.gov.ie/avats/OnlineHome.aspx .
I can further inform the Deputy that the person referred to created an on-line Study visa application on the 21 October 2022. If the applicant wishes to proceed with their Study application they should click “submit” and print a copy of their “Summary Form”.
The summary form contains some of the information the applicant has entered. It will also contain instructions on what they are required to do next in order to submit their documentation and pay the relevant fee. The instructions will differ depending on which country they are applying from.
The applicant should lodge the summary form together with the relevant fee and supporting documentation with the Irish Embassy/Consulate/Visa Office as soon as possible. The applicant should make sure that the supporting documentation is as up to date as possible. Only upon receipt of the necessary documentation & fee, can the visa application be processed further.
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.
272. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice the current and or expected residency status in the case of a person (details supplied) currently attending a school and in possession of Stamp 2, if their status can be upgraded for employment purposes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57232/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra273. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice when an application for a visa might be entertained in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57233/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 272 and 273 together.
I am informed by my officials that the person referred to by the Deputy is in receipt of a Stamp 2 immigration permission and therefore does not need a visa at this time.
Any person in receipt of a Stamp 2 immigration permission on student conditions is allowed to take up casual employment to supplement their income while studying in Ireland. During term time, non-EEA students can work up to 20 hours per week and during normal college holiday periods they can work on a full time basis up to 40 hours per week.
The Stamp 2 permission will typically expire shortly after the conclusion of the course. The person will then need to leave the state or seek a change of permission, if they met the criteria.
More information is available on my Department's website at: www.irishimmigration.ie/my-situation-has-changed-since-i-arrived-in-ireland/
Where a persons parents are Irish citizens it is open to them to make an application for citizenship when the meet the criteria as set down in the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956 as amended.
The granting of Irish citizenship through naturalisation is governed by the provisions of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended, and all applications are processed in line with the eligibility criteria as set out under the Act. Each application is assessed individually in accordance with the provisions of the Act. A determination on whether an applicant satisfies the statutory criteria attendant to naturalisation can only be made after an application is received.
Applicants are required to have 5 years reckonable residence in the state prior to making an application, except for spouses of Irish nationals where the requirement is 3 years. In both cases, the final 12 months must be continuous residence in the State with up to 6 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 Irish Immigration website at: www.irishimmigration.ie/how-to-become-a-citizen/ .
