Written Answers Nos. 151-171
151. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if he will provide the attendance record of his Department at all joint policing committee and city and county development board meetings since 2015 to date, in tabular form. [59684/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has had no staff attend any joint policing committees or city and county development boards since its establishment in July 2020.
152. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the supports available to applicants for apprenticeships with learning difficulties; the types of supports available; if these are provided by SOLAS; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59702/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information requested by the Deputy in relation to the supports that are made available to applicants for apprenticeships with learning difficulties; the type of supports available and if these are provided by SOLAS is being compiled by SOLAS. An answer will be forwarded to the Deputy as soon as possible.
153. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the breakdown of funding for drug and alcohol addiction services from all sources for each county in each of the past five years to date, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59723/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy department does not provide a direct funding stream for drugs and alcohol addiction services. My Department does, however, fund higher education institutions (HEIs) to put supports in place for students who are suffering from mental health and well-being issues and some students may require these supports as a result of addiction issues.
I have recently announced a €3m increase in funding for mental health and well-being initiatives to bring funding to a total of €5m for this academic year. This funding targets the support of student mental health and well-being, with a specific focus on the provision of counselling services. The funding is also integral to the implementation of the National Student Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Framework launched in 2020, Ireland’s first-ever national approach to address student mental health and suicide prevention.
Another recent development in this area is the Healthy Campus initiative. The HEA are responsible for coordinating and monitoring implementation of the Healthy Campus Framework and Charter among higher education institutions.
A National Coordinator, situated in the HEA, has been appointed to drive the roll-out of the Healthy Campus Framework and Charter and to support institutions in sharing learning and good practice. An advisory group that includes representation from the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, the Department of Health, the HSE, the HEA, as well as institutional and student representatives, has been established to oversee progress.
The Framework helps higher education Institutions across Ireland to embed health and well-being into campus life for staff and students and offers guidelines to institutions to build on existing well-being actions and assists with the integration of health and well-being into decisions surrounding teaching and learning, as well as identifying opportunities in the college environment, whether social or academic, that can help foster an ethos of care, compassion and inclusion on campuses.
154. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the status of the review of State supports for PhD researchers; the terms of reference of the review; the expected timeline for the completion of the review; the membership of the review group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59789/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department will soon begin a national review of State supports for PhD researchers.
In this regard, I was pleased to recently appoint Dr Andrea Johnson and David Cagney as Co-Chairs for the review process. I do not intend to appoint any other members, but I do intend that the process will engage widely with stakeholders.
The scope of the review includes:
- Current PhD researcher supports including financial supports (stipends, SUSI supports and others);
- The adequacy, consistency and equity of current arrangements across research funders and higher education institutions, including equity and welfare considerations;
- The status of PhD researchers (student, employee) including a review of international comparators and models;
- Impact on the funding of research programmes of any adjustments to current supports;
- Graduate outcomes for PhD graduates including return on investment/benefits to the researcher;
- Visa requirements and duration for non-EU students.
The Review, informed by a robust evidence base, will be completed in early 2023.
155. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the status of plans to provide assistance for the construction of student accommodation on identified public sites in return for affordable rates for priority groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59790/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra156. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the status of the development of the policy on student housing and accommodation; the timeline for the completion of the new policy; the staffing allocation for the dedicated student accommodation unit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59791/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 155 and 156 together.
Since taking up office, both my Department officials and I have engaged and continue to engage on an ongoing basis with the Minister and Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the wider higher education sector and relevant stakeholders on student accommodation issues including within the context of the advancement of the Government's Housing for All policy.
I received Government approval and support this week on outline proposals to increase the supply of student accommodation, including proposals relating to a new model whereby for the first time the State would assist directly in bridging the gap between development costs and rental affordability in relation to the provision of additional student accommodation with publicly funded higher education institutions.
This will involve the State assisting with the cost of building student accommodation in return for affordability commitments on rent. In addition to policy development, Government has approved funding to support the provision of up to addition 700 beds for students attending MU, UL and UG. In addition, further engagement is ongoing with other providers including DCU and UCD who have planning permission for additional supply. This will also include support for TU’s in the development of feasibility plans on student accommodation in 2023 to develop appropriate responses to regional demand.
I have established a dedicated Student Accommodation Unit is leading the development of this new Student Accommodation policy as a matter of urgency, alongside the HEA and the sector.
The Student Accommodation Unit was founded on the 10th October and is currently staffed by 1 Principal Officer and 2 Higher Executive Officers with internal professional and technical support and expert resources in the HEA. There are plans for an Assistant Principal Officer and higher executive officer to join the unit in early December. Further staffing allocations are due to take place over the next few months as the role and work of the section develops. The Unit is based between DFHERIS offices in Tullamore and Marlborough St., Dublin 1.
157. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 92 of 18 October 2022, if he will provide a status update on the work of the working group focused on skills, participation and cost; the number of times the working group has met in 2022; the dates of all meetings; if the working group will produce a final report; the timeline for when the working group is expected to complete its work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59792/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraTo take forward implementation of Funding the Future, I established a steering group which I chair alongside Professor Anne Looney and Professor Tom Collins. Two working groups have been established led by Professors Looney and Collins. The working group focused on skills, participation and cost is examining the potential to support students to avail of more flexible learning opportunities.
The Irish Universities Association (IUA) recently presented to this working group on a position paper an IUA reference group developed in 2020 on Part-Time and Flexible Study. The paper outlined a principles-based proposed approach to the funding of part-time study. The group has also considered flexible study in the context of achieving goals set by the National Access Plan.
The group has also put a focus on skills shortages in Nursing, and has a further subgroup considering expansion issues impacting on expansion - particularly in relation to securing appropriate placements.
This year Working Group 2 has met 5 times at the below dates:
- 13th June 2022
- 1st July 2022
- 18th July 2022
- 29th August 2022
- 7th November 2022
The working group updates the steering group at its regular meetings, and there is no report scheduled from the group. It will continue to inform the work of my Department on an ongoing basis.
158. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science further to Parliamentary Question No. 92 of 18 October 2022, if he will provide a status update on the steering group tasked with progressing the implementation of future funding; the dates of all meetings the steering group has held to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59793/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government agreed a sustainable funding model for higher education in May 2022 following an extensive economic assessment undertaken through the European Commission's Directorate General for Reform.
Funding the Future, a funding and reform framework for higher education, was launched on the 25th of May this year.
We have committed to a mixed model of funding, including additional Exchequer investment, employer contributions through the National Training Fund, and the student contribution.
Exchequer investment through the annual Estimates process will fund enhancements of core funding of higher education, with the intention of reaching additional core investment of €307 million over the coming years.
In return, the higher education system will make progress across a number of key reform and performance priorities.
I established the Funding the Future Implementation and Reform Group to provide guidance to the Department on the rollout of the new funding and reform framework and to oversee progress against identified reforms.
As Minister I am leading this Group in conjunction with two co-chairs, both experts in the field of higher education, Professor Tom Collins and Professor Anne Looney. Membership includes sectoral, enterprise and societal representatives. The Group has met on four occasions (May 25th, June 29th, September 7th, and October 19th) since we launched Funding the Future in May and its significant inputs informed this year's Estimates process. Budget 2023 saw the first tranche of investment - €40 million - allocated to address the core funding gap.
159. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science when he expects to finalise the capital expenditure plan for his Department for 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59823/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe revised National Development Plan (NDP) published in October 2021 provided clarity on Departmental capital ceilings for the period 2022 – 2025.
The table below sets out the 2023 capital ceilings.
|
HE Capital |
€179m* |
|
HEA Capital |
€1m |
|
HE PPPs |
€40m |
|
FET Capital |
€60m** |
|
TOTAL |
€280m |
* The amount above includes up to €19m for shared ICT Infrastructure for the Higher Education Sector programme providing investment in the upgrade of ICT infrastructure and business applications for the higher education sector.
** The amount above includes €0.5m for SOLAS Agency capital costs.
160. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Justice the total cost to date of her Department's public campaign in relation to the sharing of intimate images without consent; the cost of each of the television, radio and newspaper advertising campaigns; the amounts paid to any external consultants or advertising agencies arising from this campaign; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59606/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Intimate Image Abuse campaign that the Deputy refers to was launched by my Department in September 2021 with the aim of raising awareness of image-based sexual abuse and to better inform people of the strong legislation in place to combat it. We want people to know that sharing intimate images without consent is illegal, socially unacceptable, has harmful consequences and is a form of abuse. We also want victims of this abuse to know that this crime can be reported to Hotline.ie or An Garda Síochána, and that there is help in getting illegally shared images removed quickly. We want to encourage people to think – to not share intimate images if they think the person featured hasn’t given consent or if they don't know that they have. We want to challenge the narrative that seeks to place some or all of the blame on the victim and to make clear that those who share an intimate image without consent carry all the blame. The campaign will be further developed under the Preventive Pillar of the Government’s Third National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence.
Raising awareness of the issue of Intimate Image Abuse will be a part of the wider prevention campaigns that will run throughout the length of the strategy and this will include producing appropriate assets highlighting that is illegal to threaten to share intimate images. The latest burst of the campaign was launched on the 14th of October and will continue to run until December 18th. The campaign adverts is being run on TV, radio, in cinemas, on video on demand, digital audio, social media and using digital out of home advertising. Two creative advertising agencies have been involved with developing this campaign on our behalf: TBWA\Dublin in 2021 and Javelin in 2022. PHD Media are the media buying agency for the campaign. PHD Media are paid a monthly fee and for reasons of commercial sensitives, I am not including information on their fees. I can however provide details of how much we spend on the various types of media used in the attached table.
Intimate Image Campaign
|
Creative Production Cost |
2021 |
2022* |
|
€97,373 |
€23,366 |
|
|
Media Spend breakdown |
||
|
TV |
€206,998 |
|
|
Radio |
€28,555 |
|
|
Cinema |
€67,046 |
€31,428 |
|
Digital Audio |
€16,971 |
€8,339 |
|
Social Media |
€49,651 |
€4,842 |
|
VOD |
€14,666 |
€19,010 |
|
Total Spend |
€245,707 |
€322,537.56 |
*spend to date
161. Deputy Marian Harkin asked the Minister for Justice the status of a decision on a visa application by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59614/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAll visa applicants are advised that the onus is on them to provide as much information in support of their application as they feel is necessary. Guidelines in this regard are posted on the Immigration Service website. When making an appeal, the applicant should take into account the reasons for refusal listed in the refusal letter. The appeal should include any further information or additional documentation they wish to have considered, and should be sent for the attention of the Visa Appeals Officer, in the relevant Visa Office, where the matter will be considered afresh.
Full consideration will be given to any appeals received on behalf of the applicants, however the onus is on applicants to satisfy the Visa Officer that visas should be granted. Processing times and decisions at the Overseas Visa Offices can be checked at the webpage for the relevant office.
The Visa office Dublin are currently processing applications of this type received on the 17 August 2022. Applicants can keep up-to-date with the dates the Visa Office in Dublin are processing by checking the following page; which is updated weekly;
www.irishimmigration.ie/visa-decisions/.
Applicants are advised not to pay for airline or other travel tickets without having first been issued with a visa.
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.
Appeals for applications of this type are processed in the order in which they are received, to be fair to all applicants. While every effort is made to process these applications as soon as possible, processing times will vary having regard to the volume of appeals received, their complexity, the possible need for the visa office to seek further information in relation to certain appeals and the resources available to process them.
162. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice the number of community service orders issued over the past three years, by court district. [59629/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy may be aware it is generally recognised that non-custodial penalties, particularly supervised community sanctions, play a significant and important role in addressing criminality, reducing reoffending and providing a degree of protection to the public. This is supported by Central Statistics Office figures on recidivism.
The Review of Policy Options for Prison and Penal Reform 2022-2024 reflects this. Among the issues the review makes recommendations on, is reducing the use of short custodial sentences (especially sentences under 3 months) and exploring how the judiciary can be provided with a greater range of non-custodial sanctions. Community sanctions can play a role in addressing criminality, reducing reoffending and providing protection to the public while holding the individual accountable. Non-custodial sentences, which includes sentencing a person to undertake community service, means that a person can retain links to their own community (e.g. family connections, employment, and home) which improves the chances that they will not re-offend and in doing so improves public safety.
The Probation Service has statutory responsibility for the management of Community Service, under the Community Service Act 1983 (as amended) and part 5 of the Fines Act 2014. This includes the assessment of suitability of offenders referred to the Probation Service by the Criminal Courts for the purposes of a Community Service Report and where these people are identified suitable to management of community service orders so imposed. Community Service may be imposed on persons over 16 years of age, convicted of an offence where the Court is considering a custodial sanction of more than 12 months, who have been assessed as suitable to perform unpaid work in the community. The Court may impose a Community Service Order of between 40 and 240 hours (Community Service Act) 30 – 100 hours (Fines Act) of unpaid work for the benefit of the local community in place of a prison sentence.
Community Service may incorporate training or counselling programmes that target areas identified as contributing to an individual’s offending behaviour. The Probation Service works with individual offenders in instances where this can be applied, verification is required in relation to any time allowed.
As the Deputy will be aware every year thousands of hours of unpaid work are provided to not-for-profit, community and voluntary groups through Community Service Orders.
Under the provisions of the Courts Service Act 1998, management of the courts is the responsibility of the Courts Service, which is independent in exercising its functions, which include the provision of information on the courts system. As such I have asked that Court Service to respond to the Deputy directly with the information sought on the number of community service orders issued by court district over the past three years if it is possible for the Courts Service to do so.
However, in order to be of assistance to the Deputy, I also include below a table providing the figures for of all Community Service Orders for the period from 2019 – 2021 which includes Circuit and District Courts.
|
Year |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
|
District Court |
2492 |
997 |
1173 |
|
Circuit Court |
299 |
164 |
187 |
|
Total |
2791 |
1161 |
1360 |
163. Deputy Richard Bruton asked the Minister for Justice if a list will be provided of all schemes and programmes under the remit of her Department for which a means test applies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59660/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Criminal Justice (Legal Aid) Act 1962 provides that free legal aid may be granted, in certain circumstances, for the defence of persons of insufficient means in criminal proceedings.
The Department of Justice has no involvement in the day to day running of the scheme, the granting of free legal aid or assignment of lawyers. It is important to note that while my Department pays the legal practitioners, the decision to award legal aid in individual cases is a matter for the court.
Legal aid is awarded based on two criteria; one being whether a person has the means to pay for their defence and the second being the gravity of the charge. There is no set monetary threshold that determines the awarding of legal aid.
Similarly the Criminal Assets Bureau Ad-hoc Legal Aid Scheme and the Legal Aid- Custody Issues Scheme are available for persons in need of legal representation but who cannot afford it. The decision to award legal aid under these schemes is a matter for the court.
The Garda Station Legal Aid Revised (GSLARS) Scheme is administered by the Legal Aid Board and funded by my Department. Persons in receipt of social welfare payments, or those in employment whose earnings are less than €20,316 per annum (gross) are eligible to receive assistance under the Scheme.
164. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Justice if she will provide the attendance record of her Department at all joint policing committee and city and county development board meetings since 2015 to date, in tabular form. [59687/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy will be interested to note that Joint Policing Committees (JPCs) are made up of elected representatives, members of An Garda Síochána, local authority staff and community representatives. Although JPCs operate under guidelines issued by the Minister for Justice after consultation with the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, my Department is not a member of any JPC or City or County Development Board. As JPCs are chaired by Councillors and supported by staff in the local authorities, any attendance records would sit with the local councils. As the Deputy will be aware, the Government recently secured approval to publish the landmark Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill. The Bill will make community safety a “whole of government responsibility” and includes the establishment of innovative local Community Safety Partnerships to develop local safety plans tailored to the priorities and needs identified by communities themselves. These Local Community Safety Partnerships will build on and replace the existing Joint Policing Committees (JPCs) and will provide a forum for State agencies and local community representatives to work together to act on community concerns. Three pilot Local Community Safety Partnerships have been established in Longford, Waterford and Dublin North Inner City with an independent Chair and full-time Coordinator appointed to each pilot Partnership. Each Partnership will develop and oversee a tailored and prioritised Local Community Safety Plan which will be informed by the community itself in conjunction with public services. Membership of the Partnerships will be broader than that of the existing JPCs and will include residents, community representatives (including youth, new communities and voluntary sector representation), business and education sector representation, relevant public services including the HSE, Tusla, An Garda Síochána and local authorities as well as local councillors. The intention is to evaluate the pilots and apply the lessons learned to structures in the Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill and the roll out of similar partnerships in communities across the country. The mid-term evaluation of the Local Community Safety Partnership Pilots is expected in Q1 2023.
165. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Justice the number of extraditions from this State in 2021 to 27 November 2022, by nationality of person and the destination the to which they were extradited. [59703/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra166. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Justice the number of extraditions to this State in 2021 to 27 November 2022, by nationality of person and the destination from which they were extradited. [59704/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 165 and 166 together.
As the Deputy may be aware, the Extraditions to and from Ireland are carried out under the European Arrest Warrant Act 2003 as amended and the Extradition Act 1965 as amended.
The material requested by the Deputy is in the two tables at the following link.
Table 1: Provides the number of extraditions from this State in 2021 to 27 November 2022, by nationality of person and the destination to which they were extradited.
Table 2: Provides the number of extraditions to this State in 2021 to 27 November 2022, by nationality of person and the destination from which they were extradited.
167. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Justice the number of gardaí on secondment outside the State, by location; and the number of police officers from other jurisdictions seconded here. [59705/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have sought the information requested by the Deputy from An Garda Síochána. Regrettably this information was not available in time and I will write to the Deputy again once it is to hand.
|
Organisation |
Number of Gardaí |
|
United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) |
12 |
|
Interpol (France) |
3 |
|
Europol (The Netherlands) |
2 |
|
Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre (MAOC)(N) (Portugal) |
1 |
|
Total |
18 |
168. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Health the status of the Covid-19 bonus payment for a person (details supplied); the reason the payment has not been received; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59581/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly.
I would also like to remind the Deputy that it is against Department policy to comment on individual cases.
169. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Health his plans to move to an informed consent model for transgender healthcare provision, which would be led by GPs in the community; if he will provide details of any engagement he has had with the transgender community in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59591/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra170. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Health the steps his Department is taking to reduce a 52-week wait for an endometriosis excision surgery, considering that further delay to this type of surgery may impact severely on women's reproductive health; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59597/22]
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.
171. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Health if he will investigate the significant delay in providing a necessary assessment of needs and psychology appointment for a child (details supplied); when they will be seen; the steps he is taking to clear the substantial waiting lists for these services; if his attention has been drawn to the impact this is having on children with additional needs and their families; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59599/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy's question relates to a service issue, it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
