Written Answers Nos. 487-500
488. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Justice if he will provide a schedule of engagements he and or his predecessor have had with the Central Bank and the Revenue Commissioners in respect of closing the IIP scheme; if he gave both organisations advance notice of the cessation of the IIP scheme; and if he took advice from either organisation in respect of the cessation of the IIP scheme. [9750/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy is aware, I obtained approval from the Government to close the Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP) to further applications from 15 February 2023.
Neither I, nor Minister McEntee, have had any engagements with the Central Bank or the Revenue Commissioners in respect of the closure of the IIP. However, the Department of Finance is represented on the Evaluation Committee that assesses IIP applications and there is ongoing engagement at official level with the Revenue Commissioners in respect of the Common Reporting Standards approved by the OECD for information sharing on such programmes.
The closure of the Programme will not affect existing projects or individuals already approved under the programme. My Department will continue to monitor existing approved projects in relation to the delivery and for compliance with the terms of the Programme. Current applications on hand at the time of closure will continue to be considered.
The IIP Unit has published a FAQ on my Department's website, which will be updated with any further arising questions from the closure, and is available here: www.irishimmigration.ie/faqs-closure-of-the-immigrant-investor-programme-iip/
489. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice the number of times armed gardaí discharged a firearm during the course of their duty in each of the years 2019 to 2022, and to-date in 2023, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9754/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of Garda business under Section 26 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), which includes all operational policing matters. As Minister, I have no role in these independent functions.
For the Deputy's information, in the interest of transparency, the Commissioner publishes monthly statistics related to the use of force by Garda members, including the discharge of firearms, at the following link: www.garda.ie/en/information-centre/statistics/
The Commissioner also provides monthly published reports to the Policing Authority which detail use of force by Garda members, including the discharge of firearms, which can be viewed at the following link: www.garda.ie/en/about-us/publications/general-reports/commissioner-s-monthly-reports-to-policing-authority/
To be of assistance, I am advised that the below table, drawn from the published information available, outlines the number of times that a Garda member discharged a lethal or less-than-lethal/non-lethal firearm in the course of their duty for the years specified.
|
Year |
Lethal |
* Less / Non Lethal |
Total |
|
2019 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
|
2020 |
7 |
9 |
16 |
|
2021 |
8 |
5 |
13 |
|
2022 |
0 |
5 |
5 |
|
2023 (as of 31 Jan) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
* Less lethal weapons are designed to cause less serious injuries than traditional firearms, while non-lethal weapons are designed to disable or subdue an assailant without causing death or serious injury.
490. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice the number of gardaí by rank attached to a district community response team within the DMR as of 20 February 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9755/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have requested the information sought by the Deputy from An Garda Síochána, and will contact him again when this is to hand.
491. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice the percentage of gardaí adequately trained to engage in high-speed pursuit of vehicles in each Garda district within the DMR, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9756/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the administration and management of An Garda Síochána, including any matters relating to the training of Garda members. As Minister, I have no role in such matters.
An Garda Síochána have advised that it is not possible to provide figures in the manner in which they are sought, as records are not kept in a way to allow the extraction of this information.
The Deputy will be however interested to know, in 2009, the structure of driving training courses was changed to a Competency Based Driving model with a number of levels from basic non-response driving functions to higher skill-set driving based on the Roadcraft system of driving, including emergency response driving.
The Competency Based Driving Level 2 (CBD2) is a three week Competency Based Driving Course aimed at front-line Garda Drivers. This course contains Road Craft and emergency response driving.
The CBD Level 3 (CBD3) course, is two weeks in duration and is aimed at specialist units who have, by their role, a requirement for a higher skill set including a need to drive higher powered vehicles.
The table below, provided to me by the Garda authorities, outlines the number of Gardaí by division in the DMR who successfully completed training in CBD2 and CBD3 over the past three years:
|
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
|||||
|
CBD2 |
CBD3 |
CBD2 |
CBD3 |
CBD2 |
CBD3 |
Total |
|
|
DMR East |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
19 |
3 |
23 |
|
DMR West |
6 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
17 |
2 |
28 |
|
DMR North Central |
3 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
13 |
3 |
22 |
|
DMR South Central |
3 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
16 |
6 |
26 |
|
DMR South |
3 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
15 |
3 |
23 |
|
DMR North |
4 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
18 |
6 |
32 |
|
DMR Traffic |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
8 |
0 |
8 |
|
Specialist Units |
1 |
1 |
0 |
5 |
2 |
4 |
13 |
|
Total |
175 |
I am advised that these details do not take account of any members who have been promoted, transferred or retired.
492. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice the number of registrations that An Garda Síochána is processing each week outside of the Dublin region; the average waiting times for appointments in each office, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9757/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy is aware, the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) has oversight of the registration and renewal of immigration permissions for persons residing outside of the Dublin area.
The responsibility of the registration function at Immigration Offices outside of the Dublin Metropolitan Region rests with local Superintendents or the relevant Detective Superintendent.
The waiting time for appointments outside of Dublin is dependent on the demand for registrations in each office, and fluctuates based on seasonal demands and other variations. The national average waiting time is not a statistic that is recorded.
The table below outlines the number of registrations processed by an Garda Síochána outside Dublin for each month in 2022.
Registrations outside of Dublin for 2022
|
Month |
Registrations Outside Dublin |
|
January |
6,531 |
|
February |
6,794 |
|
March |
7,217 |
|
April |
6,564 |
|
May |
7,574 |
|
June |
7,365 |
|
July |
6,642 |
|
August |
7,896 |
|
September |
9,856 |
|
October |
14,461 |
|
November |
13,956 |
|
December |
10,152 |
|
Total |
105,008 |
493. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice the number of gardaí seconded outside of the State, by location; the number of police officers from other jurisdictions seconded here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9758/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have requested the information sought by the Deputy, however, this information was not available in time. I will write to the Deputy once the information is to hand.
494. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice the number and percentage of roads policing vehicles that are currently fitted with automatic number plate recognition systems; the amount of funding that has been allocated in 2023 to include additional Garda vehicles with automatic number plate recognition systems; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9759/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy will be aware that, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of Garda business. This includes the management of the Garda Fleet and the allocation of Garda resources, including distribution of funding from the Garda Vote. As Minister, I have no role in these independent functions.
I am however assured that Garda management keeps the distribution of resources under continual review. I am advised that this is considered in the context of crime trends and policing priorities, to ensure the optimum use of these resources.
I can also assure the Deputy that the Government is committed to ensuring An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs to deliver a modern, fit-for-purpose, policing service. Budget 2023 provides record funding of over €2 billion for An Garda Síochána, of which €10m has been allocated for investment in the Garda fleet.
Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) was introduced by the Garda authorities in 2008 and is used on a daily basis to assist in the prevention and detection of crime on our roads network. I am advised that currently 126 Roads Policing vehicles, or 38% of the Roads Policing fleet, are fitted with ANPR capability.
I am advised that the majority of Garda vehicles that are not equipped with ANPR predate 2019. As such, fitting the equipment to some of these vehicles may not be cost-efficient.
I am informed that around half of the outstanding vehicles are Garda motorcycles. These vehicles are not currently being equipped with ANPR capabilities. I am however informed that there are currently 4 ANPR-equipped motorcycles which are testing this capability in this type of vehicle.
An ANPR App is currently in a pilot phase on Garda mobility devices and I am informed that consideration will be given to rolling out the App on conclusion of the pilot phase assessment. For the Deputy's information, at the end of January there were over 10,800 Mobility Devices (both standard devices and active mobility devices) issued to Garda members.
I have also recently introduced the Garda Síochána (Recording Devices) Bill 2022 into the Dáil, which will extend the powers governing Garda use of CCTV and ANPR technology to help prevent crime and prosecute those involved in criminal activity in line with the Programme for Government.
495. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice the number of competitions held in 2022 and to date in 2023 for Garda members to join community policing units throughout the Dublin metropolitan region.; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9760/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have requested the information sought by the Deputy from An Garda Síochána, and will contact him again when this is to hand.
496. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice the number of calls received regarding public order issues to Pearse Street Station, Dublin 2 in each of the years 2021, 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9761/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs you will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible by law for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána. As Minister, I have no direct role in these matters.
However, to be of assistance I sought the information requested by the Deputy from An Garda Síochána and have been advised that the table below shows the number of Public Order Offences reported to Pearse Street Garda Station from 1 January 2021 to 22 February 2023.
|
2021 |
2022 |
2023* |
Total |
|
2099 |
2091 |
253 |
4443 |
*Figures are up to 22 February 2023. These figures are operational and may be liable to change.
For the Deputy's information, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) is responsible for the compilation and publication of all crime statistics. The CSO produces these statistics using data recorded on An Garda Síochána’s PULSE system and makes regular releases under reservation in relation to various crime statistics, including recorded and detected crime. The CSO continues to work with An Garda Síochána to address quality issues in the underlying sources used to compile the statistics.
Figures in respect of public order offences are available at a station level at the following location for the years 2003 to 2021 on the CSO website at the following link: data.cso.ie/table/CJA07
I understand that figures for 2022 will be published by the CSO next month.
497. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice the progress to date in the determination of an application for citizenship in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9768/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe naturalisation application from the person referred to by the Deputy continues to be processed by my Department, with a view to establishing whether the applicant meets the statutory conditions for the granting of naturalisation. It 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.
The median processing time for applications now currently stands at 19 months. I understand the extended wait times can be frustrating for applicants and my Department has been working hard to clear backlogs.
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.
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.
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.
498. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice the progress to date in the determination of an application for citizenship in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9779/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe naturalisation application from the person referred to by the Deputy continues to be processed by my Department, with a view to establishing whether the applicant meets the statutory conditions for the granting of naturalisation. It 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.
The median processing time for applications now currently stands at 19 months. I understand the extended wait times can be frustrating for applicants and my Department has been working hard to clear backlogs.
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.
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.
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.
499. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Justice the number of gardaí who have resigned from An Garda Síochána, by county, between 2022 year end and February 2023, in tabular form. [9782/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the administration and management of An Garda Síochána, including all internal HR management issues. As Minister, I have no role in such matters.
I have been informed by the Garda authorities that 12 Gardaí have resigned in 2023 as of 31 January, the latest date for which figures are currently available. I have been further advised that a geographical breakdown is not available at this time, however a breakdown by rank is provided in the table below.
|
Sergeant |
Garda |
Total |
|
1 |
11 |
12 |
500. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Justice the number of Garda vehicles were either equipped as standard, or retrofitted with operational dash cam technology, by year, between 2019 and 2022, in tabular form. [9783/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the administration and management of An Garda Síochána, including the purchase, allocation, and effective and efficient use of Garda vehicles. As Minister, I have no role in such matters.
I have been informed by Garda authorities that there are no vehicles on the fleet that have dash cameras as standard or retrofitted between 2019 and today's date.
