Written Answers Nos. 300-314
300. Deputy Réada Cronin asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science if his Department will examine the case of a person (details supplied) with a view to intervening and facilitating SUSI to use discretion. [12067/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the terms of the Student Grant Scheme, grant assistance is awarded to students attending an approved course in an approved institution who meet the prescribed conditions of funding, including those relating to nationality, residency, previous academic attainment and means.
The decision on eligibility for a student grant is a matter, in the first instance, for the centralised student grant awarding authority SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland) to determine.
If an individual applicant considers that she/he has been unjustly refused a student grant, or that the rate of grant awarded is not the correct one, she/he may appeal, in the first instance, to SUSI.
Where an individual applicant has had an appeal turned down in writing by an appeals officer in SUSI and remains of the view that the scheme has not been interpreted correctly in his/her case, an appeal may be submitted to the independent Student Grants Appeals Board within the required timeframe (i.e. not later than 30 days after the notification of the determination of the appeals officer to the applicant). Such appeals can be made by the appellant on line via www.studentgrantappeals.ie.
As per Article 14 (2) of the Student Grant Scheme 2022, a student is not eligible for a grant if they have been awarded or hold a grant, scholarship, prize, allowance or bursary which is made from public funds in the State, or equivalent from a Member State, the EEA or Swiss Confederation with the exception of awards from public funds listed at Article 14(3). Article 14 (4) states that a student will not be eligible for a fee grant or a postgraduate fee contribution if in receipt of any award mentioned in Article 14 (3) which includes a provision for fees.
With regard to the specific application, I have been advised by my officials that an ineligibility letter was issued from SUSI to the student in question on 27th January 2023 as they were in receipt of the President’s Scholarship from Mary Immaculate College which included a provision for fees.
The student subsequently appealed to SUSI and was turned down by the Appeals Officer on 21st February 2023 on the basis that the President’s Scholarship from Mary Immaculate College is a publicly funded scholarship which includes a provision for fees. In line with Article 14(4) of the Student Grant Scheme 2022, any student or tuition student in receipt of any award mentioned in paragraph (3) which includes a provision for fees will not be eligible for a fee grant or a postgraduate fee contribution under this Scheme.
I have been further advised by my officials that SUSI will contact the student in question to discuss whether or not it would be financially in her favour to return the fee part of the scholarship.
Apart from the Student Grant Scheme, students in third-level institutions experiencing exceptional financial need can apply for support under the Student Assistance Fund. This Fund assists students, in a sensitive and compassionate manner, who might otherwise be unable to continue their third level studies due to their financial circumstances. Details of this fund are available from the Access Office in the third level institution attended.
In addition, tax relief at the standard rate of tax may be claimed in respect of tuition fees paid for approved courses at approved colleges of higher education. Further information on this tax relief is available from a student’s local Tax Office or from the Revenue Commissioners website, www.revenue.ie.
302. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Justice further to Parliamentary Question No.462 of 14 November 2022 concerning a person (details supplied); if the application has been processed yet; if he will set out the expected timeframe for the completion of the consideration of this application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12079/23]
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 Citizenship division of my Department wrote to the person concerned on 2 March, requesting further documentation. Once the documents are received, the application will continue to be processed.
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.
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.
303. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice the number of joint applications made to the Immigrant Investor Programme; the amount invested or endowed, programme by year, country of origin, by the number of individuals involved in the joint application, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12110/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra304. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice when the Immigrant Investor Programme will cease accepting any new applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12111/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra305. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice if he is aware of any registered charity having been requested to make payments to third parties as a finders fee in relation to the Immigrant Investor Programme; the number of such instances brought to his attention; if related applicants to the programme were successful; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12112/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 303, 304 and 305 together.
Each individual investor application to the Immigration Investor Program (IIP) is a standalone application and must be submitted in association with a particular project. A specific project may have numerous individual investor applications associated with it, depending on the amount of funding sought.
The statistics in relation to multiple applications associated with a single project are not maintained in the manner requested by the Deputy.
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.
My Department has no role in how investors are matched with specific projects or recommending any project. The matching of potential investors with projects are matters for the relevant project owners. Investments approved under the IIP are made directly to the projects concerned and not through the Department of Justice.
The Department is aware that there are a number of agents operating in the IIP field who assist matching investors to projects, however, this is a commercial transaction between two parties and any arrangements between them are a matter for those parties. Such agent fees are not covered under the IIP programme. As part of the assessment process, the IIP unit routinely seek confirmation from projects that agent fees are not included in their proposal.
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/
My Department does not currently publish the details of individual approved IIP investments. The tables below provides a breakdown of IIP applications received, approved and the value of investments since the inception of the programme to the end of September 2022.
|
Year |
Applications received |
Approved applications |
Value of Approved Investment |
|
2012 |
5 |
2 |
1,500,000 |
|
2013 |
18 |
16 |
12,200,000 |
|
2014 |
30 |
5 |
2,950,000 |
|
2015 |
75 |
70 |
38,300,000 |
|
2016 |
334 |
33 |
18,750,000 |
|
2017 |
324 |
369 |
250,700,000 |
|
2018 |
423 |
155 |
138,750,000 |
|
2019 |
443 |
237 |
209,300,000 |
|
2020 |
339 |
270 |
188,000,000 |
|
2021 |
258 |
264 |
185,700,000 |
|
2022 |
1316 |
306 |
205,900,000 |
|
TOTAL |
3565 |
1727 |
1,252,050,000 |
Approvals issued in any year may relate to applications which were received in previous years due to the time taken to process applications.
|
Investment Type |
Total Applications Approved |
Total Value of Investment |
|
Enterprise |
876 |
740,200,000 |
|
Investment Fund |
243 |
225,000,000 |
|
REIT |
6 |
12,000,000 |
|
Endowment |
546 |
220,900,000 |
|
Bond & Mixed Investment |
56 |
53,950,000 |
|
TOTAL |
1,727 |
1,252,050,000 |
|
Nationality |
Applications approved |
|
China |
1,614 |
|
USA |
33 |
|
Vietnam |
18 |
|
Rest of the World |
62 |
|
TOTAL |
1,727 |
306. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice if and when a person (details supplied) might be considered for naturalisation given that they continue in employment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12232/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 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.
It is open to the person details supplied to make an application for Naturalisation when they meet the criteria as set out in the 1956 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.
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/.
307. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice the current or likely position in relation to naturalisation in the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12234/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 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. There is no current application is respect of the person referred to.
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/ .
My Department has put in place Victims of Domestic Violence Immigration Guidelines. The Guidelines rightly state that no one should have to suffer domestic violence and recognise that migrants may have additional vulnerability in this area, as the perpetrator may threaten a victim with the loss of their status if they report the abuse.
Anyone who is the victim of domestic abuse and whose permission to be in the State is linked to their partner, will have the issue of their status dealt with sensitively by the immigration authorities and each case will be assessed on an individual basis.
I would urge anyone in this situation to approach my Department for advice and assistance and I can assure any victim of abuse that they will be supported and protected.
I would also encourage anyone who has been a victim of domestic abuse to reach out for help as soon as it is safe to do so. In addition to contacting An Garda Síochána, a victim can contact the Women’s Aid Freephone Helpline on 1800 341 900. Their Telephone Interpretation Service facility covers 170 languages for callers needing support in their own language. Interpreters are available on the Language Line from 8am–8pm, 7 days a week. They can provide information on support services throughout Ireland. Further information on that service can be found at: www.womensaid.ie/services/helpline/telephoneinterp.html
308. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health the breakdown of the number and waiting time for people that have been referred to long-Covid clinics in each health area for 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, and 24 months or more, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12002/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra311. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health the breakdown of the number of people referred to long-Covid clinics in each health area in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12009/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 308 and 311 together.
As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to reply to the Deputy directly
309. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health the plans for the site of the former St. Brigid’s nursing home at Crooksling, Brittas, County Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12003/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraA HSE review of the possible future use of the former St Brigid’s Nursing Home, Crooksling was undertaken which determined that the site was no longer required for healthcare provision.
Options regarding the future use of the former St Brigid’s, Nursing Home, Crooksling continue to be evaluated by relevant Government Departments, including possible use as accommodation in response to the Ukraine humanitarian crisis.
My Department and the HSE have engaged with the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) over the course of 2022 and this year in relation to the sourcing of properties which may be suitable for use in providing accommodation for refugees. As part of this engagement, the Department of Health has provided to DCEDIY a comprehensive overview of those properties currently owned by the HSE, and surplus to health service requirements, which may be suitable for the provision of accommodation for Ukrainian refugees. Some 300 properties, including Crooksling, were identified in the overview and details of these properties were provided to DCEDIY in 2022.
Engagement on this work is ongoing in 2023 and I, my Department and the HSE will continue to contribute to the to the all of Government approach to the Ukrainian response.
310. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Health if any reviews have taken place regarding the issue of parking charges at hospitals; if he intends taking any actions to curtail parking charges at hospitals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12004/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraHospitals that charge parking fees are very cognisant of the financial implications of parking costs for patients and their families, particularly for those with long-term illnesses. Consequently, many hospitals have introduced a maximum daily fixed parking charge and reduced rate parking for long-term patients and visitors for whom the payment of the full rate would cause hardship.
The Programme for Government - Our Shared Future, makes a commitment to introduce a maximum daily car parking charge for patients and visitors at all public hospitals, where possible, and to introduce flexible passes in all public hospitals for patients and their families. This is a reflection of the Government’s appreciation of the financial challenge that can be faced by people in meeting these expenses, in particular where they are frequent users of hospital services.
The HSE conducted a review of hospital car parking charges and submitted their report to my Department in December 2018. My Department and the HSE are currently examining the issue.
312. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Health if there are plans to provide retinal screening facilities in locations in County Laois (details supplied); if not, if he will consider same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12010/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for attention and direct reply to the Deputy
313. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health when pension arrears will be paid to a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12017/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a matter for the Health Service Executive, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy.
314. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Health to provide an update (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12020/23]
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.
