Written Answers Nos. 402-427
402. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Justice the number of garda vehicles assigned full-time to Kevin Street Garda Station, Irishtown Garda Station, Donnybrook Garda Station, Rathmines Garda Station, Terenure Garda Station, Sundrive Road Garda Station and Pearse Street Garda Station, in tabular form. [19111/23]
View answerThe 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 funding of €2.14 billion for An Garda Síochána, of which €10m has been allocated for investment in the Garda fleet.
As 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 am, however, assured that Garda management keeps the distribution of resources under continual review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities, to ensure their optimum use.
I am advised by the Garda authorities that at 31 March 2023, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 3,381 vehicles attached to the Garda fleet. This represents an increase of 7% since end March 2021 when there were 3,156 vehicles attached to the Garda fleet.
I am also advised by the Garda authorities that for security reasons, An Garda Síochána cannot provide vehicle allocations by Garda Station. The table below sets out the number of vehicles attached to the DMR South and DMR South Central Divisions and their Districts as at 31 March 2023.
|
Division/District |
Cars |
Vans |
Motorcycles |
4 x 4 |
Others |
Total |
|
CRUMLIN-G |
20 |
8 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
28 |
|
TERENURE-P |
19 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
22 |
|
DMR SOUTH |
39 |
10 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
50 |
|
DONNYBROOK-E |
19 |
7 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
26 |
|
KEVIN STREET-A |
31 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
37 |
|
PEARSE STREET-B |
18 |
7 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
25 |
|
DMR SOUTH CENTRAL |
68 |
19 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
88 |
The Deputy may also wish to be aware that An Garda Síochána publish information on Garda fleet, including a Divisional/District monthly breakdown, on their website at:
www.garda.ie/en/about-us/our-departments/finance-services/finance-fleet-management.html
403. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Justice if his Department records the average time between the making of a call to a garda station and the arrival of members of An Garda Síochána at the scene; the average wait time; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19112/23]
View answer404. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Justice the average time between the making of a call to emergency services and deployment of members of An Garda Síochána in each month of 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form. [19113/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 403 and 404 together.
As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is by law responsible for all operational policing matters, including responses by An Garda Síochána to emergency calls. As Minister, I have no direct role in these matters.
I am advised by the Garda authorities that An Garda Síochána operates a Regional Control Room strategy which ensures that Garda resources are available to respond to calls for service from the public, including situations where a local resource is not immediately available.
Calls for service, whether received through a local Garda station or the 999 ECAS system, are routed through the Regional Control Rooms and prioritised for response. Higher priority calls will always take priority over lower priority calls.
The Garda authorities inform me that An Garda Síochána aim to answer 80% of 999 calls within 7 seconds and deploy resources immediately giving an estimated time of arrival. An Garda Síochána will take appropriate steps to deal with all incidents and ensure that emergency and life threatening calls receive priority. They will endeavour to get to callers within 15 minutes in urban locations and as soon as possible, given the distance to be travelled, in more rural areas.
405. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Justice if he will provide an update on the measures his Department has taken to examine the role of sheriffs in respect of State work; the rationale underpinning the need for this examination; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19130/23]
View answerMy Department and the Office of the Revenue Commissioners have established a Joint Review Group to examine the role of Sheriffs, as currently constituted, in respect of State work.The Review Group is independently chaired by a former Secretary General of this Department, and comprises of representatives from the Office of the Revenue Commissioners, the Courts Service, the Departments of Justice, Housing and Finance, as well as a representative from the Insolvency Service of Ireland.
The Review Group is examining the future role of Sheriffs, with a view to establishing if the nature of the role is currently in line with best international practice, or if there is a more efficient and cost effective system of debt collection. The review will dissect the nature and volume of work available to Sheriffs both now, and into the future.
The Terms of Reference and further information regarding the Group is available on Gov.ie at the following link: gov.ie - Sheriffs Review Group (www.gov.ie).
The Review is expected to take between 6-9 months and the target date for the report is Q3 of 2023.
406. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice the current total number of gardaí; the number currently in training; the number currently on leave; the number currently deployed overseas in an official capacity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19185/23]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, by law the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the administration of An Garda Síochána, including the distribution of Garda members between the various Garda Divisions. As Minister, I have no role in these operational matters.
I am assured that Garda management keeps the distribution of resources under continual review in the context of policing priorities and crime trends, to ensure their optimum use.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that at 31 March 2023, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 14,036 Garda members and 3,130 Garda staff. This represents respective increases of almost 10% and 56% since end December 2015.
I am also informed by the Garda authorities that there are currently 218 Garda trainees attached to the Garda College.
I am further advised that at 31 March 2023 there were 53 Garda members on a career break.
The table below, furnished to me by the Garda authorities, sets out the number of Garda members who are on secondment outside the State as of 31 March 2023, the latest date for which figures are available. Please note that this information is based upon operational data which has been provided by An Garda Síochána and may be subject to change.
|
Organisation |
Number of Gardaí at 31/03/2023 |
|
United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) |
11 |
|
Europol (The Netherlands) |
2 |
|
Interpol (France) |
2 |
|
Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre (MAOC)(N) (Portugal) |
1 |
|
Total |
16 |
For the Deputy's information, detailed statistics on Garda workforce numbers are published on gov.ie and are updated regularly by my Department from information provided by An Garda Síochána. The statistics can be accessed using the following link:
www.gov.ie/en/publication/bd777-an-garda-siochana-your-police-service-some-facts-and-figures/.
407. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice the current number of gardaí based in Dublin, broken down by rank and district, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19186/23]
View answerAs 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 distribution of Garda members between the various Garda stations, districts and divisions is an operational matter for the Garda Commissioner. As Minister, I have no role in these operational matters.
For the information of the Deputy, I have appended to this answer the current distribution of Garda members in the Dublin Divisions, as furnished to me by the Garda authorities. These are as of March 31, the latest date for which figures are available.
The Deputy may also wish to be aware that my Department publishes a breakdown of Garda members by Division, District and Station on its website. These figures are provided to my Department by the Garda authorities, and are updated monthly. They may be found here: www.gov.ie/en/publication/66833-garda-workforce/.
GARDA STATISTICS MONTH ENDING 31 March 2023
|
Division |
District |
Station |
GD |
SG |
IN |
SU |
CS |
AC |
Total |
|
D.M.R. EAST |
BLACKROCK |
BLACKROCK |
71 |
8 |
4 |
1 |
84 |
||
|
DUNDRUM |
58 |
8 |
66 |
||||||
|
STEPASIDE |
15 |
1 |
16 |
||||||
|
TOTAL |
144 |
17 |
4 |
1 |
166 |
||||
|
DUN LAOGHAIRE |
CABINTEELY |
21 |
6 |
27 |
|||||
|
DUN LAOGHAIRE |
97 |
14 |
6 |
2 |
1 |
120 |
|||
|
SHANKILL |
38 |
7 |
1 |
46 |
|||||
|
TOTAL |
156 |
27 |
7 |
2 |
1 |
193 |
|||
|
D.M.R. EAST Total |
300 |
44 |
11 |
3 |
1 |
359 |
|||
|
D.M.R. NORTH |
BALBRIGGAN |
BALBRIGGAN |
79 |
8 |
5 |
1 |
93 |
||
|
GARRISTOWN |
2 |
2 |
|||||||
|
LUSK |
12 |
1 |
13 |
||||||
|
RUSH |
7 |
1 |
8 |
||||||
|
SKERRIES |
11 |
2 |
13 |
||||||
|
TOTAL |
111 |
12 |
5 |
1 |
129 |
||||
|
BALLYMUN |
BALLYMUN |
103 |
20 |
4 |
2 |
1 |
130 |
||
|
DUBLIN AIRPORT |
40 |
5 |
1 |
46 |
|||||
|
SANTRY |
67 |
13 |
3 |
83 |
|||||
|
TOTAL |
210 |
38 |
8 |
2 |
1 |
259 |
|||
|
COOLOCK |
COOLOCK |
104 |
13 |
3 |
1 |
121 |
|||
|
MALAHIDE |
23 |
2 |
1 |
26 |
|||||
|
SWORDS |
69 |
7 |
1 |
77 |
|||||
|
TOTAL |
196 |
22 |
5 |
1 |
224 |
||||
|
RAHENY |
CLONTARF |
54 |
9 |
1 |
64 |
||||
|
HOWTH |
22 |
4 |
1 |
27 |
|||||
|
RAHENY |
48 |
6 |
3 |
2 |
59 |
||||
|
TOTAL |
124 |
19 |
5 |
2 |
150 |
||||
|
D.M.R. NORTH Total |
641 |
91 |
23 |
6 |
1 |
762 |
|||
|
D.M.R. NORTH CENTRAL |
BRIDEWELL |
BRIDEWELL |
115 |
32 |
6 |
1 |
154 |
||
|
FITZGIBBON STREET |
FITZGIBBON STREET |
45 |
8 |
1 |
54 |
||||
|
MOUNTJOY |
117 |
15 |
5 |
1 |
138 |
||||
|
TOTAL |
162 |
23 |
6 |
1 |
192 |
||||
|
STORE STREET |
IMMIGRATION D/DOCKS |
22 |
3 |
25 |
|||||
|
STORE STREET |
211 |
34 |
7 |
3 |
1 |
256 |
|||
|
TOTAL |
233 |
37 |
7 |
3 |
1 |
281 |
|||
|
D.M.R. NORTH CENTRAL Total |
510 |
92 |
19 |
5 |
1 |
627 |
|||
|
D.M.R. SOUTH |
CRUMLIN |
CRUMLIN |
76 |
15 |
6 |
2 |
1 |
100 |
|
|
SUNDRIVE ROAD |
49 |
2 |
51 |
||||||
|
TOTAL |
125 |
17 |
6 |
2 |
1 |
151 |
|||
|
TALLAGHT |
RATHFARNHAM |
40 |
6 |
46 |
|||||
|
TALLAGHT |
179 |
26 |
9 |
2 |
216 |
||||
|
TOTAL |
219 |
32 |
9 |
2 |
262 |
||||
|
TERENURE |
RATHMINES |
42 |
6 |
1 |
49 |
||||
|
TERENURE |
67 |
9 |
4 |
80 |
|||||
|
TOTAL |
109 |
15 |
5 |
129 |
|||||
|
D.M.R. SOUTH Total |
453 |
64 |
20 |
4 |
1 |
542 |
|||
|
D.M.R. SOUTH CENTRAL |
COMMAND & CONTROL |
COMMAND & CONTROL |
38 |
8 |
5 |
1 |
52 |
||
|
DONNYBROOK |
DONNYBROOK |
91 |
12 |
2 |
1 |
106 |
|||
|
IRISHTOWN |
43 |
7 |
1 |
51 |
|||||
|
TOTAL |
134 |
19 |
3 |
1 |
157 |
||||
|
KEVIN STREET |
KEVIN STREET |
118 |
25 |
7 |
3 |
1 |
154 |
||
|
KILMAINHAM |
53 |
8 |
1 |
62 |
|||||
|
TOTAL |
171 |
33 |
8 |
3 |
1 |
216 |
|||
|
PEARSE STREET |
PEARSE STREET |
216 |
25 |
5 |
1 |
247 |
|||
|
D.M.R. SOUTH CENTRAL Total |
559 |
85 |
21 |
6 |
1 |
672 |
|||
|
D.M.R. WEST |
BLANCHARDSTOWN |
BLANCHARDSTOWN |
127 |
24 |
5 |
2 |
1 |
159 |
|
|
CABRA |
57 |
5 |
2 |
64 |
|||||
|
FINGLAS |
86 |
11 |
2 |
99 |
|||||
|
TOTAL |
270 |
40 |
9 |
2 |
1 |
322 |
|||
|
CLONDALKIN |
BALLYFERMOT |
58 |
8 |
2 |
68 |
||||
|
CLONDALKIN |
89 |
19 |
5 |
2 |
115 |
||||
|
RATHCOOLE |
17 |
1 |
18 |
||||||
|
TOTAL |
164 |
28 |
7 |
2 |
201 |
||||
|
LUCAN |
LUCAN |
85 |
9 |
4 |
1 |
99 |
|||
|
RONANSTOWN |
75 |
14 |
2 |
91 |
|||||
|
TOTAL |
160 |
23 |
6 |
1 |
190 |
||||
|
D.M.R. WEST Total |
594 |
91 |
22 |
5 |
1 |
713 |
|||
|
D.M.R.OFFICE |
D.M.R.OFFICE |
D.M.R OFFICE H/SQ |
2 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
10 |
|
D.M.R. OFFICE Total |
2 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
10 |
||
|
DMR ROADS POLICING |
DMR ROADS POLICING |
DMR ROADS POLICING |
76 |
7 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
87 |
|
|
DMR ROADS POLICING Total |
76 |
7 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
87 |
408. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice when the next batch of trainee gardaí will graduate from Templemore; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19187/23]
View answerAs 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 recruitment, training and deployment of Garda members. As Minister, I have no role in such matters.
I can however assure the Deputy that the Government is committed to strengthening and supporting An Garda Síochána – and Budget 2023 provides funding to support the planned recruitment of up to 1,000 new Garda members. I can also assure the Deputy that I regularly engage with the Garda Commissioner to ensure that every possible support is in place to deliver on this level of recruitment.
I can also inform the Deputy that the next Garda Passing Out Ceremony is scheduled to take place on the 28 July 2023.
409. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice the number of gardaí who have received CBD 1 and CBD 2 training, broken down by district, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19188/23]
View answerI have contacted An Garda Síochána for the information requested by the Deputy, regretfully this information was not available in time. I will write to the Deputy once the information is to hand.
410. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice the number of firearms offences within the Dublin Metropolitan Area over the past five years, broken down by district and offence, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19189/23]
View answerThe Deputy will wish to be aware that, while he requested the number of firearms offences within the Dublin Metropolitan Area over the past five years, broken down by district, An Garda Síochána advised that a breakdown of incidents by Division yielded numerous data points below the reporting threshold, and as such would have been of questionable utility.
In order to be of assistance to the Deputy, An Garda Síochána have provided the number of incidents record on PULSE of 'Types Possession of Firearms' and 'Discharging a Firearm' reported in the Dublin Metropolitan Region and this information is as set out, by year, in the table below.
|
Year of Report |
Discharging a Firearm |
Possession of Firearms |
|
2018 |
44 |
94 |
|
2019 |
57 |
101 |
|
2020 |
30 |
102 |
|
2021 |
26 |
74 |
|
2022 |
31 |
82 |
|
2023 YTD |
* |
33 |
An Garda Síochána have also advised that the data is as available on the PULSE system on the morning of 24th April 2023, is operational and subject to change.
411. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Justice if there is a set time period during which a multi-entry visa is valid; if this time period is dependent on the applicant’s circumstances; if he will clarify how the amount of time a multi-entry visa remains valid is decided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19191/23]
View answerThe granting of a multiple entry visa is at the discretion of the Visa Officer and multiple entry visas are usually only issued to an applicant who has shown a compliant travel history.
As a person builds such a record and adheres to the conditions of their visas with subsequent visits/visa applications, a Visa officer may give either a 1, 2 or a 5 year multi entry visa. In April 2022, Minister McEntee announced the extension of the 5-year multi entry short-stay visa option to all visa required countries.
The policy considerations underpinning decisions on applications for multiple entry visas are outlined on my Department's website, to assist applicants in deciding whether to apply for a single or multiple entry visa. Further information is available at the link below: www.irishimmigration.ie/single-multiple-visas/.
The dates of validity shown on the visa sticker, placed in the applicants passport when the visa is granted, indicate the dates between which an applicant can travel to Ireland. The visa must be presented to an immigration officer at a port of entry between those dates. After the end date specified on the visa sticker, the visa is no longer valid and the applicant will need to apply for and be granted another visa prior to travelling to Ireland.
412. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Justice the crime figure statistics from each of the Garda stations in Cork city by category in March 2022 and March 2023. [19192/23]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, the Central Statistics Office (CSO), as the national statistical agency, 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. The CSO also 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 and other criminal offences reported to Gardaí in Cork, by station, can be found on the CSO website at the link below. However, it is worth noting that crime statistics Q1 2023 are not yet available and are due to be published by the CSO in the coming months.
data.cso.ie/table/CJQ06.
413. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice when a person (details supplied) will receive a decision on their citizenship application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19225/23]
View answerThe 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.
My Department is taking a number of steps to speed up the processing of applications and a number of digitisation measures have 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.
414. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Justice the status of the promised SAVI II Report; when the report will be finished; when the report will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19311/23]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, in 2017, at the request of the Minister for Justice, the CSO instigated the process of carrying out a survey to provide high quality national prevalence data on sexual violence in Ireland.
The results of that survey have now been published and are available on the CSO website at www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-svsmr/sexualviolencesurvey2022mainresults/.
The survey covers a range of behaviours from non-contact sexual violence right through to non-consensual sexual intercourse, or rape.
We knew that this was an area that tended to be under-reported and that the numbers we have had up to now did not reflect the true extent of the problem. That is why my Department commissioned the CSO to undertake this wide-scale, nationally representative prevalence survey.
We now know the full extent of this problem and we have a baseline to measure the impact of our work across Government, as well as to help us to develop policy and provide the necessary supports and services. It also underlines the importance of having our whole of government zero tolerance approach to DSGBV.
This is clearly set out in our ambitious third national strategy on domestic, sexual and gender based violence. This strategy, co-designed with the sector, fully recognises the need for a whole of government, whole of society, approach to tackling all forms of domestic, sexual and gender based violence.
The actions within it reflect the importance of a range of areas, including education, training, awareness raising, supports, robust legislation and importantly, having a victim centred approach to all of our work in this priority area. We are committed to delivering on the goal of this strategy - a society that does not accept any form of domestic, sexual or gender based violence.
As the Deputy will be aware, the Strategy’s accompanying implementation plan, which runs to the end of this year, sets out 144 detailed actions which are assigned to my Department and other agencies and Departments across Government. A key part of implementation will be the establishment of the new statutory DSGBV Agency which will ensure a permanent and dedicated focus on this important area of work.
415. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Justice the number of Garda public order unit vans attached to each Garda division as of 18 April 2023; and if he will provide the same figures as of 30 April 2021, in tabular form. [19338/23]
View answerRegrettably, the information sought by the Deputy is still awaited from the Garda authorities. I will contact the Deputy directly once the information is to hand.
416. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Justice further to Parliamentary Question No. 518 of 7 March 2023, if he has received the necessary information from the Garda authorities, to answer this question. [19339/23]
View answerRegrettably, the information sought by the Deputy is still awaited from the Garda authorities. I will contact the Deputy directly once the information is to hand.
417. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Justice the number of WTE civilian cyber security specialist working in the Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau in the years of 2021, 2022 and to-date in 2023, in tabular form. [19340/23]
View answerAs 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 for the recruitment, training and deployment of Garda members and staff. As Minister, I have no role in such matters.
I can however assure the Deputy that this Government will continue to support An Garda Síochána and ensure that they have the necessary resources to carry out their duties. This is evident in the unprecedented allocation of €2.14 billion provided to An Garda Síochána in Budget 2023.
The Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau (GNCCB) provides for top tier digital forensic services to support organisational investigations.
The expansion of the GNCCB is a priority project under A Policing Service for our Future, the implementation plan for the recommendations of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland. The aim of this project is to significantly enhance the capabilities of GNCCB to tackle cybercrime in this jurisdiction.
I am advised that, to date, there are no civilian cyber security specialist employed by An Garda Síochána in the area of cybercrime investigations at GNCCB.
However, I am informed that approval has been received for the employment of 26 Forensic Examiners at Engineering Grade 3 level. I am also informed that this competition is currently progressing through the Public Appointment Service (PAS) and due for completion by the end of May 2023.
418. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Justice further to Parliamentary Question No. 604 of 28 March 2023, if he has received the necessary information from the Garda authorities to have this PQ answered. [19370/23]
View answerI understand that Parliamentary Question No. 604 of 28 March 2023 refers to the number of persons arrested and charged with drug driving within the Tipperary Garda division in 2022 and to date in 2023.
As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of Garda business under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), which includes the enforcement of road traffic legislation and the recording of information on the Garda IT systems. As Minister, I have no role in such matters.
However, to be of assistance I sought the information requested by the Deputy from An Garda Síochána and have been advised that a search of the PULSE database has been conducted, and that as of 28 March 2023 there were fewer than 10 persons arrested and subsequently charged with a drugs driving offences in Tipperary Division since 1 January 2022.
I am also advised by the Garda authorities that a breakdown cannot be provided as An Garda Síochána do not report on incident types numbering under 10 in a given timeframe/geographic locale, due to data protection concerns, and therefore I am unable to provide this information to the Deputy.
419. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Justice the number of Ministerial authorisations that have been sought to have a male-born prisoner housed in a women’s prison as is a requirement under section 52 of Prison Rules, in the past ten years; the number granted; and if he will provide details of each case. [19431/23]
View answerI am advised by my officials of the Irish Prison Service that no Ministerial authorisations was granted in the circumstances outlined by the Deputy.
The Irish Prison Service must accept all prisoners into custody into whatever prison a Judge orders under the Consolidated Committal Order which was signed by the Minister for Justice and Equality in 2015.
The Prison Rules, 2007 (S.I. No. 252/2007) set out the minimum rules and regulations on all aspects of life in prisons in Ireland, including admission, accommodation, visiting rights, health, discipline, education, and so forth.
Upon committal, all prisoners are brought to the reception/committal unit of the prison, where they are subject to an individual assessment.
In such cases the Governor will also consider the risks posed including any risk to the prisoner themselves and any level of risk to other prisoners. This risk assessment will determine the regime necessary to ensure the safety of all prisoners and may include the accommodation of the prisoner on a restricted regime under Rule 63 of the Prison Rules.
The Governor may also make a recommendation on the appropriate placement within the prison system, taking into consideration good order, security and operational issues, protection issues, available accommodation and the healthcare and other needs of the prisoner as well as the safety and security of other prisoners and staff. While all prisoners committed are accommodated in accordance with their legal gender and having regard to their safety and the safety of the wider prison population, it should be noted that Irish prisons are not legally defined as 'male' or 'female' prisons. However, Prison Rule 52 provides for male and female prisoners to be accommodated in separate areas. Given this, for operational reasons some prisons are referred to as male or female prisons.
420. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Justice the number of evictions An Garda Síochána has been present at in the past five years, broken down by whether members of the force have been in attendance at the request of the landlord or the tenant, respectively. [19448/23]
View answerAs 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 operational policing matters. As Minister, I have no role in these functions.
I am informed by the Garda Authorities that there is no specific incident type available in PULSE to capture such activity and that as a result, An Garda Síochána cannot provide any reliable response.
I can however say that the removal of individuals from property is not conducted by An Garda Síochána. Its role in relation to repossessions is to uphold the law in facilitating an order of the Court to be carried out safely, to ensure peace and public order is maintained, and to ensure no criminal offence is committed.
421. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Justice if it is still the intention to extend opening hours of nightclubs; and if so, if a timeframe can be provided for when the change is expected to come into effect. [19452/23]
View answerFollowing extensive consultation with representative bodies in the licensed trade, businesses, public health bodies, consumers and communities, the General Scheme of the Sale of Alcohol Bill was published on the 25th of October. It marks the Government’s commitment to the reform and streamlining of licensing laws to support and stimulate the night time economy.
Head 44 of the General Scheme sets out conditions in relation to court permits for nightclubs. It is intended that this permit will authorise the sale of alcohol in a nightclub up until 5:00 am and allow nightclubs to stay open until 6:00 am.
Officials are engaging with the Office of Parliamentary Counsel on the drafting of the Bill and it is hoped to bring the Sale of Alcohol Bill to the Houses of the Oireachtas in 2023.
422. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Justice the number of prosecutions that were made in 2022 for failure to pay a television licence. [19457/23]
View answerThe matter raised in this question does not fall under my Ministerial remit. The Deputy should address this question to the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media who holds responsibility for same.
423. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Justice if he will provide a breakdown of the number of times restorative justice was used in both adult and juvenile cases over the past five years, in tabular form. [19481/23]
View answerI can advise the Deputy that the mechanism An Garda Síochána use to apply Restorative Cautions, which is in cases involving children (under 18 years), is the Formal Restorative Caution as per Section 26 of Children Act 2001.
Garda Juvenile Liaison Officers are trained as Restorative Justice Practitioners and in Mediation Skills in order to administer these cautions. These cautions are applied in cases when it is deemed appropriate to have the victim present at the caution where the harm done will be addressed and the offending child is invited to apologise.
I am advised by An Garda Síochána that a search of PULSE for recommendations for Restorative Caution linked to a Youth Referral since 2018 yielded the below figures.
|
Year |
Restorative Cautions |
|
2018 |
110 |
|
2019 |
258 |
|
2020 |
700 |
|
2021 |
441 |
|
2022 |
585 |
|
2023 YTD |
96 |
I am further advised that the data is as available on the PULSE database on the morning of 21st April 2023, is operational and subject to change.
In relation to statistics for Pre-Sanction Reports undertaken by the Probation Service that include a Restorative Justice element, the information provided to me by the Probation Service from 2019 – 2022 (records began end 2018) is set out in the table below.
|
Year |
18+ |
Under 18 |
|
2019 |
76 |
0 |
|
2020 |
20 |
0 |
|
2021 |
36 |
0 |
|
2022 |
63 |
1 |
I can further advise the Deputy, that while the Probation Service endeavours to facilitate court ordered restorative justice interventions, this is possible only where all parties, including victims and offenders, agree to participate in such an intervention.
At present, due to limitations with existing IT systems, the Probation Service does not capture the number of times restorative justice interventions were subsequently used in adult and juvenile cases. The Service has recognised the need to advance data and ITC capability as a strategic priority for the organisation and is working with my Department to develop plans to meet these objectives over the coming year.
424. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Justice the number of trainees, actual and projected, who have attested into the gardaí in each of the years 2020 to date in 2023, in tabular form. [19502/23]
View answerAs 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 responsibility for the recruitment, training and deployment of Garda members. As Minister, I have no role in such matters.
I can however assure the Deputy that the Government is committed to ensuring that An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs, which is reflected in an allocation of over €2 billion in Budget 2023.
This level of funding will provide a steady pipeline of new Gardaí in the coming years, supporting the recruitment of up to 1,000 Gardaí and 400 additional Garda staff this year, with new recruits to enter the Garda College approximately every 11 weeks.
The below table, furnished to me by the Garda authorities, gives figures for the number of Garda Trainees who started in the Garda College for the years requested. There after the recruit must undertake Phase 1 successfully before they are attested.
|
Year |
Number of new Gardaí recruited |
|
2020 |
275 |
|
2021 |
385 |
|
2022 |
116 |
|
2023 |
135 (First intake out of five this year) |
Please note that this 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 Phase 1 takes around 6 months to complete.
I am also advised that due to the gap from recruitment to attestation, it is often the case that a person would be recruited in one year and attest the following year.
The table below, provided to me by the Garda authorities, outlines the number of new Gardaí attested in each of the past four years and to date in 2023.
|
Year |
Probationer Gardaí |
|
2020 |
522 |
|
2021 |
148 |
|
2022 |
369 |
|
2023 |
24 |
Please note that this information is based upon operational data which has been provided by An Garda Síochána and may be liable to change.
In the interest of transparency, Garda workforce figures are published on gov.ie and regularly updated by my Department, from information supplied by the Garda Authorities. The allocation of Probationer Gardaí, who have attested from the Garda College, up to the end of January 2023 can be found at the following link:www.gov.ie/en/publication/7c2e6-probationer-gardai/.
425. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Justice the number of gardaí that have been redeployed in 2020, 2021 and 2022 as a result of the hiring of civilian/non-sworn staff. [19504/23]
View answerAs 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 for the recruitment, training and deployment of Garda members and staff. As Minister, I have no role in such matters.
As the Deputy will be aware, the Government is committed to doubling the number of Garda staff to 4,000. The purpose of this policy is, in part, to allow for the redeployment of highly skilled professional Gardaí from administrative to front-line policing roles. As far as possible, Garda members should be assigned to posts requiring police powers or experience.
I am advised by the Garda authorities that as of 31 March 2023, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 3,130 Garda staff. This represents an increases of almost 56% since the end of December 2015 when there were 2,007 Garda staff.
I can also inform the Deputy that since 2015, civilianisation has freed almost 900 Garda members from back office duties nationwide to return to the front line policing for which they have been highly trained. This includes 144 in 2020, 98 in 2021 37.5 in 2022.
427. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Justice if he will detail how a request submitted for an Irish national, currently in a prison within the EU, is repatriated to an Irish prison under the new Criminal Justice (Mutual Recognition of Custodial Sentences) Act 2023; if advice in this regard has been circulated to relevant advocacy groups to assist families in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19516/23]
View answerThe Criminal Justice (Mutual Recognition of Custodial Sentences) Act 2023 was signed into law on 1 March 2023. The Act is expected to commence in the coming weeks and work is ongoing to prepare information material for people in the custody of the Irish Prison Service.
The purpose of the Act is to implement Framework Decision 2008/909/JHA on the mutual recognition of custodial sentences, which provides for the transfer of sentenced persons between EU Member States. It also amends and updates the existing legislation underpinning transfers for non-EU states, including the UK.
Prisoner transfer applications are complex, requiring legal assessment on a case-by-case basis, and such requests are decided upon following the preparation of reports from several agencies.
The agreement of the state imposing the sentence is always required to progress a transfer and the procedures by which this may be obtained vary state-by-state. A person seeking a transfer to Ireland should, in the first instance, engage with the relevant authorities in the sentencing state.
