Written Answers Nos. 449-462
450. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice the number of staff working directly in the processing of visa/immigration applications, by year, from 2010 to date; and the number of applications processed in each year, in tabular form. [42666/23]
View answerI can advise the Deputy that the Immigration Service of my Department currently operate from seven overseas Visa Offices in addition to the Visa Office in Dublin. They are located in Abuja, Beijing, London, Moscow, Ankara, Abu Dhabi and New Delhi. In addition, the Department of Foreign Affairs process certain visa applications in Irish Embassies abroad under delegated sanction from my Department.
As the Deputy will be aware, the Department of Justice underwent significant organisational change in 2019, which saw the complete reorganisation of the Department’s structure, therefore staffing figures for earlier years are not available in the manner sought.
The below table shows the number staff assigned to Visa division from 2019 onwards. This number includes senior management, customer service staff as well as staff processing visa applications in my Dublin visa office and the 7 visa offices abroad.
These totals do not include staff that process applications under delegated sanction through the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Staffing figures are provided for those handling Visa applications only, as opposed to those staff processing other categories of immigration applications, registrations and permissions to remain.
|
Year |
Number of Staff |
|
2019 |
90 |
|
2020 |
75 |
|
2021 |
79 |
|
2022 |
102 |
|
As of 25/09/2023 |
104 |
The table below sets out the number of visa applications processed from 2010 onwards as requested. It is important to note that the figures in the tables below relate to all visas processed regardless of the location of the Visa Office or Embassy which carried out the actual processing.
|
Year |
Approved |
Refused |
Total |
|
2010 |
111,146 |
7,759 |
118,905 |
|
2011 |
106,347 |
7,655 |
114,002 |
|
2012 |
102,318 |
7,735 |
110,053 |
|
2013 |
102,562 |
8,233 |
110,795 |
|
2014 |
104,140 |
8,977 |
113,117 |
|
2015 |
111,793 |
9,029 |
120,822 |
|
2016 |
120,068 |
11,193 |
131,261 |
|
2017 |
131,901 |
13,425 |
145,326 |
|
2018 |
141,913 |
15,086 |
156,999 |
|
2019 |
130,561 |
14,932 |
145,493 |
|
2020 |
35,692 |
5,852 |
41,544 |
|
2021 |
41,977 |
3,360 |
45,337 |
|
2022 |
88,867 |
12,115 |
100,982 |
|
2023 |
82,591 |
13,328 |
95,919 |
|
Total |
1,411,876 |
138,679 |
1,550,555 |
451. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice whether the recommendations on promotions contained within the Cultural Audit of May 2018, prepared by the Policing Authority, have been implemented; if not, when it is proposed to implement them; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42685/23]
View answerAs 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), including the recruitment and training of Garda members and staff. Appointments to ranks above Garda in An Garda Síochána are governed by relevant legislation.
Arising from the Culture Audit conducted by PwC on behalf of An Garda Síochána and following extensive engagement between my Department, the Public Appointments Service and An Garda Síochána, and in consultation with the Policing Authority and the Garda Associations, the Garda Síochána (Appointment to the Ranks of Inspector and Sergeant) Regulations 2021 were made.
These Regulations provide for a number of significant changes to the promotion process for Sergeants and Inspectors including:
• The transfer of responsibility for holding these promotion competitions to the Public Appointments Service;
• The introduction of a period of probation following promotion;
• The dissolution of the Garda Promotion Advisory Council;
• The removal of academic exemptions for aspects of the promotion examinations following a transition period; and
• The introduction of no more than a five year interval between passing the promotion examinations and applying for the Sergeant or Inspector roles.
In addition to the regulatory changes, a comprehensive job analysis exercise was carried out to develop new Competency Frameworks for the Sergeant and Inspector roles.
As the Deputy will also be aware, competitions for appointment to the ranks of Superintendent, Chief Superintendent and Assistant Commissioner are undertaken by the Policing Authority, while competitions for appointment to the ranks of Deputy Commissioner and Commissioner are conducted by the Public Appointments Service.
452. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Justice if she is aware of a petition (details supplied) sent to her office; if she will meet the requests put forward by this petition; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42745/23]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that this case relates to an offence that was committed over 45 years ago. The events in question culminated in the overturning of the convictions of two persons in 1980 and a pardon for one individual in 1992.
The Irish Council for Civil Liberties has submitted a petition to my office which seeks to establish an inquiry into this case. This petition is receiving attention and a response will issue in due course, once the matter has been fully considered.
453. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Justice her views on matters raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42748/23]
View answerThe House will consider the issue of sellers’ legal packs when Deputy McSharry’s Seller's Legal Pack for Property Buyers Bill 2021 is debated at Second Stage later this week.
I will share my views, and those of the Government, on sellers’ packs with the House during that debate.
454. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Justice if her Department has a policy on the use of artificial intelligence; and if any Departmental functions are assisted by language model-based chatbots (details supplied). [42820/23]
View answerWhere appropriate, my Department plans to assess the opportunities presented by all digital tools, including AI, to improve the delivery of services to our customers. This will be done in compliance with National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) advice and in line with the Government National Artificial Intelligence Strategy for Ireland, AI – Here for good.
As with all new technologies, its adoption will be subject to data privacy and other appropriate legislation, and approval by the Department’s internal governance processes. As the Deputy will be aware, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) issued useful guidance to all Government Departments in June of this year in relation to the use of Generative AI. My Department has not contracted any consultancy firms for additional advice in respect to the use of AI to date.
My Department does not use language model based chatbots. However, a pilot rules based chatbot which provides FAQ type responses is in operation on the Immigration Services website.
455. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Justice the number of new recruits to An Garda Síochána in each of the years 2018 to 2022 and to date in 2023; the number of retirements from An Garda Síochána in the corresponding timeframe; and the number of resignations from An Garda Síochána. [42835/23]
View answerThe Government is committed to building stronger, safer communities and a strengthened, well-resourced Garda Síochána is central to this policy. This commitment is demonstrated by the unprecedented allocation of over €2 billion to An Garda Síochána for 2023, which is allowing for sustained and ongoing recruitment as well as investment in new equipment and new vehicles.
This level of funding is providing for a steady pipeline of new Gardaí, with new recruits entering the Garda College approximately every 11 weeks. Whilst the necessary temporary closure of the Garda College during the Covid-19 pandemic put an unfortunate pause on recruitment, the number of recruits has continued to grow in each class following the re-opening of the college.
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 for the recruitment, training and deployment of Garda members. As Minister, I have no role in such matters.
I am assured that the Commissioner keeps the allocation of these resources under continued review, in line with crime and population trends, to ensure their optimum use.
I am advised by the Garda authorities that since the reopening of the Garda College in September 2014, a total of 4,116 new recruits have attested as Gardaí and been assigned to duties nationwide. This includes the 2,544 Probationer Gardaí who have attested since 2018.
The table below sets out the number of Gardaí attested by year since 2018 up to 28 July 2023 (the date of the latest attestation). A further attestation is due to be held later in October.
|
Probationer Gardaí |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
Total |
|
Total |
789 |
605 |
522 |
148 |
369 |
111 |
2,544 |
In addition to the 111 new Gardaí that have attested so far this year, another 470 have begun active training, with two more classes due into Templemore in October and December.
The table below sets out the number of Garda resignations from 2018 up to 2022, and at the end of September 2023
|
Year |
Resignations |
|
2018 |
77 |
|
2019 |
72 |
|
2020 |
70 |
|
2021 |
94 |
|
2022 |
109 |
|
2023 (end September) |
114 |
|
Total |
536 |
The table below sets out the number of Garda retirements from 2018 up to 2022, and at the end of September 2023
|
Year |
Voluntary Retirements |
Compulsory Retirements |
Cost Neutral Early Retirements |
Annual Total Retirements |
|
2018 |
175 |
40 |
3 |
218 |
|
2019 |
160 |
60 |
3 |
223 |
|
2020 |
213 |
34 |
3 |
250 |
|
2021 |
213 |
78 |
3 |
294 |
|
2022 |
260 |
79 |
1 |
340 |
|
2023* (as of end September ) |
165 |
51 |
7 |
223 |
|
Total |
1186 |
342 |
20 |
1548 |
To note, all information supplied is operational and subject to change.
456. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Justice the number of gardaí in each county in each of the years 2018 to 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form. [42836/23]
View answerThe Government is committed to building stronger, safer communities and a strengthened, well-resourced Garda Síochána is central to this policy. This commitment is demonstrated by the unprecedented allocation of over €2 billion to An Garda Síochána for 2023, which is allowing for sustained and ongoing recruitment and investment in new equipment and new vehicles.
This level of funding is providing for a steady pipeline of new Gardaí, with new recruits entering the Garda College approximately every 11 weeks. Whilst the necessary temporary closure of the Garda College during the Covid-19 pandemic put an unfortunate pause on recruitment, the number of recruits has continued to grow in each class following the re-opening of the college.
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 for the recruitment, training and deployment of Garda members. As Minister, I have no role in such matters.
I am assured that the Commissioner keeps the allocation of these resources under continued review, in line with crime and population trends, to ensure their optimum use.
To be of assistance I sought the information requested by the Deputy from An Garda Síochána and have been advised that the tables in the attachment below set out the number of Garda members by Division, District and Station for the years 2018 up to 2022, and up to the 31 August 2023, the latest date for when figures are available.
In the interest of transparency, detailed statistics on Garda workforce numbers, including a breakdown by Garda station and Garda rank, 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:
gov.ie/en/publication/bd777-an-garda-siochana-your-police-service-some-facts-and-figures/
Please note that this information is operational and may be subject to change.
457. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Justice if her Department records the type of vehicle involved in road accidents which become the subject of a criminal trial; if not, her plans to record such information; and if so, the types of vehicles involved in such accidents in each of the years 2018 to 2022 and to date in 2023. [42840/23]
View answerIt has not been possible to collate complete information as requested by the Deputy in the time allowed. I will write to the Deputy directly when the information is to hand.
458. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Justice further to Parliamentary Question No. 147 of 1 March 2023, her plans to reduce or remove the annual fee for renewals of Irish residence permit cards for non-EEA nationals; her plans to review this matter; the details of any reviews carried out or commissioned to date by her Department in this regard; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42845/23]
View answerThe current registration fee has remained unchanged since 2012, and is subject to a range of exemptions insofar as certain groups of applicants are concerned. The registration fee is intended to reflect the effort and costs involved in processing registrations, over and above the physical cost of production of each card and, importantly, the need to continue to invest in measures to improve and modernise the services provided to applicants.
In the last twelve months, a Modernisation team has been established in Immigration Service Delivery (ISD), charged with delivering my Department’s stated, and published, objective of a fair immigration system for a digital age. This ambitious programme of modernisation is aimed at improving the service we provide to customers and requires significant ongoing financial investment.
A modernised Immigration Service will offer a fully online service for our customers (as well as access for those who are unable to engage online). The service will include a portal allowing users to save applications and communications. The service will also facilitate integration with commonly used third-party services (for instance, payment services). When delivered, ISD’s service will have minimised the need to submit printed applications or other documentation, will have reduced processing time and increased the quality of service offered to applicants and their families.
This approach is building on ISD’s current digital offering, including the online registration renewals process in the Dublin region and the 2021 launch of the new Irish Immigration website. The number of customers using the website, and using its automatic translation service (the site is offered in 14 languages), is encouraging. Additionally, most ISD applications forms which do not require the user to be physically present (for, e.g. fingerprinting) are now available online and more will be available in the coming months.
As well as improving operational efficiency, my Department is committed to improving the service we provide to our customers. In the last few months, we have launched a centralised customer service function. This unit is now addressing almost half of all in-bound queries, and their capacity (and digital capability) is due to be further enhanced in the coming months. We have also introduced the Freephone appointment booking service, addressing a significant customer concern around access to appointments.
I can inform you that it is my Department’s intention to take stock of registration and renewal arrangements in general. This will include consideration of the duration of permissions, range of persons in respect of whom registration is required, range of current exemptions and fee structures. It is anticipated that this exercise will be carried out in Quarter 1 of 2024. However, any change in the level of fees is a matter which would have to be decided in the context of the estimates process.
In the course of implementing this programme of change and modernisation, my Department will engage with and keep all stakeholders fully updated on progress.
459. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide details of the size and location of land owned by local authorities which is zoned for forestry; and the status of forestry on each site, by local authority, in tabular form. [42705/23]
View answer502. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide the location, ownership, and size of all public land zoned for forestry in Ireland; and the status of forestry on each site, in tabular form. [42697/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 459 and 502 together.
There is no national map which zones public lands for forestry.
However a new National Land Cover map released at the end of 2022 maps the distribution of different land types. The National Land Cover Map was produced by the National Mapping Division of Tailte Éireann (formerly Ordnance Survey of Ireland) in partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The aim of a land cover map is to map what is physically present on the Earth’s surface, for example forests, grasslands, and artificial areas. This Land Cover Map was produced based on 2018 data. The map includes very detailed information on land cover types in Ireland. It will have many uses in environmental assessments on water, climate, air, noise, and biodiversity and will be an important resource into the future.
It is important to note that this map and other datasets held by my Department record the existing forests in the landscape. My Department published an Indicative Forest Statement in 2008 that provides a very high-level guidance in relation to the suitability of land for afforestation. However this map is not suitable for field assessments and does not provide zoning of land parcels for afforestation within public or private ownership.
In addition, my Department recently published the Forestry Statistics Ireland 2023 report which includes information on forest cover and ownership in Ireland.
gov.ie - Forest Statistics and Mapping (gov.ie)
As regards the treatment of forestry in Local Development Plans by county councils this is is not a matter I would have information on and may be more appropriate for my colleague the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
460. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Questions answered on 20 September 2023 (details supplied), at what time/date in the year the applicant will receive confirmation that they are an approved participant in BISS; if this will act as a deterrent for new entrants to farming engaging in the afforestation scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42105/23]
View answer461. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 740, 744, 748, 754, 760, 772, 773, 776 and 778 of 20 September 2023, the reason that the farmer definition, as defined by his Department, only applies to the afforestation scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42149/23]
View answer462. Deputy Matt Shanahan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 740, 744, 748, 754, 760, 772, 773, 776 and 778 of 20 September 2023, in stating that “my Department currently does not have the figures available for the number of new farmers for 2023, these figures will not be known until the Department make final approvals In November 2023” if he will commit to answering the original question once the figures are known in November (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42150/23]
View answer464. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 740, 744, 748, 754, 760, 772, 773, 776 and 778 of 20 September 2023, and his reply, in stating that he wants to ensure that the farmer deferential benefits farmers directly and exclusively, if other landowners recognised and registered as carrying out a farming activity in other sections of his Department are not actually recognised as farmers by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42157/23]
View answer465. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 740, 744, 748, 754, 760, 772, 773, 776 and 778 of 20 September 2023, to provide necessary documentation to show that considerations were made regarding the implications of the farmer definition as it appears in the scheme document, considering the clarifications sought by stakeholders; to confirm that his Department has not changed any of the rules on farmer definition since the launch of the scheme document; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42158/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 460, 461, 462, 464 and 465 together.
The farmer definition remains as published in the scheme document as follows:
Applicants that can pass the Departments Active farmer check and that are an approved member of Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) scheme in the application year and a member of either BISS or Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) in the previous four years will be considered a farmer for this scheme. All other applicants will be deemed to be non-farmers for the purposes of this scheme.
‘Active Farmer’ means the applicant claiming payments on the land must be the applicant farming and/or managing the land, that is, the Active Farmer. The farming activities can include meeting a minimum stocking rate (0.10 livestock unit per forage hectare), producing crops, cutting hay/silage, maintaining landscape features
We have issued clarification on this in terms of new and young farmers. It is the case that new and young farmers who do not meet the criteria to be in BISS or BPS the previous four years will only need to be in BISS or BPS from the year they were approved members of either the Young Farmer schemes or the National Reserve for new and young farmer schemes until the year of their afforestation application. This will continue for the lifetime of the Afforestation Scheme 2023 – 2027. We are currently updating the Afforestation Scheme document and FAQs to reflect this clarification. My Department is happy to continue to clarify the conditions and details of the comprehensive new forestry programme with stakeholders and interested parties and to update relevant documentation accordingly.
The intent of the farmer definition is to ensure that the differential in terms of number of years in receipt of premiums (20 year for farmers, 15 years for non-farmers) is targeted at farmers. The criteria for farmer qualification will ensure that major enterprises that are not core farming entities will not unintentionally benefit from the farmer differential. By virtue of this definition a farmer who submits a valid BISS or BPS is a person farming and/or managing the land. We have received in the region of 125,000 to 128,000 such applications in recent years.
I would clarify that an applicant self-declares as a farmer when lodging an afforestation application. Their status as a farmer will not be verified at approval stage and therefore the timeline for lodging a BISS application, which is usually in May, will not affect the processing and issuing of a licence. This farmer status will be verified at payment stage, once the forest has been planted.
When the number of new farmers for 2023 is known I am happy to inform the Deputy of these official numbers.
