Parliamentary questions

Legislative Measures

Aindrias Moynihan

402. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection when legislation will be updated to reflect changes to qualifying measures for widow's, widower's and surviving partner's contributory pension on the Supreme Court ruling in relation to the entitlement of an unmarried cohabitant to widow's, widower's and surviving partner's contributory pension; how many applications have been received that are currently on hold due to the necessary legislation changes that need to be made; the timeline for application for a person (details supplied) to progress for decision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21332/24]

Disability Services

Louise O'Reilly

403. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection what supports are in place under his/her Department to assist a person with a disability to get back to into work, including supports for entrepreneurs; and the organisations that might assist; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21350/24]

Social Welfare Benefits

Cormac Devlin

404. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Social Protection if she is aware of the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21358/24]

Departmental Data

Violet-Anne Wynne

405. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of disability allowance applications that were received by her Department in 2023; the number that were from applicants in County Clare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21369/24]

Social Welfare Schemes

Violet-Anne Wynne

406. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Social Protection how many disability allowance applications were disallowed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21370/24]

Social Welfare Schemes

Violet-Anne Wynne

407. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Social Protection how many carer’s allowance applications were received by her Department in 2023; how many applicants were in County Clare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21371/24]

Social Welfare Schemes

Violet-Anne Wynne

408. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Social Protection how many carer’s allowance applications were disallowed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21372/24]

Departmental Data

Violet-Anne Wynne

409. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Social Protection how many carer’s benefit cases will be administered in 2024, by county, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21373/24]

Departmental Data

Violet-Anne Wynne

410. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Social Protection how many carer’s benefit cases will be administered in 2023, by county, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21374/24]

Departmental Staff

Sorca Clarke

411. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of WTE staff by grade working in the local debt recovery unit of her Department as of 7 May 2024. [21413/24]

Departmental Data

Pádraig O'Sullivan

412. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 976 of 17 January 2024, if it has an independent company with a service level agreement with the funder, the Citizens Information Board; if the Citizens Information Service has control to set and review their employees’ salary scales; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21473/24]

Pension Provisions

Cian O'Callaghan

413. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will outline, in relation to the pension auto-enrolment scheme, how maternity leave and people with caring responsibilities where they may be in part-time employment due to these responsibilities will be treated under the scheme; if there is provision to account for these people (the majority of whom are women) who will not reap the benefit of having a full-time employer under the scheme; if measures will be introduced to prevent people from being at a disadvantage for not being part of the AE scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21478/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Brendan Griffin

414. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Social Protection if a decision has been made on an invalidity pension appeal by a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21544/24]

School Meals Programme

James O'Connor

415. Deputy James O'Connor asked the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding inclusion of school (details supplied) in the hot school meals programme for the coming school year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21618/24]

Social Welfare Eligibility

Duncan Smith

416. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will confirm having received the required information as sought from a person (details supplied) in order to have their eligibility for disability allowance fully reviewed and awarded; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21658/24]

Departmental Data

Peadar Tóibín

417. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection for a breakdown, by county, of the number of times persons in receipt of carer's allowance had their allowance stopped in each of the past ten years, and to date in 2024. [21678/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Peadar Tóibín

418. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Social Protection for a breakdown, by county, of the number of times persons who were initially refused disability allowance were successful on appealing the decision in each of the past ten years, and to date in 2024. [21679/24]

Employment Rights

Ged Nash

419. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Social Protection if any State, semi-State or commercial semi-State agency under the aegis of their Department is aware of any cases of bogus self-employment in any bodies under their remit from 2020 to 1 May 2024; if they will outline if there are currently any cases from such agencies or bodies currently before the SCOPE section of the Department of Social Protection for investigation or determination; if there are any SCOPE findings and recommendations relating to any agencies or bodies under their remit where SCOPE has found in favour of the worker, and where they recommended the reclassification of the workers’ employment status to that of direct employee between 2020 and 1 May 2024; if they will provide information on the numbers involved and the names of the individual agencies and bodies in all cases; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21699/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Bernard Durkan

420. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection the progress to date in the determination of an appeal for invalidity pension in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21713/24]

Social Welfare Appeals

Bernard Durkan

421. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection if a review can be undertaken into the recent decision to offer a reduced rate of disability allowance in the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21731/24]

Gender Recognition

Róisín Shortall

422. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason Irish nationals who are not ordinarily resident in the State and who do not hold any of the documents specified in section 9(1)(a) of the Gender Recognition Act 2015 are precluded from applying for a gender recognition certificate (details supplied); the rationale for their exclusion; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21755/24]

Departmental Advertising

Carol Nolan

423. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Social Protection the total costs incurred by her Department from 2019 to date relating to the placing of advertisements in print media; the names of the print media publications involved, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21872/24]

Visa Applications

Paul Murphy

424. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Justice if she is aware of a case of a person (details supplied); if she will expedite the visa application so the person can join their family in Ireland and escape the dangers being faced in Gaza. [21963/24]

Immigration Policy

David Stanton

425. Deputy David Stanton asked the Minister for Justice if there is a pathway for people from Ukraine who are currently living and working here under the EU Temporary Protection Directive to avail of a more permanent arrangement granting them a right to remain; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21183/24]

Citizenship Applications

Robert Troy

426. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Justice whether there are specific arrangements in place for British nationals who have been married and working in Ireland for many years to apply for Irish citizenship; and if he will clarify the cost in applying for citizenship in such a case. [21221/24]

Citizenship Ceremonies

Michael Ring

427. Deputy Michael Ring asked the Minister for Justice the number of citizenship ceremonies that have taken place since 1 January 2022 to date; the dates of said citizenship ceremonies; the location of said citizenship ceremonies; the number of people were granted citizenship at each citizenship ceremony, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21226/24]

An Garda Síochána

Peadar Tóibín

428. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Justice the number of staff, by rank, in the Garda National Immigration Bureau in each of the past three years. [21227/24]

Departmental Data

Seán Haughey

429. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Justice the number of people convicted of sex offences involving minors in 2022, 2023 and to date in 2024, by county, in tabular form; the number of those convicted who received a fully suspended sentence; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21240/24]

Departmental Data

Catherine Murphy

430. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Justice the number of people with a Dublin Regulation positive match on EURODAC in the past 12 months, by month, in tabular form; and the number of Dublin Regulation transfers effected in the corresponding period. [21248/24]

Departmental Data

Charles Flanagan

431. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Justice the number of persons deported from the State each month for the first four months of 2024. [21268/24]

Departmental Data

Charles Flanagan

432. Deputy Charles Flanagan asked the Minister for Justice the number of orders for deportation from the State made in each month of the first four months of 2024. [21270/24]

Probation and Welfare Service

John McGuinness

433. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Justice if the issues regarding funding of an organisation (details supplied) by the probation services and the HSE have now been resolved; the status of the appeal; and if a decision will be expedited as the funding is urgently required. [21276/24]

Departmental Reviews

Michael McNamara

434. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Justice when the review into the lapses regarding the Sex Offenders Register, identified in the High Court judgment (details supplied) delivered on 22 March 2024, was commenced; who was appointed to carry out the review; when that person or persons were appointed and if she will publish the findings of the said review. [21291/24]

Departmental Reviews

Michael McNamara

435. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Justice if she will carry out an audit of all information received in the past five years from any other state on sexual offences committed abroad by any person residing in Ireland to ensure that it was adequately followed up on the Sex Offenders Register; and if she will publish the results of that audit. [21292/24]

Departmental Data

John Paul Phelan

436. Deputy John Paul Phelan asked the Minister for Justice the total number of proceedings lodged at the High Court in 2023 and to date in 2024; the estimated total number of these which relate to immigration matters; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21295/24]

Departmental Data

Peadar Tóibín

437. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Justice the number of cases that have come before the DPP in relation to sexual offences involving children, in each of the past three years; the number of those that came before court; the number which resulted in a custodial sentence; the number who secured a conviction but where a custodial sentence was not received; if those convicted with or without a custodial sentence have re-offended, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21301/24]

Visa Agreements

Patrick Costello

438. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice if, given the ongoing situation in Gaza, she will stop the issuing of new travel and work visas for Israeli citizens coming to Ireland. [21307/24]

Prison Service

Patrick Costello

439. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice the number of group intervention sessions currently being run in the IPS to target criminogenic factors, by institution and by year for the period of 2015 to date. [21313/24]

Prison Service

Patrick Costello

440. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice the average wait time for a generic prisoner to meet with both an addiction counsellor and psychology services for ongoing intervention, separate from for an initial assessment in person, for the period of 2015 to date, by institution, in tabular form.; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21314/24]

Prison Service

Patrick Costello

441. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice for those prisoners in the Mountjoy Prison progression unit who are being put back into general population, what unique perks and rehabilitation services they will have access to reflect their progressed status. [21315/24]

Prison Service

Patrick Costello

442. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice the number of sex offenders who have completed mandatory group work of the total sex offender population by institution in the Irish prison system in the past five years. [21316/24]

Departmental Correspondence

James Lawless

443. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Justice the status of a matter (details supplied); the steps her Department has taken; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21336/24]

An Garda Síochána

Sorca Clarke

444. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Justice the number of gardaí, by rank attached to the public service vehicle inspector unit within Westmeath division, in tabular form. [21407/24]

An Garda Síochána

Sorca Clarke

445. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Justice the amount of revenue currently owed to An Garda Síochána as of 3 May 2024 in respect to non-public duty charges for policing concerts and so on in 2023 [21408/24]

An Garda Síochána

Sorca Clarke

446. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Justice the number of gardaí, by rank attached to public service vehicle inspector unit within Roscommon-Longford division, in tabular form. [21409/24]

Family Reunification

Niamh Smyth

447. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Justice how many applications are currently in the system for the join family (sponsor is an Irish citizen) visa. [21423/24]

An Garda Síochána

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

448. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Justice the number of Garda forensic collision investigators, by rank, attached to Carlow-Kilkenny Divisional as of 7 May 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21440/24]

An Garda Síochána

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

449. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Justice the number of 1250cc and 1400cc motorcycles in the Garda fleet as of 7 May 2024; if she will provide same figures as of 1 May 2021, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21442/24]

An Garda Síochána

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

450. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Justice the estimated cost in 2025 if 1,750 new gardaí were recruited; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21443/24]

An Garda Síochána

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

451. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Justice the amount that An Garda Síochána spent on purchasing specialist gas masks in 2022,2023 and to-date in 2024, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21444/24]