Written Answers Nos. 615-636
615. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Justice if consideration has been given to extending the stamp 2 visas for holders of same that are due to expire on 31 May to September 2022 given the potential impact on the holders' academic studies, the industries in which they worked during the high summer season and the current constraints on An Garda Síochána in relation to processing same. [24768/22]
View answer616. Deputy Neale Richmond asked the Minister for Justice if her attention has been drawn to the fact that students on stamp 2 visas who are due to enter third-level education in September must leave the country for the summer sacrificing their accommodation and jobs; if she will consider extending stamp 2 visa permissions until 31 September; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24785/22]
View answer618. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Minister for Justice if she will automatically extend stamp 2 visa permissions due to expire on 31 May until 30 September 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24799/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 615, 616 and 618 together.
Since the onset of the pandemic, immigration permissions have been extended nine times, which means that people who held a valid permission to be in the State in March 2020 are legally permitted to remain until 31 May 2022. At this time, I have no plans to issue an extension beyond 31 May 2022.
Dublin based customers who are seeking to renew their permission can continue to do so online at: inisonline.jahs.ie/user/login. Since its introduction in July 2020, the online renewal process has completed approximately 125,000 applications.
A Freephone service (1800 741 741) continues to operate for customers living in the Dublin area wishing to make an appointment to register for the first time. It is currently operating from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday. All appointments for persons required to register their immigration permission are now issued through this service, with operators offering one appointment per call, unless it is for an identifiable family group.
The Registration Office’s customer service team is also available to support customers who may have language difficulties or who may need assistance with translation. A number of multilingual videos describing the registration process and what to expect are available on my Department's website www.irishimmigration.ie.
Registrations outside of the Dublin area are processed by the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) through the Garda Station network. The allocation of appointments with GNIB is a matter for An Garda Síochána. Information on the contact details for all registration offices located outside of Dublin is available at: www.garda.ie/en/contact-us/station-directory.
617. Deputy John Lahart asked the Minister for Justice the reason that the Probate Office is not responding to calls from the public or from solicitors; the reason that the office does not return calls that are made to it; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24794/22]
View answerManagement of the courts, operational matters and logistical functions are the responsibility of the judiciary and Courts Service, which are independent in exercising their functions under the Courts Service Act 1998 and given the separation of powers in the Constitution. The Courts Service has a dedicated email address for the provision of information to members of the Houses of the Oireachtas at: oireachtasenquiries@courts.ie.
The Probate Office is an Office of the High Court. Therefore, I have referred your question to the Courts Service for their direct reply.
619. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice the current average wait time for consideration of appeals to refusal of short-stay holiday visa applications; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24822/22]
View answerThere are seven overseas visa offices that process appeals for short stay “C” visas. Appeals are also processed in the Dublin Visa Office of my Department.
The Dublin Visa Office is currently processing appeals for short stay visit visas received, in Dublin, on 16 May 2022. Processing times for the other visa offices can be found on my Department's immigration website www.irishimmigration.ie/visadecisions.
The processing time at each office is determined by a number of factors such as the volume and complexity of applications, whether investigation is required or not, individual circumstances, peak application periods, seasonal factors, and the resources available. All visa applicants are advised that the onus is on them to provide as much information in support of their application as they feel is necessary. Guidelines in this regard are posted on the immigration website. Applicants that follow these guidelines have an improved prospect of receiving a positive decision at first instance.
The Deputy can be assured that every effort is made to keep processing times to a minimum, and a number of measures have been put in place to deal with the increased demand for visas to come to Ireland. This has included the assignment of additional staff to deal with applications and appeals, and more generally the streamlining of visa processes, where possible.
The central concern in deciding on visa applications, as with all visa services worldwide, is to strike an appropriate balance between protecting the country's vital national interests by maintaining an effective immigration regime while at the same time facilitating travel for those who meet the criteria. Each visa application and appeal is, therefore, decided on its own merits taking all factors into account.
620. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Justice if she will consider matters raised in correspondence by a person (details supplied) in relation to undocumented persons; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24824/22]
View answerAll successful applicants under the scheme for the Regularisation of Long Term Undocumented Migrants will be granted an immigration permission. Successful applicants over the age of 16 years will be required to register that permission, in person, to receive their Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card.
When attending the immigration registration office to register their permission, they must bring with them the original letter granting the permission under the scheme and a valid passport. Those over the age of 18 years will have to pay the registration fee of €300 and their registration will be valid for two years.
My Department's Registration Office in Burgh Quay is responsible for registering immigration permissions for customers residing in the Dublin area only.
Due to the current unprecedented demand for first time registrations, there are unfortunately some delays being experienced by those wishing to register their immigration permission. A Freephone service (1800 741 741) continues to operate for customers living in the Dublin area wishing to make an appointment to register. It is currently operating from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday. All appointments for persons required to register their immigration permission are now issued through this service, with operators offering one appointment per call, unless it is for an identifiable family group.
The Registration Office’s customer service team is also available to support customers who may have language difficulties or who may need assistance with translation. A number of multilingual videos describing the registration process and what to expect are available on my Department's immigration website www.irishimmigration.ie.
Registrations outside of the Dublin area are processed by the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) through the Garda Station network. The allocation of appointments with GNIB is a matter for An Garda Síochána. Information on the contact details for all registration offices located outside Dublin is available at: www.garda.ie/en/contact-us/station-directory.
621. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Justice her plans to address the waiting times in the processing of visas being experienced by Ukrainian refugees who do not have either European Union or Ukrainian nationality; the efforts that she is taking to address the matter; if she intends to provide for additional staff; the number of such applications that have been received; the number that have been processed and awarded; the current waiting time; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24839/22]
View answerSince I lifted the visa requirements for those entering Ireland from Ukraine on 25 February, some 30,597 people have entered Ireland from Ukraine and my Department has already processed more than 30,576 temporary protection permissions.
People who are from a country that is visa-required, will still need to apply for a visa to travel to the State. These visa applications are accepted through the Embassy network in countries neighbouring Ukraine in the normal way. They are being dealt with speedily and sympathetically and the normal requirement to be ordinarily resident in the country in which a person applies for a visa has been waived in these cases.
Based on information provided by Embassies processing the visas, there has not been a significant increase in visa applications from third country nationals as a result of the invasion of Ukraine.
Anyone who wishes to make a visa application must do so online at: www.visas.inis.gov.ie/avats/OnlineHome.aspx
I can assure the Deputy that my Government colleagues and I will continue to work with our EU counterparts on any further EU-wide measures that might be needed to assist those fleeing Ukraine.
622. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Justice when recruitment will commence for the Irish Prison Service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24856/22]
View answerThe Irish Prison Service continually monitors the staffing requirements and vacancies that arise as a result of multiple factors including mobility, promotions and retirements, and recruitment campaigns are put in place as required.
Specialised posts such as Prison Doctors, Psychologists, Professional Accountant Grade II, technical grades such as Engineer Grade I and Quantity Surveyor and more general administrative grades such as Prison Clerical Officer have all been recruited relatively recently.
A total of 50 Recruit Prison Officers have been recruited to date in 2022 and it is envisaged that a further 90 will be recruited throughout the remainder of 2022.
I can further advise the Deputy that the Prison Service is currently engaged with the Public Appointments Service with a view to launching a new recruitment campaign for Recruit Prison Officers by the end of quarter 2 of 2022.
623. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice if the remit of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission will be expanded to provide for investigations and findings in respect of those who have retired from An Garda Síochána; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24857/22]
View answerAs the Deputy may be aware, under section 87(4) of the Garda Síochána Act 2005, the remit of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) extends to investigating complaints of a criminal or non-criminal nature against former members of An Garda Síochána. This is subject to the complaint meeting admissibility requirements with regard to time limits which may be extended for good reason and other criteria. Where a criminal offence is identified GSOC may send a file to the Director of Public Prosecutions recommending the prosecution of the former member concerned. There are, however, challenges in dealing with allegations of a non-criminal nature as former members are not amenable to Garda disciplinary action. As a result, any recommendations that GSOC might make on foot of its investigation, for action by the Garda Commissioner in respect of the former member, cannot be acted upon.
The Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill will provide for a reformed and strengthened GSOC in line with the recommendations of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland. Under the Bill, the reformed body, to be renamed the Office of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman (OGSO), will have an expanded remit as well as the benefit of a streamlined investigative process that will support timely, transparent and effective investigations of allegations of wrong-doing in the interests of all – complainants, members of An Garda Síochána and the wider public.
With regard to former members, as is the case under the 2005 Act, there will be no statutory barrier to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman investigating a complaint as long as that complaint is deemed to be admissible. If the complaint relates to a criminal matter, the Ombudsman will have the power to investigate using all of the powers that would be available to a member of An Garda Síochána and if a criminal offence is identified, to send a file to the Director of Public Prosecutions recommending prosecution. If the complaint relates to a non-criminal matter, the Ombudsman will have appropriate investigation powers that may be used in relation to any person including a serving or former member but the challenge remains that no sanction may be imposed on the former/retired member if the complaint is substantiated.
Notwithstanding the lack of sanction, the value in pursuing such an investigation is in the opportunity to provide some recognition, resolution and satisfaction to the complainant; to take learnings from the incident; to identify any systemic issues that may have contributed to the incident; and to provide An Garda Síochána with recommendations for improvement based on the findings of the investigation.
The pre-legislative scrutiny report of the Oireachtas Justice Committee is expected shortly and the recommendations of the report will inform the further drafting of the Bill to ensure delivery of this key piece of legislation.
624. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Justice further to Parliamentary Question No. 405 of 4 May 2022, the number of residence permissions under Stamp 4 conditions granted in respect of each successful immigrant investor programme application; the nationality of each person granted residence permission; the number of D reside visas granted in respect of each successful immigrant investor programme application; the nationality of each person granted such a visa; the number of successful applications in respect of which no visa was required and the nationality of the applicant in each year since 2012; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24904/22]
View answerThe Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP) was introduced in April 2012 to encourage inward investment and create business and employment opportunities in the State. The programme provides investors with the opportunity to invest in Ireland. Key to the programme is that the investments are beneficial for Ireland, generate or sustain employment and are generally in the public interest.
To date, more than 1,400 IIP applications have been approved for investment. This figure relates to primary applicants only and does not include dependent family members included in applications.
Statistics are not maintained in such a way as to provide the information on all IIP residence permissions granted, as requested by the Deputy. However, I can say that there are on average about three dependent family members associated with each primary applicant. It should also be noted that even though all eligible dependent family members listed on the application are approved, they may not apply for the D Reside Visa at the same time as the primary applicant.
The following table provides a breakdown of IIP primary applicants approved by nationality since the inception of the programme to the end of 2021. Only very occasionally will the nationality of a dependent family member differ from that of the primary applicant. The vast majority of IIP beneficiaries require a visa to enter the State, with the exception of the USA and South Africa. The visa process is separate to the IIP application and it is not possible to identify all successful IIP residence permissions applicants granted a D Reside Visa.
|
Nationality |
Applications approved |
|
China |
1,343 |
|
USA |
25 |
|
Vietnam |
9 |
|
Saudi Arabia |
5 |
|
South Africa |
4 |
|
Rest of the World |
45 |
|
TOTAL |
1,431 |
625. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Justice if she will ensure in view of recent reports (details supplied) that there is full co-operation by statutory agencies under the remit of her Department with an ongoing inquiry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24922/22]
View answerThe Dublin and Monaghan bombings were horrific atrocities. They represented the largest loss of life on a single day in the Troubles, with many more injured and countless families affected. Despite the passage of 48 years, the tragedy and loss are as stark today as they were on this date in 1974.
As the Deputy will appreciate, it is the role of An Garda Síochána to investigate these appalling crimes. The Garda investigation remains open and any new evidence provided to the Garda authorities will be investigated.
The Government continues to seek the full truth of these attacks. An all-party motion that was adopted by the Dáil on 25 May 2016, like those adopted in 2008 and 2011, calls on the British Government to allow access by an independent, international judicial figure to all original documents relating to the Dublin and Monaghan bombings. The Programme for Government reiterates Ireland’s commitment to engaging with the British Government on this issue as a matter of priority, in accordance with the All-Party Dáil motions. I, along with my colleague the Minister for Foreign Affairs, continue to raise this matter regularly with our British counterparts.
With respect to the ongoing enquiry referenced in the Deputy's question, former Chief Constable Jon Boutcher heads up a series of ongoing independent UK police investigations or reviews into Northern Ireland legacy cases that are collectively described as the Kenova cases.
An Garda Síochána is committed to cooperating to the greatest extent possible with Kenova and already has in place a High Level Agreement which supports mutual co-operation and exchange of information with the Operation Kenova Investigation Team in the context of criminal investigations. The Historical Investigation Coordination Unit within An Garda Síochána continues to support this partnership.
In 2019, the Barnard Judgment in the Northern Ireland Court of Appeal led to Operation Denton / the Barnard Review under Kenova. Unlike the criminal investigations under Kenova, Operation Denton is an independent Analytical Review into concerns of collusion in what has become known as the Glenanne Gang Series. While the bombings do not come under the Kenova criminal investigations, they are being examined as one of the incidents in Operation Denton.
Operation Denton is a distinct strand in the work of Kenova, an analytical review rather than a criminal investigation and, as a result, it was necessary to request legal advices from the Office of the Attorney General in order to progress how cooperation can take place with An Garda Síochána. Given the lack of a statutory framework for information sharing, cooperation necessarily involves complex legal issues.
Following the receipt of advices from the Attorney General, work is already underway in my Department to establish the necessary mechanism to allow relevant information from An Garda Síochána be shared with Operation Denton and it is anticipated that the mechanism should be in place by the summer.
626. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Health the progress that has been made to date regarding the negotiations for medical scientists and their pay review; when these pay structures were last reviewed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24850/22]
View answerFirstly, I would like to acknowledge and pay tribute to the dedication, professionalism and commitment of all medical scientists throughout the country. Their drive and dedication have been key components in our managing of the pandemic.
I acknowledge the MLSA’s claim for pay parity between medical scientists and clinical biochemists. As you may be aware, the current public pay agreement, Building Momentum, includes the process of Sectoral Bargaining, to address outstanding claims such as this one. The MLSA were granted their own bargaining unit to progress this claim. The size of the Sectoral Bargaining fund available to the MLSA, and to all other cohorts of staff bound by this Agreement, equates to 1% of their basic pay. The MLSA and Health management have been engaged in talks over the last number of months with the aim of finding a way to advance their claim for pay parity through the Sectoral Bargaining process.
The Public Service Agreement Group (PSAG), comprised of union and civil service representatives with an independent chair, met on 11 May to consider this matter. They recommended that the matter be immediately referred to the WRC and that industrial peace be maintained in the meantime.
The Department of Health is disappointed that industrial action has been initiated by the MLSA and remains open to engagement with them.
As this is an ongoing IR matter, it would be inappropriate to comment any further at this point.
627. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Health the number of applications for medical device support that her Department received from children under the age of 18 years by county in the year 2022 to date, in tabular form. [24945/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
628. Deputy Joan Collins asked the Minister for Health if section 39 workers who worked in the homeless front-line healthcare workers are to be included in the Covid recognition scheme (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24103/22]
View answerFirstly I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to all healthcare workers for their efforts during this most challenging period.
To recognise their unique role during the pandemic, the Government announced a COVID-19 recognition payment for front-line public sector healthcare workers. Eligibility guidelines for this payment, as applies in HSE and Section 38 organisations, were published by the HSE on 19th April and are available at www.hse.ie/eng/staff/resources/hr-circulars/hr-circular-012-2022-pandemic-special-recognition-payment.html
Separately, the Department of Health shall shortly publish information for those other certain healthcare employees that are covered by the Government Decision and the process available to their employers to implement this measure for their eligible staff. This shall cover eligible staff in:
- Private Sector Nursing Homes and Hospices (e.g. Private, Voluntary, Section 39 etc.);
- Eligible staff working on-site in Section 39 long-term residential care facilities for people with disabilities;
- Agency roles working in the HSE;
- Health Care Support Assistants (also known as home help / home care / home support) contracted to the HSE;
- Redeployed members of Department of Defence to work in the HSE in Covid-19 exposed front-line settings;
- Paramedics employed by the Department of Local Government, Housing and Heritage
I am also mindful of other workers who played their own part during this difficult period in sustaining other services. It is tough to draw a line on this matter, but the Government based its decision on the risks which the above front-line workers faced. In recognition of the efforts of all workers, volunteers, and the general public during the COVID-19 pandemic, and in remembrance of people who lost their lives due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government announced a public holiday which took place on 18 March 2022. From February next year there will also be a new permanent public holiday established to mark Imbolc/St Brigid’s Day.
629. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Health the steps being taken by the National Office of Mental Health and Wellbeing to establish a national student mental and emotional helpline following a recommendation at the West Regional Health Forum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24110/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy as soon as possible.
630. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the 13-bed build intended to facilitate the larger 50-bed development resulting from the National Capital and Property Steering Committee held on 26 April 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24123/22]
View answerAs the Health Service Executive is responsible for the delivery of public healthcare infrastructure projects, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly in relation to this matter.
631. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health if he will ensure that a Parkinson's specialist nurse is provided to patients in the south-east region, particularly south Tipperary, as it is clear that this resource is missing in the area, and it is required in order to provide the highest standard of care to Parkinson's patients in the region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24125/22]
View answerAs this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the deputy directly, as soon as possible.
632. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Health if general practitioners are permitted to charge medical card holders a fee of €50 for letters in support of housing. [24126/22]
View answerUnder the terms of the current GMS contract, GPs are required to provide eligible patients with ''all proper and necessary treatment of a kind usually undertaken by a general practitioner and not requiring special skill or experience of a degree or kind which general practitioners cannot reasonably be expected to possess.". Persons who hold a medical card or a GP visit card are not subject to any co-payments or other charges in respect of such services including GP consultations.
The HSE reimburses GPs for services provided under the GMS contract to medical and GP visit card holders. The contract stipulates that certain medical certificates which may be required, for example, "under the Social Welfare Acts or for the purposes of insurance or assurance policies or for the issue of driving licences" are not included in the terms of the contract. Any fees charged by GPs for services provided outside the terms of the GMS contract are a matter of private contract between the GP and their patient.
633. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Health the reason for the delay in the disbursement of the Covid pandemic recognition payment; and the date when qualifying recipients in County Galway will receive their payment. [24134/22]
View answerOn 19th April, the HSE published additional details on this payment, including full eligibility criteria, particulars, and terms and conditions that apply to HSE and Section 38 organisations' employees. This information is available at www.hse.ie/eng/staff/resources/hr-circulars/hr-circular-012-2022-pandemic-special-recognition-payment.html On the Deputy's particular question, I have referred the question to the HSE for direct answer and reply.
634. Deputy Richard O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Health the number of submissions his Department received through its public consultation process for the review of the operation of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018; if he will provide a breakdown of the findings drawn from the public submissions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24137/22]
View answerThe Minister for Health commenced the Review of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018 in line with statutory and Government commitments. The Review will examine the Act of 2018, which sets out four different types of situations in which a termination of pregnancy can lawfully occur in the State, accessing the effectiveness of the operation of the legislation.
The Review comprises of 2 main phases and is being led by an independent Chair. As part of the first phase of the review, information, and evidence on the operation of the Act is being collected from women who use the service, and from health professionals that provide the service; the views of the public were also sought via a public consultation.
The public consultation, which closed on 1st April, provided organisations, stakeholders, advocacy groups working in the area and all other interested parties to inform the Review of the operation of the legislation. A significant volume of submissions were received as part of this process and are currently being reviewed.
The second phase of the review will be led by an independent Chair who will assess the extent to which the objectives of the Act have been achieved, analysing in that regard the findings of the three strands of information, on the operation of the Act. The Minister for Health has appointed Ms Marie O’Shea B.L. as the independent Chair of the Review.
635. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Health the status of an appointment for a person (details supplied) in County Tipperary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24139/22]
View answerUnder the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.
In relation to the particular query raised, as this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.
636. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health if cariban (details supplied) will be made readily available and acceptable under the drugs payment scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24144/22]
View answer652. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the reason that Cariban is not on the drug payment scheme (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24186/22]
View answer681. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Health if he will increase affordability and access to Cariban by considering it for reimbursement as an exempt medicinal product under the medical card while the report from the HSE Medicines Management Programme on the drug is being considered (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24366/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 636, 652 and 681 together.
Under the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013, the HSE has statutory responsibility for the administration of the community drug schemes; therefore, the matter has been referred to the HSE for attention and direct reply to the Deputy.
