Results 10,001-10,020 of 16,849 for speaker:Dermot Ahern

Written Answers — Crime Levels: Crime Levels (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The Garda Síochána Act 2005 makes provision for the compilation and publication of crime statistics by the Central Statistics Office, as the national statistical agency, and the CSO has established a dedicated unit for this purpose. I have requested the CSO to provide the statistics sought by the Deputy directly to him.

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act, 1956, as amended, provides that the Minister may, in his absolute discretion, grant an application for a certificate of naturalisation. In accordance with the legislation, I make decisions on naturalisation applications based on all of the information available to me. I have adopted a general policy that I will normally require an applicant for...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I would refer the Deputy to my replies to his previous questions in this regard, in particular my reply to his question on 8 July 2008, which remains the position. The only additional point I would make is that the Immigration area of my Department along with all other areas is required to comply with the terms of the Budget Day announcement to yield up pay savings. This requirement is...

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) is an inter-governmental organisation that assists governments to manage migration programmes. INIS have contracted IOM since 2001 to manage its Voluntary Assistance Return and Reintegration Programme (VARRP). The VARRP programme aims to assess and return non-EU nationals to their country of origin on a voluntary basis. Although the VARRP...

Written Answers — Deportation Orders: Deportation Orders (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The deportation costs provided in the following table refer to the removal from the State of illegal immigrants and persons whose asylum applications were refused. The vast majority of the removals involved persons whose asylum applications were refused. Set out as follows are the costs for 2008 and until 31 May 2009 of the removal of persons subject to Deportation Orders, by...

Written Answers — Deportation Orders: Deportation Orders (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The total number of persons who were issued with Deportation Orders and who were subsequently deported to date in 2009 and the corresponding figures for 2008 are as follows: Year Number of Deportation Orders signed Number of Deportation Orders effected 2009 (until 30 June) 460 143 2008 634 161 Total 1094 304 The enforcement of Deportation Orders is and remains an operational matter for...

Written Answers — Asylum Applications: Asylum Applications (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The Immigration Act 2003, which commenced on the 15th September, 2003, contained a number of key changes to the Refugee Act, 1996 which enabled the processing of asylum applications to be speeded up and enhanced our ability to deal with abusive applications. These changes included the imposition on applicants of a clear statutory duty to actively pursue their asylum applications and...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The European Directive 2004/38/EC was transposed into Irish law by the European Communities (Free Movement of Persons) Regulations 2006 (S.I. 226 of 2006) which took effect on 28 April 2006. The Regulations were amended in December 2006 by the European Communities (Free Movement of Persons) (No.2) Regulations (S.I. 656 of 2006) in the light of the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the EU...

Written Answers — Asylum Support Services: Asylum Support Services (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The Reception and Integration Agency (RIA) of my Department is responsible, in accordance with Government policy, for the accommodation of those seeking international protection in Ireland. It operates a Direct Provision system which provides protection applicants with full board accommodation, free of utility or other cost. I would refer the Deputy to my reply to Dáil Question numbers 563...

Written Answers — Asylum Support Services: Asylum Support Services (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I would refer the Deputy to my reply to his Dáil Question of 24 March 2009 (ref: 565) in this matter. The length of contracts engaged in by the Reception and Integration Agency (RIA) of my Department for the provision of full board accommodation and ancillary services to persons who apply for international protection can vary depending on the type, function and location of the centre in...

Written Answers — Asylum Applications: Asylum Applications (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: As the Deputy is aware the processing of asylum applications is done within the framework of the Refugee Act, 1996 (as amended) under which every asylum applicant is guaranteed an investigation and determination of his or her claim at first instance by the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner (ORAC). I presume the Deputy is referring in his question to the language analysis testing...

Written Answers — Asylum Applications: Asylum Applications (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: As the Deputy is aware, the processing of asylum applications is carried out within the framework of the Refugee Act, 1996 (as amended) under which every asylum applicant is guaranteed an investigation and determination of his or her claim at first instance by the Refugee Applications Commissioner (ORAC). There are a variety of reasons resulting in the need to cancel the scheduled interviews...

Written Answers — Asylum Applications: Asylum Applications (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: As the Deputy is aware the processing of asylum applications is done within the framework of the Refugee Act, 1996 (as amended) under which every asylum applicant is guaranteed an investigation and determination of his or her claim at first instance by the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner (ORAC). The length of time taken for applicants to receive their first interview differs...

Written Answers — Asylum Applications: Asylum Applications (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: Section 8(5)(a) of the Refugee Act 1996 (as amended) provides that, where it appears to an immigration officer or an authorised officer that a child under the age of 18 years who has arrived in the State and is not in the custody of any person, that child must, as soon as is practicable be referred to the Health Service Executive (HSE) and thereupon the provisions of the Child Care Act, 1991...

Written Answers — Asylum Applications: Asylum Applications (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I have been informed by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) that the number of applications from Refugees for family reunification that have been approved for the years 2004 to 2009 are as set out in the following table: Year Number of individuals approved 2004 681 2005 384 2006 348 2007 328 2008 401 2009 to date 362 In the vast majority of cases involving the...

Written Answers — Asylum Issues: Asylum Issues (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: In the time available it has not been possible for the Garda authorities to supply the information requested by the Deputy. I will be in contact with the Deputy when the information is to hand.

Written Answers — Crime Levels: Crime Levels (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The Garda Síochána Act 2005 makes provision for the compilation and publication of crime statistics by the Central Statistics Office, as the national statistical agency, and the CSO has established a dedicated unit for this purpose. I have requested the CSO to provide the statistics sought by the Deputy directly to him.499

Written Answers — Public Service Staff: Public Service Staff (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The numbers of staff in my Department, its agencies and bodies under its aegis who have applied for the incentivised early retirement scheme and the incentivised career break scheme are set out in the following table. It should be noted that while the closing date for the incentivised career break scheme has passed, the closing date for the incentivised early retirement scheme is 1 September...

Written Answers — Garda Strength: Garda Strength (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I am informed by the Commissioner that the personnel strength and the number of Community Gardaí in Blanchardstown Garda Station for 2006 - 2008 and for the latest date on which figures are available for 2009 are as set out in the following table: 2006 2007 2008 2009 Personnel Strength 174 180 193 186 Community Gardaí 19 22 24 22 The Commissioner recently launched a new National Model...

Written Answers — Legislative Programme: Legislative Programme (9 Jul 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The Spent Convictions Bill 2007 is now awaiting Committee Stage in the Dáil, having completed Second Stage on 18 December 2008. As the Deputy will recall, the Bill was introduced as a Private Members Bill by my colleague, Barry Andrews TD, in October 2007. Subsequently, in early 2008, the Government agreed to take it over and to progress it as a Government Bill. During the Second Stage...