Results 10,321-10,340 of 14,127 for speaker:David Stanton

Provision of Accommodation and Ancillary Services to Applicants for International Protection: Statements (13 Nov 2019)

David Stanton: That is not true.

Provision of Accommodation and Ancillary Services to Applicants for International Protection: Statements (13 Nov 2019)

David Stanton: I thank all the Deputies who contributed to the debate. I am somewhat disappointed that more people did not arrive in here. It is the issue of our age. We also had time set aside for this tomorrow so there was plenty of time for more people. The debate has been very useful. Some interesting ideas have come about here. We are very open to suggestions and ideas that are practical and...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Disabled Drivers and Passengers Scheme (13 Nov 2019)

David Stanton: I thank the Senator for raising the matter. I wish to recognise my constituency colleague, Councillor James O'Connor, and welcome him to the House. I apologise on behalf of the Minister for Finance, who cannot be here this morning. The disabled drivers and disabled passengers tax concession scheme provides relief from VAT and VRT up to certain limits, an exemption on motor tax and a grant...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Disabled Drivers and Passengers Scheme (13 Nov 2019)

David Stanton: I thank the Senator. I appreciate his passion in respect of this matter. As stated, I understand and fully sympathise with any person who suffers from a serious disability and who cannot access the scheme. However the scheme and qualifying criteria were designed specifically for those with severe physical disabilities and are therefore necessarily precise. As the Senator, who is also a...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Disabled Drivers and Passengers Scheme (13 Nov 2019)

David Stanton: -----rather than the current scheme, which is for people with severe physical disabilities. The Minister has no plans to change the medical criteria for accessing the disabled drivers and disabled passengers tax concession scheme. However, the Department of Health is working on revised proposals for a transport support payments scheme, which will make individual payments as a contribution...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Fire Stations Upgrade (13 Nov 2019)

David Stanton: Again, I apologise on behalf of the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, and the Minister of State at the Department, Deputy English, who are unavailable this morning. They and I know the Senator has had a long-standing interest in the matter of a new fire station for Crossmolina and I thank her for raising the issue at this time. The provision of a...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Fire Stations Upgrade (13 Nov 2019)

David Stanton: As the Senator said, this is a project that needs to be done as urgently as possible. As I said, the Department is awaiting the design and cost plan from the county council, which should be ready and is expected to be with the Department by the end of this year. The Department tells us it will then work closely with the county council to progress the project as quickly as is possible. I...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Direct Provision Data (14 Nov 2019)

David Stanton: When an international protection applicant is issued with a labour market access permission under the European Communities (Reception Conditions) Regulations 2018 and takes up employment, the employer (or the applicant in cases of self-employment) is obliged to inform my Department within 21 days.  A standard form for this purpose is available on the website of the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Asylum Seeker Accommodation (19 Nov 2019)

David Stanton: As the Deputy will be aware, the State has a legal obligation to offer accommodation, food and a range of other services including utilities, healthcare and allowances to any person who claims a right to international protection in Ireland while their legal claim is being examined. The number of applications for international protection has been steadily increasing (up 60% to date this...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Direct Provision Data (19 Nov 2019)

David Stanton: I can inform the Deputy that as of 13 November 2019, there were 847 people who have been granted a protection status residing in accommodation centres provided by my Department. My Department, through the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) which administers the system of accommodation for protection applicants, provides such persons with accommodation while they...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Direct Provision System (19 Nov 2019)

David Stanton: I can inform the Deputy that my Department advertised a tender competition in September 2018 for suitable premises within 40km of Newbridge, Co. Kildare for accommodation and ancillary services for international protection applicants. Successful bidders were required to undertake mobilisation works to provide for cooking facilities for residents, a foodhall (where residents can procure...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Asylum Seeker Accommodation (20 Nov 2019)

David Stanton: I thank the Deputy for his question. International protection is a complex legal process driven by both national and international law, which works to protect the rights of those genuinely seeking protection by ensuring that all applications are examined in a consistently rigorous and fair manner. My Department has introduced a number of measures aimed at reducing the time taken to...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Asylum Seeker Accommodation (20 Nov 2019)

David Stanton: Every option is being pursued to try to identify and locate accommodation for people who come here looking for international protection. As I said, so far this year, of the people who have received status, 675 have got help to transit into permanent accommodation in the community. Officials from the Department meet regularly with colleagues from the Department of Housing, Planning and Local...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Asylum Seeker Accommodation (20 Nov 2019)

David Stanton: I thank the Deputy for his comments. Last week, we launched Community Sponsorship Ireland, to which I bring the attention of colleagues. Through this initiative, local communities can welcome a refugee family into their community, and there have been a number of examples during the pilot scheme, which has worked very well. The mean length of stay in accommodation is now 21 months, which...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Asylum Seeker Employment (20 Nov 2019)

David Stanton: I propose to take Questions Nos. 11 and 18 together. I thank the Deputy for his questions. Article 15(2) of the EU recast reception conditions directive allows member states to decide the conditions for granting access to the labour market for applicants for international protection, in accordance with national law. The European Communities (Reception Conditions) Regulations 2018, which...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Asylum Seeker Employment (20 Nov 2019)

David Stanton: The Deputy thrives on misery. Some 3,438 labour market permissions have been granted to date. That is a huge number. I reject totally out of hand the Deputy's assertions that people are forced to live anywhere or that conditions are inhumane. That is terrible language to use for people who are coming here looking for international protection. That is not true and the Deputy should...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Asylum Seeker Employment (20 Nov 2019)

David Stanton: We have made huge improvements to the system. I invite the Deputy to look at those improvements. More than half of the people in centres can now cook for their families and are doing so. They are living in much-improved conditions as a result of the findings in the McMahon report. I invite the Deputy to look at what has been done and to start using positive language in respect of asylum...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Direct Provision System (20 Nov 2019)

David Stanton: As the Deputy will be aware, the State has a legal obligation to offer accommodation, food and a range of other services (including utilities and healthcare etc.) to any person who claims a right to international protection in Ireland while their legal claim is being examined. These services are demand led and generally it is difficult to predict demand far in advance. I am advised...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Direct Provision System (20 Nov 2019)

David Stanton: As the Deputy will be aware, the State has a legal obligation to offer accommodation, food and a range of other services (including utilities, healthcare etc.) and allowances to any person who claims a right to international protection in Ireland while their legal claim is being examined. The number of applications has been steadily increasing (up 60% since the start of the year)....

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Immigrant Investor Programme Data (20 Nov 2019)

David Stanton: The European Communities (Reception Conditions) Regulations 2018 came into effect from 30 June 2018. The Regulations included access to the labour market for eligible international protection applicants. The Regulations provide access to both employment and to self-employment. I can inform the Deputy that as of the 14November 2019,a total of 5,027 applications for access to the...