Results 8,221-8,240 of 16,849 for speaker:Dermot Ahern

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (22 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: Officials in the Citizenship Division of my Department inform me that there is no record of an application for a certificate of naturalisation from the person referred to in the Deputy's Question.

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (22 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: An application for a certificate of naturalisation from the person referred to in the Deputy's Question was received in the Citizenship Division of my Department in March 2008. The average processing time from application to decision is now at 23 months. More complicated cases can at times take more than the current average while an element of straight forward cases are now being dealt with...

Written Answers — Residency Permits: Residency Permits (22 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The person concerned applied for asylum on 12 October 2006. His application was refused following consideration of his case by the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner and, on appeal, the Refugee Appeals Tribunal. Subsequently, in accordance with Section 3 of the Immigration Act, 1999 (as amended), the person concerned was informed, by letter dated 30 October 2007, that the...

Written Answers — Residency Permits: Residency Permits (22 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I am currently unable to answer the Deputy's Question due to the lack of information provided. I have been informed by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service that they have sought further information regarding details of the person referred to by the Deputy. This information has not yet been received by my officials.

Written Answers — Missing Persons: Missing Persons (22 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 390 and 446 together. In July 2008, I asked the Garda Síochána Inspectorate to undertake a review and advise on the need to establish a dedicated Missing Persons Unit within An Garda Síochána and a response network for missing children similar to "Amber Alert" in the USA. This was in accordance with a commitment made in the Programme for Government. I...

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (22 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I refer the Deputy to my reply to Parliamentary Question 155 on 7 April, 2009 in relation to the number of applications received for the last five years. The position remains as stated. The vast majority of applications for certificates of naturalisation are received from applicants residing in Ireland, because residency is a statutory requirement. However, a very small minority of...

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (22 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: Statistics are not compiled in such a manner as to provide data on the counties in which applicants are residing when making applications for certificates of naturalisation.

Written Answers — Residency Permits: Residency Permits (22 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The position in relation to granting long term residency is as follows: persons who have been legally resident in the State for over five years on the basis of work permit/work authorisation/work visa conditions may apply to the Immigration Division of my Department for a five year residency extension. In that context they may also apply to be exempt from employment permit requirements. ...

Written Answers — Asylum Support Services: Asylum Support Services (22 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The Reception and Integration Agency (RIA) is responsible for the accommodation of asylum seekers in accordance with the Government policy of direct provision and dispersal. It currently operates 59 centres across 22 counties The persons referred to in the details supplied with this question are a family of seven. They currently occupy 3 adjoining rooms at Atlas House accommodation centre,...

Written Answers — Asylum Applications: Asylum Applications (22 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: As the Deputy may be aware, there is a statutory framework governing the asylum determination process in Ireland, set out in the Refugee Act 1996 (as amended). This Act established two independent refugee status determination offices to consider applications and appeals in respect of refugee status and to make recommendations to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform on whether in...

Written Answers — Departmental Properties: Departmental Properties (22 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I wish to advise the Deputy that the Interdepartmental Committee set up to look at the future of Spike Island, which is chaired by the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism, is still examining the matter. I will await their findings before coming to any final decision(s) on the future of the Island other than to say that I do not see it forming part of our prison estate again.

Written Answers — Garda Stations: Garda Stations (22 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 397, 448 to 453, inclusive, and 471 together. I am informed by the Commissioner that the personnel strength and the opening hours of each Garda Station throughout the country on the latest date for which figures are readily available are as per the following tables. The Deputies should be aware that an increase in the opening hours of Garda stations which are...

Written Answers — Prison Building Programme: Prison Building Programme (22 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I understand that the Public Accounts Committee is in the process of examining the procurement arrangements in respect of contracts awarded by the Irish Prison Service to one particular construction company during the period in question, so it would not be appropriate for me to comment specifically on that particular case at this time. The Irish Prison Service has taken several major steps in...

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (22 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The granting of Irish Citizenship through Naturalisation is a privilege and an honour and not an entitlement. Processing of applications for a certificate of naturalisation is a two stage process: 1) initial processing and 2) further processing. All applications that pass initial processing commence further processing in strict chronological order. Therefore the only status of relevance to an...

Written Answers — Garda Operations: Garda Operations (22 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I propose to take Questions Nos. 400 and 424 together. While work on finalising the detail of the Revised Estimates Volume is not yet completed, I can say that priority will continue to be given to resources, including overtime, for front-line policing duties. The focus across all areas of activity will, as always, be on intelligence led operations, high visibility patrolling and utilising...

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (22 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I wish to inform the Deputy that the person to whom she refers was granted permission to remain in the State under the revised arrangements for the non-EEA citizens of children born in Ireland prior to 1 January 2005, commonly known as the IBC/05 Scheme. That permission is currently valid until 7 July 2010. Officials in the Citizenship Division of my Department have informed me that there is...

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (22 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: I refer the Deputy to my answer to PQ No.134 of the 2 April 2009. I have been informed by the Immigration Division of my Department that the person referred to by the Deputy was granted permission to remain in the State on 2nd December 2008. This permission was communicated to the person referred to in the Deputy's Question by writing and a copy of the letter was forwarded to the Deputy for...

Written Answers — Visa Applications: Visa Applications (22 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The personnel strength of the Garda Reserve as at 31 March 2009 was 322, with a further 152 persons in training. The number of attested Garda Reserve members currently assigned to the stations mentioned by the Deputy is as follows: Station Number Athlone 1 Mullingar 6 Longford 1 The Garda stations mentioned above fall into two separate Divisions. Athlone and Mullingar are in the...

Written Answers — Crime Levels: Crime Levels (22 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: Following the submission of a report and recommendations by an expert group on crime statistics, it was decided that the compilation and publication of crime statistics should be taken over by the Central Statistics Office, as the national statistical agency, from the Garda Síochána. The Garda Síochána Act 2005 consequently makes provision for this, and the CSO has established a...

Written Answers — Citizenship Applications: Citizenship Applications (22 Apr 2009)

Dermot Ahern: The Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) informs me that the person in question was afforded Business Permission on 13 March 2007 in the Information Technology sector for 12 months subject to any subsequent renewals showing successful business viability. Business Permission was renewed on 5 March 2008 for a further 12 months in which the person concerned was advised that the...