1. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number in each intake of gardaí, and the number who attested, in the past three years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36637/25]
Sentiment score: 0.21
I ask the Minister the number of gardaí in each intake, the number who attested over the previous three years and if he will make a statement on that. I also ask him to refer to the potential of reaching the target of 1,000 new recruits this year.
Sentiment score: 0.18
There can be variation in the numbers going into each intake but the one thing that is very clear is that in no intake at the Garda College was there as many trainees as the college had capacity to train. At no stage did 200 or even close to 200 attest. In some cases, the figures were far below that. The difficulty is that the Government has been talking for quite some time now about 1,000 gardaí per year being attested. We are nowhere near this. It makes me inclined to accept the position of the Garda Commissioner when he said it was just not possible to train 1,000 gardaí this year. Does the Minister agree with that? Last year, the numbers trained in Templemore were around 400 short of that target. Does the Minister accept that he, the Department and the Garda still do not have a grip on the recruitment and retention crisis? How many does he expect to attest in total this year?
Sentiment score: 0.00
Will there be five intakes this year or next year in the Garda College? The Minister might also indicate if there are plans to increase the capacity to allow intakes of 250 trainees. Has the Minister examined the impact of the rate of payment of the Garda training allowance? We know there was an increase but where the very changes he has referred to in the age profile of those joining the gardaí are concerned and how older people generally have more financial commitments, we are told by the representative organisations that the training allowance is still not sufficient to capture people in that demographic. If the Minister is looking for an idea, there is one off the bat - increase the training allowance, increase the intake numbers permitted and ensure we go beyond increasing not just the number of applications. We need the number of gardaí to increase.
Sentiment score: 0.34
3. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the annual percentage of those who received a final negative decision on their international protection application who left Ireland within 30 days and who provided authorities with documentary evidence that they had left within three days of arrival in their home country, for each of the past five years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36638/25]
Sentiment score: -0.02
The Minister of State, Deputy Brophy, will know there is a sense that the enforcement of negative decisions within the international protection system is not working. I would appreciate it if he could outline to the House the percentage of those who received final negative decisions who voluntarily left Ireland within the 30-day period and subsequently provided authorities with evidence that they had done so within three days of arrival in their home countries.
Sentiment score: -0.41
I am just not sure whether the Minister of State has actually answered the question. In respect of the numbers he provided on voluntary returns - 934 and 885, if I noted them correctly - can he confirm that the people notified the authorities with the appropriate documentation within three days of having voluntarily left? Could he give a breakdown differentiating between those who made their own arrangements to leave and those who received assistance from the voluntary returns unit? This is fundamental. There are three distinct issues within the international protection system that clearly have not been working: the time it takes for processing decisions; the scandal within the accommodation system owing to the profiteering that is taking place; and decision enforcement. I would just like to get clarification on the numbers the Minister of State has provided. Is there documentary proof? There is clearly a further gap in respect of people whose situations we just do not know.
Sentiment score: 0.13
It would be useful if the Minister of State explained to the House the process for tracking and monitoring those who receive a final negative decision to ensure they leave Ireland as required. How many people are now in the State who have received a final negative decision but who have not left voluntarily, even if they have indicated an intention to do so? It is important to know how many are now currently subject to the deportation order. Do we have information on the precise locations of those people who have received a negative decision or a deportation order but who are currently in Ireland? If so, can the Minister of State quantify precisely how many people are currently in the State who would fall into either of these categories?
Sentiment score: -0.06