Parliamentary Questions

474. Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if the shared visa system between Ireland, China and India also includes Taiwan; if this is not the case can it be extended to include Taiwan in view of the success of previous visa initiatives with that country; and if she will... Read more

469. Deputy Gerald Nash asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will review the system of direct provision; the number of persons who are accommodated in direct provision centres across the State; if she will provide figures in terms of the number of children, those aged under 18 years, who... Read more

462. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Justice and Equality her plans to update incitement to hatred legislation. Minister for Justice and Equality (Deputy Frances Fitzgerald): A cross-Departmental review of Ireland’s Integration Strategy, including measures to address racism, is... Read more

452. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of stages involved in an application for Irish naturalisation. Minister for Justice and Equality (Deputy Frances Fitzgerald): There are three main stages in the processing of an application for a certificate of naturalisation.... Read more

446. Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the criteria required for a Ukrainian citizen seeking to travel to Ireland for a business trip; and if she will make a statement on the matter. Minister for Justice and Equality (Deputy Frances Fitzgerald): It is open to a visa... Read more

241. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if his attention has been drawn to the survey on racism undertaken by the Public Service Executive Union which revealed that 61% of respondents do not know if their employer has an equality policy with a specific anti-racism... Read more

122. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the reason wives and families of Saudi students on English language programmes and third level course are allowed to accompany their husbands or fathers while they study here, but wives and families of Libyan... Read more

99. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons availing of the direct provision facilities; the numbers who have entered the system in each of the past eight years; the numbers and locations of the centres; if records are kept of the number of persons originally... Read more

94. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons in the direct provision system; the total cost to the Exchequer of the current system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. Minister for Justice and Equality (Deputy Frances Fitzgerald): The Reception... Read more

91. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will examine the process for the issuing of deportation orders in the case of persons who have abided by their visa conditions and left the State having deportation orders issued against them and thereby causing difficulty when... Read more

84. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of asylum seekers and others in direct provision; the number in direct provision for more than two years; her policy in relation to this matter; and if she will make a statement on the matter. Minister for Justice and Equality... Read more

72. Deputy Joe Higgins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will end the system of direct provision for asylum seekers; and her views on the number of children in the system, the length of time spent by asylum seekers in direct provision centres, the living conditions and standards, and... Read more

148. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Justice and Equality her plans to reduce significantly the fee for a certificate of naturalisation. Minister for Justice and Equality (Deputy Frances Fitzgerald): The Irish Nationality and Citizenship Regulations 2011 set out the prescribed fees... Read more

Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin: The issue of direct provision centres has been troubling many people for quite a while. During the recent controversy about mother and baby homes, I came to the conclusion that there has always been a view in Ireland that some children are somehow lesser children. This cannot... Read more

164. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Justice and Equality in view of the extremely slow pace of processing applications of those residing in direct provision here if she has ever considered an amnesty approach; and if she will make a statement on the matter. Minister for Justice and Equality... Read more

163. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of new entrants that have entered the direct provision system in 2012, 2013 and 2014; and if she will make a statement on the matter. Minister for Justice and Equality (Deputy Frances Fitzgerald): The direct provision system... Read more

162. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the exact number and cost of judicial review of applicants resident in direct provision facilities broken down by year over the past nine years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. 165. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the... Read more

161. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the exact cost of direct provision by year over the past nine years broken down by year, county and facility; and if she will make a statement on the matter. Minister for Justice and Equality (Deputy Frances Fitzgerald): The direct... Read more

160. Deputy Regina Doherty asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the exact number of persons who are in the direct provision system; the way it is broken down by reception centre or facility and length of stay here; and if she will make a statement on the matter. Minister for Justice and Equality... Read more

606. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Health if he will provide a yearly breakdown of the number of persons that have been admitted from Direct Provision accommodation to psychiatric units in the past five years. Minister of State at the Department of Health (Deputy Kathleen Lynch):... Read more