Written Answers Nos. 647-670
647. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Justice the expenditure incurred by An Garda Síochána in the 2024 training campaign for forensic collision investigators and the external organisations that were paid to run the training; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7413/25]
View answerThe Garda Commissioner is by law responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, including all matters related to training and recruitment. As Minister, I have no direct role in these operational matters. I am assured however that the distribution of resources between the different Garda units and specialist roles is kept under constant review, in light of operational needs.
I am advised by the Garda authorities that the cost of training 22 Garda members and the cost of two trainers who provided the Forensic Collision Investigator Training course amounted to £163,960 (approximately €197,600)
I am further advised that 12 Garda members are fully trained Forensic Collision Investigators (FCI) and that a further eight members are currently undergoing FCI training.
I am also informed that the external organisation paid to run the FCI training was AITs Ai Training services.
648. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Justice if he will provide a schedule of all external legal consultation that he engaged in, in 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025; the general nature of the engagement; if the external consultation resulted in a report and or recommendations; and the cost of each consultant and or company engaged, in tabular form. [7439/25]
View answerIt has not been possible to collate the information requested by the Deputy in the time available.
I will write to the Deputy directly once the information is to hand.
|
Year |
Name of Legal Consultant |
Reason for Consultation |
Report / Recommendation Y/N |
Cost € (Inc VAT) |
|
Year |
Name of Legal Consultant |
Reason for Consultation |
Report / Recommendation Y/N |
Cost € (Inc VAT) |
|
2023 |
Gemma McLoughlin Burke BL |
Analysis of differential treatment of marital and non-marital families in criminal legislation. |
N |
6,301 |
|
2023 |
Róisin Áine Costello BL |
Analysis of differential treatment of marital and non-marital families in Immigration, citizenship and international protection legislation. |
N |
3,153 |
|
2023 |
Peter Hamilton BL |
Analysis of differential treatment of marital and non-marital families in succession, property, and insolvency legislation. |
N |
2,909 |
|
2023 |
Sean Aherne BL |
Analysis of differential treatment of marital and non-marital families in legislation related to family, marriage, guardianship, and domestic violence legislation. |
N |
6,302 |
|
2023 |
Hilary Hogan BL |
Research for Civil Legal Aid Review. |
Y |
3,810 |
|
2023 |
Finn Keyes BL |
Research for Civil Legal Aid Review. |
Y |
3,532 |
|
2023 |
Gemma McLoughlin – Burke BL |
Legal Research on Courts Procedure. |
N |
4,606 |
|
2023 |
Shauna Keniry BL |
Data Protection Legal Research. |
N/A |
5,367 |
|
2023 |
Hilary Hogan BL |
Research and draft of text for the Civil Legal Aid Review Group. |
Y |
3,879 |
|
2023 |
Gemma McLoughlin – Burke BL |
Legal Research on Courts Procedure. |
N/A |
4,121 |
|
2023 |
Byrne Wallace LLP |
Professional Service for Drafting of Contracts |
N |
4,391 |
|
2023 |
Byrne Wallace LLP |
Review of contracts |
Y |
1,083 |
|
2023 |
Byrne Wallace LLP |
Employment law consultation and advices |
N |
5,399 |
|
2023 |
Byrne Wallace LLP |
Development of revised contractual Terms and Conditions of Garda Staff arising from introduction of the PSCS Act 2024 |
N |
19,584 |
|
2023 |
Byrne Wallace LLP |
Training on the Protected Disclosures Amendment Act 2022 |
N |
2,038 |
|
2024 |
Byrne Wallace LLP |
Professional Service for Drafting of Contracts |
N |
2,752 |
|
2024 |
Fieldfisher Ireland LLP |
Support in relation to Codes of Practice in respect of the Establishment of the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland |
N |
55,878 |
|
2024 |
Fieldfisher Ireland LLP |
Procedural Governance Consultancy in respect of the Establishment of the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland |
N |
40,034 |
|
2024 |
Eversheds Sutherland LLP |
Professional Services Procurement |
N |
5,946 |
|
2024 |
Byrne Wallace, LLP |
Internal Appeal Officer Training |
N |
1,347 |
|
2024 |
Byrne Wallace LLP |
Employment law consultation and advices |
N |
32,781 |
|
2024 |
Byrne Wallace LLP |
Development of revised contractual Terms and Conditions of Garda Staff |
N |
33,080 |
|
2024 |
Byrne Wallace LLP |
Protected Disclosures Policy and Procedures Review |
N |
3,689 |
|
2024 |
Eoghan Fagan BL |
Analysis of personal insolvency and possessions cases. |
Y |
1,577 |
|
2025 |
Byrne Wallace LLP |
External legal advice to HR |
N |
5,884 |
|
2025 |
Byrne Wallace LLP |
Protected Disclosures Policy and Procedures Review |
N |
3,367 |
|
Total |
€282,810 |
649. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Justice if he is considering introducing any mechanisms that might allow Ukrainian nationals who are full-time students or in full-time employment here to remain in Ireland after their current protected status, as per the European Union temporary protection directive, expires; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7464/25]
View answer650. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Justice if Ukrainian nationals domiciled in Ireland, under the European Union Temporary Protection Directive, can factor time already spent living in Ireland into an eventual application for naturalisation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7475/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 649 and 650 together.
As the Deputy will be aware, the Temporary Protection Directive has been extended until March 2026 at a meeting of the European Council in June 2024, thereby providing certainty for Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection who can continue to avail of the protections that the Directive provides during this time. Consideration as to the arrangements to be put in place following the expiry of the Directive are ongoing, both within the Government and at an EU level.
Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection hold temporary permission to remain in Ireland, this permission is renewable on an annual basis, as long as the Directive remains in force.
The Deputy will appreciate that I cannot pre-empt the outcome of future discussions and decisions of either the EU or the Government in this regard, however, Ireland supports the strong call from EU Member States for a harmonised approach.
651. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Justice the timeframe for applicants to process through the join family visa process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7495/25]
View answerI understand that extended wait times can be frustrating for applicants and I want to assure anyone who has made an application for a join family visa that my Department is doing everything possible to progress these applications as quickly as possible.
The entitlement to family reunification varies depending on the permission granted to the sponsor of the application. Accordingly, there is not a single common average processing time for join family visas.
Family members of Critical Skills Employment Permit holders can apply for join family visas at the same time as the Sponsor’s employment visa. When these visas are applied for together, they are processed in tandem and are typically completed within 12 weeks.
My Department aims to process join family visas applications within 12 months. The business target reflects the detailed and often complex assessment that is required to be carried out in relation to applications for family reunification. The majority of join family visas receive a first instance decision within this business target. In 2024 the average processing time for all types of Join Family visa application was 72 calendar days.
In 2024, approximately 201,000 visa applications, of all types, were received by the Visa Division of my Department. This reflects an increase of 21%, compared to 2023, with over 35,000 additional applications received.
In 2024, approximately 22,000 join family visa applications were received by the Visa Division of my Department. This represents an increase of 14% compared to 2023, with over 3,000 additional applications received.
I am acutely aware that join family applications, are very important for the persons impacted and I am committed to improving the service my Department provides. In recent months, additional resources and staff have been assigned to my Department’s Visa Division which I expect reduce the waiting times for family applications in the coming months.
Processing times and decisions at the Overseas Visa Offices can be checked at the following link: www.irishimmigration.ie/visa-decisions/#decisions.
This webpage is updated weekly for the Dublin Visa Office. Please note, the processing date published on the above page is the oldest date of application currently being processed under a given category. However, it should be noted that the Visa team continue to process and make decisions on applications received after the published processing date. If a particular application takes longer to consider this may prevent the published processing date from advancing.
652. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Justice it has emerged that the suspect being held for the killing of a person (details supplied) is currently facing charges before the courts for violent disorder and producing a knife during a dispute; the steps he is taking to reduce recidivism by people on bail; the travel restrictions the suspect was under as a result of the bail; and the reason an electronic tag not used in this case. [7497/25]
View answerWhile I cannot comment on individual cases, or matters before the Courts, I can detail some of the measures that have been put in place or are being advanced in order to tackle violent crime and reduce recidivism by people on bail.
In considering such matters, it is important to note that restricting a person’s liberty is a serious issue, given the Constitutional presumption that a person is deemed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
The Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act 1990 has recently been amended to increase the maximum penalty from 5 to 7 years imprisonment for the offences of public possession of an article intended to cause injury, incapacitate or intimidate, trespassing with a knife, and producing a knife to unlawfully intimidate another person. Separately, the maximum penalty for assault causing harm was recently increased from 5 to 10 years.
In relation to recidivism by people on bail, the Bail Act 1997 has been strengthened on multiple occasions to provide for stricter bail terms (including the use of curfews) for repeat serious offenders, along with stronger Garda powers to deal with breaches of bail. Where an individual fails to comply with any bail conditions, the judge may issue a bench warrant, giving An Garda Síochána the power to arrest and bring the person before the court to answer all charges relating to the bail. Furthermore, a member of An Garda Síochána may arrest a person immediately without a warrant where they have reasonable cause to suspect that that person has breached, or is about to breach, a bail condition and consider the person’s arrest necessary to prevent harm to, interference with, or intimidation of a victim or witness. A breach of bail may result in an additional charge and an order and/or surety for ‘forfeiture and estreatment’ of the bail money.
Currently Section 6B of the Bail Act 1997 (as amended), which provides for the use of electronic monitoring for certain persons admitted to bail, has yet to be commenced. Additionally, a service provider will need to be in place in order to apply electronic monitoring technology in practice. The Programme for Government commits to implement electronic tagging for appropriate categories of offender and a steering group is in place, made up of sectoral representatives who will be involved in delivery. Work has started on scoping out the practical operational considerations for relevant categories of offender to inform next steps.
653. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Justice the number of electronic tags that have been used by the State on criminals or on people on bail in each of the past ten years; the travel restrictions that have been imposed on criminals or on people who are on bail for each of the past ten years; and the number of crimes that have been committed by people who are on bail for the past ten years. [7498/25]
View answerSection 6B of the Bail Act 1997 (as amended), which provides for the use of electronic monitoring for certain persons admitted to bail, has yet to be commenced.
The Programme for Government commits to implement electronic tagging for appropriate categories of offender and work is underway to achieve this with a steering group in place made up of sectoral representatives who will be involved in delivery. Work has started on scoping out the practical operational considerations for relevant categories of offender to inform next steps.
In relation to travel restrictions that have been imposed on criminals or on people who are on bail, I have made enquiries and I am advised by the Courts Service that their system does not record travel restrictions in a way that can be reported in a tabular fashion. As such, the Courts Service does not hold complete statistical information on travel restrictions associated with individuals on bail and the statistics as requested by the Deputy are therefore not available.
The Bail Act contains robust provisions on both dealing with and pre-empting breaches of bail. Where an individual fails to comply with any bail conditions, the judge may issue a bench warrant, mandating An Garda Síochána to arrest and bring the person before the court.
Furthermore, a Garda member may immediately arrest a person without a warrant where the member has reasonable cause to suspect that that person has breached, or is about to breach, a bail condition and the member considers the arrest necessary to prevent harm to, interference with, or intimidation of a victim or witness.
In relation to the detailed information sought by the Deputy in relation to offences committed, my Department has requested this from An Garda Síochána and I will write to the Deputy once the information is available.
654. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Justice to provide data on the final cost of public procurement tenders where his Department or agencies under the aegis of his Department acted as the contracting authority in each of the past five years, indicating the number of tenders where the final cost was under, on, or over the contract award value at the time of tendering, in tabular form. [7510/25]
View answer655. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Justice the total amount spent in excess of the contract award value for all public procurement tenders within his Department and agencies under the aegis his Department of in each of the past five years. [7528/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 654 and 655 together.
Public procurement is governed by EU and national rules and my Department ensures that appropriate procedures are followed for procurement activity.Departments are obliged to ensure that public procurement is discharged in line with the standard accounting and procurement rules and that contract prices represent best value for money.
Public procurement practices are subject to audit and scrutiny under the Comptroller and Auditor General (Amendment) Act 1993. Procurement is subject to internal audit within my Department.
Department of Finance Circular 40/02 requires Government Departments and Offices to submit an annual report to the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General for contracts above €25,000 (exclusive of VAT) awarded without a competitive process by 31 March of the following year and details of contracts awarded by my Department without the use of a competitive process are outlined in the Department’s Appropriation Accounts.
In addition, Circular 09/2024 sets out a new annual reporting requirement relating to the use of centralised procurement arrangements. The report will identify any contracts for goods or services, valued more than €143,000 (exclusive of VAT), where a central procurement arrangement has not been used. My Department is currently preparing its 2024 return for submission in advance of the deadline of 1 July next.
Circular 05/2023 sets out that all public procurement tenders, where they have an estimated value above specified national thresholds, must be advertised on the national electronic tendering platform (eTenders).
Once a tender competition is concluded and a contract awarded, individual Contracting Authorities, including a number of independent bodies under the aegis of my Department, manage the expenditure incurred on their contracts, in their relevant financial systems. These financial systems are separate to the national tendering system (eTenders). As such, information on individual Contracting Authorities expenditure, under the aegis of my Department, at a contract level for all public procurement tenders, is not information that is held by, or readily available to report on centrally.
I have been informed by my Department after consulting with agencies under its aegis that it is not possible to retrieve the granular level of detail of information for all contracts, for the period requested across the Department and agencies under its aegis. I have been informed that to collate this information would involve a disproportionate amount of time and resources.
I can assure the Deputy that the potential benefits that could arise from having greater connections between data from the tendering (pre-award) and the expenditure (post-award) stages of public procurement transactions are recognised, and my Department has begun a process to identify a suitable replacement solution for our current management information system used to record contract details.
656. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Justice to provide an update on an application for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7586/25]
View answerI can advise the Deputy that the application referred to was created on 04 October 2024. Supporting documentation was received in the Tehran office on 09 October 2024. The application was received in the Dublin Visa Office on 01 November 2024 where it is currently being processed.
It is not possible to give a definitive date as to when these applications will be finalised. Applications are processed in chronological order, based on date order of receipt. While every effort is made to process applications as soon as possible, processing times will vary having regard to the volume and complexity of applications.
The applicant will be notified as soon as a decision has been reached by a Visa Officer.
Processing times and decisions at the Dublin Visa Office can be checked at the following link which is updated each Tuesday:www.irishimmigration.ie/visa-decisions/.The date published on the above page is the oldest date of application currently being processed under a given category. However, it should be noted that the Visa team continue to process and make decisions on applications received after the published processing date. If a particular application takes longer to consider this may prevent the published processing date from advancing.The person concerned can now directly check the status of their immigration application on the Immigration Service’s new Digital Contact Centre. They can register for, or log in to their existing account, at: portal.irishimmigration.ie/en/.As an Oireachtas member, you can also request the status of individual immigration cases by e-mail, using the Oireachtas Mail facility at: IMoireachtasmail@justice.ie, which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Question process.
657. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Justice the Garda numbers for each year from 2014 to date, by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7592/25]
View answer661. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Justice for a report on the number of Gardaí assigned to each Garda station in the Dublin Metropolitan Region, each year from 2014 to date in 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7596/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 657 and 661 together.
My first priority as Minister for Justice is to get more Gardai on our streets through increased recruitment and appropriate civilianisation where possible. The Programme for Government commits to recruiting at least 5,000 Gardai in the coming five years. A new recruitment process commenced this month which will see a new intake of Garda recruits starting in the Garda Training College in Templemore in the coming months.
The Government is committed to ensuring that An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs to fight crime and a strengthened, well-resourced Garda organisation is central to this policy. The Garda Vote in Budget 2025 saw unprecedented funding of over €2.48 billion for this year, a 27% increase since 2020 which is supporting the continued recruitment of Garda members and staff.
While the Garda Commissioner is operationally responsible for the allocation of Garda resources, I am engaging regularly with him to ensure our Gardaí have the resources they need. I am informed that when allocating and transferring Garda members to and from any Division, consideration is given to commitments and undertakings outlined in the Annual Policing Plan.
I understand that the requirements of all Garda Divisions nationwide are also taken into account, which include:
• Local and national crime trends and workloads;
• Policing arrangements and operational strategies;
• Minimum establishment statistics;
• Local population and trends, geographical area and size;
• Transfer applications, including welfare, personnel issues and concerns.
I am advised by the Garda authorities that as of 31 December 2024, there was a total of 14,191 Garda members nationwide. The information sought by the Deputy in relation to the allocation of Gardaí by Division and Station up to the end of 2024 is publicly available and can be found at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/66833-garda-workforce/ .
The Deputy should access the files titled "Garda Workforce Strength 2006 to 31 December 2024" and “Garda Members by Division District Station 2009 to 31 December 2024” for a breakdown of total Gardaí numbers and Garda by division and by rank.
658. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Justice the number of Gardaí to be recruited over the lifetime of this Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7593/25]
View answerThe Government is committed to building stronger, safer communities, and strengthening An Garda Síochána is at the core of that. We will continue to provide An Garda Síochána with the resources it needs to ensure communities around Ireland are safe and feel safe, including investment in recruitment, equipment, technology and in buildings. This is reflected in the unprecedented allocation of over €2.48 billion to An Garda Síochána in Budget 2025, a 27% increase since 2020.
The overall Garda workforce, which includes Gardaí, civilian staff and Reserves is higher than it has ever been at 18,000.
My first priority as Minister for Justice is to get more Gardaí on our streets through increased recruitment and appropriate civilianisation where possible. The Programme for Government commits to recruiting at least 5,000 Gardaí in the coming five years.
A Garda Trainee Recruitment campaign opened on 6 February 2025 and will remain open for applications until 27 February. The response to last year’s Garda recruitment campaign was very strong. These competitions are allowing for the sustained recruitment of new Garda recruits through to next year and beyond.
A Recruitment and Training Capacity Group has been established, chaired by a Deputy Secretary General in my Department, to support the achievement of increased recruitment and ensure that these recruitment campaigns are impactful. The Group will keep me informed on actions being taken to maximise future intakes and to ensure recruitment can be as effective as possible. The Group will also provide a final report to me by the summer which I expect will include further measures to support recruitment and retention.
659. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Justice the number of community Gardaí in each region, each year from 2014 to date in 2025, by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7594/25]
View answerCommunity policing is at the heart of An Garda Síochána and all Gardaí have a role to play in community policing in the course of carrying out their duties.
A member of An Garda Síochána is deemed to be a ‘Community Garda’ where that person is allocated to a Community Policing Team (CPT), and is responsible and accountable for applying a problem–solving approach to appropriate crime and policing quality-of-life issues in a specified geographic area through community partnership and engagement. Examples of this engagement are working with Neighbourhood Watch, Community Alert, or local business fora.
Like most Garda members, those assigned to CPTs have dual functions. In addition to their strategic roles in these teams, part of which requires them to regularly update their Community Engagement Superintendent on the policing needs of their community, they are also frontline members. It is also important to note that CPTs draw on all frontline Gardaí to carry out community policing.
The Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution of resources, including personnel, among the various Garda Units and as Minister I have no direct role in the matter.
In the interest of transparency, information in relation to the allocation of Community Gardaí by Division is publicly available and can be found at the link below. I can also advise the Deputy that I have received the most recent figures for December 2024 from An Garda Síochána which have been published on the website. www.gov.ie/en/publication/bd777-an-garda-siochana-your-police-service-some-facts-and-figures
660. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Justice the number of Garda stations, each year from 2014 to date in 2025, by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7595/25]
View answerThe Government is committed to ensuring that An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs to fight crime and a strengthened, well-resourced Garda organisation is central to this policy. An Garda Síochána's budget allocation is over €2.48 billion for this year, a 27% increase since 2020 which is supporting the continued recruitment of Garda members and staff.
The Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of Garda business under Section 26 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), which includes the management of the Garda Estate. As Minister, I have no role in such matters.
I am informed that currently, An Garda Síochána has over 570 Garda stations throughout the country. By international standards, this is high. For example, in Scotland, which has a comparable population size and a highly dispersed population, there are approximately 250 police stations.
There have been no Garda station closures in the last number of years. The Commissioner has repeatedly said there is no intention to close any stations.
An Garda Síochána also do not police on a station basis, but rather on a Divisional basis, and see stations as locations within communities for people to attend, and for resources to be accommodated. Policing for an area will be delivered using all resources in a District/ Community Engagement Area and supported by Divisional resources and units.
The table below, which was provided to me by the Garda authorities, sets out the number of Garda stations by county at the end of 2014 up to the of end 2024, and to date in 2025. This information is operational and may be subject to change.
In the interest of transparency, information in relation to the opening hours of individual Garda Stations is publicly available and can be found at the following link. www.garda.ie/en/contact-us/station-directory/
The number of Garda stations by county at the end of 2014-2025
662. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Justice the number of minors arrested for each year from 2014 to date in 2025, by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7597/25]
View answerI have requested the information sought by the Deputy from the Garda authorities, however, this was not available in time. I will write to the Deputy again once the information is to hand.
663. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Justice the number of youth diversion initiatives per county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7598/25]
View answer664. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Justice the annual Government spend on youth diversion from 2014 to date in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7599/25]
View answer665. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Justice to outline the Government’s youth justice strategy; if the age limit will be extended to 25 years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7600/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 663, 664 and 665 together.
The Youth Justice Strategy 2021-2027 is a whole of government plan to take a coordinated strategic and tactical approach to the full range of issues connected to children and young people at risk of coming into contact with the criminal justice system.
The vision is to ensure collaboration across all sectors of government and society in the development and delivery of opportunities for children and young people, to harness support in their families and communities in order to strengthen their capacities to live free from crime and harm.
The key principles underlining the Strategy are linked to the standards endorsed by the international community as required to uphold children’s rights and include; early intervention and preventative work; family support; diversion from crime; court processes and facilities; supervision of offenders; detention and reintegration; and support post release.
The Youth Justice Strategy 2021 – 2027 commits to extending the remit of the Youth Diversion Project network to provide dedicated Family Support, Early Intervention, and Harder-to-Reach programmes throughout the State. These interventions seek to specifically target the immediate family members of participants, children aged between 8 and 11 years who are at risk of coming to the attention of law enforcement once they reach the age of criminal responsibility, and prolific young offenders presenting to YDPs and youth-related services with complex needs, respectively.
The Youth Justice Strategy includes actions to develop diversion-based responses for young adults aged 18-24. A discussion document for public consultation on diversion paths for young adults aged 18-24 was published on 9 November 2022. My Department sought opinions on appropriate diversion processes for young adults aged 18-24 who come into contact with the criminal justice system. The Department then held two further public open policy consultation forums in November 2023 with feedback and responses examined and compiled for inclusion in new policy proposals.
One final stakeholder consultation will take place on 27 February 2025, following which my officials will submit policy proposals to me for consideration.
Last week, I announced two new Youth Diversion Projects (YDPs) in East Clare and North Tipperary. Foróige has been chosen to operate both projects. This announcement will achieve the target as set out in the Youth Justice Strategy of full national coverage of YDPs, ensuring that a service is available to every young person who needs it.
I have attached details on the number of YDPs in each county, and the funding that my Department has paid to YDPs from 2014 to date in 2025.
Number of YDPs in each county
|
Carlow |
1 |
|
Cavan |
1 |
|
Clare |
2 |
|
Cork |
9 |
|
Donegal |
1 |
|
Dublin |
30 |
|
Galway |
3 |
|
Kerry |
1 |
|
Kildare |
4 |
|
Kilkenny |
1 |
|
Laois |
1 |
|
Leitrim/ Sligo |
1 |
|
Limerick |
5 |
|
Longford |
1 |
|
Louth |
4 |
|
Mayo |
3 |
|
Meath |
3 |
|
Monaghan |
1 |
|
Offaly |
3 |
|
Roscommon |
1 |
|
Tipperary |
5 |
|
Waterford |
5 |
|
Westmeath |
2 |
|
Wexford |
3 |
|
Wicklow |
2 |
|
Total |
93 |
Funding Paid to YDPs*
|
2014 |
€11,656,568 |
|
2015 |
€11,473,557 |
|
2016 |
€14,126,646 |
|
2017 |
€13,446,193 |
|
2018 |
€14,422,585 |
|
2019 |
€15,227,828 |
|
2020 |
€16,672,439 |
|
2021 |
€18,757,913 |
|
2022 |
€25,041,252 |
|
2023 |
€25,781,503 |
|
2024 |
€29,330,537 |
|
2025 to date |
€9,849,419 |
|
Total |
€205,786,442 |
* Figures relate to payments made to Youth Diversion Projects including once off capital payments.
666. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Justice the numbers of people who engaged in restorative justice initiatives from 2014 to date in 2025; the number of minors who engaged in these initiatives over the same time period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7601/25]
View answerAs part of the Probation Service’s overall strategy to further develop capacity to deliver a high quality service and meet the requirements contained in section 26 of the Criminal Justice (Victims of Crime) Act 2017, the Service established a National Restorative Justice and Victim Services Unit (RJVSU) in October 2018. The Unit meets two core objectives:
Provide leadership and support for the consistent and integrated provision of a range of restorative justice models within the context of Probation assessment and supervision.
Act as the central point of contact for the Service to ensure an effective response to requests and queries from victims. This may include a request for engagement in a restorative justice process.
All Probation interventions seek to address the harm caused by offending behaviour and consequently victim consideration is incorporated into pre-sanction assessment as well as supervision. At its core, restorative justice aims to enable all those affected by an offence to participate.
The Probation Service delivers restorative justice directly, and through several community-based organisations that receive referrals at specific points in the criminal justice process and the Probation Service currently provides funding to five community-based organisations to provide dedicated restorative justice programmes. These 5 programmes, and the areas they provide services to, are listed below:
• Restorative Justice Services - Dublin, Wicklow, Meath and Kildare• Restorative Justice in the Community - Tipperary, Laois, Offaly and has recently expanded to Westmeath• Le Chéile - Limerick, Cork & Clare (for young people aged 16-24 years)• Cornmarket Project - Wexford• Tuam Community Training Centre - Galway, Sligo, and Roscommon.
Other Probation Service funded CBOs also use restorative approaches in their work with clients to promote respectful relationships and address the harm caused by their offending.
In 2020, Restorative Justice Strategies for Change (RJS4C) Ireland, of which the Probation Service is a core member, began mapping the organisations involved in restorative justice, the levels of training, and the use of restorative justice and restorative practices in the Irish criminal justice system. RJS4C have published data tracking restorative justice in Ireland from 2019-2023: https://restorativejustice.ie/service-map/. Data in relation to 2024 is currently being finalised by the Probation Service and will be published as part of their Annual Report for 2024.
The information requested by the Deputy is contained in the table below.
|
- |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
|
Probation Service (Adult) |
37 |
24 |
36 |
63 |
81 |
|
Young Person's Probation* |
11 |
15 |
5 |
12 |
- |
|
Le Chéile |
31 |
26 |
21 |
12 |
21 |
|
Cornmarket |
16 |
11 |
19 |
10 |
23 |
|
Restorative Justice Services |
433 |
177 |
187 |
240 |
245 |
|
Restorative Justice in the Community |
200 |
87 |
132 |
88 |
77 |
*Probation figures from 2023 do not distinguish between adults and juveniles.
667. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Justice the funding for community prison links workers for each year since its inception; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7602/25]
View answerMy Department acts only as a conduit for prison-link projects and I am advised that they are in fact funded chiefly by the Department of Health. The Department of Justice has no role in monitoring the projects, dealing with funding requests, or looking at any of their day-to-day activities. The Deputy may wish to put a question to the Minister for Health in this regard.
668. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Justice if communication has been given to South Dublin County Council to commence local community safety partnerships; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7604/25]
View answerA key principle of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland is that community safety requires multi-agency cooperation working in partnership with An Garda Síochána and crucially with communities themselves. The Report recommended the establishment of national and local structures to bring together the relevant departments and State agencies involved in harm prevention to promote community safety.As the Deputy may be aware, the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024, which I intend to commence shortly, provides for the establishment of this national infrastructure. Local Community Safety Partnerships, which will operate at each local authority level, are central to this approach. In preparation for the national roll out of these Partnerships the Department piloted the model in three areas, Dublin North Inner City, Waterford and Longford and commissioned an independent evaluation of the pilots.
The Act also provides for a National Office for Community Safety. A function of this Office is to provide training, guidance and support to the Partnerships. In preparation for the establishment of the National Office a number of staff, including a Director Designate, have been appointed. These staff are working on preparations for the establishment of Local Community Safety Partnerships including developing a comprehensive guidance document informed by the learning from the pilots. The staff are also engaging directly with local authorities and other stakeholders to support establishment of Partnerships.
669. Deputy Jen Cummins asked the Minister for Justice the status of the Sex Offenders (Amendment) (Coercive Control) Bill 2023; if the Bill will be prioritised within the current Dáil term; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7632/25]
View answerEstablishing a zero tolerance approach to domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence (DSGBV) is vital for safeguarding individuals and promoting a safer society. As Minister for Justice I am acutely aware of the need for vulnerable victims to be supported and I am committed to ensuring An Garda Síochána have what is needed to combat all forms of DSBGV and to support victims and survivors, as well as ensuring that our justice system is victim-centred.
In relation to the Bill referred to by the Deputy, as a Private Members Bill, the Sex Offenders (Amendment) (Coercive Control) Bill 2023 lapsed with the dissolution of the last Dáil.
670. Deputy George Lawlor asked the Minister for Justice if the case of persons (details supplied) awaiting visas will be reviewed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7633/25]
View answerThe persons referred to by the Deputy entered the State under the Working Holiday Authorisation Programme (WHA), which is administered by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Where a person from outside the EU, EEA, UK or Switzerland comes to Ireland and intends to reside here for more than 90 days, including under the WHA scheme, they must register with Immigration Service Delivery (ISD). I can advise the Deputy that the persons concerned have not yet done so.
First time registration for all residents in the Republic of Ireland are carried out by the Registration Office within ISD of my Department.
Appointments to register a permission for the first time can be made through my Departments Digital Contact Centre (DCC) at: https://portal.irishimmigration.ie/en/.
In its first phase, the DCC can also be used to check the status of, and raise queries in relation to Citizenship Applications, Visa Applications, Domestic Residence Permission Applications, EU Treaty Rights Applications and Travel Documents Applications. A guide to using the DCC is available on the Immigration Service website at www.irishimmigration.ie/dcc-a-guide-to-using-the-online-self-service-portal/.
Once registered, an Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card will be issued. The IRP is a credit-card sized plastic card that displays basic information including the name, registration number and immigration Stamp type.
Further information on registering a permission is also available on the ISD website: www.irishimmigration.ie/registering-your-immigration-permission/.
As an Oireachtas member, you can also request the status of individual immigration cases by e-mail, using the Oireachtas Mail facility at: IMoireachtasmail@justice.ie, which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Question process.
