Written Answers Nos. 690-709
691. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of successful applicants currently waiting to be called to begin training in a college (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54801/25]
View answerThe Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána under section 33 of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024, which includes the recruitment and training of Garda personnel. As Minister, I have no role in these independent functions.
No applicant is deemed to be 'successful' until a formal offer to attend an intake at Templemore has been issued. As such, the information requested by the Deputy is unavailable.
The Garda trainee recruitment process encompasses multiple stages across application, selection and appointment. The application and selection stages of the process are undertaken by publicjobs on behalf of the Garda Commissioner, the final element of which is the interview stage.
Applicants who pass these stages then enter the Garda Síochána recruitment stages which consist of vetting, medical, physical competence testing (PCT) and substance misuse testing, all of which need to be completed successfully before a candidate is offered a place to commence training in the Garda College.
I am advised by the Garda authorities that, as of 8 October, An Garda Síochána are currently progressing 1,178 candidates through the recruitment process, which comprises of vetting, physical competency test, medical and substance misuse testing.
Only when a candidate is successful in all stages can they begin training in Templemore. The next intake to Templemore is scheduled for November 2025.
694. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he will confirm the reunification for families of medical evacuees from Gaza that was announced in July 2025; the date on which these families will be reunited with their family members already here receiving treatment; the way in which the reunification process will proceed; the details of the way and when family members still in Gaza will be brought here; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the medical evacuees are desperate to have their families here following the announcement the Government made in July and that the delay is having a significant impact on the traumatised families; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54842/25]
View answerIn September 2024 the Government approved Ireland’s participation in an initiative to evacuate up to 30 sick children from Gaza for treatment and care, following an appeal from the World Health Organisation. So far, 12 paediatric patients have been evacuated through Egypt to Ireland and are receiving ongoing medical treatment. They are accompanied here by 33 carers and family members.
I appreciate that those who have been medically evacuated are eager for their family members to join them in Ireland. Originally, the Gaza Medevac Initiative provided for the evacuation of one child and one accompanying family member or carer. However, in practice the Department facilitated the arrival of additional family members on a humanitarian basis by providing Irish entry visas and residence permission. In July, the Government decided to formalise this approach. This means children arriving under the Gaza Medevac Initiative can be accompanied by both parents and their siblings and those with family already in Ireland can apply for join family visas to be reunited.
It remains my Department’s policy that the families brought to Ireland under the Gaza Medevac Initiative should not be separated. The Irish Red Cross has offered to assist families here in Ireland to apply for entry visas for their family members still in Gaza and applications from eligible family members will be processed swiftly.
While my Department can grant visas for eligible family members to travel to Ireland, it is unable to provide practical assistance to family members who are seeking evacuation directly from Gaza
My Department, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), Department of Health, Irish Red Cross, the Health Service Executive, Children's Health Ireland and international organisations are working closely towards a civilian evacuation from Gaza to facilitate the paediatric patients and their families. This evacuation is being led by DFAT with the aim to be completed in the near future.
695. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of applicants who entered the Garda Síochána Foundation Training Programme in Templemore for each of the past ten programmes; the respective number who completed each of these training programmes; the number of these who were sworn in as Gardaí for each intake; and the number currently still serving in respect of each class, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54847/25]
View answerI have requested the information sought by the Deputy from the Garda authorities. Regrettably, it has not been possible to compile the information in time and I will write to the Deputy once the information is available.
696. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he has confidence in the Data Protection Commission. [54881/25]
View answerThe Data Protection Commission (DPC) is Ireland’s independent Data Protection Authority under the GDPR. Under the Data Protection Act 2018, the DPC is statutorily independent in the performance of its responsibilities and functions, as is required under GDPR.
The Government fully supports the DPC and understands the critical role they play in delivering a stable regulatory environment for business to grow, while protecting citizens’ data protection rights.
The Data Protection Commission plays a key role as one of the largest EU data protection authorities. As the lead supervisory authority in many cross-border cases, Ireland is often the first point of response for new and emerging data protection issues across the EU.
In 2024, the DPC received 11,091 new cases and concluded 10,510. Of these, 2,673 progressed to the complaint handling process. The DPC also resolved 2,357 complaints through the formal complaint-handling process and concluded 145 valid cross-border complaints with other data protection supervisory authorities. Since 2018, 82% of cross-border complaints received, where DPC is Lead Supervisory Authority, have now been concluded.
Since the GDPR coming into force in May 2018 to the end of Q4 2024, the DPC has issued over €3.5 billion in fines. In 2024 alone the DPC issued €652 million in administrative fines.
The Government continues to invest significant resources to support the DPC to deliver on its evolving mandate. In 2025, the DPC was allocated a budget of €29.1 million, and increase of some 150% since 2018. The 2026 budget saw a further 10% increase to the budget of the DPC, with an additional €3 million to support increased staffing. As of July 2025, the DPC had 280 staff.
Having regard to the expanding role of the DPC in the digital regulatory environment; and its organisational structure, governance and business needs, the Government decided on 27 July 2022 to move to a three-Commissioner model as provided for under the Data Protection Act 2018. Commissioners Dr. Des Hogan and Mr. Dale Sunderland were appointed in February 2024 and the Government has recently appointed a third Commissioner, Ms Niamh Sweeney, who joined the Commission on 13 October 2025, following an open competition run by Public Jobs.
The digital regulatory environment is always advancing at pace, and this new three Commissioner model reflects the increased workload for the Commission arising from the suite of the EU’s new digital legislation, including the EU AI Act, the Data Act, the Political Advertising Regulation and the Platform Workers Directive.
I have full confidence that the DPC will continue to perform its vital role.
697. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the special provisions that are being made to ensure the security of the State during the forthcoming holding of the EU Presidency from July-December 2026. [54883/25]
View answer722. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to provide the details of An Garda Síochána’s Operation Brehon. [55450/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 697 and 722 together.
Ireland will assume the Presidency of the Council of the European Union from July to December 2026. This will involve a significant programme of meetings and events across the country, including a number of major summits in Dublin.
My Department is committed to ensuring a successful Irish Presidency and will work closely with other Departments and State agencies in the planning and delivery of Ireland’s programme. Central to the Irish Presidency will be the vital role of An Garda Síochána, which is charged with supporting the safe and secure delivery of the Presidency.
Under Operation Brehon, An Garda Síochána has commenced detailed planning through the establishment of a dedicated EU Presidency Co-ordination Office to oversee all aspects of operational planning, logistics, and interagency engagement. This work is led by Deputy Commissioner, Policing Operations, and supported by a High-Level Working Group comprising members of the Garda Senior Leadership Team. The Garda National Crime and Security Intelligence Service will also play a central role.
Oversight and reporting structures are in place to ensure alignment with the broader Government planning process led by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. There is ongoing interdepartmental engagement through established co-ordination forums, as well as regular bilateral meetings with key Departments and State agencies.
Key strands of Operation Brehon include:
• assessment of security and policing requirements across all planned venues and events;
• engagement with national and international partners on threat and risk analysis;
• development of operational and resourcing plans; and
• planning for VIP protection, venue security, transport management, cyber resilience, and public order contingencies.
Planning is informed by current best practice in large-scale event security and interagency co-ordination.
Close cooperation with European policing and security partners concerning the Presidency is ongoing.
The Deputy will appreciate for security reasons it is not appropriate to comment further on operational details. However I can assure the Deputy that An Garda Síochána is committed to ensuring that the 2026 Presidency is delivered safely, efficiently, and in full partnership with other State agencies.
698. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the current number of members of An Garda Síochána; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54935/25]
View answerI am 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 2026 includes unprecedented funding of €2.59 billion which will support the continued recruitment of Garda members and staff.
At the end of August, the total Garda personnel strength stood at over 18,000, which included 14,369 Garda Members, 3,494 Staff, and 296 Reserves.
In the interest of transparency, An Garda Síochána publish information in relation to resources which is publicly available and can be found at the following link: www.garda.ie/en/about-us/our-departments/human-resources-and-people-development/garda-hr-directorate/garda-strength-breakdown-2025/
The Deputy should select the Garda Workforce figures for August 2025 (the latest date for when information is published), and access the file titled “Garda Members by Division 2006 to 31st August 2025 ” for a breakdown of the current number of members of An Garda Síochána by Division.
699. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of Gardaí in each of the past five years and to date in 2025 who applied to rejoin the Gardaí, the number who were accepted back, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54936/25]
View answerI have requested the information sought by the Deputy from the Garda authorities. Regrettably, this was not available in time and I will write to the Deputy once the information is to hand.
700. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the total membership of the Garda Reserve, and the number who volunteered time, in the years 2020 to date, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54940/25]
View answerGarda Reserves bring a variety of experiences and perspectives to An Garda Síochána, including local knowledge and links to the communities in which they serve, which brings to life An Garda Síochána’s core value of community policing.
The Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána under the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024. This includes all operational policing, such as the management of recording data on volunteer hours and for the recruitment and training of Garda reserves.
In the interest of transparency, An Garda Síochána publishes information in relation to the allocation of Garda members nationally, including Garda Reserve by Division, which can be found at the following link: www.garda.ie/en/about-us/our-departments/human-resources-and-people-development/garda-hr-directorate/garda-strength-breakdown-2025/
The Deputy should select August 2025 (the latest date for when figures are available) and then select the report titled ‘Garda Reserve by Division 2009 to 31 of August 2025’
As of end of August 2025, there are 296 Garda Reserve members.
The Garda Budget of €2.59 billion for 2026 will fund the recruitment of up to 1,000 new Gardaí, 200 more Garda staff and a doubling of the Garda Reserve to over 600 next year.
A competition to recruit Garda Reserves was run in 2024, the first in many years and attracted about 1,800 applications. A reformed training program with training modules both online and in-person. The first successful group of 20 candidates entered Templemore in April 2025. They are expected to attest around the end of October. The second intake is expected to enter the College in late 2025.
New regulations governing recruitment, training and deployment of the Reserve was brought forward in 2024. This includes an increase to the Garda Reserve stipend, with up to €3,000 payable to Reserve members for 200 hours of volunteering, a significant increase from the previous maximum payment of €1,000. The stipend is now paid on the following basis:
|
Hours Performed |
Claim |
|
50 Hours |
€500 |
|
100 Hours |
€1,000 |
|
150 Hours |
€2,000 |
|
200 Hours and above |
€3,000 |
Garda Reserve members are also reimbursed for any expenses incurred by them in attending courts, tribunals or other legal proceedings outside of their hours of duty.
701. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration his proposals to reinvigorate the Garda Reserve; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54942/25]
View answerThe Programme for Government commits to examining a range of further measures to enable An Garda Síochána to increase the personnel in the organisation, including recruiting 5,000 new Garda members in the lifetime of the Government and increasing the Garda Reserve.
The Garda Vote in Budget 2026 includes unprecedented funding of €2.59 billion which will support the continued recruitment of Garda personnel.
At the end of August, the total Garda personnel strength stood at over 18,000, which included 14,369 Garda Members, 3,494 Staff, and 296 Reserves. I will continue to support An Garda Síochána to increase this number further so that we can see more Gardaí assigned all across the country.
Last year, new regulations were made governing recruitment, training and deployment of the Reserve. Subsequently, a competition to recruit Garda Reserves opened in June 2024, the first in many years, and received over 1,800 applications. Garda Reserves play a vital role in their communities, and the revised regulations allow them to contribute even more effectively.
In addition, to help support the work of Reserves, the maximum stipend a Reserve member receives for voluntary service in a given year has been increased from €1,000 to €3,000.
The Government has provided the funding to allow for sustained recruitment and, as I have outlined, is committed to ensuring that An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs.
I would like to assure the Deputy that an increased, and a visible Garda presence, is central to the Government's aim to build safe and secure communities for the public to enjoy.
702. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the WTE civilian allocation to An Garda Síochána in the years 2020 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54943/25]
View answerI am 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 2026 includes unprecedented funding of €2.59 billion which will support the continued recruitment of Garda members and staff.
In the interest of transparency, An Garda Síochána publish information in relation to the number of Garda Staff by Division and Station which is publicly available and can be found at the following link: www.garda.ie/garda/en/about-us/our-departments/human-resources-and-people-development/garda-hr-directorate/garda-strength-breakdown-2025/garda-strength-breakdown-2025.html
The Deputy should select August 2025 and, for the overall WTE Garda Staff figure, select the file titled " Garda Workforce Strength 2006 to August 31st 2025". This report includes details of the overall Garda workforce allocation by year, including the allocation of WTE Garda Staff.
For a breakdown of Garda Staff allocations by Division and station, the Deputy should select the file titled “Garda Staff by Division and Station 31 August 2025” for a breakdown of Garda Staff allocated to each Division and Station."
703. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the total number of judges in each court in the years 2020 to date, in tabular form; the recommendations he has received with regard to increasing the size of the judiciary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54944/25]
View answerIn accordance with Articles 13.9 and 35.1 of the Constitution, judicial appointments are made by the President, acting on the advice of the Government. The number of Judges assigned to each jurisdiction, as set out in legislation, is provided in the table below.
|
Year |
Jurisdiction |
Description |
Notes |
|
2020 (170) |
Supreme Court (10) |
Chief Justice and 9 ordinary judges |
|
|
|
Court of Appeal (16) |
President and 15 ordinary judges |
|
|
|
High Court (40) |
President and 37 ordinary judges plus 2 additional judges |
1 judge appointed chair of GSOC & 1 judge appointed to the LRC giving rise to the 2 additional posts. |
|
|
Circuit Court (40) |
President and 37 Ordinary Judges plus 2 Specialist Judges |
Part Six of the Personal Insolvency Act 2012 provided for the amendment of the Courts Acts to create a cadre of Specialist Judges of the Circuit Court. |
|
|
District Court (64) |
President plus 63 ordinary judges |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2021(176) |
Supreme Court (10) |
Chief Justice and 9 ordinary judges |
|
|
|
Court of Appeal (17) |
President and 15 ordinary judges plus 1 additional judge |
1 judge appointed a Commissioner of the LRC giving rise to the additional post. |
|
|
High Court (45) |
President and 42 ordinary judges plus 2 additional judges |
1 judge appointed chair of GSOC & 1 judge appointed a Commissioner of the LRC giving rise to the 2 additional posts. |
|
|
Circuit Court (40) |
President and 37 Ordinary Judges plus 2 Specialist Judges |
Part Six of the Personal Insolvency Act 2012 provided for the amendment of the Courts Acts to create a cadre of Specialist Judges of the Circuit Court. |
|
|
District Court (64) |
President plus 63 ordinary judges |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2022 (173) |
Supreme Court (10) |
Chief Justice and 9 ordinary judges |
|
|
|
Court of Appeal (16) |
President and 15 ordinary judges |
1 judge was appointed a Commissioner of the LRC in October 2020 for a five year term giving rise to an additional post. However, on 29 November 2022, the judge was appointed to the Supreme Court and decided to continue with his membership of the LRC as a Supreme Court Judge. As a result, the additional post in the Court of Appeal was lost. |
|
|
High Court (45) |
President and 42 ordinary judges plus 2* additional judges |
1 judge was appointed chair of GSOC on 19 January 2022 giving rise to the additional post. * However, when that judge retired in June 2022 the additional post was lost.
1 judge appointed a Commissioner to the LRC giving rise to the additional post. |
|
|
Circuit Court (38) |
President and 37 ordinary judges |
|
|
|
District Court (64) |
President plus 63 ordinary judges |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2023 (198) |
Supreme Court (11) |
Chief Justice and 9 ordinary judges plus 1 additional judge |
1 judge was nominated to chair the Electoral Commission, thus creating an additional post. |
|
|
Court of Appeal (18) |
President and 17 ordinary judges |
|
|
|
High Court (51) |
President and 50 ordinary judges |
|
|
|
Circuit Court (46) |
President and 45 ordinary judges |
|
|
|
District Court (72) |
President plus 71 ordinary judges |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2024 (198) |
Supreme Court (10) |
Chief Justice and 9 ordinary judges |
|
|
|
Court of Appeal (19) |
President and 18 ordinary judges |
|
|
|
High Court (51) |
President and 50 ordinary judges |
|
|
|
Circuit Court (46) |
President and 45 ordinary judges |
|
|
|
District Court (72) |
President plus 71 ordinary judges |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2025 (198) |
Supreme Court (10) |
Chief Justice and 9 ordinary judges |
|
|
|
Court of Appeal (19) |
President and 18 ordinary judges |
|
|
|
High Court (51) |
President and 50 ordinary judges |
|
|
|
Circuit Court (46) |
President and 45 ordinary judges |
|
|
|
District Court (72) |
President plus 71 ordinary judges |
|
Special Criminal Courts
The original Special Criminal Court was established in 1972 under Section 38 (1) of the Offences Against the State Act 1939.
Article 38 3. (1) of the Constitution allows for the establishment of special courts in accordance with the law in cases where it is considered that the ordinary courts are inadequate to secure the effective administration of justice.
Section 38 of the Offences against the State Act 1939 provides for the establishment of Special Criminal Courts. Section 38 of the 1939 Act also provides that the Government may, whenever they consider it necessary or desirable to do so, establish additional Special Criminal Courts as they think fit.
A second Special Criminal Court was established by Government Order on 14 December 2004 and was brought into existence on 28 October 2015. The second Special Criminal Court has been operational since 25 April 2016.
The Government, at its meeting of 19 July 2016, agreed to make appointments to the panel of judges assigned to Special Criminal Court No.1 (SCC No.1) and to Special Criminal Court No.2 (SCC No.2) so that each panel consisted of the same judges. This change took effect from 30 July 2016 and essentially created one pool of judges available to serve in both Special Criminal Courts allowing for greater flexibility and efficiency in the allocation of judges to SCC No.1 and SCC No.2.
The Special Criminal Courts (No.1) and (No.2) currently consist of nineteen judges; eight from the High Court, four from the Circuit Court and seven from the District Court (the SCC has also consisted of 19 judges for the period in question 2020 – 2025).
In 2023, the Government approved and appointed an additional 24 judges as proposed by the Judicial Planning Working Group. Following an impact assessment of these appointments, Government approval was secured to increase judicial numbers by a further 20 judges in order to meet the growing demands on the justice system and to further reduce long waiting times across the courts. This second tranche of judicial appointments will involve two additional judges for the Court of Appeal and six each for the High, Circuit and District Courts.
A further Government Decision, taken in July 2025, provided for the establishment of the Commission of Investigation into the Handling of Historical Child Sexual Abuse in Day and Boarding Schools, to be chaired by a current Court of Appeal judge. In order to prevent any diminution of operating strength, the Government Decision further provided for an increase of one additional ordinary judge of the Court of Appeal.
704. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the WTE staffing of the Irish Prison Service; the allocation and expenditure related to such, in the years 2020 to date, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54945/25]
View answerThe Irish Prison Service have provided the table below which details the total number of staff employed for the past five years and the associated cost.
Irish Prison Service Staffing Number & Costs 2020 to September 2025
|
Year |
Total Full Time Equivalent* |
Amount |
|
Dec-20 |
3455.38 |
€271.540m |
|
Dec-21 |
3474.34 |
€271.455m |
|
Dec-22 |
3492.76 |
€289.661m |
|
Dec-23 |
3547.23 |
€309.238m |
|
Dec-24 |
3740.38 |
€339.615m |
|
Sept-25 |
3939.58 |
€266.204m (Sept) |
*Total FTE Figure includes Prison Grade staff, Prison Civilian Grades and HQ grades.
The Irish Prison Service routinely reviews the resource requirements across the prison service. Prisoner cohort and the expanding prison population in conjunction with the monitoring of wider staffing requirements and overall vacancies that arise within the organisation form part of these reviews. This information is used to plan and inform recruitment campaigns, to ensure resources are targeted where required.
705. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the amount allocated for compensation for personal injuries criminally inflicted in the years 2020 to date; and the amount expended, in the years 2020 to date, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54946/25]
View answerRegarding the information requested by the Deputy, the amounts allocated for compensation for personal injuries criminally inflicted in the years 2020 to date and the amount expended in the years 2020 to date are detailed in the table below.
Due to the intrinsic nature of the Scheme, awards made in any given year may include awards made in respect of applications submitted in preceding years.
Scheme budget and awards 2021-2025 (as at 31 August 2025)
|
Year |
Budget allocation |
Total awards paid |
|
2020 |
€8.016m* |
€6.81m |
|
2021 |
€11.016m |
€2.3m |
|
2022 |
€11.016m |
€6.3m |
|
2023 |
€13.016m |
€7.52m |
|
2024 |
€10.016m** |
€10.01m |
|
2025*** |
€8.68m |
€8.67m |
*Includes supplementary provision of €4m
**Includes supplementary provision of €5m
***as at 31 August 2025
As the Deputy is aware I have provided additional funding this year of €2 million for the Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal.
706. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of persons involved in community service orders and other schemes under the guidance of the probation service, by county, and numbers involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54960/25]
View answer[Attachment omitted]
707. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if there are any technical, legal, operational, or policy constraints preventing his Department, when publishing quarterly reports of payments or purchase orders over €20,000, from including additional columns that link each payment to its underlying procurement process specifically tender or contract title; name and address of the awarded contractor or supplier; contract award date; contract duration; expected contract value (excl. VAT); maximum contract value (excl. VAT); the unique identifier from the relevant contract award notice; and where such constraints exist, to provide details explaining his Department’s current process for reconciling each reported payment with the corresponding published contract award notice on eTenders. [55063/25]
View answerMy Department publishes quarterly reports of purchase orders over €20,000 in line with the Public Service Reform Plan (2011). The information provided in these reports is broadly in line with that published by other Departments.
These reports are produced based on the information available on the Department’s financial management system. This financial management system is separate to the national tendering system (eTenders), it is also separate to the management information system my Department uses to record contract details.
The benefits of linking expenditure with the procurement process through 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.
Public procurement is governed by EU and national rules and my Department ensures that appropriate procedures are followed for all procurement activity. Departments are obliged to ensure that public procurement is discharged in line with the standard accounting and procurement rules and that contracts awarded represent best value for money.
As the Deputy is aware, procurement within my Department is subject to audit and scrutiny under the Comptroller and Auditor General (Amendment) Act 1993 and is also subject to internal audit.
708. Deputy Albert Dolan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if all contracting authorities under the aegis of his Department are in full compliance with Circular 05/2023, in particular the mandatory requirement to publish contract award notices for all contracts above €25,000; and if he will provide details of the monitoring or enforcement arrangements in place to ensure this requirement is met. [55080/25]
View answerPublic procurement is governed by EU and national rules and my Department ensures that appropriate procedures are followed for all procurement activity. I can assure the Deputy that my Department is working towards ensuring full compliance with Circular 05/2023.
Individual contracting authorities are obliged to ensure that public procurement is discharged in line with the standard accounting and procurement rules and that contracts awarded represent best value for money. The management of the tendering process for a public contract and the administration of the contract once awarded is a matter for each contracting authority.
A dedicated Procurement Unit in my Department provides assistance, guidance and advice to all members of staff and to the agencies in the Justice Vote.
As part of ongoing work to strengthen procurement compliance, my Department is developing a procurement and contract management training programme that will commence in the coming months.
In line with the Department of Finance Circular 40/02, contracting authorities must also make an annual return to the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) in respect of contracts above the applicable threshold which are awarded without a competitive process.
The public procurement practices of contracting authorities are subject to audit and scrutiny under the Comptroller and Auditor General (Amendment) Act 1993. The procurement practices of contracting authorities within the Justice Vote (Vote 24) are also subject to internal audit.
In accordance with the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies, the relationship between my Department and bodies under its aegis is governed by an oversight agreement, with performance expectations set by annual agreement. These expectations include compliance with procurement policies and procedures.
709. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he will list the towns in Cavan and Monaghan that have CCTV coverage; the proposals and timelines to extend coverage to other towns in both counties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55142/25]
View answerRegrettably it has not been possible for the Garda authorities to provide the information required in the time available. I will write to the Deputy once the information is to hand.
