Written Answers Nos. 173-192
173. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration when he intends to bring forward the necessary statutory regulations or amending legislation to implement the recommendations of the “Periodic Payment Orders Indexation Rate – Report of the Inter-Departmental Working Group,” accepted by him in July 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68232/25]
View answer174. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the current status of the implementation process for the revised indexation mechanism for periodic payment orders under Part IV of the Civil Liability (Amendment) Act 2017; and to specify the expected commencement date for the new framework. [68233/25]
View answer175. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the reason for the delay in publishing the draft regulations or legislative amendments required to activate the revised PPO indexation rate as recommended in the 2024 Interdepartmental Working Group report; and if he will provide a timeline for publication. [68234/25]
View answer176. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if his Department has engaged with the Department of Finance, the Central Bank of Ireland, or the Courts Service in respect of operational readiness for the implementation of the new PPO indexation rate; and to provide details of those engagements. [68235/25]
View answer177. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if his Department has assessed the potential financial impact on plaintiffs with catastrophic injuries, such as those arising in a case (details supplied); and if he will publish that assessment. [68236/25]
View answer178. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he will ensure that the necessary legislative or regulatory amendments to make the PPO regime fully operational will be enacted before the end of 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68237/25]
View answer179. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if the legislative priority list for 2025 includes the introduction of amending measures to rectify the deficiencies in the current PPO legislation; and if not, if he will add it to the list as a matter of urgency. [68238/25]
View answer180. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the consultations undertaken to date with relevant stakeholders, including representatives of catastrophically injured plaintiffs, the Law Society, and the Bar Council, in relation to the implementation of a workable PPO indexation mechanism; and if further stakeholder engagement is planned. [68239/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 173, 174, 175, 176, 177, 178, 179 and 180 together.
Periodic Payment Orders (PPOs) are an alternative to lump sum awards as a method of paying compensation to catastrophically injured people. Instead of receiving compensation in one tranche, a payment is made annually on an agreed date. The annual payment amount is calculated to meet the cost of permanent and long-term care and treatment. An indexation rate is applied to the annual payment amount to ensure that the amount keeps pace with inflation.
A Working Group on the Indexation rate for Periodic Payment Orders, to advise on an appropriate index, was established following a High Court determination that the index used in primary legislation was unworkable. As part of a two-stage process, the primary legislation governing PPOs has been amended to allow for the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to set the rate by way of secondary legislation.
The recommendations of the Working Group that the Periodic Payment Index should comprise a combination of harmonised index of consumer prices (HICP) and Annual Rate of Change (ARC) in nominal hourly health earnings for the health sector were subsequently approved. Drafting of the necessary regulations is at an advanced stage and I hope to be able to bring the regulations into operation shortly.
181. Deputy Tom Brabazon asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the total number of 999 calls made and the number of callouts arising from these calls for each year from 2020 to 2024 and to date in 2025. [68250/25]
View answerUnder the Communications Regulation (Amendment) Act 2007, responsibility for the 999 or Emergency Call Answering Service (ECAS) contract now falls under the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport, and my colleague Minister Patrick O'Donovan. As such, I am unable to provide figures for all 999 calls made as these cover all emergency services.
In respect of calls for An Garda Síochána, Garda authorities have provided the below table which outlines the number of emergency calls received at each Regional Control Centre (RCC). I'm informed that the figures below do not capture calls for service which are not considered to be emergency in nature.
An Garda Síochána operates a Regional Control Room strategy which ensures that Garda resources are available to respond to calls for service from the public, including situations where a local resource is not immediately available.
Calls for service, whether received through a local Garda station or the 999 ECAS system, are routed through the Regional Control Rooms and prioritised for response. Higher priority calls will always take priority over lower priority calls.
The Garda authorities inform me that An Garda Síochána aim is to answer 80% of 999 calls within 7 seconds and deploy resources immediately giving an estimated time of arrival.
I am advised by Garda authorities that GardaSAFE, the new computer-aided dispatch system in use by An Garda Síochána, was rolled out incrementally across the country during 2023.
While GardaSAFE does provide live operational data, such as call volumes, to Regional Control Rooms, detailed reporting functionality is still under development.
The available data is currently being assessed for quality and consistency, with a view to enabling bespoke queries and detailed analysis in due course. It is expected that these capabilities will be in place in the near future.
The Garda Commissioner is by law responsible for all operational policing matters, including response by An Garda Síochána to emergency calls.
182. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the protocols in place to ensure the immediate safeguarding of severely disabled, non-verbal, and medically vulnerable children when a safety order has been granted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68275/25]
View answer183. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if protective services units have specific protocols for cases involving non-verbal and medically fragile children; and if additional resources will be allocated to strengthen these units. [68277/25]
View answer184. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he will consider appointing a dedicated liaison officer to provide regular updates to families in cases where a safety order is in place and the child is at elevated risk; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68278/25]
View answer185. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the disability specific victim supports which are currently available; if additional measures will be introduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68279/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 182, 183, 184 and 185 together.
I have requested the information sought by the Deputy but it was not received in time. I will contact the Deputy directly once the information is to hand.
186. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the reason his Department continues to operate an International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) contract at a hotel (details supplied) despite the High Court quashing the section 5 planning exemption that underpinned its use; if his Department respects the role and decisions of the courts; the action he will take as a result of this court agreement to ensure that the State is not engaging with an unauthorised development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68283/25]
View answer187. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if a hotel (details supplied) has full insurance for IPAS accommodation given most commercial insurance policies have exclusions including unauthorised use and in view of the fact that this is now an unauthorised use of this hotel; if the hotel is fully insured and is not opening the State up to unnecessary risk; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68284/25]
View answer188. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the legal advice his Department has received regarding the continuation of the IPAS contract (details supplied) in the absence of planning permission and the recent decision of the High Court quashing the section 5 in respect of the building; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68285/25]
View answer190. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he has been informed of the unauthorised wastewater treatment systems operating at a hotel (details supplied) and the ongoing pollution of the Multeen river, a Natura 2000 special area of conservation; if he is satisfied that a State contract is leading to the pollution of a special area of conservation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68287/25]
View answer191. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if environmental compliance formed part of the due diligence process before awarding the IPAS contract for a hotel (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68288/25]
View answer192. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he will make the fire safety certificates in respect of an IPAS centre (details supplied) available for viewing by Tipperary public representatives who have serious concerns regarding the absence of all required fire safety certificates in respect of a property (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68289/25]
View answer193. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration is aware that no lease agreement exists between a company (details supplied) the property owner of a hotel and another company the operator contracted under the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS); the legal basis that exists for continuing to house IPAS residents at this property in circumstances where the operator has been described in High Court proceedings as “trespassing”; if he will confirm the presence of a lease agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68290/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 186, 187, 188, 190, 191, 192 and 193 together.
The accommodation centre at Dundrum House, Co Tipperary, has been providing accommodation under contract to the Department since 2022, for people fleeing the war in Ukraine and people applying for international protection.
I am advised that Dundrum House Hotel ceased operating as a hotel a decade ago, in 2015. The golf course and other businesses remained in operation over recent years during the use of the site for State accommodation. I understand that they have closed quite recently in connection with a commercial dispute to which my Department is not a party.
Some areas of this property have been contracted to provide State-supported accommodation for people from Ukraine since 2022 and to international protection applicants since 2024.
In relation to the most recent contract with the Department, while detailed contractual information is considered confidential and commercially sensitive, a lot of information has been shared with local elected representatives and stakeholders in relation to this process.
The contract was agreed in April 2025, following a detailed appraisal and due diligence process. This includes checks on the provider, and a review of the compliance with building and other regulatory matters overseen by the Local Authority. All matters relating to fire, building or planning regulations at an IPAS accommodation centre are between the Local Authority and the property owner or provider.
As part of all appraisals, the Department requires confirmation, issued by the Local Authority, that the property's use as international protection accommodation is covered by the conditions of the Planning and Development Act and relevant exemptions for this purpose.
Confirmation of this planning exemption was provided to this Department as part of its appraisal for this accommodation contract.
Tipperary County Council have acknowledged within court proceedings over recent months that the granting of a planning exemption to the property in January 2025 had an administrative flaw in the process. On 17 November 2025 the Court made final orders in this matter.
The accommodation provider at Dundrum House has made a new application to the local authority for confirmation of the planning exemption and this is currently with An Coimisiún Pleanála for review.
The Department is now actively reviewing the implication of these matters in the context of the existing contract, and the nearly 200 people and families who are accommodated at Dundrum House at this time.
I will ensure that the Deputy and all other local elected representatives are kept informed of any updates or developments in this matter.
189. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he will commit to an independent review of how IPAS contracts are awarded, including compliance checks on planning and environmental law; the number of contracts that have been rescinded by his Department; the details of the contacts; the reason for rescinding the contracts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68286/25]
View answerThe Department continues to take action across all aspects of the international protection accommodation system to improve value for money, strengthen governance and compliance, and renegotiate contracts with providers.
Applications for international protection this year have reduced, and this has supported our work to put in place greater controls over the IPAS accommodation portfolio.
A range of updated systems and procedures have already been put in place and are already having an impact. IPAS has put improved processes in place for appraisal, validation, contracting and payments.
A new rate-card pricing structure is being applied to all new or renewing contracts and has already provided savings of over €59m since May 2025.
The Department receives offers of international protection accommodation on an ongoing basis from external commercial providers. All offers are reviewed by the Department under a standardised appraisal procedure.
A dedicated team appraises each offer to accommodate people seeking international protection, and the Department carries out due diligence on the provider who is offering the accommodation service.
This includes checks on the provider offering the service to the Department via the Companies Registration Office (CRO) to ensure compliance with CRO requirements.
Providers must be registered in Ireland. Providers may be part of wider commercial groups and may also be operating in other EU member states, in line with EU principles of free movement of goods, services, and works.
Since 2024, each new or renewing provider of accommodation services must provide a declaration of their personal circumstances. This declaration, which must be notarised, confirms that they are tax compliant, free of any convictions for corruption, fraud or being a member of a criminal organisation. It also confirms that they are solvent and have no history of failing to meet terms of public service contracts, among other requirements.
In relation to contracts ending, IPAS regularly engages with centres to ensure compliance with contracts and standards, with a dual eye on safety and welfare of residents, while also ensuring value for money and compliance by providers. So far in 2025 there have been 22 notifications of terminations of contracts, and while the Department treats all contractual matters as confidential and commercially sensitive, reasons for termination would include value for money, or concerns about non-compliance.
There is full transparency from the Department in terms of providers receiving payments, with details of all payments over €20,000 and the recipients published quarterly online at Gov.ie here:
www.gov.ie/en/collection/dfdadb-department-of-children-and-youth-affairs-purchase-orders-for-20000-o/.
www.gov.ie/en/department-of-children-disability-and-equality/collections/department-of-children-equality-disability-integration-and-youth-purchase-orders-for-20000-or-above/.
This work forms part of an overall reform of the International Protection system that is already working to speed up processing of applications and to reduce reliance on commercial provision in favour of more State-owned accommodation.
