Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 18 December 2025
557. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the structural and-or senior personnel changes he has made, or that have been made, in his Department since he became Minister. [73277/25]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, under the provisions of the Public Service Management Act, 1997, as Minister I am responsible for the performance of functions that are assigned to the Department and the Secretary General is responsible for assigning responsibilities to officers of the Department.
In line with a number of Programme for Government commitments, my Department has undergone very significant structural change since I was appointed as Minister on 23 January last.
Responsibility for integration, International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS), and the Ukraine Division transferred to my Department from, what was then, the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, and Integration on 1 May 2025. This included the transfer of all staff, approximately 340 people, alongside a substantial budget transfer of approximately €2.1 billion. As my Department already had responsibility for immigration and migration and the processing of applications for international protection, this transfer underpins a more cohesive and strategic approach to migration and integration.
In addition, responsibility for cyber security policy and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) transferred to my Department from the then Department of the Environment, Communications and Climate on 2 June. The NCSC is the lead government agency on cyber security.
These transfers involved the transfer of all staff involved in this work including, at senior level, a Deputy Secretary General, two Assistant Secretaries General, three Directors and some 30 Principal Officers join the Department.
On 1 August, responsibility for the Property Services Regulatory Authority and its Appeals Board moved from my Department to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, while responsibility for the Irish Film Classification Office transferred from my Department to the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport.
In addition to the structural changes and associated personnel changes outlined above, a new Head of Finance and Operations post at Assistant Secretary level was sanctioned and recruited following an open recruitment competition carried out under the Top Level Appointments Committee.
