Written Answers Nos. 431-450
433. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Social Protection the amount his Department, or agencies under its remit, spent on advertising on a social media platform (details supplied) in each of the years 2024 and 2025 respectively; to outline any expenditure on verification or premium accounts on the platform in those years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3110/26]
View answerMy Department administers more than 140 separate schemes and services, which affect the lives of almost every person in the State. We are committed to ensuring that members of the public are fully aware of the welfare supports and services available, and that key changes are communicated to them. Public information campaigns, including advertising on digital and social media platforms, are an important part of this work.
The Department of Social Protection did not place paid advertisements on X in 2024 or in 2025, and it had nil expenditure on verification or premium accounts on the platform in those years. Of the bodies under the aegis of the Department, none placed paid advertisements on X in 2024 or in 2025. All bodies had nil expenditure on verification or premium accounts on the platform in those years.
434. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the current treatment of part-time school bus drivers under the social welfare system; the reason drivers who are in continuous employment during the school term do not receive equivalent supports, such as the two-week break payment and the Christmas bonus; the measures being considered to ensure fair recognition of part-time school bus drivers, who provide essential services across the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3135/26]
View answerWorkers, including school bus drivers, who are employed in a form of employment that involves a recurring pattern of employment and unemployment reflecting the dates of the academic year, may claim income support where they are out of work and do not receive a salary or wage during holiday periods. Income support under the Jobseeker's Benefit or Jobseeker's Allowance schemes may be payable as appropriate in these cases.
People on jobseekers’ schemes, including bus drivers claiming jobseeker's during school holiday periods, are permitted to take up to two weeks' absence from the State in each calendar year and continue to have their payment paid. Applicants are required to inform their Intreo Centre or Social Welfare Branch Office in advance of their arrangements.
The Christmas Bonus is payable to long term jobseekers who are in receipt of Jobseeker's Allowance for at least 12 months and are in receipt of payment in the week in which the bonus is paid, which in 2025, was the week beginning 1st December 2025. Persons, including school bus drivers, who are employed throughout the year are not eligible for the Christmas Bonus.
435. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will examine the feasibility of establishing a non–means-tested audiology support pathway for people born deaf, in recognition of the substantial recurring cost of hearing aids which is not met by the current treatment benefit scheme approximately €5,800 per person every five to seven years; if his Department will consider expanding supports to prevent families from incurring lifetime costs to access sound exceeding €100,000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3136/26]
View answerIn general, medical or health related benefits, including hearing care, fall within the remit of the Department of Health and the HSE. However, my Department's Treatment Benefit scheme, funded by PRSI contributions, does provide certain dental, optical, and medical appliances benefits to insured workers, the self-employed and retired people who have the required number of PRSI contributions. These treatments are also available to their dependent spouse or partner, if applicable.
Social insurance collected for the Social Insurance Fund via PRSI contributions plays a fundamental role in Ireland's social welfare system by providing contributors with benefits in the event of certain contingencies arising during their lives. The primary contingencies that are covered are unemployment, illness, maternity/paternity and retirement from the work force.
Under the medical appliances strand of the Treatment Benefit scheme a flat rate grant of up to €500 per aid is available every four years to purchase hearing aids. In most cases this grant is sufficient to cover the full cost of standard hearing aids. The scheme also provides €100 every four years for hearing aid repairs. The expenditure on hearing aids under the scheme has increased significantly in recent years. The total expenditure in 2025 was an estimated €30 million, compared with €11.5 million in 2020.
I have no plans to expand the hearing aid supports in the Treatment Benefit scheme at this time. However, my Department keeps its schemes and supports under review to ensure they continue to meet their objectives. Any changes to the current Treatment Benefit scheme would need to be considered in an overall policy and budgetary context, taking into consideration the sustainability challenges facing the Social Insurance Fund.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
437. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Social Protection to amend the fuel allowance eligibility criteria for recipients over 66 years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3138/26]
View answerThe criteria for Fuel Allowance are framed in order to direct the limited resources available to the Department in as targeted a manner as possible.
Any change in the qualifying criteria for recipients over 66 years would have to be considered in the context of scheme policy and budgetary negotiations. Notably, Budget 2025 expanded the enhanced Fuel Allowance qualifying conditions to those aged 66 and over.
These measures included a new means threshold of €524 for a single person and €1,048 for a couple. In addition, the amount of capital that is disregarded in the means test for Fuel Allowance was increased from €20,000 to €50,000. Savings over €50,000 are assessed on a proportionate basis only. Furthermore, those aged 66 and over are not required to be in receipt of a long-term payment from my Department to qualify for Fuel Allowance.
Following Budget 2026 the allowable means was increased again to €534 for a single person and €1,068 for a couple allowing more applicants to qualify for the payment.
The Programme for Government includes a commitment to examine key ancillary benefits such as the Fuel Allowance, Household Benefits Package and Living Alone Increase to support vulnerable groups. This is an ongoing activity as part of the Department's budget planning each year and I will continue, as part of the budget planning process, to consider if improvements can be made to ensure that these benefits continue to target vulnerable groups.
438. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Social Protection his plans to enhance and expand social welfare and Intreo services in County Laois to ensure timely access for claimants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3139/26]
View answerThe people of County Laois are currently served by the Social Welfare Branch Offices in Portlaoise, Rathdowney and Portarlington. The Community Welfare Service and the Social Welfare Inspectorate operate from Government Buildings in Portlaoise and the Department’s Employment Support Service and Employer Relation teams operate from JFL House in Portlaoise. Client Identity Services (Public Service Cards) are provided in Portlaoise, Rathdowney and Portarlington Branch Offices. Appointments for processing Personal Public Service (PPS) number applications are provided at Portlaoise Branch Office.
To access services, customers can avail of a walk-in or appointment service, as appropriate to the office. While local face-to-face engagement with people continues to be a cornerstone of social welfare services, it is important to mention that a person does not need to attend in person to make an application for a scheme or payment, or avail of the Community Welfare Services. The MyWelfare online service facilitates customers in applying for a number of schemes, managing their claims and submitting information and documentation directly to their local office for review. The majority of applications for Jobseekers payments are made online. People may also submit a paper application for a scheme, and any person who needs to access the Community Welfare Service can call the National Community Welfare Service freephone number. A person from any location can speak with a Community Welfare Officer over the phone if they do not wish to travel to an office to meet with an officer in person.
In addition, all scheme areas in the department are contactable by phone. Telephone queries relating to Intreo services are dealt with by the National Intreo Contact Centre, which is available to support customers with their queries on 0818 405060 from 8.15am to 5pm Monday to Friday. Customers will find information and contact details, including phone numbers and emails, for all DSP schemes and services on the department's www.gov.ie site.
The Department will continue to keep access to services under review.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
439. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Social Protection the uptake of back to work enterprise allowance, community employment, and other activation programmes in County Laois; and the steps being taken to increase participation among long-term unemployed individuals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3140/26]
View answerMy Department is committed to supporting jobseekers and in particular, long term unemployed jobseekers and those most distant from the labour market as they take steps towards sustainable employment.
Intreo provide nationwide support to jobseekers through a structured and mandatory engagement process that offers tailored, individualised employment support. Jobseekers on the live register engage with Intreo Employment Services in the first 12 months. Where a jobseeker remains on the live register after this period, they are referred firstly to the National Employment Service and after 24 months to the Local Area Employment Service, which is designed to engage with those with greater barriers to the labour market. Therefore, the jobseeker is referred to the most appropriate service at each point in time on their job seeking journey.
Intreo Employment Services and Intreo Partners offer an individualised employment service to jobseekers. Employment Services Officers engage with jobseekers on a one-to-one basis to develop a Personal Progression Plan, which will identify steps the jobseeker can take to support them to progress to sustainable employment. These plans can include referrals to suitable employment opportunities, training, work placement, education, or support with self-employment.
There are a wide range of employment supports on offer in terms of further education, training, upskilling, work placements as well as programmes like the Work Placement Experience Programme (WPEP), Community Employment (CE), Tús and the Rural Social Scheme (RSS) to support people to obtain or retain employment. Currently over 400 people are participating in these programmes in Laois.
The Back to Work Enterprise Allowance offers support for jobseekers and others in receipt of certain social welfare payments who are interested in self-employment as a route to re-entering the labour market with approximately currently 30 participants availing of this scheme in Co Laois.
Intreo Employment Service work closely with employers in Co Laois and across the country to improve the employment outcomes for long-term unemployed people in accessing the labour market.
Finally, the Pathways to Work Strategy sets out the Department of Social Protections vision for an inclusive and sustainable labour market, where people of working age who can work are supported to do so, and where employers are supported to access the skilled workers they need to grow, in an evolving economy.
Building on the success of the previous strategy, the next strategy will seek to support quality employment and inclusion for all. A distinct focus on people who are furthest from the labour market, experiencing multiple barriers to participation will be at the forefront of this strategy and will seek to ensure that all people can benefit from Ireland's well performing economy.
I trust this clarifies matters for the Deputy.
440. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Social Protection the current processing times for disability allowance, carer’s allowance and domiciliary care allowance applications in County Laois; and the actions being taken to reduce delays for applicants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3141/26]
View answerMy Department is committed to providing an efficient and fair service to all customers and to processing applications as quickly as possible. Processing times vary depending on the complexity of the scheme, particularly where medical evidence and means assessments are required.
Disability Allowance (DA) is a weekly payment for people aged 16 to 66 with a disability expected to last at least one year, subject to medical, means, and habitual residence conditions. In respect of DA, evidence must be provided in respect of the person’s medical condition, the extent to which it restricts them from taking up employment, their means and their habitual residency.
The average number of weeks to award a Disability Allowance claim is currently 6 week, exceeding the processing target for DA to award 80% of applications within 10 weeks.
Carer's allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that as a result they require that level of care.
The average number of weeks to award a CA claim in 2025, was 6 weeks which exceeded the processing target for CA to award 80% of applications within 10 weeks.
Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) is a monthly allowance payable in respect of a child aged under 16, who has a severe disability and requires continual or continuous care and attention in the home, substantially over and above the care and attention normally required by a child of the same age and the child must be likely to require this level of care for at least 12 months.
The average processing time for DCA applications is currently 6 weeks.
Applicants are advised to provide as much detail and relevant information as possible at application stage, including any available additional documentary evidence that is relevant in their child's case, to ensure that all information / documentary evidence is available for consideration in the decision and assessment process, so that an appropriate decision on entitlement may be made at the earliest possible date.
An online application was launched for Carers schemes and DCA in 2025, through my Department's MyWelfare service. This will assist with the management of application processing times, and will extend to Disability supports later in 2026. Operational processes, procedures and the organisation of work are continually reviewed to ensure that processing capability is maximised. In addition, the staffing needs of the area are regularly reviewed, having regard to workloads and the competing demands arising, to ensure that the best use is made of all available resources.
The Department does not report on processing times by County. If the Deputy has a particular case in mind, the details can be provided to the Department for examination.
I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
441. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Social Protection the initiatives underway to assist older people in County Laois in accessing pension entitlements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3142/26]
View answerMy Department is committed to ensuring that members of the public are aware of the welfare supports and services available, and to ensuring key changes are communicated to them. Information on State pensions is made available through several different avenues and initiatives from my Department to inform and assist customers in claiming their correct entitlements.
MyWelfare, the Department’s digital customer platform, provides a secure online channel for customers to apply for and manage their interaction with a wide range of Department services. Customers can now apply for a contributory or non-contributory pension, or both, on MyWelfare if they have a verified MyGovID account since October 2024. In preparation for applying for a pension, applications can also be made online for a contribution statement to see the number and type of PRSI contributions they have made to date.
Public information campaigns also play a key role to advise customers. These campaigns include paid media and use of our social media channels, as well as engagement and information shared directly with other public bodies where relevant. All advertising campaigns are tailored to ensure the best possible mix of media is used to effectively reach the target audience. In 2023, my Department ran a number of campaigns related to pensions. These included a campaign on changes to the State pension (contributory), specifically to inform long term carers about their entitlements as well as a campaign to raise awareness about the new flexible State pension options effective from January 2024. In 2024 and 2025 my Department ran public information campaigns to let customers know about the launch of the online pension application on MyWelfare, to inform people how to apply for a contribution statement, and a rerun of the campaign highlighting pension entitlements for long term carers.
Information in relation to state pensions is also provided on the gov.ie platform. This includes information on eligibility and how to apply as well as information about social insurance contributions (including those paid in another country), flexible pension options such as deferral, and how to claim a pension if you have worked abroad.
In terms of face-to-face engagement, my Department operates a network of public offices throughout the country where people can access information and application forms. Customers in Co. Laois are currently served by Branch Offices in Portlaoise, Rathdowney and Portarlington and the Department also has offices in Government Buildings, Abbeyleix Road, Portlaoise where the Social Welfare Inspectorate and Community Welfare Services are based. All of these offices are open to the public and provide points of contact for income supports including pensions. In addition, Department staff regularly meet people at various key events like the National Ploughing Championships and the 50s Plus Expo. At these events, people can speak directly to staff about their pension entitlements and other supports.
My Department also funds the Citizens Information Board (CIB), which is a statutory agency tasked with providing independent, impartial, confidential, and non-judgmental information and advice, money advice and advocacy. CIB also acts as a signpost for people including vulnerable groups and older people and provides information in local Citizens Information Centres and through the Citizens Information website as well as periodicals and publications.
My Department also publishes ‘Your Guide to our Schemes and Services: Retired and Older People’. This provides comprehensive information on State pension (contributory) and State pension (non-contributory), Free Travel, Fuel Allowance and the Living Alone Increase, along with other supports designed to help retired and older people.
In addition to these measures, all active customers approaching 66 are contacted directly by the Department 26 weeks in advance of turning pension age. This communication provides information on pensions and how to apply for a pension.
My Department remains committed to improving the customer experience and aims to continue its proactive engagement in 2026.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
442. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection to examine a submission from a person (details supplied) to implement an emergency winter payment to offset the cost of disability in 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3194/26]
View answerThe Government is committed to improving outcomes for disabled people by introducing permanent support measures.
That is why the Programme for Government includes a range of commitments to support disabled people which will be advanced over the lifetime of the Government, having regard to the overall policy and budgetary context. We are currently at the start of that five-year programme but our actions in Budget 2026 indicate our commitment to delivering what we promised.
In Budget 2026, I provided for a €1.15 billion package of new social protection measures. This contained significant targeted measures to support disabled people, including:
• A €10, or 4.1%, increase in the weekly rates of payment, bringing the personal rates of payment to €254 per week from this month.
• A €5 increase or 15% increase in the Fuel Allowance, bringing it to €38 per week or €1,064 per year from this month.
• Both of these increases were ahead of cost increases. They compare to a general inflation rate reported by the CSO of 3.2% in the year to the end of November 2025 and an energy costs increase of about 3.5% for the same period.
• In addition, Budget 2026 provided for:
• A Christmas bonus double payment to all persons getting a long-term disability payment, paid in December 2025.
• The highest ever increases in the Child Support Payment – an increase of €16 to €78 for children aged 12 or over, and of €8 to €58 for children under 12.
• People moving from Disability Allowance or Blind Pension to take up work will be able to retain their Fuel Allowance payment for five years.
• People getting Disability Allowance or Blind Pension who have children will be eligible for Back to Work Family Dividend when taking up employment and moving off those payments.
• Expansion of the Wage Subsidy Scheme to people who acquire a disability while in employment.
• Significant increases in the rate of payment of the Wage Subsidy Scheme of up to 19% from April.
The Government also allocated €3.8 billion to the Department of Children, Disability and Equality for disability services in 2026, including funding for Community Based Specialist Disability Services.
Under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme, my department may make Additional Needs Payments to help meet essential expenses that a person cannot pay from their weekly income or other personal and household resources. Also, a Heating Supplement may be paid to assist people that have exceptional heating costs due to ill health, infirmity or a medical condition and are unable to meet those costs out of household income. Any person who considers that they may have an entitlement to an Additional Needs Payment or a Heating Supplement is encouraged to contact their local community welfare service or apply online via [www.mywelfare.ie].
I trust this clarifies the issue for the Deputy.
443. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the case of a person (details supplied) in relation to a decision on jobseeker’s allowance claim; the current status of this review; the expected timeframe for a decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3277/26]
View answerMy Department have been in contact with the person concerned.
Based on new information provided by the person concerned a revised decision has been issued in relation to their Jobseekers Allowance application. The weekly rate of payment for this application is €244.00 which is payable for the period of unemployment from 28/10/2025 to 04/11/2025.
This payment will issue by cheque on 16/01/2026.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
444. Deputy Mark Wall asked the Minister for Social Protection the estimated cost of extending the domiciliary care allowance from 16 to 18 years of age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3288/26]
View answerDomiciliary Care Allowance is a monthly non-means-tested payment to a parent or guardian for a child aged up to 16 who has a severe disability. The child must require care and attention substantially over and above that required by other children their age. Expenditure in 2026 on the Domiciliary Care Allowance is estimated at almost €359 million.
Eligibility for Domiciliary Care Allowance stops when a child reaches 16 years of age at which point the young person may be eligible for Disability Allowance in their own right.
To calculate the cost of extending Domiciliary Care Allowance to parents or guardians of 16- and 17-year olds, it is necessary to look at the number of children currently aged 14 and 15 whose parents or guardians receive the payment. In 2025, there were approximately, 6,400 children aged 15 and over 6,250 children aged 14. The approximate cost of extending Domiciliary Care Allowance to these 14- and 15-year-olds when they turn 16 and 17 would be an additional €83 million per year. This costing assumes the 2026 monthly rate of €380 and the annual Carer’s Support Grant of €2,000 are paid in respect of these 12,674 recipients. It should be noted that there may be young people aged 16 and 17 now who would also qualify were the scheme extended to age 18 but there is no estimate of this number available to factor into the costing. In addition, estimated costings are subject to change.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
447. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the reason an application was rejected (details supplied) given that all documentation was lodged for the application and no communication was received by the applicant from his Department advising that there was outstanding documentation required which in turn lead to the application being refused; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2915/26]
View answerI can advise the Deputy that in cases where incomplete naturalisation applications are received, the application is returned to the applicant with a request to provide the missing documentation within 28 days. A reminder is issued after 18 days if the required documentation has still not been provided.
I can confirm to the Deputy that the naturalisation application referred to was returned to the person concerned on 19 May 2025 as it was incomplete, and a request for further documentation issued from my Department.
The person cited re-submitted the application but did not supply all of the requested documentation, therefore the application was deemed ineligible and subsequently closed. A different case worker reviewed the application on re-submission on 22 September.
It is open to the person cited to make a new application at any time. There is no time limit within which they can make a new application, nor is there any maximum limit on the number of applications.
To maintain the integrity of the file on record, Citizenship Division do not return documentation submitted. However, should applicants wish to lodge a new application, they may request all relevant documents previously submitted to be associated with the new application.
My Department has produced a comprehensive guidance document for all potential applicants, outlining all the documents required for an application. This document is published on my Department's Immigration website and is available here: www.irishimmigration.ie/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Citizenship-Guidance-Document-April-2024.pdf
Detailed information on how to apply for naturalisation and other resources is available here: www.irishimmigration.ie/how-to-become-a-citizen/.
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.
448. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the status of an application (details supplied) given that it is 23 months since the application was submitted which is beyond the standard processing timeframe for such application types; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2916/26]
View answerThe naturalisation application referred to by the Deputy continues to be processed by my Department.
I understand that extended wait times can be frustrating for applicants. I want to assure anyone who has an application for naturalisation submitted that the Citizenship Division of my Department is doing everything possible to progress applications as quickly as possible.
It is important to note, however, that no two naturalisation applications are the same and some take longer than others to process. Given the importance of citizenship, robust and comprehensive checks must take place on each application. Unfortunately, some checks, such as international checks, can take a considerable amount of time and these are largely outside of the control of the Immigration Service.
For that reason, while, I expect that going forward, that most applicants will receive a decision within one year, this cannot be guaranteed in the case of applications made in any specific year.
Citizenship Division have taken a significant number of steps to improve the process for applicants. These included introducing an online digital application, online payments, and the introduction of eVetting. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that these changes are reducing processing times.
Applicants can now directly check the status of their immigration application on the Immigration Service’s Customer Service Portal. 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.
449. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the timeframe for deciding upon visa applications and appeals in cases where an Irish citizen born in this State is the named party providing assurances of financial support for the applicant or appellant. [2993/26]
View answerI understand that the Deputy has clarified that he is referring to Join Family (Irish national spouse) and Join Family (Irish national de facto) visa applications. I would like to clarify for the Deputy that no distinction is made between Irish citizens based on place of birth or the pathway through which Irish citizenship was obtained.
I can advise the Deputy that there are currently seven overseas Visa Offices in addition to the Visa Office in Dublin. They are located in Abuja, Beijing, London, Moscow, Ankara, Abu Dhabi and New Delhi. In addition, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade process certain visa applications in Irish Embassies abroad under delegated sanction from my Department.
I can assure the Deputy that while processing times can vary across the different Visa Offices and Irish Embassies, the majority of visas are processed within stated target times.
I can assure the Deputy the majority of join family visas receive a first instance decision within the 12 month business target.
Processing times and decisions at the Dublin Visa Office and the Overseas Visa Offices can be checked at the following link:
www.irishimmigration.ie/visa-decisions/
It should be noted that some applications can take considerably longer. Processing times for all applications are influenced by a number of factors. The time it can take varies depending on the type and complexity of application; individual circumstances; peak application periods; such as holidays or the start of the school year; and, crucially, the quality and completeness of the application lodged. Verifying an application is an important part of our immigration system and the checks involved can take time to complete.
In 2025, approximately 206,000 visa applications, of all types, were received by the Visa Division of my Department. This reflects an increase of 2% compared to 2024, with over 3,900 additional applications received. My officials are working to meet the increased level of demand, and over 8,700 additional visa decisions have issued in 2025, compared to 2024.
All visa applicants are advised that the responsibility is on them to provide as much information in support of their application as they feel is necessary. Guidelines in this regard are posted on my Department's Immigration Service website. People that carefully follow these guidelines have an improved prospect of receiving a positive decision.
An appeals process is available which allows applicants, in the event of a refusal of the application at first instance, to address the factors which gave rise to that decision.
Table 1 below details the average processing time for Join Family (Irish national spouse) and Join Family (Irish national)(de facto partner) in 2025.
Table 1. Processing time for Join Family (Irish national spouse) and Join Family (Irish national)(de facto partner) applications and appeals in 2025.
|
Visa Type |
Average processing time for 1st instance decision |
Average processing time for an appeal decision |
|
Join Family (Irish national spouse) |
291 days |
570 days |
|
Join Family (Irish national)(de facto partner) |
248 days |
242 days |
* Please note, figures are correct at time of issue, however, all statistics may be subject to data cleansing.
* A decision made in a particular year may relate to an application received in a previous year.
* The Department does not collate statistics on the birthplace of sponsors to a visa application regardless of the sponsor's nationality.
* All figures are calendar days and based on a 7-day week.
450. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration when crime statistics will be made available by the nationality of the offender and migration status. [2994/26]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) is responsible for the compilation and publication of all crime statistics as Ireland's national statistical agency. The CSO produces these statistics using data recorded on An Garda Síochána’s PULSE system and makes releases in relation to various crime statistics. The CSO is not a body under my aegis as Minister and I have no role in the CSO's operations, functions, oversight or governance. Further information is available on their website at the following link: www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-rqcs/reviewofthequalityofrecordedcrimestatistics2023/userneedsforrecordedcrimestatistics/
Under the Policing, Security, and Community Safety Act 2024 the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of Garda busines, including the management of the PULSE system.
I am advised by the Garda authorities that, when information on a person's nationality is known, it is generally recorded as part of their PULSE record. I am further informed that An Garda Síochána is aligned with the practice of the Central Statistical Office of not publishing or compiling crime statistics based on nationality, ethnicity or citizenship.
In respect of migration status it is a central priority for me as Minister that our immigration laws are robust and enforced. Any person granted an immigration permission can have that permission revoked if they fail to obey the laws of the State or become involved in criminal activity. The removal of people in the immigration system who are involved in serious criminality or who are a danger to society is an essential requirement for the system to work effectively and to ensure that the public have confidence in the application of our laws in this area. My Department works closely with the Gardaí and the Irish Prison Service to ensure high risk persons are prioritised for removal from Ireland and this takes place on an ongoing basis.
