Written Answers Nos. 450-468
450. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if his attention has been drawn to an asylum application (details supplied); if the experiences outlined in the application can be assessed; if his attention has been drawn to the support from their school and wider community; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5140/26]
View answer451. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if his attention has been drawn to an asylum application (details supplied); if the experiences outlined in the application can be assessed; if his attention has been drawn to the support from their school and wider community; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5141/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 450 and 451 together.
As the Deputy may be aware, my Department is unable to publish any information that would identify any person as being an international protection applicant. This is a separate matter to the law dealing with data protection matters more generally.
My officials and I are legally obliged, under Section 26 of the International Protection Act 2015, to ensure that the identity of any person who applies for international protection is kept confidential. Section 26(1) sets out that:
“the Minister and the Tribunal and their respective officers shall take all practicable steps to ensure that the identity of applicants is kept confidential”.
As I am sure you will appreciate, these confidentiality requirements are especially important for an asylum-seeker, whose claim inherently supposes a fear of persecution by the authorities of their home country and whose situation, or that of their family or friends still living in the country from which they have sought protection, can be jeopardised if the protection of their personal information is not ensured.
An applicant for such protection status, or their legal representative, should contact either the International Protection Office (IPO) or the International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT) directly, as appropriate if they wish to receive an update on the status of their case. Contact information for The International Protection Office can be found at [Contact Us - International Protection Office]
Contact information for The International Protection Appeals Tribunal can be found at [Contact Us - IPAT]
Both the International Protection Office (IPO) and the International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT) are fully independent in deciding whether or not to grant international protection. Each application is examined individually on its own merits, in line with national and international asylum law. They are also bound by confidentiality provisions in respect of applicants as set out in the International Protection 2015 Act.
452. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the current average processing times for short stay 'C' visas from submission to decision; the number of applications which were made in each of the years 2023, 2024 and 2025; the number granted in each year; his plans to assign more officials to the processing of C visas to reduce processing times; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5144/26]
View answer471. Deputy Ruth Coppinger asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the current plans to reduce the delay in short visa application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5218/26]
View answer481. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of employment visas granted in each of the past ten years, broken down by country of origin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5339/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 452, 471 and 481 together.
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 employment and short stay visas receive a first instance decision within the business target listed on my Departments website. Processing times, business targets and decisions at the Dublin Visa Office and the Overseas Visa Offices can be checked at the following link: www.irishimmigration.ie/visa-decisions/.
The average processing time for a Type C short stay visa processed in 2025 was 37 days. It should be noted that this figure is calendar days and based on a 7-day week. There is no allowance made for weekends, public, bank or religious holidays in the various jurisdictions.
It should also 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. This follows a 21% increase in applications in 2024 compared to 2023. 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.
I understand that extended wait times can be frustrating for applicants, and I want to assure anyone who has made an application for a visa or preclearance that my Department is doing everything possible to progress these applications as quickly as possible.
Table 1 below outlines category C visa applications made and decisions issued for 2023, 2024, and 2025.
Table 2 below shows the number of employment visas granted at first instance from 2021 to 2025.
Table 3 below outlines the top five countries for employment visas granted at first instance from 2021 to 2025.
453. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of prisoners currently detained in locations where there is in-cell sanitation but not any privacy guard between the toilet facility and the rest of the cell; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5154/26]
View answer464. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of prisoners in Ireland that are currently kept in cells without in-cell sanitation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5168/26]
View answer465. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the position regarding the number of cells in operation today in both prisons and places of detention in Ireland that do not have in-cell sanitation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5169/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 453, 464 and 465 together.
It 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.
454. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of inmates in prisons or places of detention in Ireland that are currently required to sleep on the floor; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5155/26]
View answerThe Irish Prison Service (IPS) must accept into custody all people committed to prison by the courts and has no control over the numbers committed to custody at any given time.
Where the number of people in custody exceeds the maximum capacity in any prison, officials in the IPS make every effort to deal with this through structured temporary release. Decisions in relation to temporary release are considered on a case by case basis and the safety of the public is paramount when those decisions are made.
As of January 21, 2026, there was 5,752 people in custody, 600 of whom were on mattresses. The IPS publishes the numbers in custody including those required to sleep on mattresses daily. This can be found at: www.irishprisons.ie/information-centre/statistics-information/2015-daily-prisoner-population/.
I am acutely aware of the capacity constraints in our prisons and the challenges faced by those who work and live in our prisons as a result.
Government is pursuing a dual approach to address the issue of capacity by increasing prison capacity and pursuing further measures to support non-custodial sanctions. Over 440 prison spaces have been constructed since 2022 with the majority of these already in use and the rest due to be in use shortly. On conclusion of the NDP Review in July, there was a record capital investment of €67.9 million agreed for 2026, as part of a total investment of €527 million from 2026 to 2030. €495 million is to be invested in infrastructural projects and in line with the Programme for Government, includes an overall target of delivering over 1,500 spaces by 2031.
This will be the largest ever building programme in the prison estate and will include a large extension to the existing Cork Prison on the site of the old decommissioned Cork Prison, as well as a new block in Wheatfield, an additional block extension at Midlands prison, and additional spaces at Castlerea, Mountjoy, Cloverhill, Portlaoise, Limerick and the Dóchas Centre. The programme will also fund planning and commencement of the construction of a new prison at the Thornton site in North County Dublin.
I am also committed to progressing commitments in the Programme for Government related to the expanded use of community sanctions, which will contribute to reducing prison overcrowding and will improve efforts to rehabilitate offenders. Budget 2026 provides an 13% increase in funding for the Probation Service. This additional funding will be used to increase use of supervised community sanctions in the criminal courts, expand restorative justice services, and expand supervised temporary release schemes nationally.
The Criminal Law and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill was published on 9 January 2026. The Bill includes a number of amendments to the Community Service Act 1983 to encourage greater use of community service orders (CSOs). Under these proposed amendments the maximum number of hours that can be imposed under a community service order will be doubled from 240 to 480 hours. The amendment will also require a court to consider a CSO if a sentence of up to two years is being considered (the current such threshold being one year), and to give reasons if the court considers that a CSO should not be made in any such case.
Work is also under way to develop a pilot bail support policy for women as an alternative to being detained in custody while awaiting trial or sentencing.
The Programme for Government also commits to implement electronic monitoring (EM) for appropriate categories of offender and Budget 2026 allocated funding of €2.1 million for the project to allow for staffing, procurement, and other set-up costs. A Request for Tender (RFT) was published last month, with a pilot expected to be operational in 2026.
455. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of inmates in prisons or places of detention in Ireland who are currently on restricted regimes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5156/26]
View answer456. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration in relation to places of places of detention and prisons in Ireland, the position regarding the number of prisoners that are currently detained in their cells on a solitary basis for more than 22 hours per day; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5157/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 455 and 456 together.
I can advise the Deputy that the Irish Prison Service (IPS) has confirmed that statistics available regarding prisoners on a restricted regime are collated by the IPS Statistics Unit and published on a quarterly basis on its website (www.irishprisons.ie). This information can be found in the Information Centre under Statistics & Information, Census Reports.
There are a number of reasons for the restriction of a person’s regime while in custody. This includes for safety or protection reasons, on the grounds of order and to protect the prison population from the spread of infection.
My Department has taken steps to bring the Irish prison system into line with the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (known as ‘Mandela Rules’) in respect of solitary confinement. This included the introduction of Statutory Instrument 276 of 2017, which amended Rule 27 of the Prison Rules, 2007 and which provides for prisoners to be allowed to spend a minimum period of 2 hours out of their cells daily. This Statutory Instrument is implemented through the IPS's Policy on the Elimination of Solitary Confinement, which is publicly available on their website.
The IPS have advised that, while there are a number of reasons why a person may be on a restricted regime, this is not to say that in all instances where a person is on a restricted regime that they will be held in solitary confinement for 22 or more hours a day. The Prison Rules 2007 also provide that the imposition of a restricted regime is closely monitored by the IPS and the status of each prisoner on restricted regime within the prison system is regularly reviewed.
On occasion, it is necessary for prisoners to be separated from the general prison population. Under Rule 62 of the Prison Rules 2007, a Governor may decide, for the maintenance of good order in the prison, to remove a prisoner from general association or structured activity. The detention of a prisoner under this Rule must be reviewed by the Governor every 7 days. Where a prisoner is detained under Rule 62 for more than 21 days, the Governor must, on a weekly basis, submit a report to the Director General requesting an extension of the prisoner’s detention under the Rule. The report to the Director General contains an explanation from the Governor regarding the need for the continued removal of the prisoner from structured activity. This report also contains the views of the prisoner and details of the prisoner’s daily regime, including a record that the prisoner has been offered a minimum of 2 hours out of cell time.
Rule 63 of the Prison Rules 2007 provides that a prisoner may, either at their own request, or when the Governor considers it necessary, in so far as is practicable and subject to the maintenance of good order and safe and secure custody, be kept separate from other prisoners who are reasonably likely to cause significant harm to them.
The number of prisoners on Rule 63 fluctuates daily and the length of time spent on Rule 63 also varies as the level of threat and perceived threat changes. Prisoners on Rule 63 may be permitted to mix with other prisoners on Rule 63 in different risk groups and, therefore, are not considered to be in ‘solitary confinement’. The Governor may also seek to place a prisoner on Rule 63 if information from An Garda Síochána, or other intelligence sources, indicate concerns about safety.
Further to this, a smaller number of prisoners may have their regimes restricted for medical (Rule 64) or for disciplinary reasons (Rule 67). Prisoners placed on a restricted regime for medical reasons are reviewed every 24 hours by the medical team and the Governor.
457. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of convictions against persons in custody of the State for conduct while in the custody of the State in each of the years 2024 and 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5158/26]
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.
458. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of disciplinary procedures initiated against prisoners, also known as P19s in 2024 and 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5159/26]
View answerI am advised by the Irish Prison Service (IPS) that the number of disciplinary procedures, also known as P19s, that were initiated against prisoners was 10,966 in 2024 and 13,515 in 2025.
A disciplinary system is in place, under the Prisons Act 2007, which empowers Governors to deal with prisoners who have breached the Prison Rules and allows for the imposition of sanctions where a breach of the Rules has been proven to take place. Such sanctions are normally in the form of loss of certain privileges, such as reduced phone calls, reduced visits, prohibition on the use of the gym, prohibition on use of the tuck shop etc, for defined periods of time. At the higher end of the scale, sanctions can include a reduction in remission. Prisoners can receive more than one sanction for a disciplinary report.
459. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the steps he plans to take in response to the issues raised in the Inspection of Prisons Report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5160/26]
View answerI welcome the recent publication of the Office of the Inspector of Prisons reports, regarding inspections of Cloverhill and Cork Prisons, Mountjoy Prison and Training Unit, and the Dóchas Centre over the course of 2022 and 2023. I acknowledge the important work undertaken by the Inspector and his team. Oversight and evaluation are vital elements in developing and improving our penal system.
As the question submitted by the Deputy covers a wide range of issues, including matters which are the responsibility of the Irish Prison Service, it 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.
460. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the position regarding the current prison population in Ireland, in comparison to the average daily population in 2023, 2024 and 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5161/26]
View answerThe Irish Prison Service (IPS) has confirmed that information regarding prison capacity and the numbers of prisoners in custody is collated daily by the IPS Statistics Unit and published on its website (www.irishprisons.ie). This information can be found in the Information Centre, under Statistics & Information, Daily Prisoner Population.
The IPS must accept into custody all people committed to prison by the Courts. As such, the IPS has no control over the numbers committed to custody at any given time. Where the number of people in custody exceeds the maximum capacity in any prison, officials in the IPS make every effort to deal with this through the use of Temporary Release. Decisions in relation to temporary release are considered on a case by case basis and the safety of the public is paramount when those decisions are made.
The IPS further advise that the average daily prison population for 2025 was 5,417, an increase of 9.6% on the 2024 figure of 4,941. The figure for 2024 was also an increase of 7.8% on the 2023 average daily figure of 4,582. The increase from 2023 to 2025 is 18.2%. Comparing the current daily population to the 2023 average daily population the increase is 25.8%.
The Government has made significant capital funding available to the Irish Prison Service to enhance the existing prison infrastructure and provide additional capacity. Over 440 new prison spaces have been constructed since 2022, with the majority of these already in use and the rest due to be in use shortly.
The IPS is committed to delivering one of the fastest-ever expansions of prison capacity in Ireland and continues to engage with the Department of Justice to progress plans to bring on stream accommodation to support the target of over 1,500 additional prison places as set out under the Programme for Government. The programme includes a large extension to the existing Cork Prison, on the site of the old decommissioned Cork Prison, a new block in Wheatfield, an additional block extension at Midlands prison, as well as additional spaces at Castlerea, Mountjoy, Cloverhill, Portlaoise, Limerick and Dóchas.
I am committed to progressing and implementing policies aimed at increasing the use of community sanctions, that seek to reduce offending, divert people away from imprisonment, and provide effective rehabilitation.
Budget 2026 provides for a 13% increase in funding for the Probation Service. This additional funding will be used to increase use of supervised community sanctions in the criminal courts, expand restorative justice services, and expand supervised temporary release schemes nationally.
The Criminal Law and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill was published on 9 January 2026. The Bill includes a number of amendments to the Community Service Act 1983 to encourage greater use of community service orders (CSOs). Under these proposed amendments the maximum number of hours that can be imposed under a community service order will be doubled from 240 to 480 hours. The amendment will also require a court to consider a CSO if a sentence of up to two years is being considered (the current such threshold being one year), and to give reasons if the court considers that a CSO should not be made in any such case.
Work is also under way to develop a pilot bail support policy for women, as an alternative to being detained in custody while awaiting trial or sentencing.
The Programme for Government also commits to implement electronic monitoring (EM) for appropriate categories of offender and Budget 2026 allocated funding of €2.1 million for the project to allow for staffing, procurement, and other set-up costs. A Request for Tender (RFT) was published last month, with a closing date of the 30 January 2026 at 5pm. A pilot is expected to be operational in 2026.
461. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the position regarding the average cost of keeping a person in prison custody in each of the years 2023, 2024 and 2025; if an explanation for any discrepancy in these statistics will be provided; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5162/26]
View answer463. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the annual cost of keeping a person in custody in each of the prisons and detention centres in the country, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5164/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 461 and 463 together.
I am advised by the Irish Prison Service (IPS) that the average annual cost of an available staffed prison space in 2023 was €88,523, which represents a 5.3% increase on the 2022 cost of €84,067. For 2024 the average annual cost was €99,072, which represents an 11.9% increase on 2023. The IPS have further advised that the 2025 figure will be reported in the 2025 Annual Report.
The figure includes net expenditure incurred within the year (such as salaries, utilities/maintenance, ICT, prison services, etc.) excluding capital expenditure on buildings, ICT and vehicles. The IPS have advised that the main reasons for the increase during the 3 years include increased prisoner numbers, increased capacity, inflation and increased payroll costs.
462. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the prisons and detention services in Ireland, reflecting in each instance the capacity, the number of persons detained, the number of staff assigned, the minimum number of staff on duty at any given time, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5163/26]
View answerThe Irish Prison Service (IPS) must accept into custody all people committed to prison by the Courts. As such, the IPS has no control over the numbers committed to custody at any given time. The information sought by the Deputy, detailing the prisons and places of detention, the capacity of each facility and the number of persons detained in each facility is published on the IPS website (www.irishprisons.ie). This information can be found in the Information Centre, under Statistics & Information.
On Wednesday, 21 January 2026, there were 5,752 people in prison custody with a total bed capacity of 4,718. Where the number of people in custody exceeds the maximum capacity in any prison, officials in the IPS make every effort to deal with this through the use of Temporary Release. Decisions in relation to temporary release are considered on a case by case basis and the safety of the public is paramount when those decisions are made.
Details on the number of staff assigned, the minimum number of staff on duty at any given time is not available in tabular form, as the allocation of staffing across the prison estate is based on the security and operational needs of each individual prison. The number of staff required is influenced by factors including, in particular, the numbers in custody, category of prisoner and regimes and a range of other factors, including the risks and needs associated with specific areas and particular offenders.
For security and operational reasons, the IPS is not in a position to provide a breakdown of the staff resources. However, I can confirm that the IPS continually monitors the staffing requirements of the organisation and recruitment or promotion campaigns are put in place as required.
The total number of staff employed by the Irish Prison Service, as at 31 December 2025, is set out as below:
|
Period |
Prison Officers & Recruit Prison Officers* |
Other Grades ** |
HQ |
Total |
|
31 December 2025 |
2530 |
1267.57 |
209.51 |
4007.08 |
** Governor Grades, Assistant Chief Officers, Work Training Officers, Chief Officers, Trade Officers, Tutors, Medical Staff, Psychology Staff, Chaplains, Prison Administrative.
In response to the current challenges related to prison capacity, I have secured a record capital investment of €527 million to IPS over the next 5 years, of which €495 million will be invested in building projects to further increase capacity. The target is to deliver over 1,500 new spaces by 2031.
This will be the largest ever building programme in the prison estate and will include a large extension to the existing Cork Prison, on the site of the old decommissioned Cork Prison, a new block in Wheatfield, an additional block extension at Midlands prison, and additional spaces at Castlerea, Mountjoy, Cloverhill Portlaoise, Limerick and Dóchas.
466. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he will consider introducing a policy whereby applications for citizenship made by members of the same family could be processed and approved simultaneously, in order to avoid delays in decision-making across related applications. [5170/26]
View answerAll applications for citizenship are a certificate of naturalisation are assessed individually, in accordance with the provisions of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended.
Applications are processed as quickly as possible, and it is not the policy of my Department to delay or hold decisions on individual applications pending the completion of related family members’ applications.
Once an applicant receives a decision the Department endeavours to accommodate family members at the same citizenship ceremony. This is not always possible due to the volume of applicants.
It is important to note that no two naturalisation applications are the same and some take longer than others to process.
468. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he proposes to allocate additional resources or make any legislative changes to address the lengthy waiting times within the garda vetting process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5210/26]
View answerThe primary purpose of vetting carried out by the Garda National Vetting Bureau (GNVB) is to ensure the safety of children and vulnerable adults. This requires a robust Garda vetting process that reassures the public, and in particular parents, that appropriate checks are conducted on people taking on positions of trust.
I am informed by Garda authorities that the Garda National Vetting Bureau’s target turnaround time for Vetting Applications submitted by Organisations utilising the e Vetting system is 5 to 10 working days for over 85% of Vetting Applications received.
I am informed that 85% of vetting applications are currently processed within 9 working days, which is within the GNVB target turnaround time.
In a number of instances, it is necessary to conduct enquiries with external Garda Stations and Agencies such as the Courts Service, Probation Service, Child and Family Agency. These enquiries are conducted for a multiplicity of reasons such as verification of identity; updating of incomplete records; and establishing outcomes of investigations. In such instances, processing times may be significantly longer than the general average.
In addition, since the 7 July 2025, the Garda National Vetting Bureau (GNVB), in alignment with EU Directive 2011/93/EU and the European Criminal Records Information System (ECRIS), has introduced additional child protection checks with all EU Member States and the United Kingdom. These enhanced measures are part of an EU-wide initiative to strengthen the protection of children by facilitating the secure exchange of criminal record information, particularly concerning sexual offences, across borders in circumstances whereby the individual is seeking to work with children in Ireland.
These additional checks will specifically affect vetting subjects who have resided in an EU country (outside of Ireland) and/or the UK for any period. While these checks are crucial for safeguarding, they do result in extended processing times for the affected applications.
In respect of legislative changes to improve the efficiency of the vetting process, further to the work of the Garda Vetting Review Group, work to implement a number of key changes to improve the efficiency of the service while ensuring that it remains robust and effective are being progressed.
