Written Answers Nos. 141-170
142. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he will reconsider introducing a three-year wait for family reunification for those with refugee status in the new migration legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6546/26]
View answerI want to begin by saying and making clear that as Minister I know and understand the huge importance that migration plays for Ireland. Migration benefits our economy, our public services, our infrastructure and has contributed to making contemporary Ireland a dynamic and successful society.
For those who are granted international protection, I appreciate the importance of reuniting with their family. However, the Government is required to balance the interest of the Irish public with that of those seeking family reunification, recognising that our resources are not unlimited and that those seeking reunification should be able to support any persons joining them.
Last week I published the new International Protection Bill 2026, which will give effect to the Pact measures and will replace the International Protection Act 2015.
In this new Bill, provisions for family reunification will be provided for. The measures will more closely align with certain other EU Member States.
The purpose of revising this policy is not to deter people from integrating or making applications, but to ensure that people who are sponsoring an application have had sufficient time to establish stability in the State and demonstrate the capacity to provide for their family, without the reliance on public services or state funds.
This approach reflects the Government's objective of promoting effective integration outcomes for both sponsors and their family members. In that context, my Department invests in a range of measures related to integration, including community led initiatives, to support the inclusion of migrants and their families in Irish society.
151. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the measures being taken to address current delays in the processing of applications for family reunification for critical skills professionals working here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6185/26]
View answerAcross all sectors, be it technology, healthcare, agriculture, hospitality, transport, and business, migrants enrich our culture and community and help our country to grow, succeed and provide quality public services. My Department is currently working on a national migration and integration strategy that will set out how this Government intends to meet the opportunities and demands facing our society and economy over the next decade, and this will be published later this year.
I am acutely aware that “join family” applications are very important for the people impacted and I understand that people are of course eager to have their families join them in Ireland.
I can advise the Deputy that my Department currently operates seven overseas Visa Offices in addition to the Visa Office in Dublin. These are located in Abuja, Beijing, London, Moscow, Ankara, Abu Dhabi and New Delhi. In addition, staff of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade process certain visa applications in Irish Embassies abroad under delegated authority 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. However, 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.
The current processing times of applications for “join family” visas varies depending on the circumstances when the application is made. If a non-EEA national is moving to Ireland because they have been granted a Critical Skills Employment Permit, they can apply for “join family” visas at the same time as their own employment visa. When these visas are applied for together, they are processed in tandem and typically receive a first instance decision within the 10-12 week business target.
People who make a “join family” visa applications separately from the above process, and for those here on General Employment Permits, they will generally receive a first instance decision within the 12 month business target.
156. Deputy Catherine Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration for an update on the provision of post-mortem services at Waterford University Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4903/26]
View answerI appreciate the very valid concerns raised by the Deputy and others regarding the post-mortem service at Waterford University Hospital. This service is of vital importance to the people of the region, and in particular to bereaved families at a difficult time in their lives. My Department has put in place a temporary arrangement to ensure continuity of service and is working to secure a long term solution to the provision of this service nationally.
For context I would note that Coroners are independent office holders, and my Department has no role in directing their work during their investigation of any death. Neither does my Department have any role in relation to the work of pathologists who, as clinicians, undertake postmortem examinations on the direction of a coroner.
Policy and operational responsibilities for the provision of postmortem examination services to support the work of the Coroner Service are supported by several departments and agencies. My Department is responsible for the legislation underpinning the work of coroners, while the provision of the postmortem examination service is largely provided through the health service and its personnel. Pathologists, other than forensic pathologists in the Office of the State Pathologist, are not contracted to either my Department, or to coroners.
Where a postmortem examination is deemed to be required, the coroner will arrange for it to be conducted as expeditiously as possible in order to ensure the timely release of remains to the next of kin of the deceased.
Securing the provision of the postmortem examination service for the coronial death investigation function is challenging and I have been engaging with the Minister for Health to address this. There are issues arising within the pathology profession generally, including relating to training and recruitment, as well as competing demands on pathologists in areas of diagnostic and research work. I acknowledge those concerns.
With this in mind, in 2022, my Department established a ‘Standing Committee on the Provision of Coroner Directed postmortem examination services', membership of which is drawn from my Department, other relevant Government Departments, including the Department of Health, the Health Service Executive, the Office of the State Pathologist, An Garda Síochána, the Coroners Society of Ireland, and the Faculty of Pathology, Royal College of Physicians Ireland.
Difficulties in providing this service specifically in the Waterford area arose in the past year, where following engagement with officials from my Department and health service management, pathologists employed at University Hospital Waterford advised that they were not available to carry out postmortem examinations. On foot of this, my Department took the exceptional step of engaging with a number of firms to supply locums to provide the autopsy service in UHW and finalised an interim approach on this basis. Provision of this service commenced on 2 January.
This approach is an unfortunate necessity to minimise any impact on bereaved family members who are engaging with the Coroner Service. However, a long-term sustainable solution is nevertheless required, whereby locum pathologists are not relied upon to provide the autopsy service, and instead this important service to the community is provided from within the pathology profession in Ireland generally. I will continue to work with the Minister for Health and all relevant parties to achieve this.
157. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the reason plans for the refurbishment of Wicklow court house were removed from the National Development Plan; the plans to use the court house in the future; the steps being taken to maintain the building; if his Department has considered disposing of the premises for community use; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6183/26]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, management of the courts and operational matters, including matters pertaining to the maintenance and use of court buildings, are the responsibility of the Courts Service, which is independent in the exercise of theses functions.
Insofar as capital funding is concerned, on 4 December last, I announced the Sectoral Investment Plan for Justice under the recent National Development Plan Review. The total funding allocation of €2.18 billion will support major capital projects in the Justice sector from 2026-2030, an increase of over €800 million on the previous NDP in 2021. As part of the overall allocation, a total of €369 million in funding was agreed for the Courts Service.
The new NDP will see the construction via a Public Private Partnership of the new Dublin Family Courts at Hammond Lane which will replace existing outdated venues and facilities with a more family friendly and secure building, which is a key part of the Government’s wider family law reform programme. Subject to the successful completion of the procurement process in 2026, the current timescale envisages that construction is expected to commence in early 2027. Construction will also start on a new Courthouse in Tralee, Co. Kerry.
In relation to Wicklow courthouse, I am advised by the Courts Service that it has been closed due to health and safety reasons since September 2010. Although funding has not been included in this phase of the National Development Plan for the renovation of Wicklow Courthouse, funding has been allocated for preparatory and planning work necessary to inform the business cases needed for projects involving the renovation and development of courthouses in Wicklow.
The size, geographical spread and age of the Courts estate means that its renovation, maintenance and management is a multi-annual programme of work which requires to be phased and progressed based on delivery capacity, and affordability.
I fully expect that there will continue to be further investment in this programme of work over future iterations of the NDP, subject to overall budget considerations.
I am also assured that the closure of Wicklow Courthouse is not having an impact on court business in the county. The main court venue in the county of Wicklow is currently located at the Civic Centre in Bray. The court office for the county is also located in the same premises. This is a modern premises which was purposely fitted out in 2006. A variety of other Government services are also located in the same complex. Court business continues to be transacted in Bray Court Office and Arklow for district court matters, on a scheduled basis.
159. Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the current number of trainee and qualified Gardaí, respectively, in the force as of 1 January 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6178/26]
View answerGetting more Gardaí on our streets to prevent and detect crime is my first priority as Minister. This Government is committed to ensuring that An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs, with Budget 2026 providing unprecedented funding of over €2.7 billion to support recruitment and staffing.
At the end of November, the total Garda personnel strength stood at over 18,000, which included 14,462 Gardaí, 3,486 Garda Staff, and 308 Reserves.
The number of Gardaí will continue to increase over the coming months as trainees currently in Templemore complete their training and attest from the Garda College.
Overall, just under 800 trainees entered the Garda College in 2025, the highest number since 2018. I am informed by Garda authorities that there were 588 trainee Gardaí in the Garda College as of 30 November.* These trainees are from the last three intakes. I am also pleased to confirm that the next attestation is scheduled for the first week of February.
*placeholder - awaiting AGS obs to confirm
I am determined to ensure that we maintain a strong pipeline of recruits to Templemore.
To that end, and for the first time ever, there were two Garda recruitment competitions held last year. There was significant interest in both competitions, with over 11,000 people applying to join An Garda Síochána. This demonstrates that there is a strong and sustained interest in a career as a Garda amongst the public.
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.
I also want to see the numbers of civilian Garda Staff grow so that Gardaí can be released to the front-line and so that An Garda Síochána can avail of expertise in areas such as IT, to meet the challenges of an increasingly complex criminal landscape. I also want to see more Garda Reserves recruited to boost visible policing in our cities and towns.
I will continue to work with the Garda Commissioner to ensure progress on all fronts to ensure that An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs to keep people safe.
160. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to outline the plans for increasing the Garda training allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6084/26]
View answerGetting more Gardaí onto our streets and making sure they are highly visible and well equipped to prevent and detect crime is my first priority as Minister.
As of November 2025, the latest date for which figures are available, the total Garda workforce now stands at over 18,200. This includes Gardaí, Garda staff and Garda Reserves.
The Programme for Government commits to examining a range of further measures to enable An Garda Síochána to recruit 5,000 members. This Government is committed to ensuring that An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs and Budget 2026 provides unprecedented funding of €2.74 billion including support for ongoing recruitment and staffing.
The Garda Trainee allowance has almost doubled since 2023 from €184 to €354 per week. The most recent increase from €305 to €354 took effect on 1 October 2024.
The Programme for Government commits to increasing the training allowance and I am committed to keeping the allowance under review in the context of our targets for Garda recruitment. While any decision to increase the allowance will be a matter to be considered as part of the Estimates process, I expect that the allowance will increase over the lifetime of the Government.
It is worth highlighting however, that for the first time ever, there were two Garda recruitment competitions held last year. There was significant interest in both competitions, with over 11,000 people applying to join An Garda Síochána this year. This demonstrates that there is a strong and sustained interest in a career as a Garda amongst the public.
It is clear that recruitment into An Garda Síochána is now gathering real momentum. I was delighted to see that almost 800 Gardaí enter Templemore last year, the highest number since 2018 and I am looking forward to seeing this momentum maintained into this year.
161. Deputy Catherine Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration his views on changing the laws on trespassing so that in criminal cases, the burden of proof lies with the defendant to prove that they had a right to be on the land in question, with regard to the challenges that the current law poses for farming communities in the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6207/26]
View answerEveryone has the right to feel safe on their land, in their homes and in their communities. Any act that undermines someone's safety in these circumstances cannot and will not be tolerated.
Trespass is a civil wrong and, for the most part, falls to be addressed by means of a civil remedy. But it may also be dealt with under criminal law in certain circumstances and a range of offences are provided for in legislation.
There is already robust legislation in place in relation to trespass and therefore, my Department has no plans to amend the law in this regard, but the situation will be kept under review. Also, it is a long standing principle of our justice system that the burden of proof in criminal cases lies with the prosecution to prove a defendant's guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
Existing public order legislation provides for offences in relation to illegal trespass and occupation of land. It is also an offence for a person, without reasonable excuse, to trespass on a building or in the vicinity of a building in such a manner as causes or is likely to cause fear in another person. A person who is guilty of this offence for example is liable on summary conviction to a fine of up to €2,500 or imprisonment for a term of up to 12 months, or both.
I am very conscious of the impact that any criminality associated with trespassing on land or property can have on the sense of safety and quality of life for those impacted by it.
I would encourage anyone who is concerned about people trespassing on their land or is concerned about their own safety in this regard to please contact An Garda Síochána without delay. As I've said, there are laws in place to deal with such cases and I am assured by the Garda authorities that all incidents of trespass reported to the Gardaí are subject to thorough investigation and receive the utmost attention.
162. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration for an update on the transfer of River Lodge, Newtownmountkennedy from his Department to the HSE; the timeline for the site to be returned to the HSE; the level of ongoing day-to-day costs; the status of any existing contracts with providers at the site, including security; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6182/26]
View answerThe Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth began providing emergency tented accommodation to people seeking international protection at River Lodge, Newtownmountkennedy in 2024.
The use of certain State lands for temporary accommodation solutions, including this site at River Lodge, was initiated as part of an ongoing crisis response during 2024. At the time, there were large numbers of applicants who could not be offered accommodation, and a concerning numbers of applicants were rough-sleeping.
The centre opened to residents in May 2024 and hundreds of international protection applicants were provided with basic tented accommodation on the site until December 2024. At that time, due to the impact of severe weather, it was decided to move residents to alternative IPAS accommodation.
The Department undertook work to explore alternative development options to potentially repurpose River Lodge for other forms of accommodation during 2025. Following technical and financial assessments - particularly in relation to wastewater treatment infrastructure - it was deemed not possible to move forward with such proposals.
River Lodge, Newtownmountkennedy, has not been used as international protection accommodation since December 2024, and all tented accommodation has been removed from the site.
During this period, security has to be maintained on the site, as it is at all IPAS centres, and in particular as there had been previous instances of violent protest at this location. Security services are the only significant cost associated with this site at this time, other than basic utilities.
It has now been agreed with the HSE that the site will be returned to them, bringing the licensed use of this site for IPAS accommodation to a conclusion.
Some minor works may be required on site as part of the return, and the Department is working with the HSE to agree the scope of this, and this process will inform the timeline. It is hoped that the site can be returned to the HSE as soon as possible pending these works being completed.
Accommodation supply remains constrained for single male applicants, and the State continues to maintain efforts to source accommodation as part of an overall reform of the international protection system, which is well underway.
Ireland has adopted and is now working to implement the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum in mid-2026. Reforming and speeding up processing of applications should also serve over time to reduce the scale of the demand for international protection accommodation.
The Department is also working to increase the amount of State-owned international protection accommodation and creating a more stable and sustainable accommodation system overall.
163. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of recruits he expects to graduate at the next passing out ceremony in the Garda College in Templemore; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6199/26]
View answerGetting more Gardaí onto our streets to prevent and detect crime is my first priority as Minister.
The Programme for Government commits to examining a range of further measures to enable An Garda Síochána to recruit 5,000 members across the next five years. This Government is committed to ensuring that An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs and Budget 2026 provides unprecedented funding of €2.74 billion to support recruitment and staffing.
The provision of training and Garda recruitment is an operational matter for the Garda Commissioner but I can inform the Deputy that the next group of Garda trainees are due to complete their training at the Garda College shortly and will attest in the first week of February 2026. The group due to attest are Intake 252, who entered the Garda College in June 2025. The numbers to attest are being finalised taking into account finalisation of assessment processes.
I am pleased to inform the Deputy that work is also underway on finalising the next intake to the Garda College which is also planned for February.
At the end of November, the total Garda personnel strength stood at over 18,200, which included 14,462 Gardaí, 3,486 Garda Staff, and 308 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.
For the first time ever, there were two Garda recruitment competitions held last year. There was significant interest in both competitions, with over 11,100 people applying to join An Garda Síochána in 2025. This demonstrates that there is a strong and sustained interest in a career as a Garda amongst the public.
It is clear that recruitment into An Garda Síochána is now gathering real momentum. I was delighted to see just under 800 Gardaí enter Templemore last year, the highest number since 2018 and I am looking forward to seeing this momentum carry on to this year.
We need to build on these successes. We need to see more Gardaí in our cities, towns and villages. I will continue to work with the Garda Commissioner to maintain this increased rate of recruitment and, indeed, build on it.
164. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the measures he is taking to improve restorative justice; the progress he has made to “roll out nationally the voluntary restorative justice programme”; to provide an update on the Criminal Justice (Promotion of Restorative Justice) (Amendment) Bill 2023 (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6086/26]
View answerI am committed to progressing and implementing policies aimed at increasing the use of effective community sanctions that reduce offending, divert people away from criminal behaviour, and support sustainable rehabilitation. Restorative justice is a key component of this work, and evidence shows that this practice can support victims to recover from the impact of a crime, as well as serving to reduce re-offending.
In April last year, I approved the publication of the Probation Service’s Action Plan - "Restoring Relationships: Repairing Harm and Empowering Voices through Restorative Justice" which runs from 2025 to 2027. This plan is designed to promote awareness and support increased use of restorative justice across the system. The plan also commits the Probation Service to driving the integration of restorative justice into all its services, while also expanding it nationally.
I was very pleased to secure in Budget 2026 a very substantial 13% increase in funding for the Probation Service which includes funds to increase the use of supervised community sanctions in the criminal courts, as well as the development and expansion of several schemes, including restorative justice services.
The Service provides restorative justice nationally, and also through a number of Community Based Organisations (CBOs), which provide dedicated restorative justice programmes across 24 counties. The Probation Service also funds other CBOs which use restorative practice in their work with clients, to promote respectful relationships, and acknowledge and address the harm caused by their offending. The Service, through its national Restorative Justice and Victim Services Unit, also supports the integration of Restorative Justice models into practice across the country. This includes victim empathy programmes, family restorative conferences, reparation projects, and victim-offender dialogues.
I’m advised that the Service has recently concluded a call for Expressions of Interest (EOI) from CBOs which are interested and capable of employing dedicated Restorative Justice project workers to deliver restorative justice services in Donegal, Sligo, Louth, Cavan and Monaghan. The Service will also be conducting EOI competitions in 2026 to further expand its services including in South Tipperary and Waterford.
I am aware that the Deputy brought forward the Criminal Justice (Promotion of Restorative Justice) Amendment Bill and my Department is currently considering a review of the Community Sanctions Bill 2014 which addresses related issues. My officials are currently developing proposals for legislation to address these issues and to strengthen the range of restorative justice options available to the courts. I look forward to discussing this further following consideration by Government.
165. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of deportation orders that have been revoked by his Department in each of the past ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5979/26]
View answerIt is a central priority for me that Ireland’s immigration system is robust and rules based. The enforcement aspects of our laws, including deportation orders, are an essential requirement for the system to work effectively and to ensure that there is confidence in the application of our legislation in this area.
Deportation orders may be revoked or amended. A deportation order remains in effect unless it has been revoked and people subject to them remain legally obliged to comply with any reporting requirements placed on them by the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB), are residing illegally in the State and have no right to work.
It is open to individuals to bring the attention of my Department to new information or changes in their circumstances that they believe may warrant examination in this regard. Such information will be considered by my Department, though it is important to note that such ongoing consideration will not in itself act to stop the effecting of a Deportation Order. Many of the cases that are considered are in respect of people who have already been removed from the jurisdiction.
I will provide the full figures requested for the past ten years to the Deputy in writing.
166. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of naturalisation applications received, rejected and approved in each respective year from 2021 to 2025 inclusive, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6200/26]
View answerI can inform the Deputy that my Department held 25 citizenship ceremonies last year, and more than 30,000 naturalisation certificates were issued to new Irish citizens.
My Department has taken a significant number of steps to speed up the processing times for applicants. These included introducing an online digital application, online payments and the introduction of eVetting. This digitisation has facilitated a record number of citizenship decisions made last year. In just over two years, my Department has gone from processing around 12,000 applications a year to processing over 20,000 applications in 2023, more than 31,000 decisions in 2024 and over 30,000 in 2025.
I expect that going forward, the majority of applicants will continue to receive a decision within one year, however, it is important to note that no two naturalisation applications are the same and some take longer than others to process.
The table below shows the number of applications received, granted and refused from 2021 to 2025.
|
Year |
Applications Received |
Granted |
Refused |
|
2021 |
11,975 |
10,490 |
696 |
|
2022 |
17,204 |
14,249 |
404 |
|
2023 |
22,690 |
19,464 |
129 |
|
2024 |
27,032 |
29,868 |
187 |
|
2025 |
40,479 |
26,400 |
377 |
167. Deputy Tom Brabazon asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he will commit to reviewing barring orders, safety orders and protection orders. [6154/26]
View answerThe Domestic Violence Act 2018 provides for applications to be made to court which range from temporary emergency orders to longer-term safety and barring orders. Each order has specific conditions attached, tailored to the level of risk and urgency faced by the victim.
A safety order is an instruction from the court which can last up to 5 years and stops the person accused of abusive behaviour from being violent, or making threats of violence. The respondent does not have to leave the home. If the person is not living with the applicant, the safety order bans them from watching or being near the applicant’s home, following or communicating (including electronically) with the applicant, or a dependent person such as a child.
A protection order is similar to a safety order, meaning that the respondent remains in the home, but is ordered not to use violence, threats or molestation. If the respondent is not living with the applicant, it may also prohibit them from watching, or being near, the applicant’s home. Protection orders may also prevent the respondent from following, or communicating (including electronically) with the applicant, or a dependent person. It is a temporary order, put in place until the full hearing for a safety, or barring, order takes place.
A barring order requires the person accused of abusive behaviour to leave the home and prohibits the person from entering the home again. The order also bans the person from being violent, or making threats of violence, watching or being near the applicant’s home, or following or communicating (including electronically) with the applicant or a dependent person. A barring order can last up to 3 years.
In addition, the Domestic Violence Act 2018 provides for applications for interim barring orders or emergency barring orders.
While there are no plans at present to amend review the orders provided by the Domestic Violence Act 2018, all of my Department’s legislation is kept under review to ensure it remains current. The Deputy will be aware that significant work has been undertaken by the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration in recent years in tackling DSGBV and this work is ongoing.
I recently published the report of Mr Lorcan Staines SC, ‘An Assessment of the Efficacy of Bail Laws in Ireland’. That report recommends the addition of a number of scheduled offences to the Bail Act 1997 including offences under Sections 38 and 39 of the Domestic Violence Act 2018 regarding forced marriage and coercive control. The implementation of these recommendations is currently being examined by my Department.
Further to this, last month I secured Government approval for the drafting of the Sexual Offences, Domestic Violence and International Instruments Bill 2025, which will amend the 2018 Act to establish a publicly accessible Domestic Violence Register of Judgments, to be published by the Courts Service. This new law, Jennie's Law, named after Jennifer Poole, will allow for details of convictions for serious domestic violence offences against a partner or former partner to be included on the public Register of Judgments.
The General Scheme of this Bill was subject to pre-legislative scrutiny by the Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration on 20th January and I look forward to receiving the Committee’s report.
168. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration when the next passing out ceremony will take place in the Garda College in Templemore; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6198/26]
View answerGetting more Gardaí on our streets to prevent and detect crime is my first priority as Minister.
The Programme for Government commits to examining a range of further measures to enable An Garda Síochána to recruit 5,000 members across the next five years. This Government is committed to ensuring that An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs and Budget 2026 provides unprecedented funding of €2.74 billion to support recruitment and staffing.
The provision of training and Garda recruitment is an operational matter for the Garda Commissioner but I can inform the Deputy that the next group of Garda trainees are due to complete their training at the Garda College shortly and will attest in the first week of February 2026. The group due to attest are Intake 252, who entered the Garda College in June 2025.
169. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the work being done in his Department in preparation for Ireland taking over the EU presidency later this year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6077/26]
View answerI am committed to my Department playing its full part in delivering a successful Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Over the past year I have been a regular participant at Justice and Home Affairs Ministerial Council meetings as have Ministers of State Colm Brophy and Niall Collins as appropriate.
In preparation for the significant undertaking the Presidency represents, my Department established a Presidency Planning Group which has met every six weeks since late 2023, with the frequency of meetings recently increasing to monthly. This internal engagement has been supplemented by high-level bilateral meetings with An Garda Síochána, and regular engagement with colleagues across Government through the Interdepartmental Groups on Presidency Policy Priorities and Operation Planning, hosted by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
My Department's Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) team seconded to Ireland's Permanent Representation to the EU will increase, with the first tranche of additional staff assigned last year, and further team members to join early next month.
In addition, the European Affairs Division in the Department is also being increased in order to support and coordinate the work of the Presidency, including the preparation and running of the Justice and Home Affairs Ministerial Council and feeding into relevant aspects of the Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council. Officials will also support the work of the Horizontal Working Party on Cyber with regard to the cybersecurity agenda during our Presidency.
They will also assist with the preparation for Ireland, as Presidency, to represent the EU at a range of external dialogues taking place in the latter half of 2026, including the EU-Western Balkan Ministerial Meeting, the EU-US Ministerial meeting, and the EU-CLASI (Latin American) Ministerial meeting.
Over the past year, a body of work has been underway to identify the Chairs, vice-Chairs and support teams for approximately 20 Council Working Groups my Department will be chairing during our Presidency, and to arrange for their participation in the relevant training provided by the General Secretariat of the Council (GSC). Alongside this, officials have run a series of in-house training seminars about the Presidency.
In order to ensure we direct our resources in the most effective way, staff are working to map the progress of EU proposals that have been, or are expected to be, tabled and under discussion during our Presidency and are engaging regularly with EU officials and with the two preceding Presidencies in this regard. This has included a number of high-level meetings by relevant members of my Department's senior management with their counterparts in the EU Institutions, and both Minister Brophy and I have travelled to Strasbourg and Brussels respectively to meet with members of the European Parliament who sit on the relevant JHA committees.
In addition, work continues within my Department on our national Presidency priorities. This has been informed by the work referenced above, as well as by engagements with other Member States both at Ministerial and official level, and via input from stakeholders. I expect Ireland's Presidency priorities to be published, following approval by Government, in June.
Finally, officials from my Department are regularly engaging with Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Office of Public Works to put in place the necessary arrangements for the JHA meetings and events which will be hosted in Ireland during our Presidency.
170. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the proposals to increase the emphasis on community policing, which is a very highly regarded policing measure in communities throughout the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6177/26]
View answerGetting more Gardaí on our streets to prevent crime is my first priority as Minister for Justice.
This Government is 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 Programme for Government includes a commitment to ensure each community policing area has a dedicated community Garda, so everyone knows their local officer and how to contact them.
Community policing continues to play a vital role in building trust and confidence between Gardaí and the public, through visible, responsive policing and open dialogue in neighbourhoods, schools and diverse community groups. It is through this engagement that communities and Gardaí work together to prevent crime and strengthen local resilience.
While the allocation of Garda resources is, by law, a matter for the Garda Commissioner, I am advised that community policing remains a high priority for An Garda Síochána. Community policing is delivered across the country and is supported by the Garda National Community Policing Unit within the Garda National Community Engagement Bureau.
In the interest of transparency, information in relation to the allocation of Gardaí assigned to Community Policing units by Division 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 most recent month and access the file titled “Community Garda by Division 2008 to the most recent date” for a breakdown of total Gardaí numbers going back to 2008.
