Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 February 2026
845. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to provide details of all active interdepartmental, interagency, and department-agency working groups organised under his remit. [10159/26]
View answerMy Department's priorities are shaped by the Programme for Government and by the recently published Statement of Strategy for 2025-2028.
Working groups play a key role in setting strategic direction, implementing key reforms, developing legislative and policy proposals and determining the short and long-term needs of my Department. In addition to working groups, my Department utilises a range of internal structures to support its day-to-day work. This includes, for example, the MinMAC, Management Board, and various strategic committees, steering boards and programme boards.
Details of active interdepartmental, interagency and department-agency working groups organised under my remit are provided in the table below.
|
Name |
Purpose |
Type |
|
Name |
Purpose |
Type |
|
Criminal Justice Strategic Committee |
The Criminal Justice Strategic Committee's purpose is to ensure the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration and the agencies across the criminal justice sector have a coordinated approach to the identification and resolution of the structural and strategic issues affecting the sector. |
Department/Agency |
|
Customer Service Working Group |
To guide the implementation of the Customer Service Action Plan |
Department/Agency |
|
EU Presidency Planning Working Group |
To plan for Ireland’s holding of the EU Presidency in 2026 |
Department/Agency Interdepartmental |
|
Garda Budgeting Oversight and Resource Group |
Oversight of Garda budget and resource requirements |
Department/Agency Interdepartmental |
|
Garda Training Review Group |
The task for the Group is to identify delivery options to increase the scale and capacity of high-quality education, training and continuous professional development in An Garda Síochána. |
Interdepartmental Department/Agency |
|
Human Trafficking Governance and Strategy Group |
Convened under the National Action Plan to prevent and combat Human Trafficking 2023-2027 |
Interdepartmental Department/Agency |
|
Human Trafficking Oversight Group |
Convened under the National Action Plan to prevent and combat Human Trafficking 2023-2027 |
Interdepartmental Department/Agency |
|
Irish Refugee Protection (IRPP) Taskforce |
To support delivery of IRPP measures having regard to humanitarian context, international obligations and interests of the State |
Interdepartmental Department/Agency |
|
Judicial Planning Working Group |
To set the strategic direction for determining Ireland's judicial needs in the short, medium and long term. |
Department/Agency |
|
Justice Energy Performance Officer (EPO) Network |
Network to support work of EPOs across Justice sector |
Department/Agency |
|
Justice Network FOI Group |
Guidance and oversight for FOI units |
Department/Agency |
|
Justice Sector DPO Network |
Network to support work of DPOs across Justice sector |
Department/Agency |
|
Labour Exploitation Subgroup |
Subgroup tasked with specific strands of work as identified in the National Action Plan to prevent and combat Human Trafficking 2023-2027 |
Department/Agency Interagency |
|
Prison Overcrowding Response Group |
To assist in driving a resolution to the problem of prison overcrowding |
Department/Agency |
|
Rapid Build Future Use Working Group |
The Rapid Build Future Use Working Group was formed in March 2025 as part of a multi-stakeholder process to determine the long-term strategy for the use of the Rapid Build modular units, once temporary protection for persons fleeing the war in Ukraine comes to an end. |
Interdepartmental |
|
Review of the Administration of Civil Justice (Kelly Report) Implementation Group |
To work to implement the range of recommendations made in the Kelly Report |
Department/Agency |
|
Strategic Migration Policy Group |
The Strategic Migration Policy Group (SMPG) was established in December 2024 to support the work of developing a new National Migration and Integration Strategy. |
Interdepartmental |
|
Working Group on the Implementation of the Court Proceedings Delays Act |
To identify measures required to implement/give effect to the Act |
Interdepartmental |
|
Working Group on Reform of Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme (CICT) |
To examine reforms to the CICT in Ireland |
Interdepartmental |
|
Working Group on the Implementation of the Garda (Powers) Bill |
To identify measures required to implement/give effect to the Bill |
Department/Agency |
|
Prison Education Task Force |
The Prison Education Taskforce aims to ensure greater alignment between prison education and work training and the tertiary education system. |
Interdepartmental |
|
OMGSG - Offender Management Governance & Strategy Group |
The Offender Management Governance & Strategy Group (OMGSG) was established in 2020 to provide oversight and governance to multi-agency offender management programme. |
Department/Agency |
|
OMOG - Offender Management Oversight Group Meeting |
The Offender Management Oversight Group (OMOG) was established in 2021 with responsibility for the national coordination of the various adult multi-agency offender management initiatives. |
Department/Agency |
|
Parole Regulations Working Group |
A Parole Regulations Working Group was established in 2024. The group is examining the introduction of regulations regarding eligibility for parole for those serving determinate sentences, as per s.24 of the Parole Act 2019. |
Department/Agency |
|
Bilateral Treaties Working Group |
A Bilateral MLA & Extradition Treaties Working Group was established by the Department in 2024 to progress the negotiation of bilateral treaties with third countries and to ensure Ireland takes a comprehensive and consistent approach to the negotiation of bilateral mutual legal assistance and extradition treaties. |
Interdepartmental |
|
Youth Justice Governance & Strategy Group |
The Youth Justice Governance & Strategy Group is a high-level cross-agency oversight structure to monitor and support the implementation of the Youth Justice Strategy. |
Department/Agency |
|
Youth Justice Oversight Group |
The Youth Justice Oversight Group has an operational focus and is responsible for national co-ordination of the development of Youth Justice initiatives |
Department/Agency |
