Written Answers Nos. 238-257
238. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of persons who have applied for temporary protection in Ireland since the introduction of the 30-day accommodation policy on 10 November 2025. [10754/26]
View answer239. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of persons who have cancelled their temporary protection in Ireland since the introduction of the 30-day accommodation policy on 10 November 2025. [10755/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 238 and 239 together.
Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection hold temporary permission to remain in Ireland, renewable annually for as long as the Directive remains in force.
On 15 July 2025, the Justice and Home Affairs Council extended Temporary Protection by a year until March 2027, providing certainty for beneficiaries who can continue to avail of the protections that the Directive provides.
Following a change to the law in Ukraine allowing men aged 18-22 to leave the country from 26 August 2025, Ireland experienced a significant increase in the number of new arrivals from Ukraine. Due to this increase and the subsequent pressure on the Designated Accommodation Centre system, the period of accommodation for new arrivals was reduced to 30 days from 10 November 2025. This change aimed to ensure Ireland could continue to provide accommodation to those most in need fleeing the war in Ukraine, in a sustainable manner.
From the 10 November 2025 to 8 February 2026 2,866 people applied for temporary protection. In the same period, 463 people voluntarily withdrew from temporary protection, 57 of whom had also made their applications during these dates.
241. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the purpose of the recently carried out document inspections at accommodation centres for beneficiaries of temporary protection; and the centres covered by this initiative. [10757/26]
View answerAccommodation provided for people who are beneficiaries of temporary protection is done on the basis of contract and in accordance with various policies of my Department and the Government.
The purpose of recent and ongoing compliance inspection visits, to which the Deputy refers, is to establish whether or not these policies are being adhered to by both the provider of accommodation and the people residing there who are beneficiaries of temporary protection. Where breaches of policy or contractual arrangements are identified, my Department has and continues to take appropriate action.
Any centre providing accommodation to people with temporary protection may be subject to pre-arranged or unannounced visits from Departmental officials in order to confirm compliance with policy and contractual obligations.
243. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of e-bikes, e-scooters and scrambler bikes seized by an Garda Síochána, by division in 2024, 2025 and to date in 2026; and the number of same returned to owners over the same time period. [10760/26]
View answerOur road safety strategy takes a whole of government approach and is a shared responsibility. Development and implementation of road traffic legislation and policy falls within the remit of my colleague Darragh O'Brien TD, the Minister for Transport, and the vital role of enforcing road traffic laws is carried out by An Garda Síochána.
Gardaí have significant legislative powers to combat the antisocial and dangerous misuse of scramblers, quad bikes, e-scooters and other such vehicles including under the Road Traffic Act 1961, the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997, and the Criminal Law Act 1997. I am assured that An Garda Síochána continues to adopt a proactive approach in addressing the illegal use of scramblers, quads, e-bikes and e-scooters.
I am informed by Garda authorities that based on incidents of vehicles detained (including those detained under section 41 of the Road Traffic Act) as well as incidents of property seized recorded on PULSE (where there was at least one linked vehicle that was either a scrambler or quad bike or both) the table below outlines incidents where an e-scooter, scrambler or e-bike was seized or detained by An Garda Síochána between 2024 and 2025.
|
- |
2024 |
2025 |
|
Incidents where e-scooters were seized or detained |
326 |
817 |
|
Incidents where scramblers were seized or detained |
173 |
167 |
|
Incidents where quad bikes were seized or detained |
41 |
40 |
|
Incidents where e-bikes were seized or detained |
96 |
- |
The above figures are based on incidents occurring within the year specified. All information is based upon operational data from the PULSE system and is liable to change. Multiple vehicles may have been seized at each incident so, therefore, the figures above correspond to the number of incidents in which a vehicle was seized rather than the number of vehicles seized. Data relating to the number of vehicles seized or detained by An Garda Síochána in 2026 and in respect of e-bikes for 2025 is unavailable at this time.
Each seizure of a vehicle is individual and the subsequent disposal of any particular vehicle is dependent on the individual circumstances of the case.
Where legislation requires/provides that an e-scooter, scrambler or e-bike be returned to the owner, that will be done subject to any costs being paid. Where a vehicle is not claimed by the owner, following expiry of any prescribed time limit, it can be disposed of either by way of sale or destruction.
Where an e-scooter, scrambler, quad or e-bike is detained as part of a wider criminal investigation, the length of the detention is subject to any evidential need of the investigation and any potential court order at the end of any proceedings.
244. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of road traffic Gardaí who have been on duty in each year in the past seven years. [10781/26]
View answer245. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of road traffic Gardaí who have been on duty for each of the past 18-months. [10782/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 244 and 245 together.
An Garda Síochána play a vital role in enforcing road traffic law and in making our roads safer for all road users, including vulnerable road users. Road traffic laws are enforced by Gardaí assigned to Roads Policing and as part of the day-to-day duties of uniformed Gardaí nationwide. This includes a programme of high-visibility road safety and enforcement operations carried out in partnership with other state agencies.
The Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána under Section 33 of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024, which includes the distribution and stationing of Garda personnel throughout the State.
In the interest of transparency, An Garda Síochána publishes information in relation to the allocation of Gardaí nationally. This includes a breakdown of Gardaí assigned to Roads Policing by Garda Division. This can be found at the following link:
The Deputy should select the most recently available date and then select the file titled ‘Roads Policing by division 2009 to the most recent date" to access a breakdown of Garda members assigned by Division.
The Deputy may wish to note that all uniformed Gardaí are directed to undertake 30 minutes of high-visibility roads policing in each tour of duty.
246. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to provide the number of scrambler bikes and quad bikes seized or detained by An Garda Síochána in each of the past three years, broken down by Garda division, including Cork City and Cork North divisions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10816/26]
View answer247. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the total number of scrambler bikes and quad bikes seized by An Garda Síochána in each of the past three years; and the average number of vehicles seized per incident. [10817/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 246 and 247 together.
Our road safety strategy takes a whole of government approach and is a shared responsibility. Development and implementation of road traffic legislation and policy falls within the remit of my colleague Darragh O'Brien TD, the Minister for Transport, and the vital role of enforcing road traffic laws is carried out by An Garda Síochána.
Gardaí have significant legislative powers to combat the antisocial and dangerous misuse of scramblers, quad bikes and other such vehicles including under the Road Traffic Act 1961, the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997, and the Criminal Law Act 1997. I am assured that An Garda Síochána continues to adopt a proactive approach in addressing the illegal use of scramblers, quads.
This ongoing effort has been significantly bolstered by the enactment of the Road Traffic and Roads Act 2023, which was signed into law in June 2023. The Act includes provisions to tackle the antisocial misuse of these vehicles through measures that grant An Garda Síochána new powers of seizure. In addition, under the Act dangerous driving became an offence in any location, not just on public roads.
The Act also provides for the prohibition or restriction of the use of classes of vehicles in particular places. In this regard Minister O'Brien has brought proposals to Cabinet to regulate for banning the use of scramblers in public places.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that based on incidents of vehicles detained (including those detained under Section 41 of the Road Traffic Act) as well as incidents of property seized on PULSE (where there was at least one linked vehicle that was either a scrambler or quad bike or both) the table below outlines incidents where a scrambler or quad bike was seized or detained by An Garda Síochána between 2023 and 2025.
|
- |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
|
Incidents where scramblers were seized or detained |
179 |
173 |
167 |
|
Incidents where quad bikes were seized or detained |
44 |
41 |
40 |
Figures are based on incidents occurring from 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2025, inclusive. All information is based upon operational data from the PULSE system and is liable to change. Multiple vehicles may have been seized at each incident so, therefore, the figures above correspond to the number of incidents in which a vehicle was seized rather than the number of vehicles seized. A breakdown of the figures by Garda division is not available at this time.
248. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of cases involving the seizure of scrambler bikes or quad bikes that resulted in a prosecution file being prepared by An Garda Síochána in each of the past three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10818/26]
View answerI have requested the information sought from the Garda authorities. Regrettably this was not available in time and I will revert to the Deputy in due course.
249. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to list the youth diversion or community-based prevention programmes currently in place to address the antisocial use of scrambler bikes and quad bikes; the locations in which these programmes operate; the annual funding allocated; and the Garda divisions where no such programme is currently available. [10819/26]
View answerYouth Diversion Projects (YDPs) are community-based, multi-agency youth crime prevention initiatives which primarily seek to divert young people who have been, or are at risk of becoming, involved in anti-social and/or criminal behaviour away from formal engagement with the Criminal Justice System. There are 94 YDPs in operation and they are available nationwide to any young person who requires their services. It should be noted that YDPs are not aligned to Garda Divisional boundaries as they are not operated by An Garda Síochána.
As part of the suite of interventions offered by YDPs to address the needs of young people at risk of becoming or already involved in anti-social behaviour and criminality, a select number of YDPs located in Dublin and Limerick provide opportunities for their participants to engage in dedicated scrambler initiatives.
These programmes seek to educate young people participating in the anti-social recreational use of scramblers about vehicle maintenance and the safe use of vehicles, as well as allow them to take part in motocross and relevant personal development or educational activities. They also act as valuable platforms through which pro-social modelling can be demonstrated by Youth Justice Workers. €152,598 was allocated in funding for this specific initiative for 2026.
In addition to the YDPs, Waterford Local Community Safety Partnership received funding of €70,768 in 2024, through the Community Safety Fund, for ‘Getting Kilcohan Back on Track’. This is a short-term project, targeting anti-social behaviour related to e-scooters, e-bikes, and scramblers, focusing on road safety and responsible usage. The specially designed eight-week programme will be delivered six times over the course of the project, engaging 36 young people from the Kilcohan/Sacred Heart area of Waterford.
250. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether he is considering any legislative proposals around home burglaries (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10828/26]
View answerI can assure the Deputy that the law already treats the crimes of theft and burglary very seriously. There is a comprehensive legislative framework in place regarding burglary and there are no plans to amend current legislation.
A person guilty of burglary is liable on conviction on indictment to a fine or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 14 years or both.
In 2015, the law in this area was further strengthened by the introduction of legislation targeting repeat offenders. The Criminal Justice (Burglary of Dwellings) Act 2015 seeks to ensure that persons awaiting trial for burglary of a dwelling who have recent convictions or pending charges for domestic burglaries can be denied bail in appropriate cases.
An Garda Síochána has had considerable success in reducing the prevalence of burglary through Operation Thor, which focuses on the prevention of burglaries and associated crimes, throughout Ireland, using strategies which are adapted for both rural and urban settings.
In the 10 years since Operation Thor was introduced, burglary and related offences have declined overall. The level of residential burglary during the winter months, October to March, has fallen by 75% since the commencement of Operation Thor in 2015.
Notwithstanding this major improvement in the overall position, the Government is acutely aware of the impact of a burglary on victims.
An Garda Síochána continued to invest significant resources in public awareness campaigns, prevention and detection, all aimed at reducing further the incidence of burglary.
An Garda Síochána launched the Winter Phase (2025/2026) of Operation Thor on 1 October 2025.
Under Operation Thor, the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB) co-ordinates and supports Divisional resources actively targeting organised crime gangs and repeat offenders, particularly involved in rural burglaries and crimes, through enforcement activity based on intelligence and the latest burglary trends.
Gardaí conduct high-visibility patrols and check-points at specific times of day in known ‘hot-spots’ to reduce the movement of burglars, gathering intelligence on known offenders and regularly communicating with those in the community about crime prevention measures.
Operation Thor also aims to reduce burglaries by ensuring every burglary is appropriately investigated to the highest possible standard and by monitoring crime data for changes in trends of burglaries, associated crimes and detection rates.
I would encourage anyone who is concerned about burglary or who has been a victim of a burglary to report it to An Garda Síochána without delay.
251. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the latest update on the establishment and functioning of LCSPs in Dublin west; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10843/26]
View answerTo date I have appointed members to 34 Local Community Safety Partnerships, including Fingal West.
The inaugural meeting of Fingal West Local Community Safety Partnership was held on Wednesday 28 January 2026 at which they elected their Chair, Phillip Jennings, and Vice Chair, Cllr John Walsh.
The inaugural meeting of Dublin Central Local Community Safety Partnership was held on 26 January 2026 at which they elected their Chair, Cllr Cieran Perry, and Vice Chair, Gerry Breen.
The Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024, which I commenced in April 2025, provides for the establishment of Local Community Safety Partnerships (LCSP) within each local authority area. The regulations for these Safety Partnerships came into operation on Monday 30 June, and 36 Partnerships are in the process of being established in local authority areas across the country.
As of 6 February 2026, 31 Local Community Safety Partnerships have held their inaugural meetings.
252. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration further to Parliamentary Question No. 749 of 16 December 2025, if he has received the necessary information in order to have this PQ answered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10950/26]
View answerCombatting all forms of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence remains an absolute priority for this Government, for my Department and for the Garda Commissioner.
The nationwide roll out of Divisional Protective Service Units (DPSUs) - which ensures that when vulnerable victims of crimes such as domestic abuse and sexual violence present to Gardaí, they are met with a consistently high standard of specialist, sensitive, professional and expert assistance - was an action under both the 'Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland' and ‘Supporting a Victim's Journey’.
There is now a DPSU in every Garda division across the country. I'm informed by the Commissioner that to ensure the continued level of delivery of policing services within Garda Divisions, local and senior management are consulted during the allocation of personnel and are responsible for the specific deployment/assignment of duties being undertaken at divisional level. The situation is closely monitored by the leadership team, to ensure optimum use of all Garda resources in providing the best possible Garda service to the community.
The below table outlines the number of Gardaí by rank attached to the Divisional Protective Services Bureau, Dublin Metropolitan Region, North Division, as at 30th November 2025.
|
Rank |
Strength |
|
Inspector |
2 |
|
Sergeant |
4 |
|
Garda |
14 |
|
Total |
20
|
253. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of fixed penalty notices that Gardaí issued for parking on double yellow lines (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10951/26]
View answerAn Garda Síochána plays a vital role in enforcing road traffic law and in making our roads safer for all road users, including vulnerable road users.
Road traffic laws are enforced by Gardaí assigned to Roads Policing and as part of the day-to-day duties of uniformed Gardaí nationwide. This includes a programme of high-visibility road safety and enforcement operations carried out in partnership with other state agencies.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that based upon operational data from the Fixed Charge Processing System there were no Fixed Charge Notices issued for parking on Double Yellow Lines at Newbrook Road, Donaghmede between 1 December and 24 December 2025.
254. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the quantity in kilogrammes and value in euro of sheep meat, chilled or frozen, categorised as of Irish origin exported from the State, by the country that it was exported to over the past ten calendar years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10509/26]
View answer255. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the quantity in kilogrammes and value in euro of sheep meat, either chilled or frozen, by animal category (details supplied) exported from the State, by the country that it was exported over the past ten full calendar years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10510/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 254 and 255 together.
Value and volume datasets on Irish sheepmeat exports compiled by the CSO do not include a breakdown by category of ovine animal or by origin of the animals from which the meat was derived.
While volume data is normally quantified in metric tonnes, it has been converted to kilograms for the purposes of this exercise.
Regarding the reporting period, full year data for 2025 is not yet available from the CSO. Hence, the data provided is for each calendar year from 2015 onwards.
Headline data on sheepmeat exports for the last decade is presented in tabular format hereunder. A second table provides additional detail regarding trends in the main export destinations during the relevant period. More granular detail on export markets is shown in the attached spreadsheet.
Table 1: Value and volume of Irish sheepmeat exports 2015 - 2024.
|
Year |
€000 |
Kgs |
|
2015 |
241,893 |
48,017,463 |
|
2016 |
277,106 |
55,844,804 |
|
2017 |
310,054 |
62,434,029 |
|
2018 |
316,004 |
59,760,750 |
|
2019 |
317,840 |
61,959,516 |
|
2020 |
355,680 |
64,096,493 |
|
2021 |
386,495 |
58,264,311 |
|
2022 |
454,573 |
66,501,839 |
|
2023 |
418,703 |
64,779,573 |
|
2024 |
394,513 |
53,217,246 |
Table 2: Countries accounting for over 90% of Irish sheepmeat exports for the period 2015 - 2024.
|
|
2015 |
|
2016 |
|
2017 |
|
2018 |
|
2019 |
|
2020 |
|
2021 |
|
2022 |
|
2023 |
|
2024 |
|
|
Destination |
€000 |
Kgs |
€000 |
Kgs |
€000 |
Kgs |
€000 |
Kgs |
€000 |
Kgs |
€000 |
Kgs |
€000 |
Kgs |
€000 |
Kgs |
€000 |
Kgs |
€000 |
Kgs |
|
Grand Total |
241,893 |
48,017,463 |
277,106 |
55,844,804 |
310,054 |
62,434,029 |
316,004 |
59,760,750 |
317,840 |
61,959,516 |
355,680 |
64,096,493 |
386,495 |
58,264,311 |
454,573 |
66,501,839 |
418,703 |
64,779,573 |
394,513 |
53,217,246 |
|
France |
83,132 |
16,431,823 |
100,490 |
19,464,962 |
107,792 |
21,223,355 |
101,948 |
18,817,206 |
99,561 |
18,547,999 |
117,841 |
20,308,563 |
126,315 |
18,079,768 |
146,523 |
20,701,566 |
133,239 |
19,105,968 |
138,113 |
17,490,859 |
|
United Kingdom |
50,000 |
12,688,198 |
52,419 |
13,759,512 |
54,695 |
14,636,721 |
58,289 |
14,385,105 |
62,802 |
14,767,784 |
60,240 |
12,980,942 |
47,721 |
8,636,795 |
57,726 |
10,675,128 |
55,222 |
10,654,389 |
51,064 |
8,798,592 |
|
Germany |
23,451 |
3,818,875 |
29,213 |
4,719,593 |
30,967 |
5,153,706 |
39,661 |
6,344,241 |
36,252 |
6,017,706 |
41,992 |
7,787,883 |
59,259 |
9,103,801 |
77,698 |
11,887,787 |
67,675 |
10,318,720 |
72,715 |
9,651,693 |
|
Sweden |
17,910 |
3,414,800 |
23,048 |
4,510,825 |
25,818 |
5,189,194 |
23,508 |
4,562,417 |
27,993 |
5,566,594 |
36,032 |
6,455,768 |
42,342 |
6,081,260 |
47,643 |
6,591,789 |
36,093 |
5,345,776 |
28,969 |
3,983,474 |
|
Belgium |
24,051 |
3,060,393 |
25,449 |
3,377,437 |
24,619 |
3,433,175 |
27,301 |
3,799,197 |
25,332 |
3,522,425 |
28,743 |
3,680,313 |
32,836 |
3,490,841 |
26,813 |
2,882,453 |
24,376 |
2,768,052 |
25,116 |
2,623,008 |
|
Netherlands |
7,547 |
1,604,815 |
5,827 |
1,557,425 |
6,776 |
1,465,144 |
7,178 |
1,554,966 |
6,915 |
1,625,951 |
7,219 |
1,720,952 |
9,801 |
2,345,972 |
17,471 |
3,611,189 |
20,990 |
3,194,719 |
19,421 |
3,198,246 |
|
China |
4,094 |
1,453,629 |
2,868 |
1,339,177 |
6,735 |
2,518,175 |
3,192 |
1,255,067 |
3,634 |
1,678,895 |
3,319 |
1,396,276 |
2,452 |
910,928 |
248 |
50,678 |
4,378 |
2,520,149 |
211 |
36,496 |
|
Italy |
6,678 |
1,393,814 |
7,498 |
1,537,107 |
11,424 |
2,215,394 |
11,199 |
1,971,088 |
11,820 |
2,233,931 |
10,435 |
2,180,488 |
11,209 |
1,933,052 |
15,140 |
2,131,671 |
15,250 |
2,312,147 |
16,192 |
2,205,152 |
|
Denmark |
7,457 |
888,718 |
9,337 |
1,127,042 |
10,575 |
1,319,507 |
11,164 |
1,482,778 |
11,526 |
1,486,135 |
11,389 |
1,450,664 |
13,865 |
1,369,453 |
12,006 |
1,263,431 |
10,478 |
1,153,061 |
9,176 |
1,029,133 |
|
Switzerland |
10,443 |
790,578 |
12,714 |
872,204 |
19,089 |
1,260,111 |
18,292 |
1,259,370 |
15,276 |
1,280,098 |
23,479 |
2,025,472 |
25,046 |
1,868,819 |
31,628 |
2,135,595 |
29,347 |
2,146,069 |
22,412 |
1,639,316 |
256. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the quantity in number of head and value in euro, by animal category (details supplied) of live sheep exported from the State, by the country that it was exported to over the past ten calendar years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10511/26]
View answer257. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the quantity in head and value in euro by animal category (details supplied) of live sheep imported into the State, by the country that it was imported from over the past ten calendar years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10512/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 256 and 257 together.
All live animals being consigned into and out of the State must travel with a health certificate validated by an official veterinarian specifying that the animals satisfy the basic animal health requirements set out in relevant EU regulations.
My department does not retain information on veterinary certification for sheep consigned prior to 2017 and does not record the value or animal type of live sheep exported from or imported into Ireland.
Based on the latest data extracted from the EU TRACES database used to record consignments, the table hereunder shows the annual quantities of live sheep movements into and out of the State for the years 2017 to 2025 inclusive.
Additional detail on live sheep movements during that period is provided in the attached spreadsheet. A limitation regarding the presented import data is that UK-origin ovines are not disaggregated between Northern Ireland (N.I.) and Great Britain for the years 2017 to 2020 inclusive. Thereafter, sheep originating in N.I. are categorised and reported separately from the remainder of the United Kingdom (UK). Apart from the UK, all other sheep imports in the other category originate from EU member states.
|
Year |
Quantity exported (no. of head) |
Quantity imported (no. of head) |
|
2017 |
35,356 |
491,710 |
|
2018 |
20,769 |
517,182 |
|
2019 |
7,161 |
456,898 |
|
2020 |
27,962 |
442,836 |
|
2021 |
19,611 |
370,057 |
|
2022 |
13,652 |
419,338 |
|
2023 |
27,110 |
429,802 |
|
2024 |
47,240 |
365,613 |
|
2025 |
12,602 |
271,766 |
