Written Answers Nos. 173-193
173. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Social Protection to set out the policy in his Department regarding the use of artificial intelligence; whether AI is used or permitted in drawing up policy documents, speeches, answers to parliamentary questions, press releases or for other official documents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15625/26]
View answerMy Department is aware of the Guidelines for Responsible Use of AI in the Public Service, and the Cyber Security Guidance on Generative AI for Public Sector Bodies. My Department will continue to assess the suitability of AI on a case by case basis.
My Department is currently conducting a small-scale trial of an AI tool, with a limited number of users. This trial focuses on using AI for general knowledge tasks like summarising content and searching for specific information and not to draft policy documents, speeches, answers to parliamentary questions, press releases or for other official documents.
The tool does not operate independently or autonomously. All outputs are subject to human oversight and are reviewed, verified, and validated by the relevant officers prior to use.
174. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the legal classification of payments made to athletes under the international carding scheme administered by Sport Ireland; whether such payments are treated as employment income, self-employment income, or non-insurable grants for the purposes of PRSI and social insurance legislation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15635/26]
View answer175. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether athletes in receipt of the international carding scheme funding are regarded as employees of Sport Ireland or of the State for any statutory purpose; whether any employer PRSI contributions are paid in respect of such athletes; the PRSI class, if any, applied to those in receipt of funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15636/26]
View answer176. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether athletes entering the international carding scheme are formally advised that participation does not give rise to insurable employment contributions for the purposes of jobseeker’s benefit, illness benefit or the State contributory pension; whether written guidance is provided on the long-term social insurance implications of participation; and if he will furnish a copy of such guidance.; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15637/26]
View answer177. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether his Department has undertaken any review, legal opinion, actuarial assessment or policy analysis since 2015 regarding the social insurance status of athletes supported under the international carding scheme; the dates of any such reviews; and whether he intends to initiate a review of social protection coverage for elite athletes representing the State. [15638/26]
View answer178. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether payments made to athletes under Sport Ireland’s international carding scheme constitute insurable employment under the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005; and if she will clarify the PRSI status of such payments. [15640/26]
View answer179. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether participation in the international carding scheme gives rise to credited contributions for the purposes of jobseeker’s benefit, illness benefit or the State contributory pension; and if she has assessed the long-term pension impact on athletes whose primary income during their competitive careers derives from such funding. [15641/26]
View answer181. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection whether consideration has been given to providing credited PRSI contributions, a special insurance class, or an alternative statutory mechanism to ensure social protection coverage for athletes representing the State at elite level; and whether any interdepartmental discussions have taken place in this regard. [15643/26]
View answerSport Ireland, which is funded by the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport, is the statutory body with responsibility for the development of sport, increasing participation at all levels and raising standards. Sport Ireland has responsibility for High Performance and the administration of the International Carding Scheme. The scheme provides financial supports to elite sportspeople for training and competition purposes.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 174, 175, 176, 177, 178, 179 and 181 together.
With limited exceptions, social welfare legislation provides that employed or self-employed persons over the age of 16 and under the age of 66, and those born after 1 January 1958 and aged between 66 and 70 and not in receipt of the State Pension (Contributory), are liable to pay PRSI on their income.
Sport Ireland deems that elite athletes receiving payments under the International Carding Scheme are not employees and, accordingly, they are not subject to income tax and PRSI returns under the Revenue PAYE system. Generally, these payments would be deemed to be self-employed income and along with any other income the athlete receives, would need to be self-declared for the purposes of charging income tax and PRSI under Revenue’s self-assessed system. The applicable PRSI class for such self-assessed income would be class S. The rate applicable to this class is 4.2% or a minimum payment of €650 subject to meeting an annual income threshold of €5,000.
Contributions made under PRSI class S entitle a person to most of the benefits available under the Social Insurance Fund. Such benefits include Jobseeker’s Benefit (Self-Employed), Parent’s Benefit, Carer’s Benefit and the State Pension (Contributory). In recent years there has been a significant expansion of benefits to class S contributors without any increase in their PRSI rate. Furthermore, the Programme for Government includes an action to explore the option of giving self-employed workers access to Illness Benefit by means of making a higher PRSI contribution. My Department has commenced work in this regard and this proposal will be progressed over the lifetime of the Government.
Class S contributors are not entitled to credited contributions; as such, contributors pay a single annual PRSI contribution which entitles them to the full 52 contributions for a year, regardless of when and how long they worked in that year to generate their income.
There has been no review, analysis or interdepartmental discussion of the social protection position of elite athletes involving my Department in the period cited by the Deputy (2015-date) and there are no current plans to do so.
Any queries relating to the policy and administration aspects of the International Carding Scheme should be addressed to the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport. If there is a particular case of concern regarding PRSI status, it should be brought to my department's attention.
I trust this clarifies the matters for the Deputy.
180. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of applications for jobseeker’s benefit refused since 2016 where the applicant’s primary prior income derived from elite sports participation supported by State high-performance funding; and the grounds on which such refusals were made. [15642/26]
View answerJobseeker's Benefit is a payment for people between 18 and 66 years of age who are part-time, casual, short-time and seasonal workers, those whose employment is based around the school or academic year and retained fire-fighters. Pay-Related Jobseeker's Benefit was introduced in March 2025, and is a payment for people between 18 and 66 years of age who are fully unemployed. These are Social Insurance, not Social Assistance, payments. Consequently, eligibility for these payments is based on a person's PRSI record, amongst other qualifying criteria. Jobseeker's Allowance is a Social Assistance based scheme, and is a means-tested payment for people who are unemployed aged 18 to 66. While this payment is means tested, detailed data on income sources such as that highlighted by the Deputy is not available.
Claim processing statistics are collected in aggregate on a per-scheme basis and detailed reasons for claims refusals are not available. My Department's Annual Statistics Report provides details on the number of claims registered, awarded, and refused, on a multi-year basis. An excerpt from the 2024 report showing the number of refusals is set out below.
Jobseeker's Allowance and Jobseeker's Benefit Claim Refusals 2019-2024
|
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
|
|
Jobseeker's Allowance |
8877 |
11856 |
9423 |
11859 |
13625 |
15498 |
|
Jobseeker's Benefit |
3419 |
4751 |
4658 |
5907 |
7738 |
9737 |
182. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Social Protection the actions taken to improve retention and uptake of work for disabled employees and entrepreneurs. [12461/26]
View answerMy Department provides a range of programmes and schemes to improve retention and uptake of work for both disabled employees and entrepreneurs.
My Department's Intreo service is a single point of contact for all employment and income supports in the State. Disabled people can make an appointment to meet with a Designated Disability Employment Personal Advisor to discuss employment and training options. They can access mainstream employment schemes such as Community Employment and Tús as well as referral to tailored supports such as Employability.
My Department launched a new scheme called Work and Access in July 2024. This scheme offers seven supports that addresses barriers to the workplace and make it more accessible. Funding is available for communication supports, work coaches, workplace adaptations as well as disability equality and inclusion training.
The Wage Subsidy Scheme supports employers to hire disabled people through a subsidy. A number of changes to the scheme were introduced following a review of the scheme which was published in 2024. In particular, the minimum number of hours from 21 to 15 per week and the expansion to the voluntary, community and non commercial semi-state sectors. Budget 2026 has provided for an expansion to people who acquire a disability while in employment and to those who transfer from Invalidity Pension to Partial Capacity Benefit and provided for an increase in the subsidy rates.
The Department’s disability-related schemes and employment supports have been structured to support recipients to pursue employment opportunities. Disability Allowance’s earnings disregard means that people can earn up to €165 per week and keep their payment in full and can earn up to €527.60 per week and keep a portion of their payment and their secondary benefits from my Department.
With regard to entrepreneurship, the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment will promote inclusion and accessibility in entrepreneurship, in under-represented groups, including people with disabilities, through the Local Enterprise Offices.
Disability Awareness training has been provided for Local Enterprise Office staff to broaden their understanding of disability beyond visible disabilities, exploring the barriers faced by people with disabilities in a work context and providing guidance on supporting a service user with a disability. The Local Enterprise Offices have also developed targeted online learning supports for disabled people who are interested in starting a business.
In addition, last year the Government launched the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030. This strategy prioritises a cross-government approach and my Department, alongside the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment is leading the employment pillar, focused on improving the labour participation rates of disabled people. These commitments will be advanced over the lifetime of the Government in light of the prevailing policy and budgetary context.
I trust this clarifies the issue for the Deputy.
183. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on youth unemployment; if he has plans to address this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8661/26]
View answerThe recent publication of the Labour Force Survey from the CSO showed that Youth Unemployment in Q4 2025 was 9.8%, down slightly from Q4 2024 when it was 9.9%.
My Department is committed to supporting and improving the capacity of young people to take up employment, education and training opportunities that can enhance their employment prospects over time, as well as their ability to earn an adequate income to support themselves and their families into the future.
Intreo, the Public Employment Service provides nationwide support to jobseekers through a structured and mandatory engagement process that offers tailored, individualised employment support. Jobseekers deemed most distant from the labour market and those aged under 30 years of age are engaged with more immediately and more frequently.
The performance of the labour market overall is monitored by my Department, through its Labour Market Updates, quarterly publications which examine emerging labour market trends, as well as publications from the Central Bank of Ireland, the Department of Finance and the ESRI. These are used by the Labour Market Advisory Council and independent policy experts to assess emerging trends and issues affecting the labour market and to determine how best to respond to key issues.
184. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if Garda members can now access driving licence photographs at roadside checkpoints on their mobility devices, from the National Vehicle and Driver File database. [15434/26]
View answerI have been advised by the Garda authorities that, at present, Garda personnel do not have any access to driving license photographs from the National Vehicle and Driver File database on their Garda Mobility devices.
However, the Deputy may be interested to note that Garda authorities advise that there is ongoing dialogue between the Department of Transport and An Garda Síochána to further expand the extensive data sharing agreement to include the license photograph.
185. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of vehicles seized for having no valid car tax by Gardaí within the DMRs, Wicklow, Meath and Kildare-Carlow division in 2025 and to-date in 2026, in tabular form. [15442/26]
View answerThe 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.
An Garda Síochána have provided the below divisional breakdown of the number of vehicles detained under Section 41(c) of the Roads Traffic Act 1994 for having no valid motor tax for 2025 and up to 31 January 2026:
|
Division |
2025 |
2026* |
Total |
|
D.M.R. Eastern |
252 |
22 |
274 |
|
D.M.R. North Central |
506 |
36 |
542 |
|
D.M.R. Northern |
733 |
73 |
806 |
|
D.M.R. South Central |
669 |
44 |
713 |
|
D.M.R. Southern |
887 |
85 |
972 |
|
D.M.R. Western |
1,569 |
106 |
1,675 |
|
Kildare/Carlow |
629 |
71 |
700 |
|
Meath/Westmeath |
741 |
57 |
798 |
|
Wexford/Wicklow |
738 |
39 |
777 |
|
Total |
6,724 |
533 |
7,257 |
*2026 – figures are for incidents from 1 January 2026 – 31 January 2026 inclusive.
An Garda Síochána publishes information in relation to figures relating to Roads Policing Offences and Activity nationwide. This can be found at the following link: www.garda.ie/en/roads-policing/statistics/roads%20policing%20offences%20by%20region%20and%20division/
186. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration his plans to introduce a scheme that will support integration in communities that host large numbers of those seeking asylum or refugee status; if he will ensure that, unlike previous schemes, it will be measured to ensure integration occurs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15505/26]
View answer187. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if any evaluation was carried out of the achievement or non-achievement of the integration objectives of the Community Integration Fund; if he will publish those findings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15506/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 186 and 187 together.
My Department runs a number of funding schemes to support and enable migrant integration in Ireland.
2025 was the inaugural year of the Integration Fund, which combines the two funds previously known as the International Protection Integration Fund (IPIF) and the Communities Integration Fund (CIF). The purpose of the Integration Fund is to support communities across Ireland to play a greater role in promoting the integration of migrants, with a specific focus on International Protection Applicants for Scheme A. I announced the results of the 2025 Integration Fund in November 2025, with 117 projects awarded €3.6m in funding.
All projects previously funded under the CIF were required to submit final project reports upon completion, along with supporting documentation. These reports were reviewed to assess the performance of the project, whether it met the stated outcomes, and whether the funds were spent as outlined in the original funding application. The CIF was incorporated into the broader Integration Fund in 2025. These projects will submit reports upon the conclusion of their projects; however, these reports are not published.
Separately, the National Integration Fund (NIF) is a multi-annual funding call which supports communities across Ireland to play a greater role in promoting the integration of migrants and is open to organisations operating at regional and national level. NIF 2023 results were announced in April 2024, with 18 projects being awarded grants with a combined total of over €2.8 million over a three-year period.
My Department also manages two EU funding schemes aimed at migrant integration. Firstly, my Department is the managing authority for the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF). AMIF provides a range of supports for International Protection applicants, programme refugees, Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection and other third country nationals arriving in Ireland. Since 2023, two open calls for proposals were published for projects suitable for funding under the AMIF 2021-2027 national programme. Arising from these two Open Call for Proposals, €11.5m of grant funding has been awarded to 19 successful projects to provide reception and integration supports and rehabilitative services to third country nationals.
The second EU funding scheme to assist migrants is the Integration and Employment of Migrants action under the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) 2021-2027 programme. This action is aimed at legally resident migrants who are experiencing barriers to participation and employment because of language difficulties, lack of training or social exclusion. A total allocation of €5.4m was assigned to this action for the period 2021-2027, which is now fully committed. In 2022, seven projects were approved total funding of €2.7m for a three-year period. In December 2025, a further eight projects were approved for funding to the value of €2.7m.
Finally, the Programme for Government 2025 provides a commitment to developing a new Migration and Integration Strategy for Ireland, detailing how we intend to meet the demands and the opportunities facing our society and economy over the next decade. Work is well advanced on this project, with a view to the Strategy being launched later this year.
188. Deputy Tom Brabazon asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of 999 calls made from 2020 to 2025 that resulted in a dispatch of a Garda resource within 10 minutes of the call, in tabular form. [15219/26]
View answerI am informed by Garda authorities that data from the GardaSAFE computer aided dispatch system is not yet supported by An Garda Síochána’s analysis service and therefore the information requested cannot be supplied at this time.
It is anticipated that initial reporting capabilities (for example on the counts of calls received) in respect of GardaSAFE data will commence by the second quarter of 2026. There will be incremental, additional reporting capabilities in each subsequent quarter over the course of 2026.
I am advised that the GardaSAFE system was rolled out incrementally across the organisation in 2023. I understand that while there are some reports available, these are focused on live operational aspects for the Control Rooms to monitor call volumes, etc.
I am further informed that the Garda Regional Control Centres answer every 999/112 call that Emergency Call Answering Service (ECAS) needs to connect. If the caller hangs up before the call is answered, the ECAS operator will stay on the call and connect the call giving all relevant information. In the rare event that a technical issue arises in one of the Regional Control Rooms, ECAS will stay on the call and route the call to a Garda call taker at an alternative location.
The Garda Commissioner is by law responsible for all operational policing matters, including responses by An Garda Síochána to emergency calls. As Minister, I have no direct role in these matters.
189. Deputy Tom Brabazon asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of newly attested Gardaí over 45 years-of-age that have resigned from their positions as Gardaí from 2020-2025. [15221/26]
View answerThe 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. I was pleased to secure unprecedented funding of over €2.7 billion for this year, is supporting the continued recruitment of Garda members and staff.
It should be noted that the maximum age for a Garda recruit was only increased from 35 to 50 in 2024, so the number of newly attested Gardai over 45 who have since resigned does not arise for any year prior to 2024.
I have been advised by the Garda authorities that, to date, there have been no resignations of newly attested members over the age of 45.
190. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration when a citizenship application will be completed, in view that it is 20 months since the application (details supplied) was first lodged; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15223/26]
View answerThe naturalisation application referred to by the Deputy continues to be processed by my Department. A detailed response in this matter was provided to the Deputy via the Oireachtas Mail service.
I understand that my Department recently received the requested further documentation from the person concerned, and processing of the application has resumed.
As an Oireachtas member, you can request the status of individual immigration cases by e-mail, using the Oireachtas Mail facility at: [IMoireachtasmail@justice.ie], which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Question process.
191. Deputy Ciarán Ahern asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to provide details of all occasions in which he or his predecessors exercised the power conferred on them under Section 15(3) of the Climate Action & Low Carbon Development Act (2015), which states that ‘the relevant Minister may, from time to time, give a direction to a relevant body requiring it to adopt such measures as are specified in the direction for the purposes of compliance by the relevant body with subsection (1)’; to provide the details of the direction given in all cases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15247/26]
View answerI can inform the Deputy that neither myself nor my predecessors have exercised the specific power conferred under Section 15(3) of the Climate Action & Low Carbon Development Act (2015), in respect of any agency under my Department’s aegis.
Climate action requirements contained in Ireland's Climate Action Plan prepared under the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021 are addressed in the respective governance agreements in place with agencies under the aegis of my Department. These obligations are subject to review and are reported on as part of standing governance meetings, which typically take place twice yearly.
192. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of fleet owners and motor traders who were convicted for the failure to upload vehicle insurance details to the National Fleet Database under the Road Traffic Act; and the fines imposed per vehicle. [15264/26]
View answerGarda authorities advise that there have been no charges or summonses recorded for failure to upload vehicle insurance details in respect of "fleet owners" or "motor traders" based on a search of the PULSE database as of 24 February 2026.
An Garda Síochána publish figures relating to Roads Policing Offences and Activity nationwide. This can be found at the following link: www.garda.ie/en/roads-policing/statistics/roads%20policing%20offences%20by%20region%20and%20division/
Page ten of these reports provides data relating to incidents where a vehicle was detained by Gardaí for the reason of ‘a driver without an approved policy of insurance’.
The final page of the report details the number of charges and summonses created for the offences of 'No Insurance (Owner)' and 'No Insurance (User)'.
The collation of data on cases before the Courts and in respect of convictions is a function of the Courts Service.
To be of assistance, I reached out to the Courts Service who have indicated that as section 5 of the Road Traffic Act 2023 amends various sections of the Act of 1961 they require the Deputy to specify the particular offence(s) for which data is requested.
The Courts Service has a dedicated email address for the provision of information to members of the Houses of the Oireachtas: oireachtasenquiries@courts.ie.
193. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the current processing times for each visa type submitted through an office (details supplied), in tabular form. [15284/26]
View answer194. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he is aware of delays to join family applications of CSEP holding spouses submitted through an office (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15285/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 193 and 194 together.
I propose to take PQs 15284/26 and 15285/26 together.
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.
In 2025, the Abuja Visa Office received a total of 890 visa applications across the various Join Family categories and issued a total of 493 first instance decisions.
The table below shows the current target processing times for visa applications submitted to the Abuja Visa Office.
Table 1. Target processing times for visa applications processed in Abuja Visa Office.
|
Visa category |
First instance decision |
|
Employment |
6 weeks (Category A*) |
|
|
10 weeks (Category B*) |
|
Join family** |
12 months |
|
Study |
8 weeks |
|
Business/Conference/Event |
4 weeks |
|
Visit |
6 weeks |
* Categorisation is based on section 16.4 of the Non-EEA Family Reunification Policy Document.
** Some Join family applications fall under Dublin-based processing
Applicants can now directly check the status of their application on the Immigration Service’s Customer Service Portal. They can register for, or log in to their existing account, at:
portal.irishimmigration.ie/en/
As an Oireachtas member, you can also request the status of individual immigration cases by e-mail, using the Oireachtas Mail facility at: IMoireachtasmail@justice.ie, which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Question process.
