Written Answers Nos. 129-148
129. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures he will introduce to protect persons in low-pay, low-hour work from income volatility, including volatility associated with existing social protection payments, with particular regard for a person (details supplied). [52005/26]
View answerAll recipients of jobseeker’s payment from my Department must declare any days worked, or any holiday entitlement days for which they receive payment. As part-time employment may vary considerably from week to week, a declaration of employment and unemployment is required each week to ensure that the person is receiving the correct payment.
The rules of Jobseeker's Allowance require that you must be unemployed for at least four days out of every seven to qualify for payment. As a result, if you work more than three days in a week, you won’t qualify for payment for that week under that scheme.
The Programme for Government sets out a commitment to consider a working age payment.
Any new working age payment should ensure individuals always see an increase in income when they take up work or take on additional hours. Accordingly, one possibility is that a working age payment could remove the aforementioned "four in seven" rule. A new working age payment could also allow an individual to change their working pattern or take on additional hours without a sudden loss in payment. Instead, their payment would adapt by gradually reducing through a taper.
My Department has recently conducted a public consultation on a proposed model for a new working age payment.
My officials will review and analyse all submissions received through the consultation process. These are complex reforms, and it will take time to consider the input from the consultation process, and to progress more detailed design. Proposals will be brought to Government in due course.
130. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Social Protection whether his Department will consider amending the rules governing the carer's allowance to permit people who are in receipt of a State Pension and who are providing full-time care to another pensioner to receive the full rate of carer's allowance, rather than the current reduced payment; whether he acknowledges that many older carers are struggling to make ends meet due to the increased cost of living while providing full-time care; whether the adequacy of current supports for this cohort has been reviewed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52066/26]
View answerThe main income supports to carers provided by my department are Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the Carer’s Support Grant. Spending in 2026 is expected to amount to over €2.2 billion on these payments.
In general, people are only eligible for one social welfare payment at any time to meet a particular contingency. However, in recognition of the vital role of caring, an important exception applies. Where a person is receiving a full-time social welfare payment such as the State Pension and is also providing full-time care for at least 35 hours per week, they may receive up to half the Carer’s Allowance rate in addition to their primary payment. This arrangement applies across almost all weekly social welfare payments.
At the end of 2025, there were 49,234 carers benefiting from these arrangements. Of these, approximately 14,500 were receiving a State Pension (Contributory) or State Pension (Non-contributory).
This means that a person in receipt of Carer’s Allowance who qualifies for the full State Pension (Contributory) on reaching age 66 and retains a half-rate Carer’s Allowance could see their payment increase from €270 a week to a combined pension and carer's payment of €453.30 per week.
The Government is committed to supporting carers and the main focus is the process of phasing out the means test, which is well underway. Last week, the weekly income disregard increased from €625 to €1,000 for a single person and from €1,250 to €2,000 for carers who are part of couple.
The Programme for Government commitments in relation to carer's will continue to be advanced over the lifetime of the Government, having regard to the overall policy and budgetary context.
131. Deputy Eoin Hayes asked the Minister for Social Protection the measures his Department is taking to address the current backlog and processing time of social welfare appeals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52103/26]
View answerAt the end of June 2026 the average processing time for Social Welfare Appeals is 12 weeks.
In comparison, the average processing time for Social Welfare Appeals in 2025 was 21.2 weeks.
An Appeals Modernisation Project to develop and implement new business processes was completed in 2025. The purpose of the project was to streamline and enhance the end-to-end appeals process for the customer. The new system provides online capabilities on MyWelfare which provide a more efficient and streamlined service for people making appeals. The changes implemented as part of the project support the end-to-end electronic processing of appeals and provide a secure, comprehensive, online appeals service for customers. They also improve the customer experience by offering an additional online channel, facilitating 24/7 access to view their current appeal status which has helped improve communications with appellants during the appeals process.
New Social Welfare Appeals Regulations (S.I. No. 744 of 2024) came into effect on Monday, 28 April 2025. The purpose of these regulations is to modernise and streamline the social welfare appeals process, providing greater clarity, improved consistency, and more defined timeframes.
This modernisation of the appeals process, along with some additional resources put in place by the Chief Appeals Officer, has led to a reduction of the number of appeals on hand and the length of time it takes for appeals to be processed and decided.
The Chief Appeals Officer continues to monitor processing times and every effort is made to reduce the time taken to process an appeal. However, the drive for efficiency must be balanced with the competing demand to ensure that decisions are consistent and made in accordance with the provisions set out in primary legislation and regulations.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
132. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 536 of 30 June 2026 and 624 of 16 June 2026, to outline the factors which are examined and the thresholds which must be satisfied under the criterion of the 'nature and pattern of employment' as part of satisfying the habitual residence condition. [52165/26]
View answerThe five factors which are examined for HRC purposes are as follows: 1) length and continuity of residence in Ireland or in any other country 2) length and purpose of any absence from Ireland 3) nature and pattern of employment 4) the person’s main centre of interest and 5) future intentions of the person as they appear from the available evidence.
Regarding the factor ‘nature and pattern of employment’, the applicant’s employment record in Ireland and elsewhere is relevant together with any future plans a person may have. A person who has lived here for an appreciable time and is working legally in stable employment may be presumed to be habitually resident unless the person is a “posted worker” or it is otherwise clear that the work assignment here is for a limited period. Where the person is in that employment for at least a month or self-employed for at least six months they will normally satisfy the habitual residence condition while that employment is ongoing.
Responses to the following assist in determining this aspect of the five factors:
• is the person an international worker, that is, have they been posted to Ireland by their employer for a limited period or is their assignment in this country for a limited period?
• is the work full-time or part-time?
• how many hours per week are worked?
• is the work short-term/seasonal, for example au-pair, farm work?
• is there a history of short-term seasonal work?
• what is the nature of the employment contract?
• how long has the employment lasted?
• have there been previous contracts with the same employer?
• For self-employment to be recognised it must be registered with the Revenue Commissioners and proof of registration must be provided, for the business to be regarded as bona fide self-employment of an ongoing nature which was in existence before any claim for social welfare was made.
• EU/EEA citizens exercising their right of free movement, whose right of residence is based on the fact that they have come to Ireland seeking employment, are not entitled to access social assistance payments unless/until they have obtained work.
• It is important to note that the five factors are not exhaustive and, no one factor is decisive, and it is not necessary for a person to score strongly on all five factors in order to get a positive decision.
• All relevant circumstances are considered. Each applicant’s claim is assessed on its own merits and the HRC decision is based on the application of the legislation and guidelines to the individual.
• I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
133. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Social Protection for an update on a review of carer's allowance for an individual (details supplied). [52233/26]
View answerCarer's allowance (CA) is a means-tested social assistance payment made to a person who is habitually resident in the State and who is providing full-time care and attention to a child or an adult who has such a disability that as a result they require that level of care.
An application for CA was received from the person concerned on 11 February 2026.
As part of the decision process, the application was referred for the professional opinion of a Department Medical Assessor. The claim was disallowed as the Deciding Officer, having regard to the opinion of the Medical Assessor, decided that the information supplied did not show that the care recipient required full-time care.
The person concerned was notified of this decision in writing on 19 March 2026. They were also notified of their right to have the decision reviewed (where further information is available) or to appeal the decision to the Social Welfare Appeals Office (SWAO).
A review was initiated on foot of correspondence received on 16 June 2026.
Following this review, the person concerned was awarded CA from 12 February 2026.
The first payment will issue to the nominated bank account of the person concerned on 09 July 2026.
Arrears for the period from 12 February 2026 to 08 July 2026 will issue shortly.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
134. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an estimate of the accumulated total in cuts in spending on the dental treatment service scheme since 2010 as compared with the baseline annual total spent in 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52253/26]
View answer135. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide an estimate on the amount that would have been spent on the dental treatment service scheme in 2025 if spending had been maintained at 2009 levels with CPI applied in the intervening period and taking into account the current numbers of citizens eligible to receive PRSI benefit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52254/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 134 and 135 together.
The Treatment Benefit Scheme provides dental, optical and aural services to insured workers, the self-employed, retired people and their dependent spouse/partner who have the required number of social insurance (PRSI) contributions. In 2026, the Department of Social Protection has provided an estimated expenditure of over €190 million for the scheme.
Prior to 2010, a range of the dental treatments not currently provided under the scheme were available, including contributions towards fillings, extractions, root canal work and dentures. The cost in 2009 for all the dental treatments under the scheme was €71 million.
However, as part of measures to ease the financial pressures at the time, the Government decided in Budget 2010 to restrict the dental services available under the scheme to examinations only. In 2017, eligibility was also extended to the self-employed in addition to the reintroduction of cover for the scale and polish treatment.
Currently, the dental treatments covered under the scheme are examinations, scale and polish and periodontal treatments.
My Department has not conducted the exact analysis requested by the Deputy. The 2024 Annual Statistics Report sets out expenditure on Dental Benefit for each year in the period 2015-2024 in table D1, while the total number of persons availing of Dental Benefit over the same period is set out in table D3. The report is available through gov.ie/dsp/statistics and is published as a PDF report and in excel format.
Any changes to the scheme would have to be considered in a budgetary context, taking account of the economic circumstances and with a view to the sustainability of the Social Insurance Fund.
136. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Social Protection to review the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52257/26]
View answerThe Fuel Allowance is a contribution towards the energy costs of a household. The weekly payment is typically paid from late September to April to assist households with their energy costs.
Under the qualifying conditions for fuel allowance a person must satisfy all the qualifying criteria including household composition. In this case, the person concerned was not eligible for the fuel allowance as they are residing with a person who was not in receipt of a qualifying payment from my Department.
It is open to the person concerned to re-apply for the fuel allowance if their circumstances change. If they require financial assistance, it is also open to them to contact their Local Community Welfare Officer who may be in a position to assist. This can be done by calling the National Community Welfare Contact Centre at 0818-607080 and they will direct them to the appropriate office.
137. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration for an update on an application under EU Treaty rights (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51919/26]
View answerI can advise the Deputy that this application was submitted on 15 April 2026 and is currently awaiting processing by the Application Submission unit at Burgh Quay.
While processing is underway, the applicant was granted temporary Stamp 4 residence permission. Issued on 23 June 2026, this temporary permission remains valid until 22 December 2026.
The person concerned 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 accounts, at: http://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.
138. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration for an update on join family applications (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51924/26]
View answerI can advise the Deputy that the Join Family visa applications referred to were created on 27 August 2024. Supporting documentation was received in the Dublin Visa Office on 05 September 2024 where they await examination and processing.
My Department's business target for join family visa applications is 12 months. It must be made clear that these are business targets for the immigration service and some applications can take longer than others. The business target reflects the detailed and often complex assessment that is required to be carried out in relation to applications for family reunification.
While I acknowledge the personal difficulties an applicant might be experiencing, it is not possible to give a definitive date as to when these applications will be finalised. All applications are processed in chronological order, based on date order of receipt.
While every effort is made to process applications as soon as possible, processing times will vary having regard to the volume and complexity of applications, the possible need for the Immigration Service Delivery function of my Department to investigate, inquire into, or seek further information, and the resources available.
The current processing times for Dublin visa decisions is available here: www.irishimmigration.ie/visa-decisions/. The date published on the website is the oldest date of application currently being processed under a given category. However, it should be noted that the Visa team continue to process and make decisions on applications received after the published processing date. If a particular application takes longer to consider this may result in the published processing date remaining unchanged. I can assure you that this does not indicate the processing of these applications has halted overall.
I am acutely aware that join family applications are very important for the people impacted. I understand that people are eager to have their families join them in Ireland, and I am committed to improving the service my Department provides.
The people concerned can now directly check the status of their visa applications on the Immigration Service’s Customer Service Portal. They can register for, or log in to their existing accounts, at: http://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.
139. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to outline the measures currently in place for the prosecution of those found guilty of sustained domestic abuse, coercive control or harassment which contributes to the victim taking their own life; his plans to strengthen legislation in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51925/26]
View answerI can assure the Deputy that there is a comprehensive legislative framework in place to investigate and prosecute offences arising from domestic abuse, coercive control, and harassment.
The Domestic Violence Act 2018 was a significant step forward in strengthening the law in this area. Among other measures, it introduced the offence of coercive control and provides that, where appropriate, the courts should treat the intimate relationship between an offender and a victim as an aggravating factor in sentencing.
The law has been strengthened further through the Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2023, which contains several important provisions in relation to stalking and harassment. These include:
A new stalking offence, defined in terms of causing either a fear of violence or serious alarm and distress that has a substantial impact on a person’s day-to-day activities.
The existing harassment offence in section 10 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997 has been widened to include any persistent conduct that seriously interferes with a person’s peace and privacy or causes alarm, distress, or harm.
The introduction of a new system of civil orders designed to prevent stalking and protect victims.
I am also progressing the Domestic Violence (Judgments) Register Bill 2026, which will set up a Register of Judgments, ensuring that relevant convictions for serious domestic violence offences are made public as part of the conviction process.
I would like to assure the Deputy that all legislation is this area is kept under review to ensure that it remains effective and that any further changes needed to protect victims and hold perpetrators to account are considered.
140. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the key measures taken to tackle crime and improve community safety since January 2025; his priorities for same for the rest of 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51945/26]
View answerThis Government is committed to building stronger, safer communities across the country.
The Garda Vote in Budget 2026 includes unprecedented funding of €2.74 billion which will support the continued recruitment of Garda personnel.
It is clear that recruitment into An Garda Síochána has gathered real momentum. Cohorts of over 200 trainees are now entering Templemore regularly. The overall Garda workforce has increased from 15,980 in 2016 to over 18,200 in 2026. With three recruitment competitions to join An Garda Síochána in the last 18 months there is a strong pipeline of recruits regularly entering and attesting from the Garda College. This will ensure that the Commissioner has additional resources to deploy to divisions nationwide. This will also support the expansion of the High Visibility Policing Plan introduced in Dublin City Centre in March 2025, which has since been rolled out to Cork and Limerick City Centres, as well as areas of South Dublin, including Tallaght and Dún Laoghaire.
The Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024, which I commenced in April 2025, provides for the establishment of 36 Local Community Safety Partnerships (Safety Partnerships) within each local authority area.
The Safety Partnerships bring together a broad range of relevant stakeholders to address community safety issues in their area, including residents, community representatives, business and education representatives, local councillors, and a range of public services including senior representatives of the HSE, Tusla, An Garda Síochána and the local authority.
Each local partnership will be responsible for developing a tailored and prioritised plan specific to that area in conjunction with the community and the relevant public services. Safety Partnerships leverage local and national policies, planning and funding to ensure service delivery is aligned with local needs. Drawing together the collective resources of partners at the table, they will ensure interventions are delivered proactively by the service best placed to deliver it and in a joined up, integrated way with other services.
The National Office for Community Safety, an office of my Department, is providing support and guidance to Safety Partnerships in the performance of their functions and to monitor the implementation of local community safety plans. It is also a statutory function of the National Office to commission research and evaluations relating to the operation of Safety Partnerships. Such monitoring and evaluations will be guided by the strategic pillars of the National Strategy for Improving Community Safety. This strategy is currently being finalised following public consultation, ensuring our research is evidence-led and responsive to the safety concerns of communities across Ireland.
I am very pleased that this Government has, in recent years, significantly increased the funding for youth justice initiatives. The budget allocation for Youth Justice measures has almost doubled from 2020 to 2026. Following a significant increase of €7.3 million in additional core exchequer funding as part of Budget 2026, the total allocation for youth justice measures is now €43 million.
There are currently 92 Youth Diversion Projects and 4 Targeted Youth Diversion Projects across the country that are co-funded by my Department and the European Union. With these funds, these Projects employ dedicated Youth Justice workers who respond daily to the needs of young people across the country.
With the official opening of POINT Youth Diversion Project on 18 June, Youth Diversion is available to all children and young people across the country.
The Rural Safety Plan 2025-2027 brings together and strengthens all of the various strands of work being carried out in relation to rural safety. It has been developed by my Department, in conjunction with the National Rural Safety Forum.
The Plan’s vision is to ensure people and communities in rural Ireland feel safe and are safe in their homes, places of work, and their local environments. It does this by identifying four key priority areas that we will focus on to achieve the overall goal. These areas are: Community Safety & Engagement, Property Crime, Roads Policing, and Animal & Wildlife Crime.
The Programme for Government commits to publishing a Retail Crime Strategy with targeted actions to reduce retail crime and support affected businesses. Work on the Strategy is well advanced and I expect to receive a draft in the coming weeks for detailed consideration. I look forward to engaging with its proposed objectives, priorities and recommendations to ensure that the final Strategy reflects the priorities of the Government and the needs of retailers, workers and communities. Following this process and subject to final approval, it is my intention to publish the Strategy later this year.
141. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of IRP renewal applications received by his Department per month in 2026, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51960/26]
View answer142. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of IRP renewal applications approved by his Department per month in 2026, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51961/26]
View answer143. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of physical IRPs issued by his Department per month in 2026, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51963/26]
View answer159. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he is aware of the current delays being experienced by people trying to secure IRP renewals (details supplied); and the steps currently being taken to reduce them. [52166/26]
View answer161. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he can clarify the situation for a person in an instance where their Stamp 4 work permit expires while the individual is awaiting the renewal of their Irish residence permit (IRP) card, particularly in an instance where the wait for the IRP card has gone beyond the twelve week grace period; if he is aware that delays in IRP renewals processing means that employers are seeking clarity on their obligations when a Stamp 4 expires during this limbo period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52229/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 141, 142, 143, 159 and 161 together.
The Registration Office of my Department continues to experience an exceptionally high demand for first time registration appointments and immigration permission renewal applications.
I understand that the extended wait times can be frustrating for applicants, and I can assure the Deputy that my Department is exploring every avenue available to facilitate as many customers as possible and to increase processing capacity.
The Registration Office is open seven days a week to facilitate customers to process both first time registration appointments and online renewals. Additional staff have been assigned to this work, which has now begun to reduce the processing time for renewals. For certain categories of renewals, the processing time is now approximately 6 - 8 weeks from the time of initial application, with no category exceeding a wait time of 17 weeks.
The Registration Office provide a live application processing date broken down by stamp category, which is updated every Monday, and is available on the Immigration Service website at the following link: www.irishimmigration.ie/registering-your-immigration-permission/how-to-renew-your-current-permission/renewing-your-registration-permission-if-you-live-in-the-republic-of-ireland/.
While my Department endeavours to process applications as quickly as possible, processing times may vary due to a number of factors, such as the number of applications on hand, individual circumstances, the complexity of applications, whether further information is required, and peak application periods.
The Registration Office has issued a notice to employers regarding the employment of someone awaiting renewal. If an employee’s Irish Residence Permit (IRP) card has expired and they are unable to obtain a new one by the expiry date of their current IRP card, they are still legally permitted to remain in the State on their existing IRP card for a maximum of 12 weeks.
This is subject to the applicant submitting their renewal application prior to their current IRP card expiring. Further information on this notice can be found here: www.irishimmigration.ie/notice-to-employers-regarding-employees-awaiting-renewal-of-their-irp-card/.
In addition, customers may submit their renewal applications up to 12 weeks prior to expiry of permission, to allow sufficient time for an application to be reached and processed prior to a current permission expiring.
It is also open to any person to request to have their renewal application expedited due to extenuating circumstances, and they can do so by contacting the Registration team of the Department via the Customer Service Portal. They will need to explain their circumstances and the urgent need to travel. All such requests are considered on a case by case basis.
Applicants can now directly check the status of their immigration application on the Immigration Service’s Customer Service Portal. They can register for, or log in to their existing account, at https://portal.irishimmigration.ie/en/.
I can advise the Deputy that my Department receives approximately 20,000 renewal applications per month.
There has, however, been a significant increase in the number of renewal applications in the early months of this year as a large number of Ukrainian beneficiaries of temporary protection became due for renewal; this has impacted on processing times for Stamp 4 renewals in particular.
The table below details the total number of renewal applications approved each month so far in 2026.
|
Month |
Number of renewals approved |
|
January 2026 |
21,280 |
|
February 2026 |
21,694 |
|
March 2026 |
20,145 |
|
April 2026 |
23,314 |
|
May 2026 |
27,477 |
|
June 2026 |
33,125 |
*Please note, figures are correct at time of issue, however, all statistics may be subject to data cleansing.
When an online renewal application is approved, my Department orders the printing of batches of IRP cards from a third party provider, and applicants can expect to receive their new IRP card within the following 10-15 working days.
144. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to provide the amounts by which his Department or agencies within the aegis of his Department that has been defrauded as a result of a cyberattack; and the total amount which has been recovered for each of the years 2021 to 2025, and to date in 2026. [51988/26]
View answerThe disclosure of information relating to cyber security measures or incidents, including the nature of attacks, affected systems, financial impacts, detection methods or security controls, could prejudice the security of departmental systems and services by providing malicious actors with insight into vulnerabilities, defensive arrangements and operational responses. For this reason, it would not be appropriate for my Department or its agencies to disclose such details.
I can assure the deputy that my Department and agencies under its aegis maintain a range of technical and organisational measures to protect its networks, systems and data against cyber threats. These measures are kept under ongoing review and are informed by recognised cybersecurity standards, risk assessments, threat intelligence and evolving best practice.
My Department also works closely with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and other security partners and follows relevant guidance, alerts and advisories issued to strengthen the resilience of its information systems and to respond appropriately to emerging threats.
145. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the status of the request for tender for an electronic monitoring managed service for an Electronic Monitoring Pilot Programme; if it has been awarded; the body or company it has been awarded to; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52034/26]
View answer146. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the criteria under which the applicants for the RFT for electronic monitoring managed service were scrutinised given the sensitive nature of the programme being introduced, such as public interest concerns, operational track record of the applicant and standards of governance of the applicant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52035/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 145 and 146 together.
My Department is leading a cross-agency project to introduce electronic monitoring for specific categories of individuals, as committed to in the Programme for Government, and in line with existing legal provisions.
Existing legislation, including the Bail Act 1997, as amended, and the Criminal Justice Act 2006, as amended, provides for electronic monitoring in certain circumstances.
A steering group is in place, made up of sectoral representatives, who are driving the delivery of this project to operationalise electronic monitoring. This includes consideration of technology, data protection, procurement, implementation, and operating model design.
The electronic monitoring pilot will focus on individuals on temporary release nationally and those admitted to bail in a pilot area. It is proposed to utilise up to 50 electronic tags during this phase. This is expected to provide capacity to monitor between 90 and 150 people in a year, but exact numbers monitored will depend on a range of factors including individuals’ lengths of time on bail or on temporary release, and individuals’ personal circumstances, including ongoing suitability and compliance with conditions.
The pilot approach will allow for processes and procedures to be tested before a wider scale national rollout, while also supporting the agencies involved to build capability and knowledge of the electronic monitoring system. Insights from the pilot will inform any future national rollout and procurement.
Under Budget 2026 funding of €2.1m was allocated for the project to allow for staffing, procurement, and other set up costs. The electronic monitoring project is progressing and is expected to be operational in 2026.
A request for tender closed on 14 April. I can confirm that a number of tenders were received by the deadline. As this is a live competition, I am precluded from making any further comment on the process. All updates regarding this competition will be made through the national tendering portal (eTenders), which is standard practice.
147. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the evidential basis where join family processing times were changed from four to eight weeks to six to 12 months; and the notification provided to existing CSEP holders. [52047/26]
View answer148. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether the Embassy prioritise student visa applications during academic intake seasons at the expense of pending join family applications; and if so, the way this is consistent with the published commitment to chronological processing. [52048/26]
View answer149. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the specific measures that ensure the join family backlog does not grow indefinitely given three annual academic intake seasons. [52049/26]
View answer150. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the current total number of pending join family applications at an embassy (details supplied); and the projected clearance date for applications received in early 2026. [52050/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 147, 148, 149 and 150 together.
Across all sectors of our economy, migrants make an important contribution to Irish society, our communities and public services. My Department is currently developing a National Migration and Integration Strategy to help ensure that Ireland is well placed to meet the opportunities and challenges of migration over the coming decade.
I fully recognise that join family visa applications are very important for the people involved. I understand that people are eager to have their families join them in Ireland.
My Department operates seven overseas Visa Offices, as well as the Visa Office in Dublin. In addition, certain visa applications are processed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade staff in Irish Embassies abroad under delegated authority from my Department.
While processing times can vary between visa offices, most visa applications receive a decision within our published target times. Some applications can take longer, depending on the circumstances.
Processing times are influenced by a number of factors, including the complexity of the application, the volume of applications received, and the quality and completeness of the information provided.
It is important to recall these applications are screening processes, designed to establish that the person has a legitimate reason to come to Ireland prior to travel. Verifying an application is an important part of our immigration system and the checks involved can take time to complete.
A Critical Skills Employment Permit holder can apply for join family visa at the same time as their employment visa. These applications can then be processed together and typically receive a first instance decision within the 10-12 week business target.
People who make join family visa applications separately, will generally receive a first instance decision within the 12 month business target.
It should be noted that some visa categories have a shorter business targets. Visit / Family and Visit / Tourism have a business target of 6-8 weeks. Study visas have a business target of 4-8 weeks. These processing times are available on the New Delhi Visa Office web site at: www.ireland.ie/en/india/newdelhi/services/visas/processing-times-and-decisions/.
The published commitment to chronological processing refers to applications within the same category and received by the same Visa Office.
In December 2025, the Immigration Service of my Department introduced online payment functionality to my Department's online visa system. This allows applicants to pay visa fees as part of the online application process. The initiative is being rolled out on a phased basis and is currently live in 40 countries. This reduces the administrative burden on Irish Missions and visa teams, and allows visa officers to dedicate more time to core application processing and decision-making, contributing to improved processing efficiency over time.
Detailed real-time figures on the number of pending applications on hand are not routinely compiled in a format that can be disaggregated in the manner requested by the Deputy. However, overall volumes provide an accurate indication of the scale of applications being managed.
Table 1 below details the number of Join Family applications received, by the New Delhi Visa Office, and decisions issued by that office from 2023 to 2025.
|
New Delhi Visa Office |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
|
Applications Received |
9,624 |
10,920 |
9,420 |
|
Decisions Issued |
8,592 |
9,919 |
8,424 |
* Please note, figures are correct at time of issue, however, all statistics may be subject to data cleansing.
* A decision made in a particular year may relate to an application received in a previous year.
* Categories included above are Join Family Irish (Spouse, de facto, other) and Join Family Non-EEA (Spouse, de facto, other).
