Written Answers Nos. 654-673
655. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the percentage of acceptance rate for naturalisation, by country from 2020-2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65708/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra656. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the average length of time, by number of weeks, for naturalisation applications to be approved for citizens from Egypt; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65709/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra657. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the average wait time, by number of weeks for a naturalisation application to be approved for citizens from Morocco; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65710/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 655 to 657, inclusive, together.
The naturalisation application processing times of individual nationalities are not recorded by my Department. My Department also does not provide a grant rate per nationality.
I want to assure anyone who has an application for naturalisation submitted, that my Department is doing everything possible to progress applications as quickly as possible.
My Department has taken a significant number of steps to speed up the process for applicants. These included introducing an online digital application, online payments, and the introduction of eVetting. This digitisation has facilitated a record number of citizenship decisions made last year. In just over two years, my Department has gone from processing around 12,000 applications a year, to processing over 20,000 applications in 2023, and made more than 31,000 decisions in 2024.
I am pleased to inform the Deputy that these changes are reducing processing times. The median processing time for a decision on an application in 2024 was 8 months. This is a significant decrease from the median processing time of 15 months in 2023 and 19 months in 2022.
Furthermore, my Department held 24 citizenship ceremonies last year, an increase from the 15 ceremonies held in 2023, and the 6 that were held in 2022. My Department has already held 19 ceremonies this year, and the next ceremonies are taking place on 1 and 2 December 2025 at the INEC Killarney.
It is important to note, however, that no two naturalisation applications are the same and some take longer than others to process. Given the importance of citizenship, robust and comprehensive checks must take place on each application. Unfortunately some checks, such as international checks, can take a considerable amount of time and these are largely outside of the control of my Department.
For that reason, while I expect that, going forward, most applicants will receive a decision within one year, this cannot be guaranteed in the case of applications made in any specific year.
The nationalities of those who were granted citizenship and who have received their certificate of naturalisation from 2020, up to 10 November 2025, is outlined in the attached file. It should be noted that decisions issued in any year may relate to applications which were received in previous years due to the time taken to process applications.
|
Division |
No. of Roads Policing Vehicles |
|
DMR East |
4 |
|
DMR North |
5 |
|
DMR North Central |
8 |
|
DMR South |
4 |
|
DMR South Central |
3 |
|
DMR Traffic |
50 |
|
DMR West |
5 |
|
Kildare Carlow |
12 |
|
Laois Offaly |
10 |
|
Meath Westmeath |
16 |
|
Waterford Kilkenny |
17 |
|
Wexford Wicklow |
17 |
|
Donegal |
12 |
|
Galway |
15 |
|
Louth Cavan Monaghan |
21 |
|
Mayo Roscommon Longford |
19 |
|
Sligo Leitrim |
6 |
|
GNRPB |
1 |
|
Clare Tipperary |
19 |
|
Cork City |
17 |
|
Cork County |
20 |
|
Kerry |
9 |
|
Limerick |
13 |
|
Total |
303 |
658. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if an application to the IIP scheme by a county board (details supplied) will be approved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65722/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAt the outset, it is important to note that, as Minister, I do not comment on individual Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP) applications.
I can advise you that further details concerning the processing of outstanding IIP applications is published on the Immigration Service website of my Department, including an FAQ document. Both can be accessed at the following link: www.irishimmigration.ie/processing-of-iip-applications-on-hand-following-the-closure-of-the-programme/
If a project owner has any queries, they can contact the IIP Unit directly.
659. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether a formal assessment has been carried out of the likely impact on Ireland of the asylum reforms announced by the UK Government; the expected changes in arrivals through Northern Ireland given the Common Travel Area and open land border; the modelling that has been done on pressures on international protection accommodation services and other supports; and the legislative or administrative changes under preparation to ensure that Ireland’s system does not act as a pull factor compared with the United Kingdom.” [65738/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is taking all necessary steps to manage the international protection process efficiently and effectively, while ensuring the integrity of those processes is maintained at all times.
Ireland and the United Kingdom share a long history and common interest in the effective operation of the Common Travel Area (CTA) and work together to prevent any abuses of the CTA.
There is also significant operational cooperation between the Gardaí, UK Border Force, UK policing services and the Police Service of Northern Ireland in relation to both immigration and criminal matters. This strong practical engagement and cooperation serves the mutual interests of both Ireland and the UK, and will continue.
I and the Government are aware that changes to the UK’s asylum practices or laws can result in changes to the migratory flows between the UK and Ireland.
I am committed to ensuring that Ireland is not viewed more favourably than the UK by those seeking to claim asylum.
Consequently, I will closely monitor the changes proposed by the UK Government and will respond to those proposals having considered them fully and discussed them with government colleagues. I will be publishing a new International Protection Bill to reform Ireland’s asylum system later this year and any necessary changes arising from the UK’s change of policy can be included in that Bill.
660. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration his position on signing up to the European Prosecutor's Office; to outline the work and steps being taken to sign up to this office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65803/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) was established in 2017 under the EU's enhanced cooperation measure to investigate and prosecute crimes against the financial interest of the European Union. These crimes are as set out in Directive (EU) 2017/1371 of the European Parliament and of the Council, on the fight against fraud to the Union’s financial interests by means of criminal law, otherwise known as the PIF Directive.
Ireland decided not to opt in to the EPPO Regulation at that time, given that it represented a departure from our common law model of investigation and prosecution. However, Ireland has transposed the PIF Directive and the full suite of measures to investigate and prosecute PIF offences are available to Irish authorities under our domestic structures.
The Government approved the drafting of the General Scheme of a Bill to allow Ireland to join the EPPO in October 2023. I hope to be in a position to publish the General Scheme in early 2026. In the meantime, co-operation with the EPPO as a non-participating Member State is operational and working well, and legislative changes required to facilitate Ireland’s cooperation with the EPPO are fully operational as of 1 November 2023.
This was effected by way of amendments to the Criminal Justice (Mutual Assistance) Act 2008, which enables Irish-EPPO cooperation, by creating a legal framework for EPPO to make requests for assistance directly to the State. Since then, there has been ongoing positive engagement with the EPPO in relation to the processing of mutual legal assistance requests.
The Central Authority for Mutual Assistance in my Department is the contact point for the European Public Prosecutor’s Office. All EPPO requests received are handled in accordance with the legislation and are prioritised. I can assure the Deputy that Irish officials enjoy a positive and collaborative working relationship with the EPPO, and it is intended that this will continue as the work on the legislative and operational aspects of Ireland’s future participation in the EPPO progresses. The Irish Government remains fully committed to protecting the Union’s financial interests and to providing every support possible to the EPPO, as it carries out its very important work.
661. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if there are any plans to extend existing test-purchase powers under section 14 of the Intoxicating Liquor Act 2008 to include situations where alcohol has been purchased online and delivered to a home address; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65808/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraSection 37C of the Intoxicating Liquor Act 1988, as inserted by section 14 of the Intoxicating Liquor Act 2008, provides for test purchasing powers for An Garda Síochána relating to licensed premises.
The Programme for Government commits to updating our licensing laws, and in line with this commitment, consideration will be given to legislation in respect of the sale of alcohol, including the question of purchasing powers as regards the remote sale of alcohol, subject to legal advice and analysis of the issue.
662. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether information is shared between different public agencies; and if the same information is shared with private bodies. [65809/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy's question has been interpreted as relating to the sharing of personal data - in the course of carrying out its functions, the Department is engaged every day in correspondence that does not include personal data with Government Departments, public service bodies, private sector interests, civil society organisations, academia, and members of the public.
As the Deputy will be aware, my Department has a very wide range of functions, and data may be legally shared with various public bodies for operational reasons.
For example, a number of areas within my Department's Immigration function must work closely with other bodies including the Garda National Immigration Bureau and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Sharing personal data is essential to fulfil their respective responsibilities and functions and provide services to applicants.
Sharing of personal data may also take place in response to a valid lawful request from another public body or in accordance with existing legislative obligations. For example, my Department may share personal data with a competent authority under the EU Law Enforcement Directive for the purposes of the prevention, detection, or prosecution of criminal offences, including safeguarding against and preventing threats to security or the execution of criminal penalties.
Regular and/or ad-hoc sharing of personal data under the GDPR may also occur with various entities, including but not limited to the Chief State Solicitors Office, Tusla, the International Protection Appeals Tribunal, Revenue, and the Department of Social Protection.
It is important to note that personal data is only shared by my Department at an individual level where there is a legitimate reason to do so, a valid lawful basis, and in strict accordance with the GDPR principles.
A range of joint controller agreements, controller processor agreements, and Data Sharing Agreements are in place across my Department and its agencies. Further, data governance is a standard item on the reports my Department receives quarterly from its agencies.
Finally, my Department is currently developing a programme of work with relevant agencies under its aegis to deliver improved interoperability and efficiency and provide timely data for analytics - the Criminal Justice Operational Hub (CJOH). This programme supports a growing series of data exchanges between agencies across the criminal justice system, providing a secure area to exchange information. Data privacy, minimisation and security are key design principles of the programme which is underpinned by detailed Data Sharing Agreements and Data Protection processes to ensure appropriate data privacy is maintained. To date, secure data exchanges have been implemented between the Courts Service, An Garda Síochána, the Probation Service and the Irish Prison Service.
663. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of fixed charge notices (FCNs) issued to non-Irish EU licence holders for road traffic offences each year from 2022 to date; the number of FCNs that were paid; the number unpaid within the time limit; the number summoned to court; the number convicted, and the penalties imposed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65813/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised by the Garda authorities that the data they record in respect of licence holders is limited to indicating if a license is a foreign licence or not. There is no field that details the country of origin of the licence and as such they cannot provide detail on “non-Irish EU licence holders”.
The collation of data on convictions and penalties is a function of the courts. I have sought information from the Courts Service and have been advised that the Courts Service cannot provide any report or information that is specific to “non-Irish EU licence holders” as their case management system cannot identify cases involving 'non-Irish EU licence holders'.
Management of the courts, operational matters and logistical functions are the responsibility of the judiciary and Courts Service, which are independent in exercising their functions under the Courts Service Act 1998 and the Constitution.
The Courts Service has a dedicated email address for the provision of information to members of the Houses of the Oireachtas: oireachtasenquiries@courts.ie.
664. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether his Department has any plans for IPAS accommodation at a location (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65863/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra665. Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration for details of any agreements or contractual arrangements entered into with a developer in relation to a proposed housing development (detail supplied), specifically regarding its potential use as temporary accommodation for international protection applicants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65864/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 664 and 665 together.
The Department has not received an offer of accommodation at this location, and is not currently examining this property for use for international protection accommodation.
666. Deputy Robert O'Donoghue asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to clarify the situation of international protection applicants from Afghanistan that have their applications refused and are advised to voluntarily return, given the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan; to elaborate on the circumstances whereby Ireland is both operating a humanitarian admission programme and not enforcing returns to the country; to explain the circumstances where many Afghan nationals with negative decisions will face becoming "non-returnable migrants", with all the attendant negative consequences; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65869/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraIt is a central priority for me that Ireland’s immigration system is robust and rules based. The enforcement aspects of our laws, including deportation orders, are an essential requirement for the system to work effectively and to ensure that there is confidence in the application of our legislation in this area.
Where a person applies for international protection in the State, there are a number of assessments of the person’s application; where an applications is assessed as being unfounded, the Minister is under an obligation to issue a Deportation Order.
It is important to note that in many cases where a Deportation Order has been signed in respect of an Afghan national, these are cases where the person has not co-operated with the International Protection process; including not cooperating in the determination of their identity and nationality. In many such cases non-cooperation may involve the person not attending for their interview or failing to make representations why they and their family should be granted permission to remain in Ireland, therefore leaving no option but for a Deportation Order to issue.
Deportations are costly and complex to enforce. It is the preferred option to return people voluntarily and my Department has, for many years, operated a voluntary return programme to assist people to return prior to the issuance of a deportation order. It is important to note that a person can only avail of voluntary return before a deportation order is issued. Part of the voluntary return process is the offer of reintegration assistance – this is a grant that helps people get back on their feet when they return home.
In 2024, 934 people left Ireland by way of voluntary return. This year 1,426 people have left up to 21 November 2025, which is an increase of 90% compared to the same period in 2024.
Voluntary return is offered to everyone in the International Protection process and people are not excluded on grounds of nationality. However, I can assure the Deputy there are safeguards in place for vulnerable people and requests for return can be refused if it would be unsafe for the person to return. My Department assesses each application individually based on their eligibility for the programme.
667. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he has initiated an immediate review of the Legal Aid Board’s capacity to administer the current civil legal aid scheme, as recommended by the Review of Civil Legal Aid; when he expects this review to be completed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65870/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Legal Aid Board is the statutory, independent body responsible for the provision of civil legal aid and advice to qualifying individuals. The civil legal aid scheme has two parts: a legal advice element and a legal representation element. Eligibility for the scheme is determined by reference to a financial assessment and the merits of the case being taken. The Scheme covers a range of legal issues, including family law, childcare, and other civil matters. In addition, while legal representation is not available for certain matters relating to employment and housing, legal advice can be provided, subject to eligibility criteria being met.
In June 2022, a Civil Legal Aid Review Group under the chairmanship of former Chief Justice Frank Clarke, SC, was established to review the current operation of the Civil Legal Aid Scheme. The outputs of the review were published in July 2025 and contained recommendations relating to the income threshold, allowances and other financial aspects of the Scheme. The Review also made recommendations extending the scheme to legal issues which are currently heard before tribunals. Any changes must be considered in the round and the potential implications that such changes might have on the operation of the Scheme as well as forms of legal support available through other fora, such as administrative tribunals and other services.
Having a civil legal aid scheme and a Legal Aid Board which is equipped to meet the changing needs of society is critical to ensuring access to justice, particularly for those who have very modest means. I was pleased to announce, as part of Budget 2026 measures for the justice sector, additional funding of €8 million for the Legal Aid Board. This increase of 12.5% in funding will support a programme of modernisation and increased access to justice for clients of the Board. The detailed application of this funding will now be the subject of further engagement between my Department and the Board.
The recommendations will also have to be considered with due regard to the findings from Ireland’s first legal needs survey, recently completed with the support of the European Commission and the OECD. This survey will provide invaluable insights into the extent of legal need in Ireland. While preliminary results of the survey have been released on gov.ie, further analysis will be required before the full results are published.
I have asked my officials to examine the recommendations, particularly in light of these developments. I will revert to Government in due course with proposals to reform the Scheme.
668. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of new Garda recruits that were allocated to each station within Kildare-Wicklow Division following the Garda graduation on 14 November 2025, in tabular form. [65883/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe allocation of newly attested Gardaí is an operational matter to be determined by the Commissioner. Newly attested Gardaí are allocated to specially designated training stations which have the required training and development structures and resources in place, including trained Garda tutors and access to a permanently appointed supervisory Sergeant who is thoroughly familiar with their responsibilities under the training programme.
I have been informed by the Garda authorities that in the latest attestation of 11 November 2025 there were 16 probationer Gardaí allocated to the Kildare/Carlow Division and four probationer Gardaí allocated to the Wexford/Wicklow Division.
In the interest of transparency, An Garda Síochána publishes information in relation to the allocation of Garda members nationally, including a breakdown of Garda divisions and stations nationwide. This can be found at the following link:
https://www.garda.ie/en/about-us/our-departments/human-resources-and-people-development/garda-hr-directorate/garda-strength-breakdown-2025/
The Deputy should select the most recently available date and then select the file titled ‘Allocation of Probationer Garda by Division and Station 2015 to the most recent date".
669. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of Gardaí within Kildare-Wicklow Division who have successfully completed the mountain bike course in 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form. [65884/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have contacted An Garda Síochána for the information requested by the Deputy, regrettably this information was not available in time. I will write to the Deputy once the information is to hand.
670. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the reason the citizenship application system is structured in such a way (details supplied); and if improvements can be made to ensure greater fairness and that applicants are not repeatedly placed at the back of the queue due to administrative delays outside their control. [65886/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs part of my Department’s continued commitment to improving its services, an online citizenship application portal was made available in October 2023. This has made the application process easier for applicants, allowing them to easily fill in relevant forms and submit their application online.
These improvements, along with the introduction of online payments and eVetting, are having a positive impact on naturalisation processing times. The length of time taken to process an application has dropped from 15 months in 2023, to 8 months in 2024.
In just over two years, the Citizenship Division of my Department has gone from processing around 12,000 applications a year, to processing over 20,000 applications in 2023, and made more than 31,000 decisions in 2024.
In cases where incomplete naturalisation applications are received, the application is returned to the applicant with a request to provide the missing documentation within 28 days. A reminder is issued after 18 days if the required documentation has still not been provided.
Where an application is returned, it is taken out of the queue for processing. The citizenship application portal does not distinguish whether an application that is submitted is a new application, or a resubmitted one. Therefore, when an application is returned to an applicant and subsequently resubmitted, it will rejoin the queue on the date that it is resubmitted, not the date of the original application.
If the requested documents are not supplied within the timeframe provided, the application will be deemed ineligible and closed. Applicants are advised that it is their responsibility to ensure that all the required documents are submitted as part of their naturalisation application.
Citizenship Division have produced a guidance document for all potential applicants which outlines which documents are required for the application. This document is published on my Department's Irish Immigration website and is available here: https://www.irishimmigration.ie/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Citizenship-Guidance-Document-April-2024.pdf
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.
671. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration his views on whether existing laws are adequate to deal with cases of coercive control; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65901/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra672. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if his attention has been drawn to the research carried out by a doctor (details supplied) into coercive control; if this is under consideration within his Department with a view to strengthening existing legislation in this area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65902/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra673. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration his views on whether the in-camera rule related to cases of coercive control acts as a block to allowing scrutiny of any potential failings in the support system for victims; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65903/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 671 to 673, inclusive, together.
Combatting all forms of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, and ensuring that victims and survivors are fully supported, remain absolute priorities for this Government.
These commitments underpin the Third National Strategy on DSGBV and a key element of achieving the Strategy’s aims is through robust legislation.
The offence of coercive control, provided for under section 39 of the Domestic Violence Act 2018, recognises and criminalises patterns of psychological and emotional abuse within intimate relationships. A person convicted of this offence is liable to receive a fine or face imprisonment for up to five years.
This Department keeps the operation of this, and all criminal legislation, under constant review to ensure that it is achieving its intended purpose, and draws on developments in research and international practice to do so.
The in-camera rule in family law proceedings, including where applicants seek safety, protection or barring orders under domestic violence legislation, exists to protect the privacy and safety of victims, survivors, and their families.
This Department published a research report entitled 'The Operation of the In Camera Rule in Family Law Proceedings' in May of this year.
The report contains 21 recommendations in total, including:
- the need to retitle the rule to ensure it is understood by all family court users;
- that it is clearly and consistently defined; and
- that its operation does not impede parties accessing support outside Court.
The report also contains a number of recommendations to promote greater transparency, including that there should be a presumptive right for all journalists and other authorised members of the media who are members of the Irish Press Council and subscribe to its ethics and standards and/or those of Coimisiún na Meán to attend family law proceedings.
I have asked my officials to now consider this report and revert with policy proposals for my consideration.
The broader issue of anonymity and in-camera proceedings was also considered in the O’Malley Review. While that review focused on sexual offences, many of the principles, such as preventing the re-traumatisation of victims and avoiding inadvertent identification, apply similarly to coercive control cases.
