Willie O'Dea
Ceist:80. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of Garda recruits that have entered Templemore in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68340/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAn Garda Síochána
Ceisteanna (80)
Freagraí ó Béal (6 píosaí cainte)
Last year more than 11,000 people applied to join An Garda Síochána. It was a very successful recruitment campaign. At this point, how many of those people have come through Garda training? What is the capacity of the centre to train and put gardaí on the street?
I thank the Deputy for his question. One of the great privileges of being Minister for justice is to attend passing out ceremonies in Templemore. I have been to four already this year. They are wonderful occasions for the new Garda recruits and their families. One thing that stands out for me is that the numbers are increasing each time I go to each passing out. At the recent one I was at with the Taoiseach, 194 new Garda recruits passed out.
On the Deputy's question, overall 794 trainees entered the Garda College this year. This is the highest number since 2018. Recruitment into the Garda is gathering momentum. I was delighted to see not only the 194 new recruits coming out but also 223 enter Templemore the following Monday. That is the largest single intake in over a decade. This was the second intake of 200 or more this year. If I can get 200 or more new recruits going into Templemore for each training period, that will have a huge impact on the numbers coming out. We can see the advantage when large numbers come out of Templemore.
The Commissioner decides where new recruits go but in Dublin we have been able to see increased Garda visibility in the city centre. In Cork we have been able to see increased Garda visibility in the city. The Commissioner shares my view we want to see that visibility and that Garda presence apparent throughout the whole country and not just in our cities, towns and villages, but we also need a mechanism to make gardaí more visible in rural areas. That is what the public want. They want to see more of An Garda Síochána. It is a great credit to the organisation so many members of the public want to see members in their community, but the only way we are going to be able to continue doing that is by encouraging people to join. I am pleased the recruitment campaigns this year have resulted in expressions of interest from over 11,000 people.
I thank the Minister. Over 11,000 is a huge number and a very strong statement of interest and of the appetitive for joining the Garda. It is a very positive sign. That recruitment has reached out to various communities. What particular efforts have been made to reach different groupings for recruitment? What is the capacity to bring people through the training centre? Some 794 entered last year. That is a very big number and possibly the largest in some time, but how many at a time are coming through there? How soon does the Minister expect to have to undertake further recruitment?
I am being told by the Garda it could put 1,000 people a year through Templemore, which is an extremely encouraging number. It can take up to 225, perhaps more, in each intake. When an intake is approaching, a huge amount of effort is put in by Garda HR to try to process applications faster. I am pleased there is a very efficient processing within An Garda Síochána now. Previously I had heard complaint about people having to wait a considerable time to get a response but now we are emphasising the urgency of this valuable human resource.
On looking to recruit people from various backgrounds, it is essential the police force reflects the society it serves. That means we need to go to the new Irish communities, people who may not have born here or whose parents may not have been, and encourage them to become part of the Irish police force. It is a fantastic attribute that we have attracted so many people from diverse backgrounds into An Garda Síochána. I hope to see that continue.
Leis an dá shruth gur tháinig isteach anuraidh, bhí 245 duine a tháinig tríd an sruth Gaeilge i mí Feabhra agus 128 tríd an sruth Gaeilge san fhómhar. Is léir go bhfuil laghdú ann i líon na ndaoine atá ag teacht tríd an sruth Gaeilge. Cad iad na hiarrachtaí faoi leith atá á ndéanamh chun Gaeilgeoirí a mhealladh isteach tríd an sruth Gaeilge agus chun neartú a dhéanamh ar an líon Gaeilgeoirí laistigh den chóras? Tá a fhios agam go bhfuil iarrachtaí faoi leith á ndéanamh le fógraíocht, ach an bhfuil aon rud breise á dhéanamh? An féidir céimeanna breise a thógáil do na chéad sruthanna nó ghrúpaí eile a bheidh á bhfógairt?
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as an gceist. Tá an ceart aige. Tá a lán Gaeilgeoirí sa Gharda Síochána. Beidh mé ag dul go dtí Dún na nGall inniu agus beidh mé ann amárach. Níl aon dabht ach go mbeidh mé ag labhairt Gaeilge leis na gardaí i dTír Chonaill. Tá scéim sa Gharda Síochána. Táimid ag lorg Gaeilgeoirí. Chuaigh mé go dtí Contae na Mí cúpla seachtain ó shin agus bhí mé ag labhairt Gaeilge le go leor gardaí. Tháinig siad isteach sa Gharda Síochána tríd an scéim Ghaeilge. Tá súil agam go mbeidh níos mó gardaí le Gaeilge ag teacht isteach sa Gharda Síochána. Tá sé ceart gardaí atá ábalta Gaeilge a labhairt a fháil mar tá a lán daoine inár dtír ag labhairt Gaeilge. Níl a fhios agam cén fáth nach mbeidís siad ábalta labhairt Gaeilge leis na póilíní freisin.
Question No. 81 taken with Written Answers.
Naturalisation Applications
Ceisteanna (82)
Noel McCarthy
Ceist:82. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of naturalisation applications received, rejected, and approved from 2021 to 2024 inclusive, and to date in 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68265/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí ó Béal (6 píosaí cainte)
I thank the Minister, Ministers of State and their staff for their work so far and their responses.
I thank the Deputy for his question and his remarks. Earlier this week I was delighted to attend the citizenship ceremonies held in Killarney along with the Ministers of State, Deputies Collins and Buttimer. It is a wonderful ceremony to go to. We had 5,200 new Irish citizens there.
Last year the number of naturalisation applications received by the Department was 27,032. Separately, the number of people who received a letter of approval was 29,868 and 187 were refused. Despite the substantial increase in applications received in recent years, the fact processing times have significantly reduced is a huge credit to the work of the Department and the staff in that particular area. The median processing time for a decision on an application in 2024 was eight months. This is a significant improvement from the median processing time of 15 months in 2023, 19 in 2022 and 24 in 2021. The 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, more than 31,000 decisions in 2024 and over 32,500 to end October 2025.
I assure everyone who has an application for naturalisation submitted to the citizenship division that the Department is doing everything to progress it. However, it is important to note that no two naturalisation applications are the same and some take longer than others to process. It is important the citizenship process be robust and comprehensive. Checks are carried out on each application. Unfortunately some of the international checks can take considerable time and this is largely outside of the control of the Department. I am sure the Deputy receives, as I and many others in this House do, receive representations on that. For that reason, while I expect going forward more applicants will receive a decision within one year, it cannot be guaranteed.
I thank the Minister of State for his response. I again thank his departmental staff. He mentioned Killarney last week and I know people who were there. Friends of mine got their citizenship and were very proud to do so. Again, I ask him pass on my thanks to all the staff.
It is important the Department continues to plan ahead as application numbers change. In that context, does he foresee an increase in naturalisation applications next year? Has the Department put in place the necessary planning to avoid any risk of new backlogs?
The Department is always planning ahead and looking at that. We have put, as I said, additional resources in place. I do not believe additional backlogs will come in. Every effort is made. As I know people will listen to this, I reiterate that no two applications are the same. Some individual applications that come in take considerably longer, particularly in relation to checks that have to be done by An Garda Síochána, which are outside our direct control in terms of reply lines. That leads to a frustration where people ask why their application is taking X amount of time compared with those from others.
As a general rule, the Department is working towards a processing time of within 12 months for applications coming in.
I thank the Minister of State for his detailed response. With the ongoing modernisation of the immigration system, many applicants are keen to see how these changes are working. Will the Minister of State update the House on how the recent digitalisation measures have affected processing times so far, and whether further reforms or improvements are planned for 2026?
As I indicated in my initial response, we have seen very significant reductions in processing times. The objective is to try to provide that service within as tight a 12-month timeframe as we can. We will continue to do that. As I mentioned, there will always be individual cases where that is not the case. In the context of a significant increase in the number making applications in recent years, we have seen the processing time decrease in the handling of that increased volume. I would like to put on record that this is a result of the excellent work being done by the staff in that area in the Department. They are based in Tipperary and do an excellent job in processing these applications.
Questions Nos. 83 to 85, inclusive, taken with Written Answers.
An Garda Síochána
Ceisteanna (86)
Eamon Scanlon
Ceist:86. Deputy Eamon Scanlon asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the actions he is taking in response to increased incidents and thefts in the north west; the way in which his Department is supporting An Garda Síochána, who do excellent work locally, in providing increased visibility and resources to respond to these incidents; his views on whether the Sligo-Leitrim division is not receiving enough gardaí, given no new gardaí have been allocated to the division from the latest round of training in Templemore; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68267/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí ó Béal (5 píosaí cainte)
I can assure the Deputy that An Garda Síochána is fully committed to tackling all forms of crime and theft everywhere in the country. The Government's first priority is to increase Garda numbers and Garda visibility so all of our communities, rural and urban, can feel safe and be safe. This is reflected in the record allocation of €2.59 billion in the Garda Vote for 2026, which will support investment in equipment and technology and, importantly, the continued recruitment of Garda personnel.
I must be clear, though, that it is the Garda Commissioner who decides where to deploy Garda personnel. Neither the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, nor I, nor, indeed, any official from the Department, can direct the Commissioner on where gardaí are to be stationed. I am pleased to confirm, however, that recruitment to An Garda Síochána is gathering real momentum, and we now have a steady pipeline of new recruits entering the Garda College. Some 194 new gardaí attested from Templemore in mid-November, taking the total this year to 619, the largest number of new gardaí in a single year since 2018. A total of 794 new recruits entered the college this year. We can look forward to seeing those probationer gardaí assigned throughout the country in 2026 as they pass out of Templemore.
It must also be noted that the allocation of newly attested gardaí allows for currently serving gardaí to move on transfer to other divisions across the country and into specialist units. In this regard, I understand that a number of gardaí have been transferred into the Sligo-Leitrim division during the course of 2025.
With regard to theft, the Government takes this issue extremely seriously. Thanks to the effective work of An Garda Síochána, almost all property crime types have seen decreases at a nationwide level. In the Sligo-Leitrim division, there has been a 50% reduction in reported burglaries in the year to date. In addition, thefts and related offences, thefts from shops and vehicle thefts are also down by 26%, 29% and 39%, respectively, in the first half of this year when compared to the same period last year.
Earlier this year, Sligo Garda station was identified as one of several stations that experienced crime rates above pre-pandemic levels in 2024, with theft accounting for nearly one third of all incidents. It is imperative that we shine a spotlight on rural crime and the emerging trends in the north-west. In Donegal and Sligo, there has been a marked rise in theft and arson, leaving communities anxious and unsettled. County Leitrim has witnessed an increase in burglaries. Only last Friday, a property was broken into in broad daylight at 1 p.m., which is a stark reminder of the growing boldness of criminal activity.
The Minister of State said 194 gardaí and 17 reserves were sworn in last month, but none of those were assigned to the Sligo-Leitrim Garda division. It is a continuing pattern. More gardaí should be assigned to that area, when we consider the crime statistics.
It was encouraging to see that the CSO crime statistics, released last week, show that detection rates for crime incidents reported in 2024 were equal to or above those in 2023 for nine of the 14 crime offence groups.
The Department is currently progressing work to develop a retail crime strategy to tackle the complex and evolving nature of retail crime, which the Deputy mentioned. We are all too conscious that this is not just about organised retail crime, and that there is a large amount of lower level, everyday shoplifting, which has just as serious an impact on smaller retailers and their staff. The retail crime strategy will build on existing initiatives to tackle this criminality, integrating the latest national and international evidence-informed approaches for enforcement and prevention strategies, in addition to supports for retail workers.
In September, at the National Ploughing Championships, the Department published the rural safety plan for the period from 2025 to 2027. 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 local communities.
While I have the opportunity, I wish to extend an invitation to the Garda Commissioner, Justin Kelly, to visit Sligo Garda station to witness first-hand the current working conditions, and to address the ongoing staffing shortages.
The proposed Garda division headquarters at Caltragh has faced repeated delays, stemming from earlier plans to merge the Sligo-Leitrim division with Donegal. The existing station at Pearse Road is not fit for the future needs of An Garda Síochána in the region.
The OPW has confirmed refurbishment works for a vacant State-owned building adjacent to the current station in Tubbercurry. We urgently need clarification on when this building will be occupied. It is a matter of critical importance for both community safety and public confidence. The existing station, dating back to the 1960s, is wholly unfit for purpose. Tubbercurry Garda station is the third busiest station in the Sligo-Leitrim division. It requires facilities that meet the demands of a modern, functioning Garda station, yet the current building falls far short of that. There is a State-owned building. I know plans are afoot to move the Garda station into the newly refurbished building. When can that go to planning, if it needs planning? When will the new station be opened?
The Department has been informed by the Garda authorities that works are planned for Sligo Garda station in the immediate term. These works will support a scene of crime task force relocation. The project is at the tender evaluation stage. In accordance with the requirements of the infrastructure guidelines, a preliminary business case for a new Garda divisional headquarters in Sligo is also being undertaken by An Garda Síochána. Once complete, the preliminary business case will be issued by An Garda Síochána to the Department for review and approval. Following approval of that preliminary business case, An Garda Síochána will then advise the Office of Public Works regarding the prioritisation of the programme. We will convey the Deputy's invitation to visit the region to the Garda Commissioner, and the Deputy will be duly informed.
International Protection
Ceisteanna (87)
Edward Timmins
Ceist:87. Deputy Edward Timmins asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if there is a strategy to spread the location of IPAS accommodation and avoid having large clusters in one area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66709/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí ó Béal (6 píosaí cainte)
It is important that in all our discussions here, we choose our language carefully. We must not say anything that might inflame situations or give encouragement to any extreme positions. We must stick to the facts at all times. Let us remember that we are talking about fellow human beings.
I ask if there is a strategy to spread the location of IPAS accommodation and avoid having large clusters in one area.
I appreciate the comments in relation to the language and tone that must be used at all times in having conversations around this issue. It is very important, and important in this House.
During the period from 2022 to 2024, over 45,000 additional international protection applicants arrived in Ireland. Prior to this, a typical three-year period would have seen between 8,000 and 9,000 arrivals. IPAS was accommodating approximately 7,000 people in total at the end of 2021. By the end of 2024, that figure had risen to 32,000.
During that surge, the State was obliged to urgently source over 26,000 beds for international protection applicants, and in parallel, up to 60,000 beds for people fleeing the war in Ukraine. Centres were opened across the country, often at short notice, in order to ensure that people were provided with shelter. Given the emergency, the State was not in a position to implement any deliberate policies in relation to dispersal or distribution of accommodation centres during this period. However, I note that the 318 IPAS accommodation centres currently in operation are distributed and operational in every county across Ireland.
Due to the reduction in the numbers seeking international protection in 2025, my Department has been able to progress a range of very significant actions; to work to improve oversight, particularly of value for money; and to increase the proportion of State-owned beds across the system. The new rate card that has been implemented for contracts has delivered savings of over €59 million since May of this year. While commissioning emergency commercial accommodation will continue to be necessary in the short to medium term, it is being contracted on a short-term basis, which enables the State to decommission this capacity with agility as contracts expire or to meet fluctuating demand.
Ireland has adopted and is now working to implement the EU pact on migration. Reforming and speeding up the processing of applications should serve over time to reduce the scale of the demand for international protection accommodation, as we have seen starting in recent years.
I thank the Minister of State for that information. I understand the massive pressures that commenced three or four years ago. The most important thing is that we have open and frank discussions. By having open discussions, we lessen the possibility of false information and extreme positions taking hold. Two years ago, I stated publicly that we should have an open discussion on immigration. Only now is this beginning. We need to discuss this openly and not brush it under the carpet. We have nothing to hide. As a nation, we have been very generous. It is important that centres are not all located in one area or that small towns and villages do not have very high numbers. In my own county of Wicklow, the majority of IPAS centres, and of the numbers of applicants, are located in one municipal district. That district is west Wicklow. This district is also the most poorly served by public transport and services. This was not well planned. We need now to develop long-term strategies for IPAS locations.
I assure the Deputy, as I did in my initial reply, that this is what we are doing. We fully recognise that we went through a period where we had an effective emergency. We had a massive surge in numbers and we had to respond to those on a humanitarian basis and to provide emergency accommodation as necessary. The operation that the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, and I have been working on, literally day and night since we came into office, is to ensure we put in place an IPAS system that is fit for purpose, delivers value for money for the taxpayer, is based on moving towards State ownership of facilities rather than commercial contracting, and takes into account impacts on communities and local people. We also want to meet our key central requirement, which is to provide the accommodation that is needed, as we are obliged to do under our international obligations. In the context of doing all of that and in the context of renewing the contracts as they fall due, we are very much aware of the need to have an even spread, to look at how impacted communities are by location and to take that into account in all future decisions we make. Overall, the way of dealing with this is to bring down the numbers, which will bring down the need for the centres.
I fully appreciate the great work the Minister of State is doing. I commend him and the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, on the steps taken. They are very much facing up to the reality because to date in this country the political classes have been out of sync with the views of ordinary decent Irish people. We need to be transparent in how we are dealing with the housing of people who are exiting the IPAS system. Our councils need to inform the councillors of any relevant policies that impact housing allocations. Also, in regard to expenditure, and I understand the Minister of State is dealing with this, I urge the Minister to work to renegotiate all contracts with a view to lowering the cost. Regular counts should be done to establish the numbers in each centre so we are not paying for people who are not living there. One of the cornerstones of any system is that all citizens of the State who are working are treated equally. In the case of IPAS residents who are working and earning a wage, there must be a contribution to accommodation costs. Rent should be calculated along the lines of the letting priority scheme and local authority rents.
There is very little of that I would disagree with. To be absolutely clear, the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, and I have announced a contribution model which we will implement. We believe absolutely in a system based on fairness, which means that people who are working and bring provided with accommodation through the IPAS system should make a contribution to the cost of that provision. On the actual cost of providing the IPAS system, as I mentioned we have implemented a new rate card as part of contract renegotiations. As each contract comes forward for renegotiation, the new rate card kicks in. That is delivering savings to the State on providing IPAS accommodation of million and millions of euro. The real long-term saving to the State is the switch, which we have also implemented, to State-owned facilities. As the cost of a State-owned facility is a fraction of that of a commercial facility, that is the way we want to move. We are also cognisant that once people have moved through IPAS and have been granted permission to remain in this country, they should move out of IPAS centres and move into their own accommodation.
Question No. 88 taken with Written Answers.
An Garda Síochána
Ceisteanna (89)
Michael Cahill
Ceist:89. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the measures in place to ensure timely Garda statements and preservation of evidence where a victim is incapacitated; the measures in place in Garda stations to ensure suspected spiking incidents are treated as crimes, investigated promptly, and supported by appropriate policing protocols; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68475/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí ó Béal (6 píosaí cainte)
I ask the Minister to outline the measures in place to ensure timely Garda statements and preservation of evidence in suspected spiking incidents where a victim is incapacitated. What measures are in place in Garda stations to ensure suspected spiking incidents are treated as crimes and investigated promptly? Are these measures supported by appropriate policing protocols? Will the Minister make a statement on the matter?
I thank Deputy Cahill for his very important question. As he will be aware, spiking is a crime that preys on vulnerability, undermines consent and can have devastating consequences for victims. I want him to know that as Minister, I am committed to the Government's zero-tolerance approach when it comes to all forms of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. Regrettably, it is the case that spiking incidents are generally accompanied by sexual offences as well.
The programme for Government includes a commitment to introduce stronger laws to combat the spiking of drinks. Spiking a person’s drink or spiking someone by injection, which can happen as well, are, in effect, poisoning and are criminal offences under the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997 that can result in a term of imprisonment. Depending on the nature of the substance that is administered, it may be possible to charge a perpetrator with endangerment under section 13 of the Non-Fatal Offences against the Person Act 1997, which provides that it is an offence to intentionally or recklessly engage in conduct which creates a substantial risk of death or serious harm to another. The offence of endangerment carries a maximum penalty of seven years' imprisonment.
I know that An Garda Síochána takes all reports of spiking seriously and thoroughly investigates such reports to determine the exact nature of each incident, including results of toxicology reports in each case. I know Deputy Cahill will join me in advising all victims of these incidents or any form of spiking to come forward and report them to the local Garda. On the measures in place to ensure timely Garda statements and preservation of evidence where a victim is incapacitated, I am informed that on receipt of a report of any crime, gardaí are duty bound to gather and seize evidence at a crime scene. It is also extremely important that we procure the evidence promptly. If somebody believes they have been spiked, it is important for them to report it to the Garda in order that a toxicology report can be obtained to ensure the crime can be prosecuted.
I thank the Minister for his detailed response and I welcome everything he said. I believe the numbers involved are increasing. I am basing that on reports coming to my constituency office, and telephone calls and meetings I am having with young women and, on occasion, young ladies with their mums.
Sadly, the Minister is correct in saying that many of these suspected spiking incidents involved rape. I believe we need to protect our women. We need to do everything humanly possible. Of course, it is difficult to prove, in that the person may have one or two drinks as well. Can the Minister outline in more detail the protocols that are in place for a patient who presents at the accident and emergency department and reports suspected drink spiking and the reason hospitals do not carry out intoxication testing in these cases, especially when requested by patients and families?
I agree with the Deputy. This is an extremely serious offence. It is an offence that is targeted predominately against women so that other serious sexual offences can be perpetrated against them. Gardaí inform me that incidents of spiking are more commonly reported alongside other primary offences.
I also regret to say that it appears that the number of incidents of spiking is significant. I am informed by the Garda that of the 60 reported incidents in 2024, 28 were drink spiking, a needle was used in ten and the method was unknown in 22. There were fewer than ten prosecutions initiated relating to fewer than five of those incidents reported during the 2022 to 2024 period.
If you believe you are a victim, obviously report it to the Garda. Gardaí will refer you to the appropriate hospital if they do not have the facilities to take the toxicology test, which is the case in many instances. It is important there is co-operation from hospitals and I believe that co-operation is present.
I believe toxicology reporting and testing in these cases is critical and it should be carried out in all suspected cases. Will the Minister commit to establishing a clear national pathway across all hospitals and Garda stations to ensure suspected spiking incidents are treated and investigated promptly and supported, as I said, by appropriate clinical and policing protocols? I cannot emphasise strongly enough how serious this matter is. I genuinely fear that the number of such instances will increase. It is a sly way of people getting what they want. I would ask the Minister - he will be strong on this - to ensure that every measure is taken to ensure that the people who carry out these offences are prosecuted and treated extremely harshly by the courts.
I will raise with my colleague, the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, the protocols that are or could be put in place if someone presents at an emergency department who believes their drink may have been spiked or they may have been spiked. It is obviously important, if that occurred, for the purpose of the investigation that samples are taken so that proof can be provided that the spiking did, in fact, occur. It can be difficult for an individual, if it is left for a lengthy period of time, to prove that the spiking occurred when it did, and obviously the corresponding offence occurred when it did immediately after the spiking.
I was encouraged by the fact that my predecessor, the Minister, Deputy McEntee, launched an information campaign in December 2021 with the Union of Students in Ireland to raise awareness of the signs of drink spiking and to give guidance on how to help a potential victim. I think the Deputy will agree that this is a particular concern for young people, particularly students, when they are out socialising and having a good time. The Deputy is correct that it is a particularly egregious and nasty form of criminal act that seeks to make a person even more vulnerable than they may be on a particular occasion.
Domestic Violence
Ceisteanna (90)
Claire Kerrane
Ceist:90. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he will seek greater supports for counties where there are difficulties in acquiring domestic violence refuges; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [67257/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí ó Béal (6 píosaí cainte)
I raised with the Minister previously the situation in County Roscommon where they are having major difficulties in sourcing a building that meets the requirements to become a refuge. Will the Minister look at areas such as County Roscommon that, despite best efforts, are struggling to find such a building?
It is an essential part of the Government strategy in respect of responding to domestic violence that we have in place appropriate refuges and safe houses throughout the country.
Under the third national domestic, sexual and gender-based violence strategy, this Government has committed to doubling domestic violence safe accommodation capacity to 282 units by the end of next year. Cuan, the statutory body that has responsibility under my guidance for this, has been working to accelerate the delivery of safe accommodation across the country.
Following a request from me, Cuan worked with services and partners to assess and review progress and identify a series of actions to accelerate delivery and to bring safe accommodation on stream as quickly as possible to meet the needs of those fleeing violence.
On foot of this review, completed in spring 2025, the following will be delivered: 52 new family refuge units by the end of 2026; 45 new safe homes by the end of 2026; and 50 new units will be under construction by the end of 2026. Cuan has a total budget of nearly €67 million to respond to that.
In the Deputy's area, plans are under way to develop an eight-unit purpose-built refuge in County Roscommon. Cuan has established a local stakeholder group to lead and support the development of domestic violence accommodation. This group includes representation from Roscommon Safe Link, Roscommon County Council, Cuan and other important agencies. Site feasibility is being completed on a potential site. Safe home accommodation was developed in the county with two safe homes being operational in July 2025 and Roscommon Safe Link received additional funding from Cuan for the development and delivery of these safe homes.
I acknowledge Cuan, the agency, and the work it is doing and the efforts that are being made to increase capacity when it comes to refuge spaces and safe houses for those who are fleeing domestic violence or violence typically in their own home.
A number of sites had been identified by Roscommon Safe Link but, because of the criteria being so rigid, none of those sites was found to meet the criteria in place. We all hope that the site identified now will be the site. I would ask that in certain areas, such as County Roscommon which is rural, where the need is established and where genuine efforts have been made to find a site, that the criteria could be looked at with a little flexibility in engagement with both the safe link and the local authority because it has been a challenge in County Roscommon.
I thank Deputy Kerrane for her question. No doubt there will be an element of flexibility in respect of considering locations for refuges.
It is essential that we have refuges spread geographically throughout the country. What I want to see is not necessarily a refuge in every county, because in some counties you may need two because of the size of them, but locations that are close to where people are and are equidistant from each other so that where there are higher population levels people will know that there is a refuge available.
I have visited many refuges since I have become Minister. I visited a refuge last week and I was impressed with what was going on and the level of commitment there.
It is also important to point out, however, that we cannot have it as the automatic response that when there is domestic violence, the women has to leave the home. We need to look at barring orders as well. There will be an immediate requirement for emergency accommodation but the solution should be that the abuser leaves the home and the victim gets back into her home.
I hope we will see that development of a refuge in County Roscommon because, as I said, the need is there. I hope the site that has been identified will be successful.
The Minister is correct that in most of these cases, it is the woman who flees the home. That should not be the case. We should be looking at turning that around, where the abuser is the one who has to lose his home, typically, as the case may be. That is the way we should look at it. For the refuges we need, particularly in the west in counties like Roscommon and the county part of Galway, there is a need to ensure there is an adequate number of refuges, particularly in parts like the west, where there are many very rural areas. I thank the Minister. I hope we will be successful in the refuge for County Roscommon.
I should have pointed out that the refuge I visited on Monday was in Clonmel. I was extremely impressed by the service provided and the commitment of the staff. I was also at another event this week which is relevant to the discussion we are having about domestic violence. That was the launch of a report by an organised called Men Overcoming Violence, MOVE. We are never going to be really able to resolve or properly confront the scourge of domestic violence unless we engage with and try to give counselling and an avenue out of it for men involved in committing violence. MOVE produced a useful report and gave an insight into the motivating factors that led men to perpetrate violence against their intimate partners. In many instances, it was insecurities, fear of losing the partner and substance abuse. It can be difficult for State bodies or State-funded bodies to engage with perpetrators. It is extremely important that we continue to do that because we will not be able to confront this issue without doing so.
Housing Schemes
Ceisteanna (91)
Matt Carthy
Ceist:91. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration when he will introduce changes to the accommodation recognition scheme in the light of its impact on the private rental market and the fact that landlords are using this scheme to avoid tenancy obligations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68324/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí ó Béal (12 píosaí cainte)
The Minister and Department seem to have at last recognised that the accommodation recognition scheme paid in respect of Ukrainian accommodation has had and is having an impact on the private rental market and what I consider the undisputed fact that landlords are using the scheme to avoid tenancy obligations. Will the Minister outline when he intends to bring forward proposed changes to the accommodation recognition scheme?
As the Deputy will be aware, this year we changed the payment under the accommodation recognition payment, ARP, from €800 per month to €600 per month. I know there were concerns about that change as to what impact it would have on those individuals being accommodated. I am pleased to say it has not had, in our opinion, a significantly detrimental impact and has not led to very many people who were being accommodated pursuant to that payment losing their accommodation. The accommodation recognition payment was a useful measure. It was a goodwill payment to recognise the contribution of hosts who opened up their homes to temporary protection beneficiaries from Ukraine. Some 41,500 people are being accommodated in over 23,000 hosted accommodations supported by this scheme. The ARP is not intended to be a substitute for rent. Indeed, it is not payable where there is a rental agreement in place between the host and the guest. According to research from the Irish Red Cross, the vast majority of hosts who avail of the ARP were never and have no future plans to be landlords. I am aware of concerns about the impact of the scheme on the private rental market. Analysis carried out by the RTB for my colleague, the Minister for housing, suggests that some landlords could be diverting accommodation from the private rental sector to benefit from the ARP. It is difficult to reach definitive conclusions on the matter given wider issues impacting housing supply. I can, however, confirm that the Government agreed to a proposal brought jointly by the Minister for housing and me for the governing legislation to be amended to limit eligibility for the ARP to properties that are not rental properties. I think that will meet the Deputy's concerns. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that drafting of the necessary legislative amendments to give effect to the decision is well advanced. The proposal follows the measure implemented earlier this year where we reduced the ARP from €800 to €600.
I will agree with the Minister on one point - the accommodation recognition payment was a goodwill gesture for people who opened up their homes to Ukrainians fleeing war. It is very laudable and supported by everybody, I think, in this House. It was then extended and since then the impact of the ARP scheme on the rental market is seen in communities across the State. The Minister and the Government have refused to accept amendments Sinn Féin has brought forward that would limit the scheme to avoid the damage being done in the private rental sector. I welcome that there has been a belated acknowledgement by the Government that the scheme has impacted the private rental sector. We know landlords are availing of the scheme because they are incentivised to do so. Under the ARP, landlords get a tax-free payment. Crucially, and this is the reason we have not seen any distinction in the number since the reduced payment, they are able to avail of a top-up payment from their tenants without any regulation whatsoever. They are completely freed of any tenancy obligations that they would have for any other tenant.
Thank you, Deputy.
It was blatantly obvious this was going to have an impact on the private rental market, and it is blatantly obvious that it is having an impact on the private rental market.
Thank you, Deputy. Please conclude.
When will changes actually be brought forward, rather than just these cloudy timelines the Minister has been providing?
I disagree that it was blatantly obvious at the time it was introduced that it was going to have an impact on the private rental sector. We are not even sure at present that it is having an impact. There may be issues in respect of it. It is hard to definitively establish that. We are ensuring it will not be able to affect the private rental sector because we are going to limit eligibility for the ARP to properties that are not rental properties. That will ensure it will not have any distorting impact on the private rental sector. We also reduced the fee from €800 to €600 per month in respect of individuals giving goodwill accommodation. We also need to recognise, when you look at the number of people accommodated under the ARP - at present, it is about 41,500 - if it fell apart, if it was taken away and if there was no ARP, where would those people be accommodated? The Minister of State, Deputy Brophy, and I are trying to insist that if people with temporary protection are working, they have to pay for their own accommodation. There are people who will still need to be provided with State accommodation. This is probably the cheapest mechanism available at present.
Here we go again. The Minister finally announced that there would be a recognition of the potential impact on the rental market months ago and he is still talking about himself and the Minister for housing bringing something forward at some unspecified time. What is really infuriating for so many people is the Government has yet to recognise that this scheme is deeply unfair. It provides a non-means-tested housing support to one group of people in need of housing that is not available to others. There is a situation where one person might be in employment, on good wages and is able to access housing support through the ARP and somebody else who might be on a lower income is not able to avail of it. Landlords tell me this is the absolute best in terms of their conditions because they have no obligations to the tenant and they can get a tax-free payment and top-up payments. For most of the period this scheme has been in place, the Government has refused to accept Sinn Féin's concerns or take on board any of our amendments. Now, the Minister is saying he recognises there are problems and he will bring forward some changes but will not specify exactly what they are or tell us when they will actually be brought in. It is time for real clarity and honesty.
I do not recall Sinn Féin objecting to the ARP when the previous Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, introduced it at the time temporary protection was granted.
It was for hosts in their own homes at that stage.
It was a necessary measure for the purpose of providing accommodation to the large number of people from Ukraine who came here. The Deputy said the Minister of State, Deputy Brophy, and I have not done anything but we have. We reduced it from €800 to €600. I would have thought it is clearly the case we are gradually trying to introduce further measures in respect of it. We are bringing forward legislation to ensure it cannot be used in respect of rental properties so that the issues about which the Deputy and I are concerned will not apply. It is wrong to suggest it is having a completely distorting impact on the rental sector. It is predominantly used to accommodate people who have been granted temporary protection and individuals whom, if they are not accommodated pursuant to the ARP, the State will probably have to look at some other mechanism of accommodation.
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