Written Answers Nos. 759-778
760. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of incidents nationwide of Gardaí presenting to schools due to a weapon being found on a student, in each of the past five years. [6274/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI strongly condemn the use of knives and other weapons to threaten, intimidate or harm others. I am committed to ensuring that communities are safe and tackling knife crime is an important element of that.
Long term, evidence-based strategies are needed that address knife crime as part of a wider strategic response to anti-social behaviour, street violence, youth offending and domestic violence.
My Department is progressing targeted interventions through youth diversion projects that work directly with young offenders across the country, and, at a wider community level, through the roll out of Local Community Safety Partnerships in all Local Authority areas.
I am also assured that Gardaí will continue with their proactive measures to tackle this issue, including their assault reduction strategy, which is targeted at tackling all types of assaults in public, including use of knives and other weapons. This strategy is informed by a pro-arrest, early investigation, and proactive high-visibility approach.
The below table, provided by the Garda Síochána Analysis Service (GSAS) provides an annual count of reported incidents of Possession of a Weapon/Firearm where location type was ‘School Building’ or ‘School Grounds’ over the last 5 years:
|
Incident Type |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
|
Possession of Offensive Weapon/Firearm |
11 |
13 |
18 |
16 |
31 |
The Garda authorities have further advised there is no structured field available on PULSE to definitively identify that a person is a student and therefore the suspect offender cannot be identified specifically as a student.
761. Deputy Joanna Byrne asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to provide an update and publish the Inspection Reports of Direct Provision and EROC Centres in County Louth for 2025, (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6334/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAll 312 International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) accommodation centres are subject to routine inspections and compliance checks, either by Department officials, by Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA), or through IPAS-commissioned inspections. These inspections are fully transparent and published online regularly.
The European Communities (Reception Conditions) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 commenced in early 2024 and provide for HIQA to conduct inspections of certain accommodation centres contracted by the Department.
In addition to HIQA's inspections of permanent centres, IPAS carries out inspections of emergency accommodation centres. These centres are primarily those brought into operation during a significant surge in applications from 2022 to 2024.
Inspection reports for IPAS accommodation centres in County Louth for the first three quarters of 2025 have been published and are available on the following link: [Inspections of Direct Provision and EROC Centres in County Louth 2025]
The Department is currently finalising reports for Q4 2025, which cover two additional properties in the county. These will be published in due course.
In relation to the specific property mentioned, this facility operates as a ‘transit hub’ rather than a standard international protection accommodation centre. As such, it was not subject to the standard inspection schedule during 2025. However, an inspection of this facility is scheduled to take place in early 2026.
Reports of IPAS inspections are available online on gov.ie. at the following link:
HIQA inspection reports can be found on the HIQA website:
762. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration when the Community Safety Fund will open for applications for 2026; if there will be an increase in the funding allocated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6355/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Community Safety Fund re-directs the proceeds of crime, seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) and An Garda Síochána, back into communities in order to fund innovative local projects aimed at building stronger, safer communities.
Initially called the Community Safety Innovation Fund and launched in 2022, it has supported 127 community safety projects to date all across Ireland.
I expect to launch the 2026 fund in March, with a deadline for submission of completed applications in May. Details on how to apply will be made available on my Department's website.
The fund is managed by the National Office for Community Safety.
On 30 October 2025, I announced the allocation of €4.4 million from the fund to support 42 community safety projects nationwide. This represents a 33% increase on the €3 million awarded in 2024. I secured a further increase in funding to €4.75m for 2026.
763. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the timelines for the processing of a peace commissioner application for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6369/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraPeace Commissioners are appointed by the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, in accordance with section 88 of the Courts of Justice Act 1924. The appointment of a Peace Commissioner is entirely at the discretion of the Minister. The fact that an applicant or nominee may be suitable for appointment does not, in itself, provide any entitlement to appointment as a Peace Commissioner, other factors, such as the need for appointments in particular areas at a specific point in time, are taken into account.
While it would not be appropriate to comment on individual cases, I can confirm to the Deputy that this matter is currently under consideration and that my Department will be in contact with the individual concerned in the near future.
765. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the current maximum IPAS capacity; the maximum IPAS capacity in February 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6431/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra766. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the current IPAS occupancy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6432/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra767. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he plans to open more IPAS accommodation centres to accommodate all male applicants on arrival; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6433/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 765, 766 and 767 together.
The State is currently accommodating over 33,000 people in 312 International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) centres around the country. Over 9,500 of those residents are children living in IPAS accommodation with their family.
The Department manages a limited supply of accommodation, prioritising people with families or who have specific health needs or other vulnerabilities.
Entrances to and exits from the IPAS accommodation system are restricted due to pressure on suitable capacity for new arrivals, particularly single male applicants, and due to people who have completed their application process finding it hard to source accommodation outside the IPAS system.
At this time, IPAS cannot make offers of accommodation to all single male applicants on arrival, due to ongoing shortages of accommodation in this category.
While the demand for IPAS accommodation remains high, since last year, IPAS has been able to review the cases of people awaiting an offer of accommodation and make offers to those who have been waiting longest. This review has reduced the number of unaccommodated people from over 3,500 in March 2025, to 453 today. IPAS will continue to review these cases and make offers, depending on available accommodation options.
Since 2025, the IPAS system is working toward a goal of having 15% of beds available at any given time. This is a European Union good practice measure, to ensure efficient operations and allow for the daily and weekly movement of new and existing residents, and forward planning. This model is similar to accommodation models in other countries, and in sectors like healthcare and hospitality, where accommodation requires daily management.
At the moment, IPAS is not meeting this goal, with only 9% of beds available for use. A breakdown of this available capacity by types of accommodation is provided below. IPAS will continue working towards the goal of 15% available capacity over the coming year.
|
Available capacity |
36,128 |
|
Residents |
32,648 |
|
Single male beds available |
600 |
|
Mixed accommodation beds available |
2,430 |
|
Family only beds available |
450 |
|
Total available beds (24/10/25) |
3,480 |
The type of accommodation capacity which is most limited is accommodation for single male applicants, which is limited to approximately 600 available beds. Beds for single males are prioritised for those who are most vulnerable on arrival, or for applicants who are rough-sleeping and referred to IPAS from dedicated outreach, carried out 7 days a week.
Ireland has adopted and is now working to implement the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum in mid-2026. Reforming and speeding up processing of applications should serve over time to reduce the scale of the demand for international protection accommodation, as was seen in recent years.
Developing more State-owned options will allow us to move away from the current degree of reliance on commercial provision. 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 will enable the State to decommission this capacity with agility as contracts expire or demand fluctuates.
IPAS publishes weekly statistics in relation to international protection applicants accommodated by IPAS. This includes statistics on the number of IPAS residents currently and in preceding years.
These statistics are located on the Gov.ie website: [(www.gov.ie/en/international-protection-accommodation-services-ipas/publications/facts-and-figures/]).
768. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the total number of domestic violence refuge spaces in each county; and the current number of available spaces in each county, in tabular form. [6481/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraCombatting all forms of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (DSGBV) and ensuring that victims and survivors receive the support and care they need is an absolute priority for me.
This Government has taken unprecedented actions to tackle the scourge of DSGBV, including by:
• Increasing funding to almost €80 million under Budget 2026 to support Cuan and services working to tackle DSGBV and the implementation of the Zero Tolerance Strategy. This represents an increase of €12 million year on year.
• Launching the final implementation plan of the Third National ‘Zero Tolerance’ strategy, the most ambitious national DSGBV strategy to date, last June.
• Introducing significant legislative change which includes measures to allow perpetrators of domestic violence be included on a new register of domestic violence judgments run by the courts, and to restrict the disclosure of counselling records in sexual offence trials.
• Increasing funding for Cuan and for community organisations that support victims and survivors will accelerate the delivery of additional refuge spaces and safe accommodation while also providing stronger supports for victims.
Cuan is collaborating with various stakeholders, including domestic violence services, Approved Housing Bodies, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the Housing Agency and Local Authorities to facilitate local action and support service development and delivery of safe accommodation and ancillary services.
The Government's commitment to safe accommodation involves the purchase and or construction of safe homes and refuges.
I am informed by Cuan that, in 2025, Domestic Violence Refuge Capacity/Units increased by 13 units (four in Louth and nine in Dublin 4), bringing the number to 172. Additionally, 9 units are being developed in Dublin 22 and expected to be operational early this year.
A further 12-unit refuge is scheduled to be completed and become operational later this year, bringing the total number of refuge units to 193 in 2026.
In 2025 the number of Safe Home units increased by 8. This has increased safe home capacity to 60. In 2026, Cuan is working towards having 50 new refuge units under construction across multiple sites nationally.
Cuan funds 78 DSGBV organisations nationally, including 20 domestic violence refuges. I am advised that Cuan does not hold data on the number of available spaces in each county, but has provided data on the number of units. A unit can typically accommodate a family.
The attached table breaks down safe accommodation units by county, as of January 2026.
769. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if the Community Integration Fund will be reopened in 2026; the date it will open; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6483/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Integration Fund combines two previous funds – the International Protection Integration Fund (IPIF) and the Communities Integration Fund (CIF). Since their inception, these funds have provided close to €10m in funding to more than 1,000 projects across the country.
In 2025, the Integration Fund was announced and awarded for the first time, having merged the two previous schemes. The Community Integration Fund will not run separately again as it is now part of the Integration Fund.
The Integration fund is for projects supporting migrant integration in areas such as sport, education, employment, and culture. Results of the 2025 Integration Fund were announced in November of 2025, when 117 projects were awarded a total of €3.6m. Information the projects funded is available here: www.gov.ie/en/department-of-justice-home-affairs-and-migration/news/117-projects-to-be-funded-under-the-2025-integration-fund/
https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-justice-home-affairs-and-migration/news/117-projects-to-be-funded-under-the-2025-integration-fund/
Plans for funding calls in 2026 are being drafted and will be announced publicly when they are finalised.
770. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of successful applicants for the position of Garda trainee from the 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 recruitment campaigns, that to date have not been offered a contract to commence training; and the number of applicants over the same period that have been notified that they are generally unsuitable to become trainees, in tabular form. [6517/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have requested the information sought by the Deputy from the Garda authorities. Regrettably, this was not available in time and I will write to the Deputy once the information is to hand.
771. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of cases of criminal penalisation that have been progressed to the courts after consideration by the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions since the relevant provisions came into force; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6518/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 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. As Minister, I have no role in these matters.
To be of assistance I have referred this question to the Courts Service for their direct reply to the Deputy.
The Deputy may also wish to note that the Courts Service has a dedicated email address for the provision of information to members of the Houses of the Oireachtas: oireachtasenquiries@courts.ie.
772. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the percentage of English language schools which submitted a weekly report on attendance at their school to his Department in each month in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6538/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra773. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of those who have had their student visas revoked as a result of information provided to his Department by the language school which they were registered to attend in each month in 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6539/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra774. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of actions that have been taken against English language schools for failure to submit information on attendance to his Department in each month in 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6540/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra775. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he is aware of any incidents where English language schools have provided letters of attendance to students that do not accurately reflect their attendance in exchange for a fee; the action which has been taken in relation to any such incident; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6541/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 772, 773, 774 and 775 together.
The Programme for Government contains a commitment to publish a National Migration and Integration Strategy detailing how the Government intends to meet the demands and opportunities facing Ireland’s society and economy over the next decade. My Department is currently working with other colleagues in Government Departments to develop this strategy with the aim to publish it later this year.
As part of this strategic approach, I am reviewing the area of student permissions, including with regard to English Language students. This work is aimed at ensuring that the system remains robust and rules-based, supports high-quality education providers, and continues to offer a positive experience for genuine students coming to Ireland.
English language schools in Ireland operate under the Interim List of Eligible Programmes (ILEP), introduced in 2015, which is a restrictive list of education programmes eligible for international student immigration purposes. The list is used as a reference point for the immigration function of my Department in considering visa and residency applications from non-EEA applicants wishing to study on a full-time basis in Ireland. As the Deputy may be aware, ILEP will be superseded by the new TrustEd education mark over the next year.
Providers must remain in compliance with the relevant criteria to retain a listing on the ILEP. My Department monitors compliance and any education provider may be subject to unannounced inspections, on-line monitoring, or random spot checks to ensure its compliance with ILEP criteria, and this includes the maintenance of records and reports. These may be requested by my Department at any time and failure to do so can result in the removal of a provider from the ILEP.
Inspections are only one piece of a suite of compliance activities. Once a provider is listed on the ILEP, they are required to notify my Department of matters such as, but not limited to, any changes to the ownership of the school, change in locations or additional centres, changes to their academic management or teachers, and student capacity numbers.
All ILEP listed English language schools are required to submit information on a weekly basis. This includes data on enrolments, attendance rates and expulsions; all such information received from providers is stored on my Department's operating system.
I can assure the Deputy that there has been a high level of compliance regarding data provision for immigration compliance purposes. All schools are aware of the consequences of non-compliance, and that failure to adhere with ILEP criteria may result in removal from the list. Statistics are not readily available on the number of providers that have not submitted monthly records.
In the event that a student is not attending a course of study, is expelled, or is not abiding by the conditions of their student permission, my Department will investigate each individual case accordingly.
Furthermore, where students have not complied with the conditions of their Stamp 2 permission, in terms of course attendance and progression, they may be subject to revocation of that residence status.
Statistics are not readily available on the number of students who have had their immigration permission terminated for breaching the conditions of their permission.
776. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether there are grounds in which visit visa applications can be expedited on medical or compassionate grounds in respect of family visit visa applications. [6552/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can advise the Deputy that requests to expedite an application or for an emergency visa can be made through my Department's Customer Service Portal, which can be accessed at the following link:
portal.irishimmigration.ie/en/
Expediting a visa application is usually confined to time-sensitive instances, such as, if a family member has been hospitalised, in a life-threatening situation, or in the unfortunate event of a bereavement. Each request is considered on its merits; the person concerned should also engage with the relevant Embassy of Ireland, explaining the nature of the emergency and provide any documentary evidence that may be available to them. A full list of Irish embassies is available at the following link:
www.ireland.ie/en/dfa/embassies/
Emergency visa applications and requests will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis but will, wherever possible, be processed speedily and sympathetically. In order to be fair to all those who have applied, not all requests to expedite an application can be granted.
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.
777. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he has received any reports or intelligence regarding undocumented or irregularly documented workers being employed on Irish-registered fishing vessels; the number of joint operations carried out with the SFPA, Gardaí and immigration authorities in the past five years targeting such abuses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6594/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra778. Deputy Erin McGreehan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration in the context of EU migration and asylum screening regulations, if all new arrivals are being fingerprinted and entered onto a common European database to prevent multiple identities being used in different Member States; whether this system is being fully utilised in respect of individuals involved in the fishing industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6596/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 777 and 778 together.
Implementing effective border security arrangements is a priority for me as Minister. The Programme for Government commits to developing a border security strategy to deliver stronger border security, ensuring technology supports border screening and to reviewing the potential of extending pre-clearance mechanisms, such as electronic travel authorisation, for travel from designated third countries. This work is underway.
Non-EEA Sea Fishers seeking employment on Irish-registered vessels are required to apply for a General Employment Permit before they can travel to Ireland. If they are a visa-required national, they also need to apply for an employment visa before travel. Once in the State, Sea Fishers are required to register with my Department before being issued with an immigration permission. As part of the registration process, applicants are also required to provide biometrics.
Inspectors of the Workplace Relations Commission are responsible for carrying out port inspections of fishing vessels from to check compliance with employment rights legislation. Inspections carried out by the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) come under the responsibility of the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
In relation to the taking of fingerprints in the context of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, Ireland participates in the Eurodac Regulation which requires certain categories of third-country nationals to provide their biometric data (which includes fingerprints) for the purposes of a search on the Eurodac database.
A search on Eurodac allows Member States, including Ireland, to verify if an asylum seeker has already made an application for international protection in another Member State. As part of the Pact, a recast of the Eurodac Regulation has been adopted, and this is being given further effect in Irish law as part of the International Protection Bill 2026. The new Regulation also expands the use of Eurodac from beyond asylum to certain other purposes, including for certain law enforcement purposes.
The categories of third country nationals required to provide biometric data for the purposes of a Eurodac search include applicants for international protection, persons who have been apprehended in connection with the irregular crossing of an external EU border, and persons who have been found illegally staying on the territory of a Member State. Both the Eurodac Regulation itself and the International Protection Bill contain safeguards in relation to the use of the personal data provided for the purposes of the Eurodac system.
The Border Management Unit of my Department is responsible for front-line Immigration at Dublin Airport only. Other airports and other ports of entry are the responsibility of the Garda National Immigration Bureau and the information sought by the Deputy has been requested from them.
