Written Answers Nos. 615-634
616. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration for an update on the development of a location (details supplied) for international protection accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27895/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraIreland 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 also serve over time to reduce the scale of the demand for international protection accommodation.
The Department is also working to increase the proportion of international protection accommodation that is State-owned, reducing reliance on commercial providers and creating a more stable and sustainable accommodation system overall.
Thornton Hall remains an important part of the longer-term strategy to increase State-owned provision and will be the subject of further sectoral planning in the coming period, in the context of the development of further prison service capacity, and IPAS accommodation.
617. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of Garda vehicles, by type, assigned to each station in Donegal; the number of these vehicles that have gone above the mileage agreed that a Garda vehicle is at end of life; the number of the vehicles currently non-operational; the number of requests submitted for a new vehicle, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27924/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána under Section 33 of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024. This includes all operational policing matters and responsibility for the allocation and deployment of equipment and resources available to him, including the Garda fleet.
An Garda Síochána publishes detailed information on the Garda fleet from 2008 to date. This is available on the Garda website at the following link: www.garda.ie/en/about-us/our-departments/finance-services/finance-fleet-management.html.
The total number of vehicles in the Garda fleet broken down by Division and Station, assigned to the fleet from 2020 to date, are available in the Fleet Reports.
I am advised by the Garda authorities that a comprehensive service repair and maintenance programme is in place to ensure that all vehicles are operating to manufacturers specifications.
All vehicles on the Garda fleet are operated up to the manufacturer’s durability limits or uneconomic repair, irrespective of age. It is not possible to give an accurate figure for vehicles currently off the road for maintenance as this changes daily.
There are no vehicles currently operating in the Donegal Division above the agreed mileage for end of life.
The purchase and allocation of vehicles by An Garda Síochána is made on the basis of identified operational demands, the availability of resources and is reviewed on a continual basis.
618. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the position regarding the number of mobile speed cameras in operation on a weekly basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27942/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra620. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the position regarding the number of non-manned stationary speed cameras in operation across the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27946/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 618 and 620 together.
The whole of Government response to road safety is led by the Department of Transport and is a shared responsibility taken very seriously across Government.
While the development and implementation of road traffic legislation and policy falls within the remit of my colleague the Minister for Transport, Darragh O'Brien, road traffic laws are enforced by Gardaí assigned to Roads Policing Units and as part of the day-to-day duties of uniformed Gardaí nationwide.
Whether it is fixed cameras, average speed cameras or GoSafe vans, we need to use technology to work to reduce speeding on our roads. An Garda Síochána has contributed to making our roads safer through the use of mobile safety cameras, using service provider GoSafe to operate them on its behalf, enforcement cameras operated using a fleet of marked vehicles, and static speed cameras.
I am informed by the the Garda authorities that there are currently 15 static speed cameras in operation nationwide, comprising five average speed zones, nine fixed speed camera sites and one railway level crossing camera which detects both speeding offences and breaches of level crossing signals. These cameras operate on a non-manned basis and provide continuous enforcement at locations approved by An Garda Síochána.
In addition, mobile safety camera vans operated by the outsourced service provider, GoSafe, are deployed as part of the wider national enforcement strategy. There are currently 58 mobile safety camera vans in operation, delivering approximately 9,000 hours of monitoring per calendar month. While some automated or un-manned sessions are utilised, these require manual set-up and closure by trained personnel, are conducted only at An Garda Síochána approved locations for defined periods, and are subject to continuous CCTV monitoring to ensure evidential integrity.
I am advised that road safety cameras operate in areas where there is a history of speed-related collisions, known as speed enforcement zones. There are one thousand, nine hundred and one (1,901) mobile safety camera zones nationwide. The designation of specific sections of road as speed enforcement zones is based on an analysis of collision data. They are also there to be preventative, to be seen and to adjust driver behaviour. The Deputy can find all zones and locations on the Garda Website using the following link: www.garda.ie/en/roads-policing/safety-cameras-save-lives/mobile-safety-camera-detection/Mobile Safety Camera Detection - Garda.
619. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of speed enforcement notices, in the form of fixed charge penalty notices that have been issued from mobile speed cameras in Ireland in each of the years 2024, 2025 and to-date in 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27943/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána under Section 33 of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024 including all operational policing matters. As Minister, I play no role in these independent functions.
The below table, provided by the Garda authorities, outlines the number of fixed charge notices issued for speeding offences from mobile speed cameras from 2024-2026.
|
2024 |
2025 |
2026* |
|
81006 |
70903 |
17780 |
* 2026 figures cover the time period from 1 January 2026 to 31 March 2026.
Figures are based on incidents which occurred from 1 January 2024 to 31 March 2026, inclusive. All information contained in this report is based upon operational data from the FCPS system as was available on 15 April 2026 and is liable to change.
The figures above exclude those obtained from Garda average/static speed cameras and also excludes those fixed charge notices which were subsequently terminated.
621. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of speed enforcement and fixed charge penalty notices that have been issued in relation to vehicles travelling on motorways in each of the years 2024, 2025 and to-date in 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27947/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra622. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of speed enforcement and fixed charge penalty notices that have been issued in relation to vehicles travelling on national routes in each of the years 2024, 2025 and to-date in 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27948/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 621 and 622 together.
The Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána under Section 33 of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024, which includes all operational policing matters. I play no role in these independent functions.
Road traffic legislation is enforced as part of the day-to-day duties of members of An Garda Síochána, as well as through a programme of high-visibility road safety and enforcement operations carried out in partnership with other state agencies and GoSafe vans, in order to make our roads safer for all.
An Garda Síochána does not publish statistics broken down in the manner requested by the Deputy, that is for fixed charge notices issued on national roads and motorways, however the number of fixed charge notices issued by region and division up to the end of 2025 are available on the Garda website at the following link: www.garda.ie/en/roads-policing/statistics/roads%20policing%20offences%20by%20region%20and%20division/.
623. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he will review the case of a family (details supplied); the supports available to the family; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27973/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn the circumstances outlined by the Deputy, I can confirm that it is possible to voluntarily withdraw temporary protection in another EU Member State and seek to benefit from its protection in Ireland. However, it is important to note that temporary protection is not a permanent permission and only allows a beneficiary to remain in Ireland for the duration of the Temporary Protection Directive, which is currently in place across the EU until 4 March 2027.
Should a person wish to reside in Ireland on a longer-term basis, they will find information on the different immigration permissions at the following link: www.irishimmigration.ie/registering-your-immigration-permission/information-on-registering/immigration-permission-stamps/.
Since September 2025, people with temporary protection who arrived in Ireland before March 2024, and who are not already in state-contracted commercial accommodation, are not eligible to take up new state-contracted commercial accommodation. This means that people who may have been in accommodation but have since left cannot avail of a second offer of state-contracted commercial accommodation. This also applies to people who arrived before March 2024 and did not take up state-contracted commercial accommodation to date. Therefore, the people in question would not be able to access commercial accommodation contracted by my Department.
My Department has no role in private arrangements and cannot assist with long-term housing issues. However, a range of measures have been provided to support people with temporary protection to make independent arrangements if they decide to remain in Ireland for their duration of their temporary protection.
Those granted temporary protection are entitled to make their own private arrangements for accommodation through their own means, using supports provided by the Department of Social Protection or by asking their Local Authority or Irish Red Cross for alternative hosted accommodation. Those wishing to avail of hosted accommodation in any given area should contact the Local Authority in that area or the Irish Red Cross. The Irish Red Cross can be contacted by email at migrationcrisis@redcross.ie or by phoning 1800 753 343. Details regarding the Offer a Home scheme can be found under www.offerahome.ie.
They may also explore private rented accommodation either through their own means or with the assistance of Rent Supplement, if eligible. Rent Supplement is a means-tested payment administered by the Department of Social Protection to help meet the cost of private rented accommodation. The local Department of Social Protection office may be able to provide further information relating to Rent Supplement. Contact details for the local offices can be found on www.gov.ie/en/directory/category/e1f4b5-intreo-offices/?referrer=http://www.gov.ie/en/service/40cf48-find-your-local-intreo-office/.
624. Deputy Conor D. McGuinness asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of Gardaí, by rank attached to Waterford-Kilkenny divisional protective services bureau, in tabular form. [28021/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have sought the information requested by the Deputy in relation to the number of Gardaí, by rank attached to Waterford-Kilkenny divisional protective services bureau.
It has not been possible to get this data on time, however I will write to the Deputy directly once this information is available.
625. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration further to Parliamentary Question No. 909 of 17 February 2026, if he has received the necessary information from Garda authorities to answer this PQ; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28053/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána under Section 33 of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024, which includes all operational policing matters, such as the procurement and allocation of Garda equipment and resources. Under Section 34(1) of the Policing Security and Community Safety Act 2024, the Garda Commissioner is independent in the performance of his functions.
Furthermore, the Garda Commissioner is the Accounting Officer of An Garda Síochána and is responsible for the Garda budget including accounting for the financial cost of each aspect of Garda responsibilities. The Minister has no role in the financial accounting of Garda responsibilities as these matters are reserved by law to the Commissioner as Accounting Officer.
I can inform the Deputy that a post reply has issued earlier this week to Parliamentary Question No. 909 of 17 February 2026 which includes the following:
I am informed that An Garda Síochána has no record of purchases for any item that could be considered a gas mask in 2025.
626. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the current average waiting time for the issuing of grants of probate and letters of administration; the number of cases currently pending; the steps he is taking to reduce delays in the probate office; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28214/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra627. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he is considering legislative or administrative reforms to streamline the probate process, including digitalisation, simplified procedures for uncontested estates, and fast-tracking probate for vacant residential properties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28216/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 626 and 627 together.
The Probate Office is an office of the High Court. Management of the courts, operational matters and logistical functions are the responsibility of the judiciary and Courts Service, which are independent in the exercise of their functions under the Courts Service Act 1998 and given the separation of powers in the Constitution.
Probate functions are also carried out by County Registrars at District Probate Registries in 14 provincial court offices. I, as Minister, have no role in the exercise of probate functions.
I am advised that every effort is made by the Courts Service to ensure that probate services are adequately supported with staff, training and other resources and that the public are assisted in dealing with what can be a complex and sensitive matter. The Probate General Office and Rules Office in Dublin is open to the legal profession and the general public every morning, Monday to Friday, to facilitate general enquiries, filing of court applications, Probate Officer Orders and caveats.
I have been further advised that huge progress has been made to reduce average processing times and this question has been referred to the Courts Service for its direct reply in relation to timelines in each registry.
A key project for the Courts Service, as part of its 10-year modernisation programme, is the introduction of a Unified Case Management System (UCMS), which will enable digital end to end journeys supporting court users and the courts dealing with matters digitally where appropriate. The UCMS will support a broad range of digital applications, responses, case tracking, and order collection – reducing the use of manually intensive paper-based processes.
The UCMS has been rolled out to many back-office operations and is now being piloted for online probate applications, which will be deployed to the rest of the country shortly.
Regarding the number of residential properties awaiting probate, I can advise that the information requested is not recorded by the Courts Service or by my Department.
628. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of vehicles seized by Gardaí for having no valid insurance in the Limerick division in 2025 and to-date in 2026, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28264/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána under Section 33 of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024, which includes all operational policing matters.
An Garda Síochána have advised there were 918 vehicles seized by Garda authorities in Limerick Division for having no insurance in 2025, and a further 275 were seized between 1 January 2026 to 31 March 2026.
An Garda Síochána publishes information in relation to figures relating to Roads Policing Offences and Activity nationwide. This can be found at the following link: www.garda.ie/en/roads-policing/statistics/roads%20policing%20offences%20by%20region%20and%20division/.
629. Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if a person with stamp 1 residency based on a general employment permit can become self-employed; if so, the procedure to acquire permission to do so; the specific criteria which enables a person with a stamp 1 to pursue the matter that is, the length of time in the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28270/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFor a person in the State on a Stamp 1 permission based on holding a general employment permit, they are only permitted to be employed in the State by the employer named on their employment permit, in the occupation listed and in the location(s) specified on their permit. Any employment outside the terms specified on the holder's employment permit is not permitted.
A Stamp 1 holder may be eligible to move to a Stamp 4 permission upon completion of 57 months of employment in the State on the basis of a General Employment Permit. A Stamp 4 permission allows self employment.
There are other limited circumstances where a person can apply to amend their immigration permission, further information in this regard can be found at: www.irishimmigration.ie/registering-your-immigration-permission/how-to-renew-your-current-permission/information-on-stamp-4-upgrades/.
630. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the reason for delay in processing an application (details supplied); if a further timeframe is available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28292/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person referred to by the Deputy has submitted an application for an Extension of Student Conditions (ESTC), and this application continues to be processed by my Department.
To be fair to all applicants, applications are dealt with in chronological order by date received. My Department endeavours to process applications as quickly as possible. However, processing times may vary due to a number of factors, such as the number of applications on hand, individual circumstances, the complexity of applications, whether further information is required, and the resources available.
There has been a significant increase in recent months in ESTC applications. These are being dealt with as expeditiously as possible but it is only in unforeseen or unusual circumstances that such an application will be considered.
In the meantime, the person concerned should continue to seek meaningful graduate level employment, which would allow them to change their immigration status and remain in the State.
Applicants can now directly check the status of their immigration application on the Immigration Service’s Customer Service Portal. They can register for, or log in to their existing account, at: https://portal.irishimmigration.ie/en/.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to my Department by email using the Oireachtas mail facility (inisoireachtasmail@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 questions process. The Deputy may consider using the email service except in cases where the response is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.[]
632. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the total number of alcohol breath tests carried out on motorists in each of the years 2023, 2024, and 2025, down by year and by month, in tabular form [28485/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána under Section 33 of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024, which includes all operational policing matters. I play no role in these independent functions.
Road traffic legislation is enforced as part of the day-to-day duties of members of An Garda Síochána, as well as through a programme of high-visibility road safety and enforcement operations carried out in partnership with other state agencies, in order to make our roads safer for all.
Garda authorities have provided the below table which shows the number of roadside breath tests carried out at the scene of a Mandatory Intoxication Testing Checkpoint from 2023-2025.
633. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he will review the case of a person (details supplied) whose application is pending; if he will clarify whether the person is permitted to travel while awaiting a decision on their application; if he will indicate whether the application can be expedited given the circumstances; if he will provide an update on their immigration documentation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28510/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe person referred to by the Deputy applied to renew their immigration permission on 13 February 2026 and this application is currently in the queue for consideration.
I understand that the extended wait times can be frustrating for applicants and I can assure the Deputy that my Department is exploring every avenue available to facilitate as many customers as possible and to increase processing capacity.
The Registration Office within Immigration Service Delivery of my Department is already open seven days a week to facilitate customers, with further measures to reduce processing times currently being implemented. Additional staff have been assigned to this work and further assignments are being examined. I expect that this will begin to address the delays currently being experienced.
The Registration Office provide a live application processing date broken down by stamp category, which is updated every Monday, and is available at the following link: www.irishimmigration.ie/registering-your-immigration-permission/how-to-renew-your-current-permission/renewing-your-registration-permission-if-you-live-in-the-republic-of-ireland/#processing.
They are currently processing applications of this type submitted from 15 January 2026. In order to ensure a fair and equitable service, renewals are processed in order of date submitted.
If the application is approved, the person concerned can expect to receive their new Irish Residence Permit (IRP) within the following 10-15 working days.
As the person cited is a visa-required national, and should they choose to leave Ireland prior to the completion of their renewal application, they will need to apply for a “D” entry visa (after arrival at their travel destination) at the closest Irish Embassy or Consular Office.
Further information is available at the following link: www.irishimmigration.ie/single-multiple-visas/.
It is also open to the person concerned to request to have their renewal application expedited due to extenuating circumstances, and can do so by contacting the Registration team of my Department via the Customer Service Portal (https://portal.irishimmigration.ie/en/). They will need to explain their circumstances and the urgent need to travel and will be required to submit proof of travel, for example a flight booking and the reason of the emergency. All such requests are considered on a case by case basis.
Applicants can now directly check the status of their immigration application on the Immigration Service’s Customer Service Portal. They can register for, or log in to their existing account, at www.portal.irishimmigration.ie/en/.
As an Oireachtas member, you can also request the status of individual immigration cases by e-mail, using the Oireachtas Mail facility at: IMoireachtasmail@justice.ie, which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Question process.
634. Deputy James Geoghegan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he is satisfied that licensing laws adequately prevent the sale of alcohol outside of the hours permitted by the vendor’s license, given the prevalence of online delivery apps being used to sell alcohol; if he is considering any changes to address the issue of alcohol being sold after legal closing hours on these platforms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28537/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraIt is important to note, that, under existing legislation, it is a criminal offence to sell or supply alcohol to minors. The same restrictions apply where alcohol is purchased online.
Section 31 of the Intoxicating Liquor Act 1988, as amended, makes provision for offences relating to the sale and delivery of alcohol products to persons under the age of 18 years. It is an offence under section 31(2) for a licensee to sell or deliver, or to permit any other person to sell or deliver, alcohol products to any person for consumption off his or her licensed premises by a person under the age of 18 years in any place except with the explicit consent of the person's parent or guardian in a private residence in which he or she is present either as of right or with permission.
On conviction for a first offence, a mandatory closure order of between two and seven days will be imposed by the court, together with a fine of up to €3,000. The penalties for a second or subsequent offence is a closure order of between seven and 30 days and a fine of up to €5,000. In addition, the licence holder is required to continue to pay staff for the duration of the closure period.
The Programme for Government commits to updating our licensing laws. This commitment will be progressed in due course. All submissions will be considered as part of that process.
