Written Answers Nos. 596-615
596. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide a detailed breakdown of all gifts received in his capacity as Minister; the nature of these gifts and potential monetary value; the procedures followed in accepting gifts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33388/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have not received any gifts since my appointment as Minister for Social Protection in January 2025.
Under Section 15 of the Ethics in Public Office Act (1995), gifts presented to office holders valued in excess of €650 are deemed to be gifts to the State and must be recorded as such following valuation through the Office of Public Works. I have not received any such gifts since my appointment as Minister for Social Protection in January 2025.
Under Section 6 Ethics in Public Office Act 1995, registrable interests includes gifts that Members have received. My return for 2025, of no gifts received, is published on the Oireachtas website at: data.oireachtas.ie/ie/oireachtas/members/registerOfMembersInterests/dail/2026/2026-02-25_register-of-member-s-interests-dail-eireann-2025_en.pdf.
597. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of people involved in relaying 999 calls, between receipt of the call and the allocation of a Garda to respond; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31815/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraWhen a member of the public dials 999 they are initially answered by a call operator from ECAS, the Emergency Call Answering Service. The ECAS operator will then put them through to their chosen emergency service, i.e. Gardaí/ambulance/fire brigade/coast guard.
Should the caller request Gardaí, they will be put through to one of four Garda Regional Control Rooms where a call taker will answer the call, obtain necessary details and create an incident.
A dispatcher will then allocate and dispatch a Garda resource to respond to the call.
Therefore, three people are involved in relaying 999 calls, between receipt of the call and the allocation of a Garda to respond.
Calls for service, whether received through a local Garda station or the 999 Emergency Call Answering Service (ECAS), are routed through the Regional Control Rooms and prioritised for response. Higher priority calls will always take priority over lower priority calls.
The Garda authorities inform me that An Garda Síochána aim is to answer 80% of 999 calls within 7 seconds and deploy resources immediately giving an estimated time of arrival. An Garda Síochána will take appropriate steps to deal with all incidents and ensure that emergency and life threatening calls receive priority. They will endeavour to get to callers within 15 minutes in urban locations and as soon as possible, given the distance to be travelled, in more rural areas.
598. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the specific information that was accessible on the Garda mobility app in relation to the national vehicle and driver file before and after the recent pilot in Kildare/Carlow which now seems to give full access to the NVDF, in tabular form. [31831/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am informed by Garda authorities that An Garda Síochána do not have full access to the National Vehicle and Driver File (NVDF) from the Department of Transport, and Garda members do not have full access to the NDVF through the mobility app.
The pilot in Kildare/Carlow enhanced the presentation and operational use of selected NVDF data rather than providing unrestricted access to the complete NVDF. The latest version of the app that was piloted in Kildare/Carlow was deployed nationally in late 2025.
The following information was available to members in an earlier version of the mobile app:
• Driver / person identifiers:
• Driver number.
• Stock number.
• Provisional number.
• Personal details:
• Title, Forename, Surname.
• Gender.
• Date of Birth.
• Address.
• Status / Classification:
• Status, Suffix.
• Licence / Road Safety Indicators:
• Disqualification flag.
The following is additional data now accessible to Garda members through the Traffic App:
• Penalty Points.
• Penalty Points Disqualification:
• Penalty Point Disqualification.
• Court Disqualification.
• Fixed Charge Disqualification.
• Licence Details.
• Phone Number.
• Email.
• Licence History.
• Learner Permit Details.
• Learner Permit History.
• Licence Surrendered Flag.
• Novice Flag.
• Diplomat Flag.
• Licence Codes (e.g Organ Donor).
599. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of family reunifications that have been granted to people living in Ireland on a stamp 1 visas for each of the last five years; and the number that have been given the right to come to Ireland under these family reunifications for each of the past five years, broken down by the top five countries and other countries if possible. [31868/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra608. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the circumstances under which holders of stamp 1G permissions may apply for family reunification; and to clarify the way in which this aligns with the temporary nature of the permission. [31898/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra609. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the safeguards in place to ensure that family reunification permissions granted to temporary permission holders of stamp 1 and stamp 2 visas do not create unintended long-term residency pathways. [31899/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 599, 608 and 609 together.
I can advise the Deputy that a Stamp 1 indicates permission to work or operate a business in Ireland, subject to conditions. In order to obtain a stamp 1 permission, a person must hold a valid employment permit, or a letter from Immigration Service Delivery stating that they can work without an employment permit. This letter will also state if the person is allowed to set up a business or be self-employed in the State.
Stamp 1G is granted to someone who has finished their studies in Ireland and has permission to look for employment here under the Third Level Graduate Programme, subject to conditions. Stamp 1G may also be given to spouses or de facto partners of a Critical Skills Employment Permit (CSEP) holders or of researchers in the State on a Hosting Agreement (HA). Stamp 1G allows the holder to take up employment without the need to obtain an employment permit.
Stamp 2 indicates permission to study a full time course on the official Interim List of Eligible Programmes for a specified period, subject to conditions.
Those not eligible to sponsor an application for family reunification include:
• Students who are issued a Stamp 2 immigration permission (except for PhD students and those on certain recognised scholarship programmes);
• Those resident in Ireland on a Third Level Graduate Scheme, who are issued with a Stamp 1G immigration permission;
• Those resident in Ireland as a Beneficiary of Temporary Protection.
The Policy Document on Non-EEA Family Reunification, which was revised in November 2026, details the different categories of sponsor with different requirements and entitlements as regards family reunification. The revised policy document is available at the following link:
assets.gov.ie/static/documents/f88cb36e/Revised_Family_Reunification_Policy.pdf.
600. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether people on a stamp 1 visa are allowed to buy homes in Ireland; and if so, the reason. [31869/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra601. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to provide a breakdown of the number of people, by occupation, granted a stamp 1 visa for the past five years. [31870/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra603. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the original policy rationale and intended purpose of the stamp 1G immigration permission; and the way in which it is distinguished, in practice, from longer-term employment or residency permissions. [31893/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra604. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of stamp 1G permissions issued in each of the past five years, broken down by sector of qualification and permission category; and to indicate any notable trends identified by his Department. [31894/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra605. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the mechanisms in place to monitor compliance with the conditions of stamp 1G permissions, including the extent to which holders remain engaged in the purpose for which the permission was granted. [31895/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra606. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the proportion of stamp 1G holders who subsequently transitioned to other longer-term residency permissions; and to provide data for each of the past five years [31896/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra607. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether an internal or external review has been conducted into whether the stamp 1G route is functioning as originally intended; and if not, whether such a review is planned. [31897/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 600, 601, 603, 604, 605, 606 and 607 together.
I can inform the Deputy that the purpose of the Third Level Graduate Programme is to enable a non-EEA national graduate seek graduate level employment and apply for an employment permit.
Where such students have completed their studies in Ireland and gained an award at level 8 on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ), that person may qualify for a stamp 1G for 12 months under the Third Level Graduate Programme.
Where an individual receives an award at level 9 NFQ, they may qualify for a stamp 1G for up to 24 months under the Programme, subject to the overall limit of eight years on student conditions that applies.
Graduates at level 9 NFQ or above initially receive a one-year permission, which is renewable for a further year if Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) is satisfied the applicant has taken appropriate steps to seek employment and has adhered to the conditions of their stamp 1G permission. This extended period on the graduate stamp 1G immigration permission is solely intended to provide the graduate and any prospective employer a further opportunity to make an application for an employment permit.
If the application for an employment permit is successful, the graduate can register on a stamp 1 immigration permission. Matters relating to employment permits are the responsibility of the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment. Further information relating to employment permits can be found at: enterprise.gov.ie/en/what-we-do/workplace-and-skills/employment-permits/.
The stamp 1G under the Third Level Graduate Programme is a temporary permission and is not intended for long term residence or long term employment.
Where a person has not complied with the conditions of their stamp 1G permission, they may be subject to revocation of that residence status. In the event that a person is not abiding by the conditions of their graduate permission, my Department will investigate each individual case accordingly.
Both stamp 1 and stamp 1G can be granted for several reasons. Further details can be found on my Departments website at the following link: www.irishimmigration.ie/registering-your-immigration-permission/information-on-registering/immigration-permission-stamps/.
It is not possible to provide the detailed statistics requested by the Deputy. This would require the manual examination of thousands of cases and such an examination would require a disproportionate amount of time to compile.
The table below details the number of stamp 1 and stamp 1G permissions issued from 2020 to 2025. These figures include both first-time registrations and renewals.
|
Stamp category |
2020 Total |
2021 Total |
2022 Total |
2023 Total |
2024 Total |
2025** Total |
|
Stamp 1 |
22,926 |
24,304 |
40,597 |
57,215 |
56,052 |
53,380 |
|
Stamp 1G |
15,056 |
19,804 |
26,241 |
34,224 |
41,681 |
43,027 |
*Please note, figures are correct at time of issue, however, all statistics may be subject to data cleansing.
** Statistics for 2025 are impacted by delays to registration due to current overall pressure on this function; the final figure for those required to register/renew permissions will exceed that set out in the table.
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.
As part of this strategic approach, the area of student permissions is being reviewed. 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.
In relation to the requirements for a person to purchase property in Ireland, this is not a matter that falls within the remit of my Department.
602. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether a cross-departmental review has been undertaken into the interaction between international education policy, migration pathways, labour market needs and housing supply; and whether the Government is satisfied that these policies are sufficiently aligned. [31892/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Programme for Government contains a commitment to publish a National Migration and Integration Strategy detailing how Government intends to meet the demands and the opportunities facing Ireland’s society and economy over the next decade.
My Department is currently working collaboratively with a wide range of other Government departments to develop this strategy with the aim to publish Ireland’s first overarching whole-of-government National Migration and Integration Strategy later this year.
The scope of the Strategy will include issues such as labour market needs, legal pathways, international education and planning for public service provision including housing, amongst other issues relating to migration.
To that end, a Strategic Migration Policy Group (SMPG) was established in December 2024 to support that work which now consists of ten Government Departments, which has been previously outlined to the Deputy, meeting at senior official level.
The key objective of the Strategy and the SMPG is to develop a whole-of-government approach to migration policy that is coherent across Departments and responsive in seeking to address Ireland’s current and future demographic, economic and social policy needs.
More broadly, capacity-based planning for Government services is a matter for each Department in its area of responsibility, be that Health, Education, Housing or any other sector, whether the demand for those services increases or declines in line with demographic changes, and whether those demographic changes arise from natural increases or declines in population or from immigration or emigration.
The Government considers such matters at a central level in initiatives such as the National Development Plan and National Planning Framework, and via consideration at appropriate Cabinet Committees of capacity planning measures.
610. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration for an update on the work of the Joint Independent Expert on Paramilitary Group Transition to Disbandment, in particular if the August 2026 reporting deadline will be met; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32014/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn September 2025, following a joint selection process, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Hilary Benn, and I jointly appointed Ms Fleur Ravensbergen as the Independent Expert to carry out a short scoping and engagement exercise to assess whether there is merit in, and support for, a formal process of engagement to bring about paramilitary group transition to disbandment.
The Independent Expert is operating within the existing Independent Reporting Commission (IRC) legislative framework and is expected to complete the scoping and engagement exercise and submit her report by mid-August.
On 16 February, I met with Ms Ravensbergen and she outlined that she is engaging at pace with a wide variety of stakeholders. Ms Ravensbergen indicated her expectation that she will submit her report on time in August.
The nature of her wider engagements is confidential, which is essential to the integrity of the exercise.
The decision by the two governments to jointly appoint the Independent Expert arises from the recommendation by the IRC in its Fifth Report (December 2022) that an Independent Person be appointed to assess whether there would be merit in, and support for, a formal process that ensures the transition to disbandment of paramilitary groups. On receipt of the Independent Expert's report in August, the IRC has been asked by the two governments to submit an ad hoc report on group transition by the end of September. I look forward to receipt of both reports and to engaging further with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on our joint response.
611. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of ongoing internal inquires and suspensions in relation to staff members in the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation. [32062/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe vast majority of Gardaí serve with integrity and work tirelessly to keep our communities safe. However, there are robust procedures in place to allow the Garda Commissioner to deal with any allegations of misconduct and the Commissioner is committed to ensuring that the highest levels of integrity are maintained by Gardaí.
The Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation, led by the Assistant Commissioner for Organised and Serious Crime, holds a national investigative remit and is specialised in the area of major crime investigation. It undertakes and supports investigations on the direction of the Garda Commissioner.
I am informed by Garda authorities that the information requested cannot be disclosed. If such investigations or suspensions are ongoing, the numbers would be so low as to render them sensitive in both operational and data protection terms.
The Deputy may be interested to note that in the interest of transparency, the Commissioner's monthly report to the Policing and Community Safety Authority contains figures on the number of suspended Gardaí and a breakdown of the main issue behind each suspension. These reports can be found at the below link: www.garda.ie/en/about-us/publications/general-reports/commissioner-s-monthly-reports-to-policing-and-community-safety-authority/.
612. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether there is a national Garda informant framework and a code of ethics for high-echelon intelligence sources; and if not, whether the production of such a framework and code of ethics will be prioritised. [32076/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy will appreciate that the management of covert human intelligence sources (CHIS) is an operational matter for the Garda Commissioner and does not fall within my remit as Minister.
I can confirm to the Deputy that there are detailed guidelines governing the procedures and processes relating to the use of CHIS by An Garda Síochána, and these are set out in a comprehensive Code of Practice. The Deputy will appreciate that it is policy not to comment on the specifics of the operation of the CHIS system as this would be contrary to the public interest. This longstanding policy is adopted for sound reasons of the security of the State, the protection of the lives and safety of individuals, and so as not to advantage those who would do harm by undermining the use of this important investigative technique by An Garda Síochána.
An Garda Síochána published a public-facing policy document in 2022 in relation to the management and use of CHIS which is available at www.garda.ie/en/about-us/publications/policy-documents/covert-human-intelligence-sources-chis-policy-june-2022.pdf. The policy document was subject to review 12 months from its date of effect which resulted in no amendments to the policy. The policy is to be reviewed every three years thereafter and I am informed by the Garda Commissioner that that review is underway.
The operation of the CHIS system is subject to internal oversight by senior Garda management and to independent external oversight, exercised since 2010 by a former judge as the Independent Oversight Authority for CHIS.
As the Deputy will be aware, all members of An Garda Síochána are bound by a statutory Code of Ethics, which is applicable to all areas of policing, including the management and use of CHIS.
613. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the measured being taken to speed up the processing of IRP renewal applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32102/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra614. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of IRP renewal applications received by his Department; the number accepted, and the number rejected, per year from 2015 to date in 2026, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32103/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra615. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of IRP renewal applications received by his Department; the number accepted, and the number rejected, per month to date in 2026, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32104/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra616. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of IRP renewal applications received by his Department; the number accepted, and the number rejected, per month in 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32105/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 613, 614, 615 and 616 together.
The Registration Office of my Department is currently experiencing an exceptionally high demand for immigration permission renewal applications.
I understand that the extended wait times can be frustrating for applicants and I can assure the Deputy that my Department is exploring every avenue available to facilitate as many customers as possible and to increase processing capacity.
The Registration Office is 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/.
Customers may submit their renewal applications up to 12 weeks prior to expiry of permission, to allow sufficient time for an application to be reached and processed prior to a current permission expiring.
The Registration Office has also issued a notice to employers regarding the legality of employing someone awaiting renewal. This notice can be found here: www.irishimmigration.ie/notice-to-employers-regarding-employees-awaiting-renewal-of-their-irp-card/.
I understand that the Deputy has agreed to limit the scope of her request to data from 2022 onwards.
The table below provides a monthly breakdown of the number of successful renewals of Immigration permissions from 2022, up to 31 March 2026.
It is not possible to provide the number of renewal applications accepted and rejected as this would require the manual examination of each individual renewal application received. Such an examination would require a disproportionate amount of time to compile and would deflect resources from processing applications.
