Written Answers Nos. 636-655
641. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of interim protection orders granted under the Domestic Violence Act 2018 in each of the past five years, broken down by court area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32506/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra642. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the average duration for which interim protection orders remain in place pending a full hearing; whether his Department has assessed the impact of prolonged interim periods on parties to such proceedings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32507/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra643. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether his Department intends to review the operation of interim protection orders under the Domestic Violence Act 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32508/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 641, 642 and 643 together.
Management of the courts and operational matters are the responsibility of the Courts Service, which is independent in exercising its functions under the Courts Service Act 1998 and given the separation of powers in the Constitution.
The Courts Service has a dedicated email address for the provision of information to members of the Houses of the Oireachtas: oireachtasenquiries@courts.ie.
To be of assistance, I have contacted the Courts Service which has supplied the following information in response to the Deputy’s question.
The attached table below includes data on protection orders granted in the District Family Court from 2021 to 2025. Figures for Q.1 2026 are currently being finalised and are not available for publication.
Please note, statistics are recorded by the administrative office that manage District Courts. As such, it is not possible to provide a break down by court area.
The Courts Service has further advised that it is currently unable to provide average duration times for protection orders. It recently began to roll out its Unified Case Management System (UCMS) Family module to District Court offices, a multiple year programme that will not finish until 2027.
Provision of enhanced statistical collection is part of this programme and greater visibility of processing times will be included in this system in due course.
The Domestic Violence Act 2018 provides for applications to be made to court which range from temporary emergency orders to longer-term safety and barring orders. Each order has specific conditions attached and are tailored to the level of risk and urgency faced by the victim. Orders include:
Safety order: Can last up to 5 years. Prevents the accused from being violent or making threats. The respondent can stay in the home, but if living separately to the applicant, they must not approach, watch, follow, or contact the applicant or dependents.
Protection order: The respondent may remain in the home but must not be violent, threatening, or make contact with the applicant (including electronic communication). It is a temporary order, put in place until the full hearing for a safety, or barring, order takes place.
Barring order: Requires the respondent to leave the home and stay away. Also bans violence, threats, proximity, and contact. Can last up to 3 years.
Interim barring order: A short-term barring order (up to 8 days) granted before a full hearing, can be granted on an ex-parte basis (without the respondent present).
Emergency barring order: Also removes the respondent from the home for up to 8 working days. Unlike other orders, the applicant does not need ownership or tenancy rights. A second order within a month will only be granted in exceptional circumstances.
Legislation under the remit of the Department is kept under constant review.
644. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the current status of pre-legislative scrutiny of the Civil Reform Bill 2025 by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice; the expected publication date of the draft Bill; the timeline for its progression through the Oireachtas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32509/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra645. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration further to the announcement that the proposal to initiate certain judicial review applications in the Circuit Court is being dropped; the specific reforms now proposed within the High Court process to deliver the efficiencies originally sought; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32510/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra646. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration his response to concerns raised by the Bar of Ireland and human rights organisations during pre-legislative scrutiny that the proposed public-interest test in judicial review proceedings under the Civil Reform Bill 2025 may place unnecessary barriers in the path of citizens seeking remedy in court; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32511/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra647. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the reason certain provisions in the Civil Reform Bill 2025 depart from the recommendations of the Kelly Report; whether he will consider amendments during legislative scrutiny to align the Bill more closely with those recommendations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32512/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra648. Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether the Civil Reform Bill 2025, as currently drafted, includes adequate safeguards for effective court oversight in public law litigation, particularly given concerns raised about the proposed standing and public-interest tests; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32513/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 644, 645, 646, 647 and 648 together.
On 16 December 2025, the Government approved the General Scheme of the Civil Reform Bill 2025. The General Scheme has been submitted for pre legislative scrutiny, and was considered by the Justice Committee on 24 March.
Subject to drafting, it is intended to publish the Bill in Quarter 3 2026 and, in line with commitments in the Accelerating Infrastructure Report and Action Plan, and subject to Oireachtas approval, for the Bill to be enacted no later than Quarter 2 2027. An explanatory memorandum will be published to accompany the Bill.
Amongst a range of improvements to civil law procedures, the Bill will codify the existing law on judicial review, placing it on a statutory basis. Key reforms should ensure that the system cannot be misused on purely technical grounds, costs are reduced where possible and litigants have sufficient standing to properly challenge decisions. The General Scheme included a provision to allow certain judicial reviews to be decided at Circuit Court level. After consideration, the policy objectives behind this proposal, namely lowering costs, greater efficiency and improved access to justice can be achieved through reformed High Court procedures.
Given the significant challenges currently facing our State in terms of housing shortages, energy deficits, inadequate water supplies and climate changes, all of which are exacerbated by the demands of a rising population, we can no longer delay on reform of the judicial review system. I am confident that the Civil Reform Bill will remove weaknesses in the current Judicial Review regime, eliminate impediments to progress and deliver reform for the public benefit. I am also confident that measures in the Bill preserve the right of the citizen to ensure that public bodies act lawfully and are accountable for their decisions.
Another major area of reform in the Bill is in relation to Discovery, which will be replaced with a system of Production of Documents, focused on those documents which parties intend to, or are reasonably likely to, rely on at trial. The Kelly Report found that economically stronger parties frequently weaponised the current discovery regime to effectively impede the less well-resourced party in the conduct of proceedings. The reforms I am introducing should minimise both delay and cost in the conduct of civil litigation in the State and achieve greater equality between parties.
The proposed Bill, in implementing the recommendations of the Kelly Report, will also provide for a suite of civil reform measures including the creation of case conduct principles, a presumption against granting of adjournments, limiting the term of a Lis Pendens; deemed discontinuance of civil actions and a requirement for plaintiffs in personal injuries actions to distinguish between pre-existing injuries and those which are the subject of the claim.
Further, the Bill will amend the general monetary jurisdiction of the District Court from €15,000 to €20,000, the Circuit Court generally from €75,000 to €100,000 and for Personal Injuries proceedings from €60,000 to €100,000. These changes will result in more non-complex cases being heard in lower courts, in particularly Personal Injuries Cases, and should reduce legal costs.
649. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether his Department has received any briefing from An Garda Síochána concerning the policing of the recent Whitegate refinery protests in County Cork, including public safety planning, use of force, deployment scale and inter-agency coordination; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32752/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra651. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether his Department has requested or received any post-operation assessment from An Garda Síochána concerning the policing of the recent Whitegate refinery protests, including the adequacy of planning, medical preparedness, proportionality of enforcement action and use of force; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32769/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 649 and 651 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. The Commissioner is independent in his functions under section 34 of the Act.
I can confirm that I was kept informed by An Garda Síochána of policing operations related to the recent protests and blockades, including the operation to lift the blockade at the Whitegate refinery.
As the Garda Commissioner stated in his public meeting with the Policing and Community Safety Authority in Midleton on 30 April, An Garda Síochána are undertaking an internal review of policing operations in response to the recent protests and blockades. This review will assess the approach taken and the lessons to be learned.
While the Garda Commissioner is responsible by law for operational policing, I am assured that the Garda approach to policing protests is predicated on keeping people safe, preventing anti-social and criminal behaviour, and the management of traffic.
As Minister, I would like to acknowledge the very professional approach taken by An Garda Síochána in respect of recent protests and blockades. It is to be noted that notwithstanding the nature of the protests and blockades, there were no serious injuries or damage to property.
650. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the total cost, if available to his Department, of the Garda policing operation associated with the recent Whitegate refinery protests in County Cork, including overtime, transport, logistics, catering, subsistence and accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32757/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Garda Commissioner is responsible for all operational policing decisions under the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024, and under section 34 of the Act he is independent in the performance of his functions.
The Commissioner is also the Accounting Officer for the Garda Vote and is responsible for the economy and the efficiency of An Garda Síochána in using its resources under Section 72 of the Act.
Given the short time frame that has elapsed since the policing operation at the Whitegate refinery the Garda authorities are not in a position to provide figures on costs incurred at this time.
652. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the funding that will be made available to Wicklow Courthouse to enable Wicklow County Council to carry out necessary refurbishment and restoration works; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32784/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraManagement of the courts and operational matters, including matters pertaining to court buildings, are the responsibility of the Courts Service, which is independent in the exercising of its functions under the Courts Service Act 1998.
To be of assistance, officials in my Department made enquiries of the Courts Service regarding the matters you have raised. The Courts Service has advised that for health and safety reasons, Wicklow Courthouse has been closed for several years. The Office of Public Works (OPW) has provided the Courts Service with costings and options for the full restoration of Wicklow Courthouse.
Funding has not been allocated to Wicklow Courthouse in the National Development Plan 2025-2030. However, funding has been allocated for preparatory and planning work to inform the business cases for projects involving the renovation and development of courthouses in Wicklow.
The size, geographical spread and age of the Courts estate means that its renovation, maintenance and management is a multi-annual programme of work which requires to be phased and progressed based on delivery capacity and affordability.
653. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of unmarked Garda Public Order Unit Vans currently within the Garda Fleet. [32828/26]
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.
654. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of method-of-entry courses that were held within the Meath-Westmeath Division in 2025 and to-date in 2026; the number of Gardaí that participated in each of those courses, in tabular form. [32829/26]
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 the training of Garda personnel.
The Garda authorities have provided the following table which shows the number of method-of-entry courses held in the Meath/Westmeath Division in 2025 and to date in 2026 and number of participants.
|
Method of Entry |
2025 |
2026 (as at 5 May) |
|
Courses Held |
1 |
0 |
|
No of Participants |
13 |
0 |
655. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he will fully clarify the criteria regarding access to Visa’s for non-EU students to attend English language schools in Ireland; and to outline the criteria which determines how a particular school qualifies for access to this visa programme. [32872/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraVisa applications are a screening process, designed to establish that a person has a legitimate reason to come to Ireland prior to travel. Verifying an application is an important part of our immigration system.
I can advise the Deputy that a visa required national that wishes to attend a short course of English language study in Ireland of 90 days or less, will need to apply for a short stay ‘C’ visit (Study) visa. Details on how to apply and the supporting documents required to support an application are available at the following link:
www.irishimmigration.ie/coming-to-study-in-ireland/what-are-my-study-visa-options/how-to-apply-for-a-short-c-visit-study-visa/
A visa required national that wishes to come to Ireland to study for more than 90 days will need to apply for a long stay ‘D’ visit (Study) visa. Details on how to apply and the supporting documents required to support an application are available at the following link:
www.irishimmigration.ie/coming-to-study-in-ireland/what-are-my-study-visa-options/how-to-apply-for-long-term-study-visa/
Such an applicant must choose a course from the current Interim List of Eligible Programmes (ILEP) or, from the list of Providers who have been awarded the new TrustEd statutory quality mark. The following types of course are listed:
• English Language programmes lasting at least 25 weeks
• Higher Education programmes from level 6 to 10 on the National Framework of Qualifications
• Professional Awards
• Foundation programmes.
The ILEP will be superseded by the TrustEd mark awarded by Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI). The ILEP is closed to new applicant providers. Providers without programmes currently listed in the ILEP must have gained TrustEd Ireland authorisation before recruiting non-EEA students.
Information in relation to the TrustEd Ireland Scheme and Immigration Requirements can be found at the following link: [www.irishimmigration.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Policy-Statement-TrustEd-Ireland-and-Immigration-Requirements.pdf].
The new TrustEd Ireland mark will be awarded to higher education and English language education providers who have demonstrated that they meet national standards to ensure a quality experience for international learners from pre-enrolment through to the completion of their programme of education.
QQI is the state agency responsible for promoting the quality, integrity and reputation of Ireland’s further and higher education system. Providers with authorisation to use the TrustEd Ireland mark must adhere to the following policy documentation, which builds on existing quality assurance structures for higher education and establishes quality assurance principles and criteria for English language education:
• Code of Practice for Provision of Programmes of English Language Education to International Learners (www.qqi.ie/sites/default/files/2024-01/code-of-practice-for-provision-of-programmes-of-english-language-education-to-international-learners.pdf),
• Statutory Quality Assurance Guidelines for English Language Education (www.qqi.ie/sites/default/files/2024-01/statutory-quality-assurance-guidelines-for-english-language-education-providers.pdf),
• Code of Practice for Provision of Programmes of Higher Education to International Learners (www.qqi.ie/sites/default/files/2024-01/code-of-practice-for-provision-of-programmes-of-higher-education-to-international-learners.pdf),
• Policy on Authorisation to Use the International Education Mark (www.qqi.ie/sites/default/files/2024-01/policy-on-authorisation-to-use-the-international-education-mark_0.pdf).
In addition, all providers seeking authorisation to use the TrustEd Ireland mark are obliged to co-operate with Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) in my Department in monitoring student compliance with immigration law. Providers must ensure that all students, including prospective students, are fully aware of their immigration obligations.
My Department must be fully satisfied in relation to the continued capacity of providers to fulfil immigration requirements concerning the provision of higher and English language education to non-EU/EEA/Swiss students.
QQI are empowered under the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Act 2012, as amended, to remove a provider’s authorisation to use the TrustEd Ireland mark in cases where there is persistent or serious failure on the part of the provider to co-operate with ISD in monitoring student compliance with immigration law.
