Written Answers Nos. 410-429
412. Deputy Ged Nash asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide a copy of the recent correspondence issued by the Minister for Public Expenditure; National Development Plan Delivery and Reform to his Department referred to in media reports (details supplied); if he will provide details of the percentage reduction(s) in spending in his Department referenced in the correspondence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36413/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Secretary General of the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation recently wrote to the Secretary General in my Department setting out the quantum of a proposed levy applicable to the Department of Social Protection as part of the Revised Estimates process for 2027.
Following on from receipt of this letter, officials in my Department will continue to engage with the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation in relation to the preparation of the Existing Level of Service estimates as part of the Revised Estimates process for 2027. This issue will form a key topic in those discussions.
413. Deputy John Clendennen asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will provide a breakdown of spending on advertising which was funded or overseen by his Department, and bodies under its aegis, in each of the past five, including a breakdown by medium that is radio, television, social media, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36497/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department is committed to ensuring that members of the public are aware of the welfare supports and services that are available to them and that they are notified of any scheme changes which may affect them.
For the purpose of this response, spending on advertising has been interpreted as media buying costs incurred in the delivery of public information campaigns, announcements and recruitment notices funded or overseen by my Department and bodies under its aegis.
All campaigns are developed and targeted carefully in collaboration with our media buyer, using the best mix of media formats to ensure that the Department's messages reach members of the public effectively.
The advertising expenditure for each of the past five years, broken down by medium (radio, television and social media), is outlined in the table below. The total cited per year represents the total expenditure invoiced and paid within each year – this may include work undertaken in the previous year but not invoiced until that year. Please note that these figures exclude VAT, ASAI, and agency fees.
|
Year |
Television |
Radio (National & Local) |
Social Media |
|
2021 |
Nil |
€717,322.99 |
€140,641.90 |
|
2022 |
Nil |
€402,956.61 |
€96,614.37 |
|
2023 |
Nil |
€382,024.80 |
€174,325.51 |
|
2024 |
Nil |
€526,363.85 |
€197,770.26 |
|
2025 |
€831,905.20 |
€833,860.65 |
€341,362.74 |
Regarding the bodies under the aegis of my Department, due to the short timeframe I have referred this query to them and have asked that they respond to the Deputy directly on the matter.
As a newly established body under the aegis of the Department of Social Protection, the National Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings Authority did not have any expenditure on advertising in 2025.
414. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether he acknowledges the practical difficulties currently faced by Peace Commissioners in verifying their official status, particularly in comparison to members of An Garda Síochána who can produce warrant cards; and if he will commit to progressing this matter as a priority. [30588/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn line with the provisions of section 88 of the Courts of Justice Act 1924, Peace Commissioners are appointed, and may be removed from that appointment, by the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, and each newly appointed Peace Commissioner is issued with a Warrant of Appointment. My Department informs An Garda Síochána of all newly appointed Peace Commissioners in the respective area.
The Warrant of Appointment is an important document which should be retained at all times by an individual while appointed to the office of Peace Commissioner. Where an individual or a body requires further confirmation that a person has been appointed as a Peace Commissioner, it is open to them to contact the Peace Commissioner Unit in my Department.
The Warrant of Appointment for a Peace Commissioner is a unique document and as such, replacement/duplicate warrants are not issued. If a Peace Commissioner misplaces their warrant, they may write to my Department requesting a letter confirming their inclusion in the Roll of Peace Commissioners.
I can advise the Deputy that a review of the role and functions of Peace Commissioners, as well as of the appointment process, is currently underway in my Department and will include consideration of matters regarding identification of Peace Commissioners.
Other areas of focus in the review will include a review of the existing functions and powers of Peace Commissioners, appointments, removal and complaints procedures for Peace Commissioners, as well as the updating and maintenance of the Roll (Register) of Peace Commissioners and consideration of making the Roll available online.
As part of this work, my Department is reviewing the Roll (Register) of Peace Commissioners with a view to making it as accurate as possible. While this is a complex and lengthy undertaking, good progress has been made to date in this regard.
Once that work has been completed, consideration will be given to making the Roll of Peace Commissioners available online and accessible to the public, subject to consideration of any relevant legal, technical or other constraints.
415. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the total number of Special Exemption Orders (SEOs) secured by licensed premises per year for 2025, on a county by county basis, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35825/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra416. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the total number of individual licensed premises who have secured Special Exemption Orders (SEOs) per year and by county for 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35826/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 415 and 416 together.
The 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 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 at: oireachtasenquiries@courts.ie.
Pursuant to section five of the Intoxicating Liquor Act 1927, a licensee is obliged to make an application to the District Court for an Special Exemption Order. The granting or refusal of an SEO is entirely a matter for the Court.
My Department does not record the number of SEOs granted, as this is a matter reserved entirely for the Courts Service. Therefore, I have referred your questions to the Courts Service for their direct reply.
417. Deputy Aidan Farrelly asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if his Department or any bodies and agencies under its aegis use, or have in the past used, software and or products from a company (details supplied); the duration and cost of the contract; and the services they avail of from the company. [35870/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm that my Department does not use any software or products from the company referenced.
I am informed that this is also the case for the agencies under the aegis of my Department.
418. Deputy Seamus Healy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to confirm that an applicant for Irish citizenship can leave to an EU country to study abroad while their Irish citizenship application is pending provided they can attend any required appointments in Ireland such as the citizenship ceremony; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35876/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAll applications for a certificate of naturalisation are assessed individually in accordance with the provisions of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956, as amended.
Under Section 15 of the Act, applicants are required to have one year’s continuous residence in the State immediately prior to the date of application. During this period applicants can be absent from the State for up to 70 days, either as one period or an aggregate of periods.
An additional period of 30 days absence from the State may also be considered due to exceptional circumstances, such as but not limited to, health requirements, employment, study and/or voluntary service abroad. Each case is examined on an individual basis.
Applicants are required to submit proof which demonstrates their residency in the State and details of any absences from the state. The documentation provided is examined in accordance with the provisions of the Act, and is associated with their naturalisation application.
For any person who has already submitted their naturalisation application, the 70 days absence rule no longer applies. However, if an applicant intends to travel outside the State for an extended period of time, they should contact Citizenship Division in relation to this.
Detailed information on how to apply for naturalisation and other resources is available on my Department’s Immigration website here: www.irishimmigration.ie/how-to-become-a-citizen/.
419. Deputy Cathy Bennett asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether all recognised national firearms user representative organisations were invited to participate in the Firearms Forum established by his Department; and if he will outline the basis on which invitations and appointments were made. [35887/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department holds meetings with individual firearms organisations on request and engages with various firearms stakeholders, including representative firearms organisations, in various ways.
An Garda Síochána also meets with firearms stakeholder organisations in respect of relevant matters, and officials from my Department also liaise regularly with the Firearms Policy Unit of An Garda Síochána on firearms-related matters.
In 2025, my Department organised a series of engagements with firearms stakeholders in Wicklow, Limerick, Carrick-on-Shannon and Mullingar.
I and officials from my Department have also met with representative organisations, including the Target Shooting Ireland (Olympic Shooters) and the NARGC (National Association of Regional Games Councils).
The most recent engagement took place on the 28 April 2026, where more than 20 representatives of the firearms community and firearms stakeholder organisations attended a meeting with my officials. This was the fourth in a series of meetings that have taken place since 18 September 2025.
During this series of meetings, a multitude of items across the firearms sector have been discussed, and this series of meetings is due to continue throughout the year. Many stakeholders who attended have expressed positive feedback to Department officials on this engagement and were encouraged by the Department’s efforts to maintain momentum of the process.
The objective of these meetings is to provide a mechanism for ongoing engagement with firearms stakeholders from a broad range of areas within the firearms community, ensuring their valuable insights in specific areas of firearms can be considered in any future policy and legislative changes that may arise. Stakeholder organisations have been encouraged to make submissions to the meetings, engage with other stakeholders, and contribute.
A consultation phase is due to take place in the coming months with Firearms Representative Organisations with regards to the findings of the recent engagements. Any firearms stakeholder organisation that would like to participate in the upcoming consultation phase is also welcome to engage with my Department on the matter.
420. Deputy George Lawlor asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of motorists caught exceeding the speed limit on a static camera at a location (details supplied), since May 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35898/26]
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.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that from 30 May 2025 to 11 May 2026 inclusive, there have been 30,599 Fixed Charge Notices issued whereby a motorist exceeded the speed limit at the static camera on the N25 at Ballynamona, Co.Kilkenny.
I am further informed that this information is based upon operational data from the Fixed Charge Processing System as was available on 12 May 2026 and is liable to change.
421. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of people from Ukraine who have travelled back and forth to the Ukraine in each of the last five years. [35971/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn 2025, the Justice and Home Affairs Council extended Temporary Protection until March 2027, providing certainty for beneficiaries who can continue to avail of the protections that the Directive provides.
Under Article 2, the Temporary Protection Directive applies to the following groups of people who have had to flee Ukraine due to the invasion by Russia:
a) Ukrainian nationals who were residing in Ukraine before 24 February 2022;
b) Nationals of a third country (other than Ukraine) or a stateless person who would have benefited from international protection (for example: Refugee status) or an equivalent national protection status in Ukraine and were residing there before 24 February 2022;
c) Family members of persons covered by a) and b), where their family already existed in Ukraine, prior to 24 February, 2022.
Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection are permitted to be outside the State for short periods. They do not need to seek the consent of the Minister to leave the State and are free to return to Ukraine if they so wish. As there are no routine exit checks on people leaving the State it is not possible to say how many beneficiaries of temporary protection have travelled outside of Ireland.
My Department has recently updated its absence policy from state provided accommodation. The updated policy can be found here:www.gov.ie/en/department-of-justice-home-affairs-and-migration/publications/ukraine-crisis-temporary-accommodation-team-policies/. Someone benefiting from Temporary Protection can only be absent from their accommodation for a single two- week period, or a maximum of 21 days in a year.
422. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to give a detailed up to date progress report on an application by the Kerry County Board for significant funding under the IIP scheme in respect of a centre (details supplied) in Farranfore, County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35972/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra423. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to give favourable consideration to an application by the Kerry County Board for significant funding under the IIP scheme for the redevelopment of a stadium (details supplied) in Killarney; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35973/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 422 and 423 together.
As Minister, I do not comment on individual Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP) applications.
My Department is committed to ensuring that all applications will be examined on their own merits and will endeavour to conclude all decisions in a timely manner. If a project owner has any queries, they can contact the IIP Unit of my Department directly.
424. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to give a detailed up to date progress report on an application by a club (details supplied) for significant funding under the IIP scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35974/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister, I do not comment on individual Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP) applications.
My Department is committed to ensuring that all applications will be examined on their own merits and will endeavour to conclude all decisions in a timely manner. If a project owner has any queries, they can contact the IIP Unit of my Department directly.
425. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of persons subject to deportation orders currently residing in IPAS accommodation, broken down by year in which the deportation order was signed. [36356/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra426. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the average length of time persons subject to deportation orders have remained in IPAS accommodation after the making of the deportation order. [36357/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra427. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether his Department records the number of persons subject to deportation orders in IPAS accommodation who have legal proceedings, health grounds, family circumstances, or other factors delaying removal. [36358/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra428. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether his Department has a target timeframe for removing persons subject to deportation orders from IPAS accommodation where no legal or practical impediment to removal exists. [36359/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra429. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether his Department has estimated the annual accommodation cost of persons subject to deportation orders remaining in IPAS accommodation. [36360/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra430. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether his Department intends to introduce routine reporting on the number of persons subject to deportation orders who remain in IPAS accommodation. [36361/26]
Amharc ar fhreagra431. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether his Department has assessed the policy implications of IPAS accommodation being occupied by persons subject to deportation orders while new international protection applicants require accommodation. [36362/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 425, 426, 427, 428, 429, 430 and 431 together.
It is a priority for my Department to have recommendations made on all international protection applications as soon as possible.
This gives status to those who are entitled to international protection to rebuild their lives here, while also ensuring faster decision making in respect of those who do not meet the criteria.
Under the European Communities (Reception Conditions) Regulations 2018, International Protection Applicants are entitled to be provided with material reception conditions, including housing, food, clothing and a Daily Expenses Allowance (DEA).
The number of people resident in the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) centres who have been refused permission to remain in the State is a small proportion of our total resident population of over 33,000 people.
I understand from your questions that you wish to know the number of persons subject to deportation orders in IPAS accommodation who have legal proceedings, health grounds, family circumstances, or other factors delaying removal, along with specific costs and average length of stay. I regret that this information is not readily available in the manner requested but I will provide what detail is available.
Currently, there are over 800 people subject to deportation orders residing in IPAS accommodation. This number fluctuates regularly, as people leave Ireland under the relevant return pathways, and as new orders are made.
Some people subject to deportation orders may have the enforcement of their order suspended due to legal proceedings or due to personal circumstances such as health grounds. Others will be in the process of arranging to leave the State as directed.
The enforcement of deportation orders is an operational matter for the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB), and my Department works closely with the GNIB to progress arrangements for the removal of people subject to deportation orders. If a person issued with a deportation order does not leave the State independently then they are required to present to the GNIB in accordance with the conditions of their deportation order.
Ireland has opted into and is now working to implement the EU Migration and Asylum Pact by mid-2026. Reforming and speeding up processing of applications, which is well underway, should reduce the scale of the demand for international protection accommodation, and the time each applicant spends in IPAS accommodation.
The Department is also working to increase the amount of State-owned international protection accommodation and creating a more stable and sustainable accommodation system overall.
