Malcolm Byrne
Ceist:460. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Social Protection the social protection entitlements available to persons paying category K PRSI. [53232/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraSocial Insurance
Ceisteanna (460)
Freagraí scríofa
PRSI Class K charge applies on the income of individuals in the following categories:
1. certain public office holders whose annual office holder income exceeds €5,200,
2. civil and public servants recruited prior to 6 April 1995 who have either or both self-employed earned and unearned income,
3. employed contributors who have unearned self-employed income only and
4. occupational pensioners who are under State pensionable age (currently 66 years) where they have unearned self-employed income only.
PRSI Class K contributions do not confer entitlement to social insurance benefits. Nevertheless, most individuals paying Class K are still protected in the event of certain contingencies arising during their working life and, thereafter, upon retirement from the work force. This coverage stems from their overall terms of employment or other income streams that are subject to benefit-eligible PRSI classes. For example, an individual may pay Class K on unearned self-employed income while paying Class A on their primary employment income, which entitles them to the full suite of social insurance benefits.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Social Welfare Eligibility
Ceisteanna (461)
Richard Boyd Barrett
Ceist:461. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will review the case of a person (details supplied) who has had an application and appeals for disability allowance rejected; if the cited ECJ ruling is appropriate in this case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53322/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that a Section 318 review for the person concerned was registered on 9th July 2026.
The Section 318 review is currently assigned to the Chief Appeals Officer, who understands the importance of the case, and will prioritise the completion of the review.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Social Welfare Code
Ceisteanna (462)
Keira Keogh
Ceist:462. Deputy Keira Keogh asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department is considering any changes to the six month backdate rule that exists within applications for domiciliary care allowance, in view of the difficulties it may present when an applicant seeks a backdate for a different payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53348/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Domiciliary Care Allowance is a non means tested payment to a parent or guardian in respect of a child under 16 who has a severe disability and requires continuous care and attention, substantially more than what is typically required by a child of the same age.
More than 64,460 families are currently receiving Domiciliary Care Allowance in respect of approximately 73,580 children. The estimated expenditure on the scheme in 2026 is almost €359 million.
Legislation provides that Domiciliary Care Allowance may be backdated for up to six months where there was ‘good cause’ for a late claim. ‘Good cause’ is assessed by Deciding Officers based on the circumstances presented and any supporting evidence.
Any further reforms to Domiciliary Care Allowance, will be considered in the context of the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025–2030, having regard to budgetary resources.
Departmental Schemes
Ceisteanna (463)
Seán Kyne
Ceist:463. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Social Protection to provide details of all grant schemes currently available through his Department for which individuals or community groups are eligible to apply; the purpose of each grant scheme; the eligibility criteria; the application process; the opening and closing dates for application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53424/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Department of Social Protection does not operate any such grant schemes. With regard to my role as Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, information on grant schemes operated by that Department will be provided to the deputy in response to the same question to that Department.
Social Welfare Eligibility
Ceisteanna (464)
Ann Graves
Ceist:464. Deputy Ann Graves asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a couple (details supplied) do not qualify for full time carer's allowance despite being pensioners earning a combined €32,000 but another couple who earn €110,000 would qualify for full time carer's allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53428/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Under the single payment per person rule, people who qualify for multiple payments from my Department typically receive only the higher of the available options.
However, as an exception to this rule, the half-rate Carer's Allowance was introduced for people already receiving a social welfare payment. This arrangement allows people receiving certain social welfare payments to retain their primary payment and receive up to a half-rate Carer's Allowance, depending on their means. For example, a person receiving Carer's Allowance who qualifies for the full Contributory State Pension can, at age 66, move from a €270 per week Carer's Allowance to a combined payment of €453.30 per week, an increase of €183.30 per week. They may also have an entitlement to Fuel Allowance, the Household Benefits Package, and Free Travel.
I can confirm that the person concerned is in receipt of half rate Carer's Allowance in respect of the care of their son since 22 August 2002 in addition to their weekly Contributory State Pension payment.
For a working couple, earnings from employment are assessed through the Carer's Allowance means test. The increase in the weekly income disregard thresholds for Carer's Allowance makes the scheme accessible to more carers who may not have previously qualified for Carer's Allowance due to their means and brings us closer to the Government's commitment of phasing out the means test for Carer's Allowance over the lifetime of this Government.
I hope this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
Departmental Policies
Ceisteanna (465)
Seán Ó Fearghaíl
Ceist:465. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Social Protection the key measures taken to tackle poverty since January 2025; his priorities for the rest of 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53510/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Reducing poverty is a priority of this Government, as made clear in our Programme for Government.
During 2025, work continued on implementation of the whole of Government strategy to tackle poverty and improve social inclusion, the Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2020-2025. Over its lifetime, poverty rates generally declined, a welcome trend that has continued in the latest poverty data, the Survey on Income and Living Conditions 2025. 73 of the 81 cross-Government commitments in the Roadmap were delivered, while 8 remained in progress. A final progress report and report card will be published in Q3.
Additionally, during 2025, Government introduced social protection measures under Budget 2025 which targeted those most impacted by poverty. These included €12 increases to most weekly social welfare payments, and significant increases to the Child Support Payment and Working Family Payment thresholds to support families with children on low income.
In Budget 2026, the Government prioritised targeted supports for those most at risk of poverty. €28.9 billion is being spent on social protection this year, including over €1.15 billion of new measures targeted to assist households including a €10 increase in core weekly rates, and record increases to the Carer's Allowance weekly income disregard, as well as the income limit for Carer's Benefit. In addition, €320 million will be spent in specific targeted measures designed to tackle child poverty, including the largest ever increases in the Child Support Payment.
Recognising that poverty is multi-dimensional and must be addressed beyond income supports, these Budget measures complement other measures underway by my Department, as well as colleagues across Government in areas such as housing, health and childcare, which work to reduce poverty.
The Roadmap for Social Inclusion 2026-2030 was published in May 2026 and is the renewed cross-Government strategy to reduce poverty and improve social inclusion over the next five years. It was informed by a public consultation process that received almost 500 submissions, and by extensive engagement with Government Departments and community and voluntary organisations.
Building on progress to date, its aim is to reduce consistent poverty to 2 per cent or less by the end of 2030, reduce income inequality, and make Ireland one of the most socially inclusive countries in the European Union. The Roadmap sets out 63 cross-Government actions to help achieve these aims.
These actions again span key areas - income supports, employment, housing, education, health, transport, childcare and public services - and focus on the groups that the data shows are most impacted by poverty, such as families with children on low income, lone parents, people who are unemployed, disabled people, older people and disadvantaged groups such as members of the Traveller and Roma communities.
The Roadmap also fulfills the European Union's call on Member States, in its first Anti-Poverty Strategy published in May, to ensure anti-poverty policy frameworks are in place.
My priority, working with colleagues across Government, is to ensure that the actions in this Roadmap are delivered and translate into real outcomes for households and communities across Ireland.
I will oversee progress through chairing the Social Inclusion Roadmap Steering Group, with senior representation from all relevant Government Departments, as well as the community and voluntary sector. Progress will be measured against 25 high-level indicators, derived from data published by the Central Statistics Office and Eurostat, and reported on annually in progress reports published on Gov.ie.
Additionally, in my role as Minister for Social Protection, I will strive to ensure that Budget 2027 supports the actions of the Roadmap and prioritises those groups most impacted by poverty in Ireland.
Departmental Policies
Ceisteanna (466)
Seán Ó Fearghaíl
Ceist:466. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Social Protection the key measures taken to support carers since January 2025; his priorities for the rest of 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53511/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Government recognises and values the important role of family carers, and is committed to continuing to improve the supports available to them.
The main income supports to carers provided by the Department are Carer’s Allowance, Carer’s Benefit, Domiciliary Care Allowance and the Carer’s Support Grant. Expenditure on these payments this year is expected to exceed €2.2 billion.
The Programme for Government commits to strengthening supports for family carers with a particular focus on the concerns raised by carers and their representative groups. The main priority has been the progressive removal of the Carer’s Allowance means test and substantial progress has been achieved.
In July 2025 when the income disregards increased from €450 to €625 for a single person and from €900 to €1,250 for a couple. As part of Budget 2026, and with effect from this month, the Government has further increased the weekly income disregard by 60%, from €625 to €1,000 for a single person, and from €1,250 to €2,000 for carers who are part of a couple.
These changes are the largest ever increases in the history of the scheme with virtually all those in receipt of Carer's Allowance now in receipt of the maximum rate of payment.
A carer in a two-adult household with an income of approximately €110,000 can retain their full Carer’s Allowance payment and with an income of €138,000 will retain a partial payment. This covers up to 90% of couple households.
A single carer working part-time can now earn up to €50,000 and retain their full Carer’s Allowance Payment. The disregard is over double the average earnings for part-time workers.
Progress has also been made on weekly carer rates of payments. In January 2026 there was a €10 increase in the maximum personal rate of Carer's Allowance and Carer's Benefit to €270 and €271, respectively, for carers aged under 66. For those aged 66 and over, the weekly rate for Carer’s Allowance is now €308. There are proportionate increases for people getting a reduced rate. This is the fifth successive rise in weekly welfare rates which have increased by €51 over the last five years.
As part of Budget 2026, the monthly rate of Domiciliary Care Allowance was increased by €20, bringing it to €380 in January. This payment has increased by €70.50 per month since January 2023.
The Child Support Payment also increased to €78 for children aged 12 and over and €58 for those under 12.
The Carer’s Support Grant was increased by €150 to €2,000 in June 2025, its highest ever level. The grant is paid in respect of each person being cared for. This year’s grant was paid to over 147,000 carers on 4 June.
The Department continues to actively engage with carer stakeholders, most recently at the Pre-Budget Forum on 1 July. This will help inform the development of proposals for the forthcoming Budget having regard to overall costs and improvement in social welfare.
Social Insurance
Ceisteanna (467)
Ryan O'Meara
Ceist:467. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Social Protection if he has given consideration to removing employer PRSI on customer tips and gratuities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53515/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Tips and gratuities received by employees from either routed through the employer or from the customer directly are liable for PRSI. There is no exemption from PRSI for such payments.
When tips or gratuities are routed through the employer, the employer must process these amounts through standard payroll. They must be included in the payroll submission for the period they are distributed and are subject to statutory deductions, including PAYE, USC, and both employee and employer PRSI.
When a customer hands a tip or gratuity directly to an employee with no employer involvement, the employer has no obligation to operate PAYE or PRSI. However, the employee is obligated to declare this supplementary income on their annual tax return.
I have no plans to remove employer PRSI liability on tips and gratuities. Any changes to exempt such payments from PRSI would have to be considered in a budgetary context, taking account of the economic circumstances and with a view to the sustainability of the Social Insurance Fund.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Social Welfare Code
Ceisteanna (468)
Ryan O'Meara
Ceist:468. Deputy Ryan O'Meara asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department will give consideration to excluding the carer's allowance from the back to school clothing and footwear allowance means test, similar to the domiciliary care allowance, for parents caring for their children. [53571/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
This Government acknowledges the important role that carers play and remains fully committed to supporting them.
The Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance scheme provides a once-off payment to eligible families to assist with the costs of clothing and footwear when children start or return to school each autumn. The scheme operates from June to September each year.
In order to qualify for Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance, an applicant must satisfy a number of qualifying conditions, one of which requires the applicant’s household income to be within the relevant income limits. The income limits for the scheme are increased annually as part of the budget process.
The Weekly Household Income Limits for 2026 are:
|
Number of Children |
Income Limit |
|
1 child |
€726.70 |
|
2 children |
€804.70 |
|
3 children |
€882.70 |
|
4 children* |
€960.70 |
* Limit is increased by €78.00 for each additional child.
The household income includes weekly social protection payments, gross income from employment, minus employee PRSI and a €20 travel allowance and any other income the household may have.
Any income from Working Family Payment, Child Benefit, Rent Supplement, Back to Work Family Dividend, Guardian’s Payments, Domiciliary Care Allowance, Blind Welfare Allowance, Foster Care Allowance, Higher Level Education grants is not assessable. Rehabilitative employment (up to €165 per week) is also not assessable.
I have no plans to amend the eligibility criteria or to exclude other payments from the income test for the Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear scheme at this time. Any future changes to the Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance scheme would have to be considered in an overall Budgetary context.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Social Welfare Rates
Ceisteanna (469)
Shay Brennan
Ceist:469. Deputy Shay Brennan asked the Minister for Social Protection if his Department plans to increase the household benefits package. [53591/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Household Benefits Package comprises the electricity or gas allowance, and the free television licence. The Department of Social Protection will spend approximately €317 million this year on the Household Benefits Package.
The Programme for Government includes a commitment to examine key ancillary benefits such as the Fuel Allowance, Household Benefits Package and Living Alone Increase to support vulnerable groups. This is an ongoing activity as part of the Department's budget planning each year and I will continue, as part of the budget planning process, to consider if improvements can be made to ensure that these benefits continue to target vulnerable groups. Any future decisions including any decision to increase the Electricity/Gas element of the Household Benefits Package will, of course, have to take account of the availability of financial resources.
Given the many competing demands for the limited funding available to the Department, recent Budget spending increases have been targeted to ensure that it goes to those people who need help the most.
With regards to targeted measures, the Department provides support to households who are most vulnerable to energy poverty via the Fuel Allowance payment. The Fuel Allowance payment is a means tested payment which is targeted towards households that are at a higher risk of poverty. It is for this reason the Department has increased the weekly rate of Fuel Allowance and not the electricity/gas element of the Household Benefits Package in recent Budgets. Budget 2026 did provide for a €10 weekly increase to all of the main social welfare payments, a €5 increase to the weekly rate of Fuel Allowance and a 100% Christmas bonus in December last year.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Social Welfare Eligibility
Ceisteanna (470)
John Connolly
Ceist:470. Deputy John Connolly asked the Minister for Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) in County Galway was not provided with an explanation as to the reason legitimate expenses were not taken into account by his Department during the review of their disability allowance; if detailed reasons will now be issued to the person stating the reason these legitimate expenses were disregarded,; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53623/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Disability Allowance is a weekly allowance paid to people with a specified disability who are aged 16 or over and under the age of 66. This disability must be expected to last for at least one year and the allowance is subject to a medical assessment, a means test and the habitual residency condition.
The Department periodically reviews claims in payment to ensure that there is continued entitlement. In this case the means of the person concerned were reviewed.
Means are any income belonging to the person in receipt of Disability Allowance and their spouse, civil partner, or cohabitant, property, (except their own home) or an asset that could bring in money or provide them with an income, for example occupational pensions, or pensions or benefits from another country.
It is a condition for receipt of DA that every claimant shall furnish such certificates, documents, information and evidence as may be required for the purposes of determining means.
Following receipt of a Social Welfare Inspectors (SWI) report detailing previously undeclared sales income from seaweed sales for the years 2020–2025, the means belonging to the person concerned increased for the period mentioned. This led to an overpayment raised against the person concerned to the value of €4,877.50.
The person concerned was notified on 17th October 2025 of this decision, the reason for it and of her right of review and appeal.
The decision is currently under review following your representations. To complete this review a request for further information issued 10th July 2026 to the person concerned. Once this information is received the review will be completed without delay and the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.
Paternity Leave
Ceisteanna (471)
Carol Nolan
Ceist:471. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will outline the estimated cost to the Exchequer of extending paid paternity leave from two weeks to eight weeks; whether such costings have been prepared by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53643/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Paternity Leave and Benefit are provided for under the Paternity Leave and Benefit Act of 2016. The Department for Children, Disability and Equality has policy and legal responsibility for all family leaves, including any extension or expansion of the scheme, while my Department has policy and legal responsibility for the associated benefit.
Paternity Benefit is paid for two weeks at €299 per week and is payable to relevant parents who meet the relevant conditions and are on Paternity Leave from their employment.
Extending Paternity Benefit, from its current two week entitlement to eight weeks is estimated to cost over an additional €52 million per year. These costings have been calculated using 2026 expenditure estimates and are based on estimated recipient numbers and take up and are therefore subject to change.
Any changes to these schemes would have to be considered in a budgetary context having regard to overall improvements to social welfare schemes and the sustainability of the Social Insurance Fund.
Social Welfare Benefits
Ceisteanna (472)
Seamus Healy
Ceist:472. Deputy Seamus Healy asked the Minister for Social Protection if he will introduce a disregard for income derived from carer's allowance when assessing other social welfare payments including the working family payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53661/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Working Family Payment is a tax-free payment which provides an income top-up for employees, with children and with low earnings. It is a targeted measure that is directly linked to household income and therefore directly supports low-income working families.
As at the end of June, there were some 56,000 households in receipt of the Working Family Payment, in respect of some 112,000 children.
To be eligible for the Working Family Payment the applicant must work a minimum of 38 hours a fortnight. It is important to note, to meet this requirement, hours worked can be combined for example those worked by the applicant and their spouse or partner.
The payment made is 60% of the difference between overall weekly household income and the relevant income threshold. The thresholds applied are based on the number of children in a household.
Budget 2026 measures included from January, a €60 per week increase was applied to income thresholds for all family sizes and Fuel Allowance was expanded to include Working Family Payment recipients with newly eligible households receiving these payments backdated.
The Working Family Payment is an in-employment support, as such it is an income assessed scheme and is not subject to a means test.
All income from employment assessed is net of income tax, pay-related social insurance, the universal social charge and pension-related deductions. In general, income from social protection payments, including Carer’s Allowance, is included in the assessment. Certain sources of income are disregarded, these include Child Benefit, the Supplementary Welfare Allowance and certain payments made directly or indirectly by or on behalf of the Minister for Justice.
Once awarded, Working Family Payment is payable for 52 weeks, even where the person’s income changes as long as the recipient continues to satisfy the qualifying conditions. This provides a safeguard for people who experience seasonal fluctuations in their income.
Disregarding the Carer’s Allowance income assessment from the Working Family Payment income test would be a significant shift in policy direction. There are no current plans to change the income assessment applied.
I trust this clarify the position for the Deputy.
Social Welfare Code
Ceisteanna (473)
Mary Lou McDonald
Ceist:473. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Social Protection if he intends to change the current arrangements which stops domiciliary care once a child turns 16 years-of-age; if he will allow this allowance to continue if still in full-time education, until the child turns 18 years-of-age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53669/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Domiciliary Care Allowance is a non-means tested payment to a parent or guardian in respect of a child under 16 who has a severe disability and requires continuous care and attention, substantially more than what is typically required by a child of the same age.
More than 64,460 families are currently receiving Domiciliary Care Allowance in respect of approximately 73,580 children. The estimated expenditure on the scheme in 2026 is almost €359 million.
Domiciliary Care Allowance stops being paid when a child turns 16 years of age. If the young person continues to have a disability that significantly impacts their daily living activities, they can then apply for a Disability Allowance payment in their own name of up to €254 per week. To avoid any gap in support, families can apply for Disability Allowance up to 3 months before the child’s 16th birthday.
Where a parent or guardian is also receiving Carer’s Allowance or Carer’s Benefit, those payments may continue for as long as the qualifying conditions are met. Last week, the weekly income disregards for Carer’s Allowance increased to €1,000 for a single person and €2,000 for a couple, the largest ever increase to the means test. The income disregard for Carer’s Benefit also increased from €625 to €1,000. The annual Carer’s Support Grant of €2,000 also remains payable where full-time care continues.
Any future reform of Domiciliary Care Allowance will be considered in the context of commitments set out in the Programme for Government and the National Human Rights Strategy for Disabled People 2025-2030.
Social Welfare Rates
Ceisteanna (474)
Darren O'Rourke
Ceist:474. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Social Protection the additional cost of introducing a double payment for the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance for qualifying children entering transition year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53670/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance scheme provides a once-off payment to eligible families to assist with the costs of clothing and footwear when children start or return to school each autumn. The scheme operates from June to September each year.
The rates of payment for the 2026 scheme are €160 for children aged between 2 and 11 years and €285 for children aged 12 and over. The 2026 scheme is extended to children aged 2 and 3 years.
The Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance is awarded by age and not by the academic year the child is in. The breakdown of applications by academic year is not readily available.
In 2025, 144,511 families in respect of 256,052 children benefited from the scheme at a cost of €55.36 million. Funding of €60.45m has been provided for the Back-to-School Clothing and Footwear Allowance scheme this year.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
Departmental Data
Ceisteanna (475)
Tony McCormack
Ceist:475. Deputy Tony McCormack asked the Minister for Social Protection the number of employees now enrolled under MyFutureFund, the automatic enrolment retirement savings system, by county, in tabular form. [53716/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
The Programme for Government contained a commitment to introduce the Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System (AE). The aim of introducing AE is to address the pension coverage gap that exists in Ireland and to provide workers with greater comfort and security regarding their retirement income.
The new system - known as MyFutureFund - commenced on the 1st January 2026. All elements of the system are operating as planned. At this time, over 843,000 employees have been enrolled in MyFutureFund. The data you have requested is presented in the table below.
|
County |
Participants |
|
Dublin |
267207 |
|
Cork |
83200 |
|
Galway |
42810 |
|
Kildare |
41836 |
|
Meath |
37393 |
|
Limerick |
31525 |
|
Wexford |
27297 |
|
Tipperary |
25543 |
|
Kerry |
24587 |
|
Louth |
24317 |
|
Wicklow |
23454 |
|
Donegal |
23072 |
|
Mayo |
19105 |
|
Waterford |
18824 |
|
Clare |
17154 |
|
Westmeath |
15452 |
|
Kilkenny |
14741 |
|
Laois |
13639 |
|
Offaly |
13518 |
|
Cavan |
13513 |
|
Carlow |
11942 |
|
Monaghan |
11606 |
|
Roscommon |
9686 |
|
Sligo |
9381 |
|
Other |
7836 |
|
Longford |
7814 |
|
Leitrim |
4701 |
|
Derry |
805 |
|
Down |
517 |
|
Armagh |
355 |
|
Tyrone |
239 |
|
Fermanagh |
223 |
|
Antrim |
95 |
|
Grand Total |
843387 |
I hope this clarifies matters for the Deputy.
Departmental Data
Ceisteanna (476)
Emer Currie
Ceist:476. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of scramblers seized by Gardaí under the Road Traffic (Control of Certain Vehicles) Regulations 2026, known as 'Grace's Law', in tabular form; and the number that were released by Gardaí after the payment of the fine of €125. [52615/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
Our road safety strategy takes a whole of government approach and is a shared responsibility. Development and implementation of road traffic legislation and policy falls within the remit of my colleague, the Minister for Transport, and the vital role of enforcing road traffic laws is carried out by An Garda Síochána.
To support An Garda Síochána, we now have an enhanced legislative framework following the signing into law of the Road Traffic (Control of Certain Vehicles) Regulations 2026, known as Grace's Law. Gardaí also have additional, and significant, legislative powers to combat the antisocial and dangerous misuse of scramblers, quad bikes, e-scooters and other such vehicles including under the Road Traffic Act 1961, the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997, and the Criminal Law Act 1997 and the Road Traffic and Roads Act 2023.
I commend An Garda Síochána on the progress they have made regarding the seizure and detention of scrambler bikes and other such vehicles.
I am informed by Garda authorities of substantial increases in the seizure and detention of these vehicles when comparing the first quarter of 2026 against the full year of both 2024 and 2025.
The Garda Authorities has provided me with the below table which shows the total Scramblers, e-Scooters, e-Bikes and Quad Bikes which were seized in 2024, 2025 and the 1st quarter of 2026.
|
- |
2024 |
2025 |
2026 (1st Quarter) |
|
Scramblers |
165 |
159 |
94 |
|
e-Scooters |
310 |
931 |
754 |
|
e- Bikes |
144 |
237 |
140 |
|
Quad Bikes |
39 |
40 |
17 |
Please be advised that data on the number of seizures under 'Graces Law' cannot be provided by An Garda Síochána at this point as a quarterly validation of incidents must first be completed. Similarly data related to the number of scramblers released by Gardaí after the payment of a fine is not currently available.
Departmental Data
Ceisteanna (477, 478, 479, 480, 481, 482, 483)
Matt Carthy
Ceist:477. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of airports, seaports and other locations currently designated for immigration control purposes together with the annual passenger throughput at each location, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52618/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraMatt Carthy
Ceist:478. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of primary inspection desks, secondary inspection facilities, automated passport gates, immigration control booths, and dedicated biometric enrolment facilities currently available at each airport and seaport in the State, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52619/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraMatt Carthy
Ceist:479. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of personnel currently assigned to immigration control duties at airports and seaports, broken down by immigration officers, Garda personnel, administrative staff, information technology staff, and contract staff, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52620/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraMatt Carthy
Ceist:480. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the average processing time for arriving passengers at State immigration controls in the most recent year available, separately identifying Irish and British citizens, EU citizens and all other passengers, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52621/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraMatt Carthy
Ceist:481. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the information technology systems presently used for passenger processing, immigration control and watchlist checking at the State's borders; the annual operating cost of each such system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52622/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraMatt Carthy
Ceist:482. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether any assessment has been conducted regarding the integration of immigration databases with airline advance passenger information systems, visa systems;,Garda systems, British immigration systems and European Union border management systems; to provide copies of any such assessments that have been conducted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52623/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraMatt Carthy
Ceist:483. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the extent to which the State currently possesses equipment capable of capturing facial images, fingerprints and other biometric identifiers for immigration and border management purposes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52624/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraFreagraí scríofa
I propose to take Questions Nos. 477 to 483, inclusive, together.
I can advise the Deputy that the Immigration Act 2004 (Approved Ports) Regulations 2004 designate nine airports and nine seaports for people arriving by air and sea into the State, including Dublin Airport, Rosslare Harbour and Dublin Port among others.
The Border Management Unit (BMU) of my Department has responsibility for frontline immigration duties at Dublin Airport only. Other airports and other ports of entry are the responsibility of An Garda Síochána.
In 2025, 18,202,584 passengers arrived in Dublin Airport, and up to the end of quarter 2 of 2026 there were 8,954,664 passengers. It is not possible to give a breakdown of arriving passengers as requested by the Deputy as my Department does not hold such data.
The information in relation to the time taken to process individual passengers is not collated in a manner requested by the Deputy.
I can advise the Deputy, as of 30 June 2026, there are 175 BMU members of various grades engaged in frontline immigration functions at Dublin Airport and 8 administrative staff. The staffing levels in this unit are kept under constant review. The BMU are supported by the Department's central ICT unit.
There are 25 eGates, 43 immigration booths, and 8 fingerprinting machines at Dublin Airport.
I can advise the Deputy that the establishment of a person’s identity is an important feature of our immigration process. When a non-EEA national presents at border control, an Immigration Officer must determine whether that person should be granted leave to land and gain entry to the State. Everyone arriving at a port of entry will have their travel documents inspected by either an Immigration Officer or, for certain confined categories, an electronic system (E-gates).
A range of ICT systems support passenger processing and immigration control. These include advance passenger information systems, the Automated Visa Application and Tracking System (AVATS), Garda Immigration System, INTERPOL’s Stolen and Lost Travel Document database, as well as access to the Schengen Information System (SIS) II. Under this system Ireland sends and receives SIS II information (termed ‘Alerts’) on persons and objects; for example persons wanted for criminal purposes, missing persons and objects which have been stolen or are wanted as evidence for a judicial purpose.
For security reasons and to protect the integrity of the immigration system, neither I nor my Department can comment on specific operational procedures of the Border Management Unit (BMU) or the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB), including on the operation of SIS II.
In June this year new eGates opened at Dublin Airport, introducing enhanced technology designed to improve passenger flow, strengthen security measures and support increasing passenger numbers. The upgraded system includes improved facial comparison technology, enhanced impostor detection measures, a new two-step verification process and the introduction of ID card reader functionality for eligible passengers from participating countries.
I can also advise the Deputy that, from 12 June, all International Protection applicants aged 6 and over, and those who are found to be irregularly entering and illegally staying in Ireland are fingerprinted. These fingerprints are checked against Eurodac, an EU database which stores the fingerprints of asylum applicants and those who have been found to cross borders illegally. The Department procured additional fingerprint scanning devices to increase capacity across immigration offices, ports and airports for this purpose.
Implementing effective border security arrangements is a priority for me, and the Programme for Government commits to developing a border security strategy to deliver stronger border security, ensuring technology supports border screening and to reviewing the potential of extending pre-clearance mechanisms, such as electronic travel authorisation, for travel from designated third countries. This work is underway.
Question No. 478 answered with Question No. 477.
Question No. 479 answered with Question No. 477.