49. Deputy Naoise Ó Cearúil asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the progress made in 2026 in implementing the Statement of Strategy 2025-2028, including the way in which delivery is being measured and reported; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49771/26]

I was pleased to publish my Department's new Statement of Strategy for 2025–2028 at the end of last year. The Strategy aligns with the Programme for Government, sets out my Department’s strategic direction to 2028 and will further the work towards our shared vision of a safe, fair and inclusive Ireland.

My Department has further developed a Statement of Priorities for this year, drawn from the Strategy and ensuring focus on delivery of our key commitments for 2026. This will be updated each year during the lifetime of the Statement of Strategy.

The Management Board, led by the Department's Secretary General, has a central leadership role in planning and overseeing the delivery of Departmental objectives, subject to my approval. The Management Board sets the strategic direction for the justice sector, oversees policy implementation, and manages the Department’s resources.

Each month, I chair my Department's 'MinMAC' meeting, which includes Ministers Brophy and Ardagh, the Department's Secretary General, Management Board and the Directors of a number of agencies. These meetings bring together the officials responsible for delivering Programme for Government commitments and provide oversight of the delivery of agreed priorities, in line with those commitments.

Details of my Department’s progress on the high level goals set out in our Statement of Strategy 2025-2028 is outlined below:

Goal 1: Protecting our security

Cyber Security

Ireland is currently transposing the NIS2 Directive via the National Cyber Security Bill. The drafting of the Bill is at an advanced stage and is expected to be published later this year. It will include measures to ensure providers of critical services take measures to increase their cyber resilience and to protect themselves against cyber security incidents. The Bill also establishes the National Cyber Security Strategy as an executive office of my Department and provides the NCSC with additional powers and responsibilities to monitor, detect and respond to cyber security incidents in the State.

Counter-terrorism

Last June, I received Cabinet approval to strengthen Ireland’s counter-terrorism laws with the publication of the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2025. The Terrorist Offences Bill will allow for the prosecution of a broader range of terrorist activities in light of the evolving nature of terrorism. These include terrorist acts with a cross-border element, and cyber-attacks where the aim is to cause widespread harm. The Bill will bring Ireland’s counter-terrorism laws into line with those of other EU member states. This alignment will facilitate Ireland’s participation in enhanced counter-terrorism networks across the EU, enabling An Garda Síochána to tap into those networks to respond to both domestic and cross-border terrorist threats. The Bill is currently making its way through the Houses of the Oireachtas.

Interception

In January this year, I announced that the Government had approved my proposals to draft a new Communications (Interception and Lawful Access) Bill which will update and replace the Interception of Postal Packets and Telecommunications Messages (Regulation) Act 1993.

Updating this longstanding legislation is essential to ensure that the law in this area can yield the intelligence that is vital to combat serious and organised crime and threats to the security of the State, including terrorism. The legislation will include a general principle that interception powers apply to all forms of communications, whether encrypted or not, and can be used to obtain either content data or related metadata, such as phone call or email time and date and the sender and receiver of a communication. There will also be a provision for the use of covert surveillance software to gain lawful access to electronic devices and networks for the investigation of serious crime and security threats. These technologies can play a legitimate role when used in a lawful manner that is consistent with respect for human rights. The legislation will set out robust legal safeguards.

At present, the Minister for Justice has responsibility for authorising interception requests. In the new legislation, there will still be a role for the Minister but for the first time there will also be provision for judicial authorisation of interception requests. There will also be a requirement that agencies requesting an interception will have to outline any issues with regard to privileged material.

Goal 2: Safe communities

Strengthening the capacity and capabilities of An Garda Síochána

My first priority as Minister for Justice is to get more Gardaí out onto our streets preventing the commission of crime through high visibility patrols. Increased recruitment and appropriate civilianisation where possible are vital to achieving this as is modern technology and equipment and active management of Garda resources. The Programme for Government commits to recruiting at least 5,000 Gardaí over the lifetime of the Government, and we are very close to surpassing the previous record high of 14,600 Gardaí from March 2020. As we strengthen An Garda Síochána, we will see more Gardaí visible in our communities tackling and preventing crime, and I am confident we will exceed 15,000 Gardaí in the near future. Recruitment into An Garda Síochána has gathered real momentum. In 2025, 794 new recruits were welcomed into the Garda College in Templemore. This is the highest number recruited since 2018. Over 200 trainee Gardai entered Templemore in May, bringing the total number of current trainees to over 600. An Garda Síochána also recently held their latest recruitment drive which closed on 3 June, with over 4,000 applications received. This competition will help to ensure that we maintain the steady pipeline of new recruits.

I also introduced the Garda Síochána (Powers) Bill and the Garda Síochána (Recording Devices) (Amendment) Bill, which will provide additional powers to An Garda Síochána in relation to search warrants and use of facial recognition technology in certain circumstances. Both Bills are progressing through the Houses of the Oireachtas.

The project to rollout Body Worn Cameras to all Gardaí has progressed to procurement stage. Significant progress has been made on major developments of new garda stations in Portlaoise, Macroom, Clonmel, Bailieborough and Newcastle West.

Community Safety

The National Office for Community Safety established in April 2025 is a central coordinating body to the new whole of government, collaborative, problem-solving approach to community safety as envisaged by the Commission for the Future of Policing in Ireland (CoFPI).

Last June, I signed regulations to allow for Local Community Safety Partnerships to begin their work across the country. These regulations provide for a total of 36 Local Community Safety Partnerships to be established across every Local Authority. At a local level, community safety partnerships will play a major role in enhancing community safety nationwide in collaboration with An Garda Síochána, local residents, businesses and state agencies. I secured an additional €2.5 million in Budget 2026 to support the establishment of all 36 Local Community Safety Partnerships across the country.

Members have been appointed to all 36 of these Safety Partnerships and the Partnerships are working to develop Local Community Safety Plans for their local areas.

I was pleased on 13 April to launch a call for applications under the Community Safety Fund 2026 (CSF). This annual fund allows for the proceeds of crime, seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) and An Garda Síochána, to be redirected into local projects that support and enhance community safety. This year’s fund totalling €4.75 million is a significant increase since the initial allocation of €2 million in 2022. In 2025, grants totalling €4.4 million were provided for 42 projects through the CSF.

Domestic, Sexual, and Gender-Based Violence Strategy

Combatting all forms of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (DSGBV) has been a central priority for me since taking office.

An allocation of almost €80 million was secured through Budget 2026 to fund initiatives aimed at tackling DSGBV, an increase of 18% (€12.2 million) from 2025.

In June 2025, I published the final implementation plan of the five-year ‘Zero Tolerance’ National DSGBV Strategy setting out the delivery targets and collective action to end 2026. The plan contains 95 specific actions across the four pillars of the Istanbul Convention. There is a strong emphasis on delivery, collective responsibility, and meaningful outcomes. I will shortly publish a progress report on implementation in 2025.

Amongst the key deliverables are actions already underway in respect of significant legislative reform including:

• Prioritising the drafting of the Guardianship of Infants (Amendment) Bill that will, in certain situations, allow for the removal of guardianship rights from individuals convicted of killing the other parent or guardian of their child;

• Limiting the disclosure of counselling records in rape and sexual assault cases.

• Banning sex for rent under the Criminal Law and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025;

• Introducing the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences, Domestic Violence, and International Instruments) Bill 2025 which will, inter alia, change the threshold from a subjective to an objective test for establishing consent in rape and sexual assault cases;

• Introduce the Domestic Violence Register of Judgments, bringing greater transparency and accountability for serious offenders;

• Establishing the necessary legislative basis to provide for Operation Encompass, which will enable An Garda Síochána to share information with schools when a child has been exposed to domestic violence.

As part of the Zero Tolerance Strategy, Government committed to doubling domestic violence accommodation capacity in Ireland by the end of 2026 from 141 to 282 family units.

By the end of 2026, it is envisaged to have 94 safe homes and 193 refuge units completed, bringing total safe accommodation to 287, with 50 further refuge units under construction. I am continuing to work with Cuan, my Department and the Department of Housing to ensure we are exhausting all measures to increase the pace of delivery for this much needed additional capacity.

Prisons and penal reform

A multi-year building programme is progressing at several key sites across the prison estate. To accelerate delivery, I sought and secured an exemption from the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation for six major projects (960 prison spaces) to move straight to Approval Gate 2 - Pre-Tender Approval of the Infrastructure Guidelines. This decision is expected to bring forward delivery timelines on those six projects by 12 to 18 months, while freeing up internal capacity within IPS to advance the wider programme. This acceleration reflects the priority placed by Government on strengthening the prison system’s resilience and providing safe, secure and humane accommodation. This is part of the funded plan to deliver over 1,500 new spaces. 106 new spaces were delivered in 2025, and 26 new spaces are now operational in the Dóchas centre. A further 39 spaces will be delivered across the prison estate by year end, and a number of larger scale projects are expected to commence construction this year.

In April 2025, I approved the publication of the Probation Service’s 'Community Service - New Directions' Implementation Plan 2025-2027. This plan sets out commitments to drive the delivery and support the increased use of Community Service as a robust and meaningful alternative to imprisonment. Engagement with the Judiciary, imbedding the principles of desistence, restorative justice and social justice, and increasing the visibility and accessibility of community service are part of this plan.

A key recommendation of the High-Level Taskforce (HLTF) on mental health and addiction was the establishment of a Community Access Support Team (CAST) to divert those experiencing situational trauma or a mental health crisis away from the criminal justice system, and towards the healthcare system. The CAST project commenced in January 2025 and is a partnership pilot between An Garda Síochána and the Mental Health Services of HSE Mid-West Community Healthcare which is currently being trialled in the Limerick Garda Division.

This has resulted in multiple diversions from arrest and subsequent detentions under Section 12 of the Mental Health Act 2001 to the benefit of individual patients and increased public safety.

Goal 3: An effective and accessible justice system

Family Justice

The ongoing reform of the Family Justice system, for the benefit of families and children, is another of my key priorities.

Work has commenced on the implementation of the Family Courts Act 2024. The Act introduces changes to the current delivery of family justice, including the introduction of specialist family law judges assigned and operating within new family court divisions. I recently announced details of the Implementation Plan for the Family Justice Act that will result in some of the most significant reforms of the family justice system in the history of the State.

Last May, I published the Review of the Operation of the In Camera Rule in Family Law Proceedings. The review, a key action in the Family Justice Strategy, was conducted by a team from University College Cork and Trinity College Dublin and is an important piece of research which details the perspectives of many stakeholders regarding the current understanding and operation of the in-camera rule in family law proceedings. Importantly, it includes the views of those who have been parties in such proceedings.

Officials from my Department are currently engaging with a variety of stakeholders and working on a policy paper regarding how some of the recommendations made in the report could be implemented.

Last August, I published two tenders for the provision of new family law services aimed at making our system more transparent and better for children. The first is for a Private Family Law Reporting Project to provide transparency for the public and increase awareness and understanding of family law proceedings while ensuring that children’s and parents’ right to privacy is upheld. I am pleased to say that the Child Law Project has been contracted to deliver the three-year project and work on it has commenced.

The second is for a service to provide a new and innovative way to hear children’s voices in private family law proceedings. The Children’s Court Advocate Pilot Project will initially be established in Waterford and Clonmel, ensuring that all children to whom guardianship, custody or access applications relate can have the opportunity to be informed about the proceedings relating to them and have their voice heard without any cost to families.

In February 2026, I launched a new online child maintenance calculator to help parents in coming to arrangements on child maintenance payments. The launch of the calculator follows on from the publication of Ireland’s first set of Child Maintenance Guidelines earlier this year. The development of the guidelines was a key recommendation of the 2024 Review of the Enforcement of Child Maintenance Orders.

Civil Reform

In January, I published the General Scheme of the Civil Reform Bill. The Civil Reform Bill is a key measure that will see the implementation of the Review of the Administration of Civil Justice, also known as the Kelly Report, which was published in October 2020. The Report made over 90 recommendations aimed at improving access to justice for all by making it quicker, more efficient and more cost effective.

As part of the Bill, it is my intention to introduce provisions which will codify the existing law on judicial review by placing it on a statutory basis. The measures should achieve greater transparency in the law and lead to a more streamlined review process. Key reforms should ensure that the system cannot be misused on purely technical grounds, that the public interest is placed at the heart of judicial review, costs are reduced where possible and litigants have sufficient standing to properly challenge decisions. Given the significant challenges currently facing our State in terms of housing shortages, energy deficits, inadequate water supplies and climate change, 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 Bill will remove weaknesses in the current law, 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.

Goal 4: A fair and firm immigration system

Immigration

It is also a central priority for me to ensure that our immigration system is robust and rules based.

My Department has taken action to significantly improve immigration enforcement measures and increase removals. This includes the renewed use of chartered deportation and removal flights. In 2025, 4,700 deportation orders were signed, an increase of 96% compared to 2024, while 2,111 people had their departure confirmed under various mechanisms (i.e. enforced deportation, voluntary return etc.), an increase of 88% compared to 2024. To June 5 2026, 2,108 deportation orders have been signed, an increase of 9% on 2025.

In keeping with the Government commitment to significantly enhance the delivery of public services digitally, phase one of my Department's Immigration Customer Service Portal, which enables applicants to check their immigration application status, book first-time registration appointments, and submit queries, has been operational since October 2024. Since the launch of the Portal more than 285,000 customers have registered, with over 243,000 queries resolved and in excess of 147,000 registration appointments made.

International Protection

In 2025, the International Protection Office (IPO) delivered over 20,200 first decisions compared to approximately 14,100 in 2024, a 44% increase. The International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT) more than doubled the number of appeals closed from 3,100 in 2024 to nearly 6,300 in 2025.

The EU Migration and Asylum Pact came into effect on June 12, 2026, as did the International Protection Act 2026. The Pact is a new EU framework to manage migration and asylum for the long-term. The overall objective of the Pact is to provide a fair, sustainable and efficient asylum procedure.

New applicants are now required to attend Citywest Reception Centre for screening, which includes identity, criminality, health and vulnerability checks. Applicants are provided with legal counselling and may avail of free legal aid. They are triaged into the correct procedural pathway. The first interviews will take place before the end of June. Case processing will be more efficient through use of a new fully digital system, and cases will be decided quickly in the vast majority of cases. The new appeals body, TARA, is resourced to hear appeals within specific timelines, and immigration officers and the Garda National Immigration Bureau are prepared to return those whose application is unsuccessful or who do not have the right to remain during an appeal.

Ultimately, improved, faster processing will result in decreasing annual costs by reducing the time an applicant remains in the system.

State Owned Accommodation

I am committed to reforming Ireland’s international protection system to ensure its efficiency and robustness. A stable and sustainable accommodation network is a central element of that reform and a key PfG commitment. State-owned centres are part of the Government’s long-term plan to reduce the reliance on private accommodation providers resulting in better value for money of public funds and a more efficient international protection system. The purchase of the Citywest Hotel last year June was a significant step in achieving this.

The viability of other properties that could be utilised as state-owned accommodation is currently being accessed.

A coherent and sustainable response to the ending of the Temporary Protection Directive

On 26 May 2026, Government approved measures to support those displaced by the war in Ukraine to transition from Temporary Protection status in line with the EU Council recommendation for a co-ordinated approach to transition people out of Temporary Protection across the EU.

Ireland intends to continue to support people fleeing the war in Ukraine who are Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection.

Since the adoption of the Government Decision on 26 May 2026, significant progress has been made in implementing these measures. This includes the development of a new Temporary Permission Transition Scheme for eligible beneficiaries of temporary protection, phased withdrawal of state-contracted commercial accommodation in tandem with protections for those who have specific vulnerabilities, the development of voluntary return arrangements as well as strengthening of information and engagement supports through partners such as the Irish Red Cross and the International Organisation for Migration.

Delivery of these measures is being overseen through established cross-Government governance structures. These include the Senior Officials Group on Justice, divisions within my department and through regular whole-of-government engagement, local authorities, the European Commission and other stakeholders. Progress is monitored on an ongoing basis, with implementation milestones and emerging risks kept under review to ensure that Ireland’s response remains coordinated, sustainable and aligned with developments at EU level.

Goal 5: Increasing our influence in Europe

Presidency of the European Union

My Department is committed to playing its part in delivering a successful Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, which begins today. This will be a significant undertaking for Ireland, particularly in the Justice and Home Affairs, and Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Councils, which we are preparing for at Government and Departmental levels.

Ireland’s policy programme for the Presidency was published on 10 June and sets out our ambitions for the six-month period. Priorities in my area of responsibility are centered around three themes which overlap significantly with my domestic priorities; advancing a fair, firm, rules-based approach to migration, asylum and returns; keeping Europe safe and secure; and the protection of fundamental rights and the rule of law and promotion of digitalisation.

Delivery of these priorities is being overseen through internal monitoring structures and will be reported on at monthly meetings involving Ministers and the Management Board, as well as through interdepartmental coordination structures being led by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Improvements to international judicial cooperation

Bilateral agreements between Ireland and the United Arab Emirates on extradition and mutual legal assistance (MLA) in criminal matters entered into force on 18 May 2025. The bilateral MLA and extradition treaties will ensure that criminals cannot evade the law. They will also serve to mitigate the harm caused by any perception that criminals can evade the law and benefit from the ill-gotten gains of criminal activity abroad, which itself diminishes the trust and confidence of citizens in the rule of law.