I move amendment No. 6:
In page 8, line 12, after “2023” to insert “and the Family Courts Act 2024”.
TDs / Jim O'Callaghan
Jim O'Callaghan
Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration
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13
questions asked
Oral and written, to government departments
306,120
words spoken in the chamber
304,929 as a minister, 1,191 as a TD
360
votes recorded
Each Yes, No or Abstained in a recorded vote
8
topics asked about
Across 6 departments
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Dec 2024Oct 2026
Contributions to debates 1,001 in all
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| Month | Questions | Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| December 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| January 2025 | 13 | 0 |
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| March 2025 | 0 | 45 |
| April 2025 | 0 | 34 |
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| August 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 0 | 11 |
| October 2026 | 0 | 47 |
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Plus 598 contributions in the regular slots, such as Leaders' Questions and Priority Questions. Speech from the chair is not counted.
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Party, constituency and offices
- constituency Dublin Bay South 29 November 2024 to now
- party Fianna Fáil 29 November 2024 to now
- office Minister for Justice 23 January 2025 to 4 June 2025
- office Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration 5 June 2025 to now
I move amendment No. 7:
In page 8, line 25, after “Act” to insert “(other than Part 4 and section 44)”.
I move amendment No. 8:
In page 8, to delete line 31 and substitute the following:
“ “Act of 2007” means the Prisons Act 2007;
“Act of 2017” means the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017;”.
I did say that and I looked at it. I support the intention behind the legislation to ensure that there is legal recognition of the fact that gardaí deserve to be protected. My problem was that I need to have broader consideration of the legislative proposal in light of other legislation that exists at present. For instance, one of the things that was brought to my attention was that section 19 of the public order Act…
I am not supportive of Deputy Kelly’s amendment. I do not find it frequently the case that my access or the access of many colleagues coming in and out of the Houses of the Oireachtas is blocked. I do not recall ever being blocked coming in or out. I suppose the purpose of it is to say we do not tolerate intimidation of elected Members of the Oireachtas and I think that is valid.
It is important to point out that I …
I move amendment No. 12:
In page 10, line 38, to delete “Prisons Act 2007” and substitute “Act of 2007”.
I was at the committee hearing as well, as was Deputy Carthy. He got a straight answer from the Minister for Defence when she told him that these proposals were put before the Government before any fuel protest. His suggestion that there is an attempt to link them is completely untenable. I will deal promptly with this because, like others, I want to get to the counselling notes amendment, which is amendment No. 17. …
I considered it, and my concern is that the proposed amendment is seeking to merge and align community service and probation. The Deputy knows they are different statutory regimes. The Probation of Offenders Act deals with a court being able to dispose of a summary offence either by dismissing the charge or by discharging the offender conditionally. Obviously, community service is something different. Having given it…
Do I have time to start, Ceann Comhairle?
What is the Deputy saying to me? Is he saying that I should not speak for too long to allow for a vote on this?
Okay. Can I have two minutes?
The first thing I want to say is that I have listened to people in the House. I acknowledge the presence of survivors in the Gallery and I commend them because the law is being changed because of the advocacy of campaigners. We all agree on one thing, which is that the current situation is unacceptable. The current statutory scheme that operates is unacceptable and needs to be changed. It needs to be changed in order…
That is why I have left them in and the advice I have received is that they have been of assistance in achieving convictions. I am conscious of what Deputy Gannon has said and I want to allow a vote.
I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time."
I am very pleased to introduce the Guardianship of Infants (Amendment) Bill 2026. This Bill upholds a fundamental principle that those convicted of the most serious crimes should not retain automatic legal authority over the children left behind. This Bill delivers on the programme for Government commitment to "examine proposals to remove guardianship rights from th…
I thank the Deputy.
I thank colleagues who have spoken and contributed to the debate. It is notable that everyone who spoke and every political party represented in this House - indeed, every Independent TD - is supportive of this legislation. That is unusual. The reason there is such support for it is significantly because of the memory of Valerie French. The campaigning of David French and his sisters is something at the forefront of …
I move:
That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration pursuant to Standing Orders 103(2)(b) and 188(1).
Before we go through the amendments, I want to acknowledge and thank Deputies for their engagement on the Bill on Committee Stage and now on Report Stage. I have noted and considered the issues raised by Deputies on Committee Stage and I look forward to working constructively with the Leas-Cheann Comhairle and Members of the House to ensure this important Bill can be passed.
I thank Deputy Ward for moving his amendment. As he indicated at the outset, we are dealing with group 1, which comprises amendments Nos. 1 to 6, inclusive, and amendments Nos. 11 to 14, inclusive. As Deputy Ward indicated, they are all in respect of issues associated with crimes against humanity, genocide and war crimes. Deputy Ward is being specific about saying these amendments are focused on the IDF. I have to po…
As I said, it is already an offence. If individuals involved in armed forces are engaged in war crimes or crimes against humanity, there is a consequence to that down the road. In terms of the enforcement of this, all we in Ireland can do is set out in our legislation what we believe should be the appropriate standard of international law applied domestically. We have done that. We criminalised genocide, crimes again…
I move amendment No. 7:
In page 4, to delete lines 3 to 11 and substitute the following:
"(d) by the substitution of—
(i) the following definition for the definition of "terrorist activity":
" 'terrorist activity' means—
(a) an offence specified in Part 1 of Schedule 2 committed with the intention of—
(i) seriously intimidating a population,
(ii) unduly compelling a government or an international organisation …
The Bill we are dealing with is terrorist offences legislation, the primary purpose of which is to protect people in Ireland from terrorist attacks. It is for the purpose of transposing the 2017 EU directive on updating the laws in respect of terrorism. That arose predominantly because of the attack on the Bataclan theatre and other very significant terrorist attacks that took place in Europe from 2015 onwards. The p…
I thank Deputy Ward and Deputy Murphy for their contributions. Deputy Ward wondered whether I had any concern that the definition of terrorist activity or terrorist-linked activity could, in some respect, interfere with and criminalise legitimate protest as we know it. No, we are not in a situation where we have a similar type of laws here, nor would I or the Government ever propose similar type of laws here as those…
Deputy Murphy also raised a question as to whether, under the definition that is put forward here in amendment No. 7, the fuel protestors would come within terrorist activity or terrorist-linked activity. The answer to the Deputy's question is "No". If you look at the definition, you obviously have to recognise the serious offences contained within Part 1 of Schedule 2-----
-----and there is an understanding as to what it, in fact, means.