Migrant workers make an enormous contribution to the Irish economy and society. It is a central priority for me, as Minister for State with responsibility for migration, that our immigrations laws are fair and efficient. An important part of this is having clear legal pathways for workers and their families.
My Department’s policy document for Non-EEA family reunification, which was last amended in 2016, is still un…
TDs / Colm Brophy
Colm Brophy
Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration
Portrait: © Houses of the Oireachtas (Oireachtas (Open Data) PSI Licence) · source file
0
questions asked
Oral and written, to government departments
69,320
words spoken in the chamber
68,175 as a minister, 1,145 as a TD
397
votes recorded
Each Yes, No or Abstained in a recorded vote
From the Dáil chamber only: committee meetings are not in this archive.
The record holds no parliamentary questions from them in this Dáil.
Month by month
Low months are usually recesses, when the Dáil does not sit. The archive runs to 22 October 2026.
Contributions to debates 206 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
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| May 2025 | 34 |
| June 2025 | 8 |
| July 2025 | 12 |
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| September 2026 | 12 |
| October 2026 | 28 |
Debates they spoke in most
Plus 124 contributions in the regular slots, such as Leaders' Questions and Priority Questions. Speech from the chair is not counted.
Party, constituency and offices
- constituency Dublin South-West 29 November 2024 to now
- party Fine Gael 29 November 2024 to now
- office Minister of State at the Department of Justice 25 February 2025 to 4 June 2025
- office Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration 5 June 2025 to now
It is under review and I want to see that concluded as soon as possible and be able to come back on this. I take on board what the Deputy said but it is important that we ensure with family reunifications that financial thresholds in income are met for permit holders to be eligible to apply for their family to join and that it can be done in a proper and clear way. I take his points on board and when the review concl…
I am acutely aware that for families involved in situations like this it is very important to them and it is very important that they have information. I again refer to what I outlined in reply to the Deputy earlier, namely that it is clearly an important part that someone has sufficient income to sustain a family reunification. A review is ongoing looking at all the processes involved. I will come back to the Deputy…
I thank the Deputy for the question. As he is aware, the Department's policy document for non-EEA family reunification was last amended in 2016. It is under review. The policy document sets out the conditions for a family member to be reunited. In general terms, a sponsor must demonstrate their capacity to provide for their family member. The review is examining a wide range of matters relating to applications for fa…
The review is ongoing. Without prejudging anything, I believe it will conclude soon. I am anxious, like the Deputy, to be able to come forward with that information from the review. I take on board the points he has made, but it is important to emphasise again the central point that, in terms of successful family reunification and a range of complex issues involved in it, there must be a provision for people to be ab…
It is important to acknowledge the incredible contribution of so many migrant workers in our country in many of the jobs on which we rely in health service areas, a wide range of public services and in the private sector. People come here, work and make an incredible contribution, which we acknowledge. However, we also acknowledge, without prejudging the outcome of the review, the importance of making sure we have a …
Today's debate has been beneficial. I have listened carefully to contributions made by all Deputies, each important and warranting consideration. The Minister, Depute McEntee, who was in the Chamber until just now, has given particular updates and outlines of current work happening within the Department and the planned work to increase the number of multidenominational schools where parents and school communities wan…
I thank Deputy Currie for raising this matter which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Transport. From the aviation safety perspective, the regulation of the recreational and commercial use of drones, or unmanned aircraft systems as they are technically known, is provided for under European Union regulations that are directly applicable to Ireland. Two drone-specific EU regulations ensure that drone operations…
Aviation is obviously a highly regulated area, but I agree with the Deputy that the rapid pace of drone innovation and its commercialisation have created a challenge. The Government is aware of the impact of that and of the growing drone sector, particularly in the context of the increasing volume of operations. The programme for Government includes a commitment to finalise and implement a policy framework to guide h…
I thank Deputy Sherlock for raising this important issue and for offering me the opportunity to respond.
The Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 was commenced in 2023, and it represents a landmark legal reform in this country. The Act replaced the 1871 Victorian-era wards of court system with a rights-based model for tiered decision support arrangements. It is a key component of our compliance with the Unit…
I reiterate that the Minister’s aim is to ensure the most effective operation of the assisted decision-making (capacity) legislation and to ensure that its principles are upheld and that its objectives of promoting and enshrining the rights of those with capacity difficulties to retain as much autonomy as possible are realised. We must always make sure that our laws are working for the people they are intended to ser…
I thank the Deputy for the question and for giving me the opportunity to reply on behalf of the Minister for Education and Youth and to outline how the Department is working to ensure that there is appropriate school accommodation in place to meet the school place needs of all children. I stress that enabling students to receive an education appropriate to their needs is an ongoing priority for the Government. To pla…
Again, I thank the Deputy for raising the matter. I reassure him that I will convey that concern back to the Minister to ensure that continued engagement takes place. I have no doubt that the Deputy will continue to raise it and engage on it himself too.
At the outset, I stress that enabling students with special educational needs to receive an appropriate education is an absolute priority for this Government. It is the Government's priority to ensure all children have an appropriate school placement and that the necessary supports are provided to our schools to allow children with special educational needs to flourish and prosper. There continues to be an increasing…
I restate that in excess of 28,000 children are now being supported in special schools and classes. The number of special classes has increased by 100% since 2020. It is the statutory responsibility of the NCSE to work with schools to provide sufficient special education provision each year. As I outlined, budget 2025 provides funding for 400 new special classes - up to 300 additional special school places. The NCSE …
I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. I have a reply to read on behalf of the Minister but the Deputy knows what the Minister would say. I want to talk as someone who held the job. There is only one disagreement I have with what the Deputy has said. He said that hundreds of thousands of lives are at risk. I think it is millions. I have seen these issues at first hand. I have travelled across Africa. Irish Aid a…
I thank the Deputy. He makes the valid point that while what has happened with USAID is the most impactful, we have also seen impacts in the range of countries that have reduced their aid budgets, including the UK. At the heart of what we do has always been the process of reaching the furthest behind first. We target our ODA on that basis. The Government is committed to that approach and I reaffirm that it remains at…
I thank the Deputy for giving me the opportunity to outline to the House the position relating to financial funding for schools.
The Department is committed to offering all available and appropriate supports to the schools that have contacted the Department or have been referred to the FSSU. The Department is committed to providing funding to recognised primary and post-primary schools in the free education scheme b…
I fully hear what the Deputy is saying. He is making an important point on that funding issue. I am more than happy to take that back to the Minister. The Deputy mentioned our constituency, which has a similar situation with regard to school funding. It is important. Obviously, the FSSU plays an important role. It is an issue I will highlight to the Minister and I have no doubt the Deputy will continue to do so as we…
I am well aware of the incredible work the Deputy does with local communities on this issue and how she has championed it. On behalf of the Minister, Deputy O’Callaghan, I thank the Deputy for raising this matter today. The Government is committed to building stronger, safer communities and community safety as a whole-of-government responsibility. Community safety is about much more than policing. It is about how we …
I agree with the Deputy that it is really important to get them up and running quickly, to get community buy-in and to get that feeling that we are moving forward in this area. I think we are. The implementation of the Act will have a tremendous effect. The resourcing of it is there and I have no doubt, from my own community where I have dealt with a host of issues in this area, that there is a real desire in communi…
I would not be quite as nice to Meath people at a Leinster final or on an All-Ireland Sunday, as the Deputy was there. I thank her for raising this issue, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Transport. Improving public transport services and infrastructure is central to improving citizens' quality of life and achieving our decarbonisation goals. Achieving these goals has been set out in the programme for …
I will of course convey the Deputy's views to the Minister. In summary, transport connectivity is obviously highly important for people who live and work, as we know, throughout Ireland. It is key to our villages, towns, and to Dublin and our other cities to encourage urban centres and have strong local economies. I believe, as does the Minister, in expanding the public transport network and increasing services throu…
I thank the Deputy for asking the question. I stress that enabling students with special educational needs to receive an appropriate education is an absolute priority for the Government. It is the Government's priority to ensure that all children have an appropriate school placement and that necessary supports are provided to our schools to allow children with special educational needs to flourish and prosper.
To en…
I thank the Deputy again for raising the question. I will of course convey back to the Minister the additional points he raised here. I thank him for giving me the opportunity to reassure the House that the Department of Education and the NCSE are committed to ensuring that all children have access to education suitable to their needs. The Department of Education continues to engage intensely with the NCSE on forward…