Parliamentary questions

474. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration further to his statement at the Joint Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration on 23 September 2025, in which he affirmed that IPAS contracts will not be awarded to applicants with convictions for fraud or serious crimes, and that contracts require tax compliance, solvency, and adherence to public service…

475. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration in view of his assertion that a tax clearance certificate is a prerequisite for IPAS contracts, if he will confirm whether tax compliance is assessed only for the applying company, or whether it includes all companies under the directorship of the applicant; if the latter, the mechanisms in place to verify the fu…

476. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration further to his statement at the Joint Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration on 23 September 2025 that applicants with fraud convictions will not receive IPAS contracts, if he will confirm whether this exclusion applies to convictions in jurisdictions outside Ireland; if Garda vetting and international …

477. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration in view of his statement that IPAS contracts require the provider to be solvent, if he will outline his Department's policy on continuing IPAS contracts at properties subject to liquidation proceedings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53915/25]

478. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration further to his statement at the Joint Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration on 23 September 2025 that 5,000 individuals in IPAS accommodation have been granted status to remain, and acknowledging the challenges of relocating these individuals amid a national housing crisis, if he will grant a temporary…

479. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of Gardaí who have retired or left the force; and the number of probationary or additional Gardaí assigned to Cork in each of the past five years. [53202/25]

340. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if his Department has raised concerns regarding the circulation of asylum coaching materials; and the actions taken to address these concerns. [52787/25]

341. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the measures in place in State-contracted accommodation centres to ensure that residents are not assisted by third parties in preparing fraudulent or coached asylum applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52788/25]

342. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number and percentage of prisoners attending prison education and training centres at present and during each of the past five years; the strategy to ensure greater take-up of such provision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52637/25]

343. Deputy Malcolm Byrne asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of cases before the Small Claims Court in each of the years 2020 to 2024; the plans for developing the service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52638/25]

344. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if he is aware that, in relation to visa decisions, wait times for the spouse of an Irish citizen has grown from less than one year, in 2023, to over two years now; the steps being taken to address this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52643/25]

345. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to provide a list of all the local community safety partnerships set to be established within in the Fingal local authority area in 2025 and 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52666/25]

346. Deputy Emer Currie asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of Garda attestations to date in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52667/25]

347. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the recognition rate, including appeals, for all international protection applicants; and the recognition rate, including appeals, for applicants from designated safe countries of origin, to date in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52688/25]

348. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the average waiting time to receive a response from the South Africa visa office for applicants who wish to come to Ireland (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52690/25]

349. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration if his attention has been drawn to the application under the humanitarian admissions programme (details supplied); if he will advise the family of these applicants that live in Ireland the best course of action to take to support their family members; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52717/25]

350. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the way in which his Department ensures that people who are the subject of deportation orders are removed from IPAS accommodation to which they are not entitled; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52755/25]

351. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration If he will seek data from An Garda Síochána on the number of persons arrested in each year from 2020 to date in 2025 who were found to be in breach of a deportation order; the number of such persons who were detained and for how long; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52756/25]

352. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of persons and the number of family units who have received financial assistance under the State’s voluntary return programme, each year since 2009 and the total grant amounts paid in each year. [52767/25]

353. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration to specify the current maximum and minimum levels of financial assistance available to persons and family units under the voluntary return programme; and to confirm when these levels were last reviewed or amended. [52768/25]

354. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the average financial support paid per person and per family unit under the voluntary return programme in each of the past five years. [52769/25]

355. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the total administrative cost of operating the voluntary return programme in each of the past five years, including staffing, promotion and case management. [52770/25]

356. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of applications made to the voluntary return programme in each of the past five years, the number approved, the number refused; and the number of approved applicants who subsequently did not depart the State. [52771/25]

357. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the criteria and process used by his Department in assessing applications to the voluntary return programme; and the grounds on which applications are refused. [52772/25]

358. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration whether his Department has commissioned or received any independent evaluations or audits of the effectiveness of the voluntary return programme since its introduction in 2009; and if so, to make such reports publicly available. [52773/25]