Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)

I move the following Further Revised Estimate:

Vote 24 - Department of Justice (Further Revised Estimate)

That a sum not exceeding €2,590,495,000 be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31st Day of December, 2025, for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Minister for Justice, Probation Service staff and of certain other services including payments under cash-limited schemes administered by that Office, and payment of certain grants.

As Deputies will be aware, the programme for Government commits to the transfer of certain functions between Departments. On 1 May, following approval by the Government, a number of functions were transferred to the Department of Justice from the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. The main body associated with the transfer was the International Protection Accommodation Services, IPAS, which offers accommodation and related services to persons seeking international protection. The co-ordination of Government policy relating to anti-racism and migrant integration, the operation and implementation of integration programmes for migrants, and the provision of access to suitable accommodation for persons enjoying temporary protection were also transferred. Those are the individuals who emanate from Ukraine and who are beneficiaries of temporary protection. We also transferred the management of the resettlement in the State of refugees admitted as part of the UN resettlement programme. The final part we transferred was development and provision of policy advice to the Government on those related matters.

This is the largest transfer of functions in the programme for Government. It involves transferring approximately 330 staff and 150 contractors and a budget allocation of more than €2 billion. The sum of €2.59 billion mentioned in the resolution reflects the addition of €2 billion from the Department of children Vote to the existing 2025 allocation in the Department of Justice Vote.

Deputies will recall that the Revised Estimate for the Department of Justice was approved by this House on 1 April, in advance of the commencement of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024 and the establishment of the Votes for two new statutory agencies, the Policing and Community Safety Authority and Fiosrú and, therefore, I seek the approval of the House this evening to a Further Revised Estimate for the Justice Vote. The Revised Estimate as approved by this House on 1 April is unchanged other than to provide for the transfer into the Justice Vote of funding relating to international protection and Ukraine accommodation and associated services.

The budget allocated for international protection accommodation in 2025 is €1.2 billion. That is an eye-watering amount. It is driven by the number of individuals coming to Ireland seeking international protection. We need to recognise that the drivers of the IPAS budget is the numbers of individuals arriving into Ireland seeking international protection. It is therefore appropriate that the accommodation service is linked again within the Department of Justice, which has responsibility for the appraisal of applications for international protection. As Deputies will know, back in 2024, the number of people seeking international protection in Ireland was 18,500. That is a very significant increase on previous years. As a result of that, there was very considerable pressure and a very significant increase in the budget in order to deal with international accommodation as required by it.

Ireland and other EU member states have responded to a very significant increase in the number of people seeking international protection. As a result, the number of people being accommodated has increased significantly. Back in 2022, we were accommodating approximately 7,000 people. At present, we are accommodating more than 32,000 people. The Government is taking further steps to try to speed up the process. I am unambiguous about the fact that I want to reduce the numbers of people coming here seeking international protection. I need to do that to ensure the system operates efficiently and effectively. I also need to do it to ensure we can get the growing budget associated with international protection accommodation reduced. However, I am justified in doing it as well, as I have said before because according to the numbers of persons who have had their applications processed for international protection this year, more than 80% have been refused or determined to be inadmissible. We need to recognise that to reduce the amount of accommodation we need and the cost of the accommodation and we need to take the legitimate steps of trying to expedite the international protection process and to reduce the numbers correspondingly.

As regards accommodation itself, it is Government policy to increase the proportion of State-owned beds and reduce the degree of reliance on commercially-provided accommodation. That is part of this reform. Deputies will be aware that I recently brought before the Government the general scheme of an international protection Bill, which was approved. It is in the process of being drafted. That legislation must be in place by June of next year and we intend to ensure that it is in place. That legislation will strengthen border security and it will provide an EU approach to asylum and streamline asylum procedures. The legislation will provide for faster processing, including having all decisions and appeals concluded within three months for certain categories of applicant.

Placing responsibility for international protection, including the accommodation of applicants and integration policy, under one Minister and Department creates a cohesiveness to the management of all aspects of international protection and builds on what was, up to 1 May, a close working relationship between officials in international protection in my Department and those with responsibility for accommodation then located within the Department of Children. I welcome all those civil servants back into the Department of Justice.

We are also dealing in this resolution with accommodation being provided for beneficiaries of temporary protection. In that context, we are talking about people from Ukraine who have come to Ireland seeking protection as a result of the illegal invasion of Ukraine by Russia. Once again, the Irish people deserve to be commended on their generosity not just in respect of their response to people coming from Ukraine, but their response to all people coming to Ireland, whether they are seeking international protection or whether they are entitled to temporary protection. That is something that, as politicians, we should always acknowledge.

We know, however, that when it comes to temporary protection, since February 2022 more than 89,600 beneficiaries were provided with accommodation by the Department of integration. More than 24,000 of those are currently in State-supported accommodation, with a further 38,600 hosted in accommodation supported by the accommodation recognition payment, ARP. Colleagues debated the reduction in that payment a few moments ago from €800 to €600. The ARP was introduced to recognise the generosity of people who have opened their homes to provide accommodation to those fleeing Ukraine, and the House will be aware of the reduction. I wish to make people aware - I am sure Deputy Carthy is aware of this already from the previous resolution - that the reduction will take effect from 1 June but in reality will be noted by the recipients of those ARP payments only when they receive their payment in July.

The Department of integration also delivered the first phase of ten sites of the rapid build homes project, with 2,312 residents having moved into their new homes. Works are nearing completion at the final development at a HSE-owned site in Haywood, Clonmel, which will provide a final 82 units to accommodate 328 Ukrainian people who are the beneficiaries of temporary protection.

The Vote I put before the House this evening is very much a technical one.

Notwithstanding the technicality, when one looks at the purpose behind it, one can see it makes a lot of sense that the whole area of accommodation for international protection applicants and persons who have the benefit of temporary protection should be dealt with by the same Department that deals with international protection assessments. It is a worthwhile transfer of functions.

We need to recognise there is a big challenge in the budget for international protection accommodation. I want to see that budget reduced. An eye-watering amount of money has been spent on the fulfilment of our international obligations. If we adopt a more effective, expedient and efficient system for the assessment of international protection applications, we will reduce the number arriving in Ireland claiming international protection and there will be a consequent saving on the cost of accommodation.

See this speech in context