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

I move the following Further Revised Estimate:

Vote 24 - Justice, Home Affairs and Migration (Third Further Revised Estimate).

That a sum not exceeding €2,724,546,000 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, Home Affairs and Migration, Probation Service staff and of certain other services including payments under cash limited schemes administered by that Office, and payment of certain grants.

I have formally moved the motion, but I just want to recite exactly what is involved. A sum not exceeding €2,841,123 gross will be granted to defray the charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending on the 31 December 2025 for the salaries and expenses of the Office of the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration and of certain other services including payments administered by that Office, and payment of certain grants. The Estimate also makes provision for additional capital funding in respect of the international protection accommodation services, IPAS, and reflects the use of additional appropriations-in-aid to make payments under the criminal legal aid scheme and to victims of crime who have received awards from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal. This technical adjustment increases the gross ceiling by €10 million but does not impact the net level.

As Deputies will be aware, the programme for Government contains a commitment regarding the transfer of certain functions between Departments. On 1 August, following approval by the Government, responsibility for the Irish Film Classification Office, IFCO, was transferred to the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport and responsibility for the Property Services Regulatory Authority and the Property Services Appeals Board was transferred to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Housing. This is not quite the final element, but it is nearly the final element, of the transfer of function in the programme for Government for my Department. There will be one other minor transfer that will be effected pursuant to the criminal law and civil law (miscellaneous provisions) Bill 2025, which will hopefully be introduced this term. The Bills is necessary because, as the Leas-Cheann Comhairle will be aware, under the Mulcreevy principle, I cannot use secondary legislation to amend primary legislation. Primary legislation will therefore be necessary for the final transfer functions.

Deputies will recall that the House has previously approved Further Revised Estimates to take account of these transfers. The most recent of these was in June relating to the transfer of the National Cyber Security Centre and responsibility for cybersecurity policy, transferring from the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications to my Department. Prior to that, a Further Revised Estimate introduced on 1 May 2025 involved in the region of 330 staff and 150 contractors, and a budget allocation of over €2 billion, moving from the Department of children's Vote.

The original Revised Estimate for my Department was approved on 1 April in advance of the commencement of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024, and the establishment of two new Votes for the Policing and Community Safety Authority and Fiosrú under the justice Vote group. Therefore, I am seeking the approval of the House for this Further Revised Estimate for the justice Vote for 2025.

With regard to the transfer of functions, the allocation for IFCO, previously the Film Censor’s Office, is transferring to the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport. The gross allocation is €832,000 and appropriations-in-aid are €840,000. I believe the House will agree that the activities of that office align well with the Department of culture.

The allocation for the Property Services Regulatory Authority and the Property Services Appeals Board is transferring to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. The gross allocation is €4.25 million with appropriations-in-aid resulting from fee income for licensing active of €2.4 million. Again, these functions are aligned with the overall role and function of the Department of housing.

I will now proceed to deal with the capital funding for the purchase of the Citywest accommodation. This Estimate also makes substantial provision for additional capital funding in respect of international protection accommodation. I am pleased that €113.25 million is being provided in line with the decision of Government to purchase Citywest, a large former hotel complex and site in the outer Dublin region. This represents the first significant move in support of the Government’s policy to reduce reliance on the private sector and increase the capacity of State-owned sites. The full purchase price, including VAT, was €148.25 million and represents good value for the State. A sum of €113.25 million is the net funding requirement for the Vote, taking into account the limited existing capital allocation. The purchase of the property provided a unique opportunity to deliver a high-capacity State-owned accommodation centre in a strategic location within an accelerated timeline. The purchase will significantly reduce the current expenditure on State accommodation at this site and will mean that we will save more than €1 billion over a 25-year period. It will increase the value for public moneys now and for the future. The payback period on the purchase price is approximately four years due to the reduced running costs of a State-owned facility. The facility will also act as a cornerstone to the State's implementation of the migration pact in 2026, acting as a screening centre and border procedure location, as required under the new EU pact.

I will now turn to the criminal legal aid scheme and criminal injuries compensation scheme, in respect of which there are further allocations. I am taking this opportunity to provide additional funding for the criminal legal aid scheme of €8 million, and €2 million for the Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal. This is being funded from appropriations-in-aid, which are increasing by €10 million arising from immigration registration fees. From an accounting perspective, this increases the gross ceiling by €10 million but does not impact the net level.

As a result of the motion before us and as a consequence of the changes outlined, Vote 24 will have a budget allocation for 2025 of €2,724,546,000. I commend the motion to the House and ask it to approve the necessary financial arrangements that I have outlined.

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