Tom Brabazon (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
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866. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of bench warrants outstanding in the Garda R district as of 1 September 2025. [48119/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I am assured that An Garda Síochána execute warrants as expeditiously as possible, giving priority to the execution of warrants relating to serious crimes.

I am informed by the Garda authorities that there were 2,455 bench warrants outstanding in the Garda R district as of 1 September 2025.

The execution of warrants, including bench warrants, can be impeded by people actively seeking to evade detection and where limited identification information might be available to support enforcement.

I am informed by the Garda Authorities that a bench warrant does not expire and is only removed from the PULSE system when cancelled by the Court. Local management in An Garda Síochána monitor the number of warrants (including bench warrants) under their area of responsibility.

Applications may be made by An Garda Síochána to the court to cancel bench warrants following consideration of a number of factors, including: an error on the warrant, the death of the defendant, previous failed attempts to execute the warrant, the age of the warrant or evidence that there is now an inability to prosecute the substantive charge.

The figures provided above are operational and may be liable to change.