Department of Justice

The latest news, analysis, and opinion on the Irish Department of Justice

Language schools face sanctions after inquiry into alleged failure to return student fees

Schools face block on visas after Government departments say unsuccessful student applicants were not repaid fees in a timely manner

Pressure over Government spending cuts likely to fuel tensions at Cabinet

Black hole in Department of Education funding has led to €446m levy

Family lawyers could withdraw legal aid services within weeks

Industrial action could affect cases concerning child custody, access and domestic violence

O’Callaghan appeals to solicitors to ‘be reasonable’ over changes to legal aid scheme

At least 88 solicitors have resigned from criminal legal aid panel amid a row over fee structure changes

Legal aid dispute may spread from criminal courts to family and domestic violence cases

Family lawyers demand ‘immediate’ action over pay and legal aid reform as criminal courts face shutdown

If 166 brothels can operate openly in Ireland, the ban on paying for sex is not working

There is a lot of money to be made from prostitution. The legal twilight world we have created suits the purposes of unscrupulous figures

Disability campaigner Cara Darmody begins third 50-hour protest over ‘disgraceful’ delays

Latest figures show 21,782 children waiting beyond the six-month statutory deadline for Assessment of Need

Homelessness ‘risk’ for hundreds of refugee families sparks exchange between Ministers

Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan downplayed concerns of a Cabinet colleague and said refugees were moving to Dublin because of a ‘desire to live in this region’

Department of Justice accused Government of ‘knowingly under-resourcing’ EU presidency budget

Department of Justice said Government was ‘knowingly under-resourcing’ EU presidency budget, internal emails show

As public opinion toughens on migration, politicians have shifted to the right

New system for assessing the claims of people who arrive here to claim asylum is doing what was intended - turning down most of those who apply

Does Jim O’Callaghan’s reform of solicitors’ legal aid fees have support within Government?

Minister for Justice has faced backlash from legal profession, with lawyers refusing work and cases adjourned

‘There may not be lawyers available to represent you’: Criminal courts face major backlogs in legal fees row

One Dublin court sitting shows how row between Minister for Justice and solicitors over cuts in legal fees is affecting cases

Law Society to write to judge who accused it of ‘disgraceful’ failure arising from legal aid pay row

Criminal defence solicitors seek intervention of human rights body as dispute continues

Ten of 12 rape trials adjourned in solicitors’ fees row, Social Democrats leader claims

Two went ahead only because defendants were minors, with legal services not withdrawn for children

Ireland has ‘no immediate plans’ to set up asylum seeker return hubs outside EU – Taoiseach

Netherlands, Denmark and Italy seeking Brussels approval for deportation facilities in Africa or western Balkans

‘We’re only half doing nightlife in Ireland’: campaigners call for reforms to move forward

Many await longer opening hours and other reforms, but concerns surround growth in alcohol availability

Criminal legal aid dispute affecting cases involving serious alleged offending, solicitors say

Minister for Justice is ‘not for turning’ when it comes to introduction of once-off €520 fee for District Court cases

Children’s group ‘deeply concerned’ over company selected to represent unaccompanied minors seeking asylum

Galway-based Allpro Services states it works in security, cleaning, pest control, sanitary services and landscaping

Staff at English language school in Limerick told process under way to restart classes

Student Campus staff to be offered their jobs back and contracts with students will be honoured

‘Hard to overstate’ the level of anger with new pay model among solicitors

Solicitors protest outside criminal courts as thousands of cases adjourned

Garda may seek legislative change to address backlog of more than 60,000 fraud offences

Ongoing operation has resulted in 782 arrests in Ireland

Young asylum seekers may face medical tests to determine age ‘as a last resort’ in disputes

Move criticised as ‘unreliable, unnecessary, and possibly invasive’ by Children’s Rights Alliance

New custody cases may be disrupted as solicitors escalate action over legal aid payments

More criminal hearings are adjourned as row with Department of Justice worsens

Brazilian man subjected to ‘mistaken identity’ deportation order gains Irish citizenship

‘We love the land, we love the people’, says software engineer who lives in Wexford with family

Warning of reputational risk if Government departments don’t pull weight during EU presidency

French authorities ‘open’ to sending police officers to assist gardaí in security arrangements

What next after people have to leave State-funded accommodation centres for refugees?

Hundreds of people in State-funded accommodation for asylum seekers have been told they must find their own homes from early July - what will happen to them?

How will Ireland try to make its mark during its stint with the EU presidency?

Irish Ministers and diplomats will chair EU-level discussions and broker compromises between the other 26 countries from July 1st until the end of this year

Sinn Féin’s US fundraising and lobbying arm sent €41,000 to party in Belfast

Latest filing by Friends of Sinn Féin shows it raised almost €100,000 in the US in six months

Plan to advise charities overseas how to avoid inadvertently financing terrorists

National group to tackle sanctions evasion efforts

Gardaí warned criminal prosecutions may be at risk over solicitors’ withdrawal of service

Denial of right to solicitor’s advice could lead to suspects seeking to derail prosecutions, force fears

Councillor calls for ethnicity and nationality to be included in crime stats, saying ‘prove us wrong’

Department of Justice project under way to improve collection and strength of data

Hundreds of criminal cases adjourned as solicitors withdraw services in legal aid row

Action could intensify next week to affect all cases, solicitors warn

More than 630 asylum seekers have voluntarily left State in 2026

Department of Justice has paid €222,500 to those who have left during 2026

‘They’re rattled’: Is this the beginning of the end for the Kinahans?

Consigliere Sean McGovern has been jailed for 24 years, Daniel Kinahan awaits extradition and his father and brother are in precarious positions

New asylum contract for minors agreed as EU migration rules come into effect

Representative to be at port of entry within one hour of unaccompanied children being reported

Will Jennie’s Law help save women in Ireland from domestic abuse?

In the News podcast: Register of convicted domestic abusers to be made publicly available

Ireland could require digital ID to access porn websites

State agency suggests stricter age verification for online porn, similar to a law enacted in the UK in 2025

Solicitors consider withdrawal of services over new criminal legal aid payments

Some courts delayed as 150 solicitors meet over Department of Justice proposals

Family of Yves Sakila seeks outside pathologist and criticises Garda inquiry

Events surrounding death of Congolese man under investigation by gardaí and Fiosrú

New ‘actuarial’ criminal legal aid payments open to legal challenge, Law Society warns

Anger mounts among solicitors after Minister for Justice presented plan as a ‘fait accompli’

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