Department of Justice

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

Facial recognition technology to be trialled on passengers at Holyhead

Testing this week follows previous pilot by UK authorities in 2025 which saw more than 7,500 faces analysed

Legal challenges by asylum seekers triple in three years

Anticipated surge comes as Department of Justice ramps up decision-making and deportations

Family facing deportation to South Africa ‘relieved’ by temporary reprieve

Hundreds of people attended protest in Dublin in support of Oyekanmi family last week

Cost of providing accommodation to people fleeing Ukraine war reduces by more than half

Public Accounts Committee to hear funding of over €600m allocated in 2026 compared with about €1.4bn in 2024

Arrests of deportees intensify overcrowding in Irish prisons

Intended deportees ‘compete for floor space’ with violent offenders despite committing no crimes

Forty-five years after Stardust fire, family and emergency services attend memorial

Separate protest takes place over perceived lack of action on coroner’s ‘unlawful killings’ verdict

Parental child abduction cases becoming more common in Ireland, solicitor says

Department of Justice currently dealing with 61 cases as parents struggle to agree on custody arrangements

Wait time for refugee family reunification to be altered to two years, says Minister

Jim O’Callaghan tells Dáil International Protection Bill will be amended following comments by TDs

What is in the new Defamation Bill and how will it change rules on press freedom?

Key reforms include abolition of juries in defamation cases and more protections for journalists

South Dublin community urges quashing of deportation order against family

Supporters of South African Oyekanmi family say they have blended into school and community life

Compensation scheme for Stardust fire survivors described as ‘absolutely horrendous’

Survivors not consulted before finalisation of process, solicitor says, as some learn of Minister’s plans through media

David Gillick among those calling for South African teen and family not to be deported

Local community in South Dublin rallying around Joseph Oyekanmi, a promising athlete, and his family

‘People are going to use them’: Waterford scheme promotes safe use of e-scooters, e-bikes

Department of Justice-funded Treo Port Láirge works with teens and young adults

Prisoners’ in-cell alarm systems apparently muted by staff at Cloverhill, report finds

Interference posed serious risk to the safety and wellbeing of prisoners, according to Office of Inspector of Prisons

Bill to remove parental rights of killers based on good evidence

Implementation of these new regulations will need agency support

New scrambler proposals will remove ‘ambiguity’ about their use, Government says

Vehicles to be banned in public places amid renewed push to remove bikes from roads following death of Grace Lynch

Ireland’s justice system is operating with too many data blind spots

A justice system that can’t be measured is one that can’t be transparent

Tusla has ‘many objections’ to proposed law removing parental rights from killers

State agency argues parents accused of a ‘suspected killing’ still have ‘inherent rights’ to their children

When family law becomes ‘lawfare’: One woman’s costly journey through the courts

A man’s protracted litigation against former partner has entered its 15th year, pushing legal costs to €350,000

MEP Mullooly’s enthusiasm for ‘mother of all trade deals’ powdered down

Change coming at Department of Justice, Hamnet hits home with grief charity, wedding group hopes to turn Ireland in next Lake Como

‘Emergency measures’ allow higher pay for psychiatrist reports in bid to stop trial delays

A Central Criminal Court judge had asked a Department of Justice representative to address the court on difficulties engaging psychiatrists

Rise in reports of sexually harmful behaviour among children

Trends ‘driven by increased exposure to online pornography and harmful digital content’, says service for children affected by sex abuse

‘Significant’ increase in cases of child-on-child online sexual abuse, gardaí say

Strangulation porn: How it became mainstream and its distorting impact on Irish teenagers

Frontline domestic violence services, gardaí and Government officials fear a girl in Ireland could die at the hands of a boy who does not fully understand what he is doing to her

Change to rape trial counselling-notes law patronising, claim campaigners

Letter from demonstrators to Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan also handed in as part of protest

Gardaí deport 25 convicted sex offenders as part of new operation

Operation Moonridge targeting ‘highly dangerous non-Irish nationals’ who do not have a right to reside in Ireland

Prison guard involved in foiled 1988 escape attempt takes court action against Defence Forces complaints tribunal

Seán O’Brien is asking the High Court to quash the tribunal’s decision refusing him permission to make representations

Number of US citizens seeking asylum in Ireland rises fourfold

It is not clear if any of the 94 American applicants in 2025 were granted international protection here

Most people in Ireland overestimate the scale of immigration, study finds

ESRI survey participants estimated 28% of population born abroad, compared to official figure of 22%

Archbishop wrote to Taoiseach as Denis Donaldson’s family pushed for inquiry into killing

Catholic Primate of Ireland Eamon Martin asked Taoiseach to do all he could to support plea of murder victim’s family

Migrant health workers in Ireland living in fear of racist abuse, warns medic

The atmosphere of fear created by racially motivated abuse has led healthcare professionals to take steps to ensure their own safety

‘We were heartbroken when they left’: Removal of asylum seekers from Wicklow village raises questions

Tynte House in Dunlavin, Co Wicklow, is one of 22 contracts for international protection accommodation centres that ended in 2025

Gerry Kelly named as ‘dominant figure’ of 1996 IRA leadership in Garda security document

Provisional IRA’s leadership outlined by assistant commissioner, who highlighted rank-and-file dissatisfaction

Judges deserve more ‘credit’ for their handling of planning cases, says High Court president

Increased Garda presence sought at Four Courts after recent increase in hostile litigants attending court

Two senior counsel nominated for appointment as High Court judges

Mark Dunne and Micheál O’Connell to fill vacancies arising due to appointment of judge to Court of Appeal and an upcoming retirement

Legal action taken against State over alleged failures on 1974 bombings in Dublin and Monaghan

Filings issued on behalf of some of the bereaved families of 1974 bombings, which killed 34

High asylum seeker numbers are a threat to ‘social cohesion’, says Jim O’Callaghan

Minister ‘not setting any numbers’, but says population growth is too high, putting services under pressure

Garda Taser trial to begin next week after ‘comprehensive’ training

Garda managment has stressed use of weapons will be monitored and grounded in human rights principles

Fourteen cases taken against State over age verification of international protection applicants

Tusla confirms it ‘does not conduct age assessment in the strict statutory sense’ on people presenting as unaccompanied minors

Rogue drones during Zelenskiy visit part of ‘co-ordinated threat’ to Europe, says Minister

Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan says drones off Dublin Bay were not controlled by ‘back garden enthusiast’

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