30 June 2025

• Regulations signed by Minister Jim O’Callaghan, which come into effect today, pave the way for new Local Community Safety Partnerships to begin their work across the country
• The Partnerships replace Joint Policing Committees and will serve as multi-agency community-led structures to address and improve safety in communities
• Delivers on key Programme for Government commitment

The Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration Jim O’Callaghan has signed regulations, which come into effect today (Monday June 30^th), that provide for the establishment of Local Community Safety Partnerships in each local authority area across the country.

At a local level, community safety partnerships will play a major role in enhancing community safety nationwide in collaboration with An Garda Síochána, local residents, businesses and state agencies.

The regulations set out how the Safety Partnerships will operate.

Minister Jim O’Callaghan said,

“I am very pleased to sign the regulations which means Local Community Safety Partnerships can now be established across the country. The regulations outline how they will operate in practice, transparently and efficiently, with each Partnership having a clear mandate and strong local engagement at its core. Local Community Safety Partnerships reflect a significant step towards a much more collaborative, responsive, and locally driven approach to community safety.”

A total of 36 Safety Partnerships in every local authority area will be established, with up to 30 members in each.

The Safety Partnerships will include a broader range of members than Joint Policing Committees (JPCs). Mandatory members will include local councillors, local authority officials, An Garda Síochána, representatives from the HSE and the Child and Family Agency Tusla.

Local residents, members representing youth groups, the older population, new and minority groups, business and education representatives will also be included.

Each LCSP can hold as many meetings as needed but they must hold at least six meetings annually. Members of the public must be allowed to attend one of those meetings while Oireachtas members and all locally elected public representatives will have opportunities to engage by attending at least one LCSP meeting.

Minister O’Callaghan continued,

“Community safety means local elected representatives, state agencies, community organisations and the public working together with An Garda Síochána to help make our communities safer and more connected.

“While Ireland is generally regarded as a safe country with relatively low crime rates, some communities may experience a different reality. We need the structures in place at a local level so longer-term solutions that are not focused solely on policing can be put in place. Public lighting, waste collection, public spaces, the location of services, can all contribute to feelings of safety in our towns.”

Each LCSP will be led by a voluntary chairperson and vice-chairperson, elected from the membership, and will be supported by a coordinator and an administrator role.

Each newly established LCSP will be required to develop and implement its own tailored community safety plan. The Partnerships will take a strategic approach to their work so that issues arising can be dealt with in a coordinated manner and addressed collectively by relevant service providers in partnership with the community.

·         Priority areas include expanding refuge accommodation, advancing legislative reform, and cross-sectoral training initiatives for frontline professionals

·         There are 95 actions in total across the strategy’s four pillars of protection, prevention, prosecution and policy co-ordination

·         A robust monitoring and reporting framework establishes performance indicators to track progress and understand impact

24 June 2025

The Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Jim O’Callaghan, has published a targeted implementation plan for the final phase of Zero Tolerance, the Third National Strategy on domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (DSGBV).

The implementation plan contains 95 actions across the strategy’s four pillars of Protection, Prevention, Prosecution and Policy Co-ordination, with a strong focus on delivery and collective action to 2026.

The DSGBV Agency Cuan worked in collaboration with officials from the Department of Justice and in close consultation with other Government Departments, state agencies and external stakeholders to develop the plan for 2025-2026.

Minister Jim O’Callaghan said:

“This final implementation plan for the Third National Strategy draws directly from insights gained through ongoing monitoring and progress reporting by Cuan. It provides a focused roadmap to deliver on the whole-of-government commitment to a zero-tolerance approach to DSGBV.

“This is a plan focused on delivery, accountability and ensuring that we continue the momentum and focus on this issue.

“I am committed to building on what has already been achieved, and to strengthening implementation and identifying the actions we need to take now and where we need to go next to prepare a clear pathway toward the Fourth National Strategy.”

Priority areas include continuing national leadership and cross government alignment, expanding refuge accommodation, delivering a comprehensive national emergency domestic violence accommodation plan, and advancing legislative reform. That legislative reform includes removing the guardianship rights of a person who has been convicted of killing their intimate partner; developing a mechanism to ensure any person in an intimate relationship can be informed if their partner has a history of domestic violence; and advancing provisions to ensure counselling records are only released where the Court decides that they contain material relevant to legal proceedings.

Minister O’Callaghan added:

“The government is delivering on the commitments in the Zero Tolerance Strategy to achieve a society where sexual violence, and the toxic attitudes that fuel it, are not accepted. Under the Strategy we’ve already introduced a range of legal reforms to help achieve this and other legislative measures that I am progressing will deliver a clear message that sexual abuse and sexual violence will not be tolerated, that survivors will be supported and perpetrators will be held accountable.”

The plan also includes actions to continue to deliver impactful awareness campaigns on sexual consent and pathways to safety, and a comprehensive set of training actions to upskill frontline professionals across the health and social care sector, DSGBV services, the judiciary, courts and other justice agencies.

The development of the plan was collaborative and evidence informed, involving research and a review of implementation to date, followed by in-depth consultations with Government departments and state agencies.  It takes an intersectional approach, ensuring that actions and outcomes are responsive to the diverse and overlapping identities of victims and survivors of DSGBV, supported by the development and establishment of survivor-centred structures to ensure that victim/survivor voice is heard. The work to develop foundational structures, build networks and relationships lays the groundwork for beginning the transition to a Fourth National Strategy on DSGBV.

Dr Stephanie O’Keeffe, CEO of Cuan, said:

“This final phase shows how seriously we take implementation. The new framework gives us a clearer line of sight on what’s being delivered, what impact it’s having, and where greater focus is needed.

“However, this is not just about measuring activity – it’s also about assessing real impact, understanding the challenges in implementing a strategy with over 20 partner organisations and continuously improving our collective response. The inclusion of survivor perspectives is a key strength of this approach.”

Also published today is the second 2024 Progress Report, covering the period July to December 2024, which highlights continued progress across government and the sector in implementing the Zero Tolerance strategy.

Notable achievements during the reporting period include:

• Expanding emergency accommodation capacity including launch of a state-of-the-art refuge facility in Wexford and strengthening the pipeline for refuge and safe home expansion

• Reform of the Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) Curriculum to empower students to be healthy and resilient young adults who have the skills and confidence to nurture healthy relationships

• Expansion of services for children and young people experiencing domestic or sexual violence, with €17m in funding distributed to 60 services supporting children and young people

• Enactment of the Family Courts Act 2024 providing for the establishment of family court divisions within the existing court structures including a Family High Court, a Family Circuit Court and a Family District Court

• Supporting the Game Changer campaign, a three-year initiative led by Ruhama, in partnership with the GAA and the Men’s Development Network, using sports-based advocacy to raise awareness of gender-based violence. 

• Convening of a National Consent Forum

• Engagement with the Central Statistics Office (CSO) to scope the development of a Domestic Violence survey to commence in 2025.

The 2025–2026 implementation plan and the Second Progress Report (2024) are available at:

https://assets.gov.ie/static/documents/Zero_Tolerance_Implementation_Plan_2025-2026.pdf

The Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration Jim O’Callaghan today received cabinet approval to publish the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2025 to strengthen Ireland’s counter-terrorism laws.

The Terrorist Offences Bill 2025 will allow for the prosecution of a broader range of terrorist activities in light of the evolving nature of terrorism.

These include terrorist acts with a cross-border element and cyber-attacks where the aim is to cause widespread harm.

This bill will bring Ireland’s counter-terrorism laws into line with those of other EU Member States.  This alignment will facilitate Ireland’s participation in enhanced counter-terrorism networks across the EU, enabling An Garda Síochána to tap into those networks to respond to both domestic and cross-border terrorist threats.

Speaking following the cabinet meeting, Minister Jim O’Callaghan said:

“I am very pleased to receive cabinet approval to publish this important piece of legislation. It will strengthen Ireland’s laws by broadening the scope of prosecutable offences in respect of terrorist activity and marks a significant step forward in ensuring that Ireland’s counter-terrorism framework is robust and fit for purpose in the face of modern terrorist threats.

“The bill will criminalise three new terrorist offences targeting the foreign terrorist fighter phenomenon:

–  receiving training for the purpose of terrorism;

–  travelling for the purpose of terrorism; and

–  organising or facilitating travel for the purpose of terrorism.

“It also permits courts, when sentencing a person convicted of recruiting or providing training for terrorism, to treat as an aggravating factor that the offence was committed against a child.

“I am pleased to be progressing this legislation in line with the commitment contained in the Programme for Government.”

Further intake of Garda recruits will enter the Garda College next week, Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration Jim O’Callaghan T.D. has welcomed the attestation of 120 new members of An Garda Síochána at an attestation ceremony in the Garda College in Templemore today.

The new Garda members will now be assigned by the Commissioner to Garda Divisions throughout the country where they will begin their careers in An Garda Síochána.

Speaking at the Garda College today, Minister O’Callaghan said:

“My focus is on ensuring Ireland is a safer place for everyone. Making sure that An Garda Siochana is at full-strength is a core part of that. This Government has made a commitment, and we will recruit at least 5,000 new Gardaí over the next five years.”

“I am pleased that a further 170 recruits will enter the Garda College this coming Monday 9th June.”

Of the 120 attesting today, 89 are men and 31 are women. 

Minister O’Callaghan added:

“I want to congratulate our new Garda members as they attest from the Garda College and join their new stations across the country. 74 of the new Members will be deployed across the Dublin Metropolitan Region.

“For each new Garda attesting today, this is a milestone that marks the beginning of a fulfilling career dedicated to protecting the community and to public service.

“That strong relationship between our Gardaí and the community is not the norm in many countries and it is something we must never take for granted. I know that each one of these Gardaí will continue in this great tradition.

The signing of this order reestablishes the important and necessary power, Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan said.

LEGISLATION ALLOWING for naturalised Irish citizenship to be revoked in serious cases is to be recommenced, by order of Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan. 

The minister has the power to revoke Irish citizenship granted by naturalisation under Section 19 of the Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act 1956. 

However, a Supreme Court judgment in 2021 found that the process lacked some necessary safeguards, resulting in necessary amendments having to be made to the law. 

The minister has now signed the commencement order of that legislation, re-establishing the revocation process effective from 7 April 2025.

“The signing of this order reestablishes the important and necessary power to revoke naturalised Irish citizenship. 

“Where citizenship has been obtained fraudulently or when an individual poses a serious risk or threat to the State, it is essential that the power to remove the citizenship which has been granted to them is there,” said the justice minister.  

“The order is not designed to disadvantage or be punitive against naturalised Irish citizens. It does, however, provide repercussions and remedy when citizenship is acquired by fraudulent means, or when a person poses a serious threat to our society,” he added. 

O’Callaghan added: “Revocation of Irish citizenship is only undertaken in the most serious of circumstances and I am aware that the loss of citizenship has serious consequences.”

The revocation of citizenship has been used sparingly in the past, fewer than 10 times since 1956, the Dáil was told last year. The revocation is only done “in the most serious of circumstances” including fraudulent acquisition of citizenship and terrorist activity, former Minister Helen McEntee said at the time. 

I am Looking forward to working together to enhance the relationship between our two countries

We discussed protecting the common travel area and ensuring our immigration laws are robust and enforced. Looking forward to working together to enhance the relationship between our two countries. UK-Ireland Summit.

The Justice Minister also said he knows one of the victims.
MINISTER FOR JUSTICE Jim O’Callaghan has commended the gardaí who responded to what he called “an awful, random attack” in the Stoneybatter area of Dublin yesterday. 

Speaking to RTÉ Radio this morning, O’Callaghan said: “This could have been a lot worse, and I want to commend the gardaí, particularly the guard who arrived there first and apprehended and disarmed the individual concerned.”

He said that if gardaí had not responded as quickly as they did, “I fear we could have been talking about something much worse this morning, rather than the three serious injuries that took place”. 

Yesterday afternoon, a man attacked people with a blade in Stoneybatter, leaving three men in hospital. Two of them are being treated for serious but not life-threatening injuries, while one was admitted with less serious injuries.

A man in his 20s has been arrested and detained at a Garda station under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984.

O’Callaghan said the assailant, who it’s understood was homeless and originally from South America, had no history of violent attacks that gardaí were aware of and that the three men were attacked at random. 

Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan this week attended a two-day meeting with his counterparts in Warsaw to discuss migration, preparing for and responding to new and emerging threats, security and access to justice.

The Minister also availed of the opportunity to hold a bilateral meeting with the EU’s Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, to discuss Ireland’s views on a new proposal to improve the EU’s mechanism for returning migrants who have been refused international protection.

Minister O’Callaghan also met with the Spanish Minister for Justice and agreed to work with Spain and other like-minded countries to strengthen the new EU Directive on combatting child sexual abuse. He also hosted a meeting with his Lithuanian and Greek counterparts to discuss shared priorities and ambitions for the Irish, Lithuanian and Greek Presidencies of the European Union, which will span an 18-month period from July 2026 to December 2027.

Minister O’Callaghan agreed with his counterparts that the Union needs to see sustainable progress on addressing irregular migration, including through better cooperation on returns and readmissions. In addressing this, Minister O’Callaghan urged the Commission to bring forward a new measure that increases the effectiveness of returns in the EU. Responding to points made about the exploitation of refugee law by criminal groups engaged in people smuggling, Minister O’Callaghan said:

“The exploitation of human-beings, putting lives at risk, is unacceptable. We need to ensure our criminal justice systems can adequately respond to evolving threats posed by migrant smuggler networks. I welcome the agreement to map high-risk criminal networks to ensure we have an improved EU wide intelligence picture of groups that are fuelling migrant smuggling and other organised crime.”

When discussing how the EU might better prepare for new and emerging threats, Minister O’Callaghan took the opportunity to thank his counterparts for sending crews and equipment to assist reconnection efforts in Ireland in the aftermath of Storm Éowyn.

Among the key issues raised for inclusion in the EUs new Internal Security Strategy Minister O’Callaghan highlighted the threat posed by organised crime, the spread of disinformation, and cyber and hybrid threats. Encouraging all Member States to work together to address such threats, Minister O’Callaghan said:

“The cross-cutting nature of internal security in today’s increasingly geopolitical environment makes it even more important that Member States work together to ensure our collective security. We must take an all-encompassing approach, including by prioritising security in our engagement with partners and stakeholders and embedding an effective response to security challenges in developing policy.”

The Minister also engaged in a discussion on how Member States should work together to protect the integrity of the Unions’ approach to justice and fundamental rights, and to ensure access to justice for all and discussed ongoing work to gather evidence to ensure accountability for crimes committed in the context of Russia’s unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine.