International Protection Bill 2026: Committee Stage
Seanad Éireann — 2026-03-18
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Alice-Mary Higgins (IND), National University of Ireland

I appreciate the Minister is indicating that this is provided for in the 2004 Act, but the problem is that it is limited to the functions of the 2004 Act, so it would need to be explicitly inserted in this Bill. We are very happy to engage with the Minister and find an agreed location for that point, but it is crucial that it be named and included. If the simple issue is around the location of it, let us work together to find another location. I do not want us to come to Report Stage and end up with a Bill that does not do this. Could the Minister indicate if he is happy to work between Committee and Report Stages to ensure that we find an agreed and appropriate location, or, indeed, a wording? We have tried to go as closely as possible to the language of the 2004 Act.
Could the Minister also address the question we raised around training? While he referenced officials from the Department, An Garda Síochána and the performance of their powers, our concern relates to the new powers. Sometimes we talk about how something is now and say that is why we should not be concerned about the new thing we are going to do, but the new thing is a new thing. We are talking about contracting. This is a change where we are talking about contracting for services. That is why we need a bit more clarity about exactly who will be contracted. Could it be private contracting? Where will the accountability be in that? How do we avoid, for example, perverse incentives? We have seen with ICE where there are quotas for how many people their agents have managed to detain. This concerns that kind of scenario if we have a contract of services. The Minister can understand that this is not a reflection on officials or An Garda Síochána doing their job now; this is a concern about the new proposed methodology for the appointment of immigration officers, which is through a contract of service, and that is where we want clarity on the training and on exactly who they will be.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-03-18/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:44+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-03-18