Immigration has rarely been off the political agenda in recent times, and this week looks set to prove no different with the issue set to be considered by Government on Wednesday.
People seeking international protection face paying up to 40 per cent of their weekly income to fund the cost of State accommodation, under changes being proposed by Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan and Minister of State for Migration Colm Brophy.
As Jack Horgan-Jones and Sarah Burns report, the highest level under consideration will be €238 weekly for those who earn more than €600 per week, meaning someone earning slightly over this level will pay almost 40 per cent of their wages, with lower charges implemented depending on how much a person earns.
The moves will be considered as the Coalition looks to tighten conditions afforded to those seeking protection here amid ongoing pressure on accommodation capacity – even though numbers have declined from last year.
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Mr O’Callaghan has said Ireland has to continue to try to get down the number of people applying for international protection here, with about 13,000 applications this year.
He said if changes to UK asylum laws lead to greater numbers coming here, it would have to be considered by him and the rest of the Government.
He was speaking alongside European commissioner for internal affairs and migration Magnus Brunner, who visited the Citywest accommodation centre in Saggart, Co Dublin, for international protection applicants.
Ministers will also be asked to consider more restrictive family reunification rules that are expected to bring down the number of people entering the State this way, and increasing the residency requirement for citizenship for someone with refugee status from three to five years.
Russia rejects European input into peace plan
The Kremlin has rejected European counterproposals to a controversial US peace plan for Ukraine that heavily favoured Russia, even as Kyiv and Washington praised “highly productive” talks on the issue in advance of a Thursday deadline for agreement set by US president Donald Trump.
As Daniel McLaughlin reports in our lead story, Moscow’s response on Monday threw prospects for a breakthrough into deeper doubt, amid indications that key elements of the European initiative had been incorporated in a revised peace plan drawn up at Sunday’s talks in Geneva between officials from the US, Ukraine and Europe.
The European proposals, as reported by Reuters, push back on several parts of the original US-backed plan that align with Russia’s demands, including a 600,000-soldier cap on Ukraine’s military and a legal amnesty for everyone involved in the war.
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Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch may have to pay a €800,000 tax bill if he were to win the upcoming Dublin Central byelection, Sarah Burns and Conor Lally report.
Ellen Coyne writes that “significant delays” and “exceptionally high building inflation” are being blamed for a decade-long plan to build new tearooms at the park in Merrion Square in Dublin going over time and over budget.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin robustly defended the extent of his foreign travel during 2025, arguing that international engagement is vital and that going back to an “isolationist position” where Ireland does not attend any meeting is “ridiculous”, Harry McGee reports from Luanda, Angola.
On the opinion pages Sadhbh O’Neill asks: How different would our public transport system be if politicians were reliant on it?
Playbook
Proceedings in the Dáil kick off at 2pm with Leaders’ Questions.
Government Business in the afternoon (from 3.05pm) includes financial resolutions related to October’s budget and the Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2025.
Sinn Féin is putting forward legislation aimed at providing victims of sexual violence with the right to seek civil protection orders.
Minister for Housing James Browne will take parliamentary questions at 9.39pm.
TDs have an opportunity to raise topical issues from 11.15am.
The Seanad will consider two separate pieces of Government legislation on contractual retirement ages and the courts and civil law from 4.45pm.
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) will launch a report in the wake of controversy over a botched IT project at the Arts Council that led to a loss of €5.3 million and a separate issue at the National Gallery where an X-ray scanner machine was bought at a cost of almost €125,000 but could not be used as there was no suitable room for the equipment.
Our tee-up story on how the PAC report recommends that the Department of Culture should “develop and enforce stronger oversight mechanisms” for organisations it funds is here.
The Committee on Public Petitions will have two sessions today. The first one at 11.30am will hear calls for urgent action on flood relief in a number of villages in Co Cork. The second session at 1pm will examine a number of other petitions including one seeking the removal of the designation of South Africa as a safe country in Ireland’s immigration system and another two on online safety.
The Committee on Foreign Affairs will be looking at “supplementary estimates” – ie additional funding needs at the Department of Foreign Affairs in 2025 – from 3pm.
The Committee on Justice will conduct pre-legislative scrutiny on the National Cyber Security Bill 2024 from 3pm. Representatives of the Garda, Digital Rights Ireland, the Irish Council for Civil Liberties and Ibec are among those expected to be in attendance.
Also at 3pm the Committee on Housing will be discussing the planning regulations for solar farms with representatives from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland and An Taisce among those due to contribute.
You can find the full Dáil, Seanad and committee schedules here.
