Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration

Departmental team

• Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: Jim O'Callaghan, TD
  • Minister of State for International law, law reform and youth justice: Niall Collins, TD
  • Minister of State for Migration: Colm Brophy, TD
• Secretary General of the Department: Oonagh McPhillips

Overview

The mission of the Department of Justice is to maintain and enhance community security through the development of a range of policies and high-quality services which underpin:

• The protection and assertion of human rights and fundamental freedoms consistent with the common good
• The security of the State
• An effective and balanced approach to tackling crime

In July 2014 the department embarked on a comprehensive programme of change, including the recruitment of a new secretary-general following an independent review.

The official headquarters and ministerial offices of the department are on St Stephen's Green, Dublin.

Responsibilities

The department's main areas of responsibility include:

• Implementing government policy on crime and protecting the security of the State (National Security Committee).
• Providing policy advice in relation to the criminal justice system (Garda Síochána, the Courts, Prisons and Probation and Welfare services) and supporting the operation of this system.
• Continuing reform of criminal law and certain areas of civil law.
• Playing a central part in the implementation of core elements in the Good Friday Agreement.
• Co-operating in relevant EU and international matters and promoting the Republic of Ireland's interests within the associated areas of responsibility.
• Implementing the Government's asylum strategy and further developing national immigration policy.

Immigration Service Delivery

Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) is an office of the department, previously named the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS), was established in 2005 to deal with access to asylum, immigration, citizenship and visas. ISD is responsible for administering the administrative functions of the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration in relation to asylum, immigration (including visas) and citizenship matters. ISD also facilitates a whole of government approach to immigration and asylum issues which enables a more efficient service to be provided in these areas. It also works with the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment on the issuing of work permits.

The Service is structured around a number of key areas: asylum, visa, immigration and citizenship processing, asylum and immigration policy, repatriation and reception and integration. The agency also maintains close contact with the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) in relation to many aspects of its work including, deportations and illegal immigration. Members of the Garda Síochána of Detective rank, also carrying the seal of Immigration Officers operate on a full-time basis within the head office in Burgh Quay. A Garda Immigration office is also maintained at all Airports and main ports and at all Garda District Headquarters outside the Dublin Region.

Previously the responsibilities were shared between the Department of Justice and the Department of Foreign Affairs. It is located at 13/14 Burgh Quay, Dublin 2.

The Border Management Unit (BMU) is ISD's uniformed, front-line service providing Immigration Control at Dublin Airport. It was established as part of the Department of Justice's move to civilianize aspects of immigration management. The BMU gradually took over all front-line immigration control services from GNIB at Dublin Airport and is now solely responsible for these matters, with limited GNIB resources left at the airport for criminal investigations, detention services and removals of persons from the State. It is planned that the BMU will expand to take over front-line immigration at all Ports of Entry in the State.

Executive agencies

The department has executive agencies, which legally are integral parts of the department but which are managed separately:

• Forensic Science Ireland
• Probation Service
• Irish Prison Service

Affiliated bodies

Among the state agencies and other bodies affiliated to the department in some way are:

• Courts Service
• Garda Síochána
• Fiosrú – the Office of the Police Ombudsman
• Legal Aid Board
• State Pathologist's Office
• National Disability Authority
• Office of the Data Protection Commissioner
• Irish Film Classification Office
• International Protection Office
• International Protection Appeals Tribunal
• National Cyber Security Centre
• Policing and Community Safety Authority
• Private Security Authority

No state-sponsored bodies report to the department.

History

In the revolutionary period, the office was known as the Ministry of Home Affairs. The Ministers and Secretaries Act 1924, passed soon after the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922, provided it with a statutory basis and renamed it as the Department of Justice. This act provided it with: The schedule assigned it with the following bodies:

• All Courts of Justice and the Offices thereof save in so far as the same are reserved to the Executive Council or are excepted from the authority of the Executive Council or of an Executive Minister.
• Police.
• The General Prisons Board for Ireland and all Prisons.
• The Registrar of District Court Clerks.
• The Public Record Office.
• The Registry of Deeds.
• The Land Registry.
• The Commissioners of Charitable Donations and Bequests for Ireland.

Alteration of name and transfer of functions

The name and functions of the department have changed by means of statutory instruments.

References

References

1. McEntee, Helen. (10 October 2023). "Minister McEntee secures Justice Budget 2024 to build stronger, safer communities". Government of Ireland.
2. (21 July 2023). "Secretary General of the Department of Justice". Department of Justice.
3. "Reform and Transformation".
4. "Visas for Ireland". Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
5. (26 July 2005). "All-in immigration body set up". [[Irish Independent]].
6. {{Cite Irish legislation. (1924). (21 April 1924)
7. {{Cite Irish legislation. (1924). (21 April 1924)
8. (30 May 1924). "Ministers and Secretaries Act 1924 (Commencement) Order 1924".
9. (16 November 1982). "Justice (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 1982".
10. (3 February 1993). "Justice (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 1993".
11. (8 July 1997). "Equality and Law Reform (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 1997".
12. (8 July 1997). "Justice (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 1997".
13. (27 July 2001). "Charities and Street and House-to-House Collections (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2001".
14. (18 May 2010). "Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2010".
15. (18 May 2010). "Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2010".
16. (29 March 2011). "Equality, Integration, Disability and Human Rights (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2011".
17. (29 March 2011). "Justice and Law Reform (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2011".
18. (19 April 2011). "Charities and Street and House-to-House Collections (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2011".
19. (18 December 2012). "Equality Tribunal (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2017".
20. (19 June 2013). "Censorship of Publications Board and Censorship of Publications Appeal Board (Transfer of Ministerial Functions) Order 2013".
21. (10 March 2015). "Censorship of Publications Board and Censorship of Publications Appeal Board (Transfer of Ministerial Functions) Order 2015".
22. (1 December 2015). "Ordnance Survey Ireland (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2015".
23. (1 December 2015). "Valuation Office (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2015".
24. (26 July 2017). "Charities (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2017".
25. (12 December 2017). "Ordnance Survey Ireland (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2017".
26. (12 December 2017). "Ordnance Survey Ireland (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2017".
27. (12 December 2017). "Valuation Office and Valuation Tribunal (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2017".
28. (13 October 2020). "Youth Justice (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2020".
29. (13 October 2020). "Disability, Equality, Human Rights, Integration and Reception (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2020".
30. (20 October 2020). "Justice and Equality (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2020".
31. (8 April 2025). "Integration and Reception (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2025".
32. (27 May 2025). "Cyber Security (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2025".
33. (4 June 2025). "Justice (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2025".
34. (22 July 2025). "Property Services (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2025".
35. Finn, Christina. (11 August 2025). "Watchdog overseeing estate agents moves to new department amid calls for beefed up oversight".
36. (22 July 2025). "Censorship of Films and Censorship of Publications (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2025".