Cormac Devlin
Dún Laoghaire · Fianna Fáil · Ireland
“That brings me to the fiscal implications. Members will have noticed that the estimates vary enormously. In 2025, researchers at Dublin City University and Ulster University published the first peer-reviewed study of the cost of unity over its first ten years. They put the cost in year one at approximately €3 billion.”
“There are also gaps that we can start closing now through greater co-operation and engagement. Second, we should build prosperity in the meantime. The Government has announced €377 million in new shared island investment across 12 cross-Border projects.”
“It benefits communities North and South today, irrespective of the constitutional future people choose tomorrow. It is important that we recognise the success of that co-operation today. The third point is that we must keep asking the right questions.”
“I welcome the debate and the contributions from all Members of the House, as well as the varying views. As Cathaoirleach of the Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, I believe this is exactly the type of debate and discussion that we should be having in this House.”
“The studies make different assumptions about pensions and the UK national debt, and very different assumptions about how quickly the Northern economy could grow and converge with our own. That is the honest position. The true scale of the cost is yet unknown. Anyone who claims certainty on the figure is not being straight with anybody.”
“We should certainly do what we can now, and I am suggesting three things. First, we should build an evidence base. Much reference has been made today to the shared island unit in the Department of the Taoiseach, which has published extensive research on two economies, two labour markets, education, health and other areas.”
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“It benefits communities North and South today, irrespective of the constitutional future people choose tomorrow. It is important that we recognise the success of that co-operation today. The third point is that we must keep asking the right questions. That is very important regarding pensions, debt, transition arrangements and the shape of any agreement with the UK. The assumptions that drive every estimate deserve rigorous independent scrutiny long before any referendum is called. I ask the Taoiseach and, indeed, the Minister for Finance to continue and expand the shared island research programme so the fiscal questions raised in this House today are answered with evidence rather than assertion. The unity of the Irish people, achieved by consent and through reconciliation, is a founding aspiration of my party.”
“There are also gaps that we can start closing now through greater co-operation and engagement. Second, we should build prosperity in the meantime. The Government has announced €377 million in new shared island investment across 12 cross-Border projects. Some €193 million will upgrade the Dublin–Belfast–Derry rail lines between 2027 and 2030. A further €35 million will continue the hourly Dublin–Belfast Enterprise train service. That service doubled rail connectivity between our two largest cities and grew passenger numbers by 40% in its first year. There is also €33 million for a new water quality programme for Lough Neagh, €30 million to complete the Ulster Canal, and €13.5 million for early learning and childcare, including 1,000 upskilling places for early years educators. That is what practical co-operation looks like.”
“We should certainly do what we can now, and I am suggesting three things. First, we should build an evidence base. Much reference has been made today to the shared island unit in the Department of the Taoiseach, which has published extensive research on two economies, two labour markets, education, health and other areas. The Department of Finance's 2024 paper Shared Island, Shared Economy sets out the facts plainly. Productivity in Northern Ireland is in line with that in our Border and midlands regions, well behind the economy as a whole. Public sector employment accounts for 33% of jobs in the North, against a much lower figure here. The North has a far higher share of people with no formal qualifications, and there are gaps in opportunities any future arrangement would have to address.”
“The studies make different assumptions about pensions and the UK national debt, and very different assumptions about how quickly the Northern economy could grow and converge with our own. That is the honest position. The true scale of the cost is yet unknown. Anyone who claims certainty on the figure is not being straight with anybody. It would be a mistake for any of us in this House to pick the study that suits our argument and set the rest aside. Some speakers have suggested that the money is not the first consideration, and I agree. Identity, belonging and reconciliation are matters of the heart as much as the national balance sheet. Voters from all traditions, however, will want to know where they stand before they go to the polls. That is not crude accounting; that is respect for the electorate.”
“That brings me to the fiscal implications. Members will have noticed that the estimates vary enormously. In 2025, researchers at Dublin City University and Ulster University published the first peer-reviewed study of the cost of unity over its first ten years. They put the cost in year one at approximately €3 billion. They found the deficit would decline gradually and end within approximately five to nine years, depending on growth. The Institute of International and European Affairs reached a very different conclusion in 2024. Professor John FitzGerald and Professor Edgar Morgenroth estimated a basic cost of close to €11 billion a year. If wages, welfare and pensions in the North were raised immediately to southern levels, their figure rose above €20 billion. Clearly, there is a very considerable gap between the two studies.”
“I welcome the debate and the contributions from all Members of the House, as well as the varying views. As Cathaoirleach of the Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, I believe this is exactly the type of debate and discussion that we should be having in this House. The agreement envisages that the people of this island may one day be asked to decide on their constitutional future. It is right that we prepare for that question seriously, honestly and well in advance. The Good Friday Agreement rests on the principle of consent. Any change to the constitutional status of Northern Ireland can only happen with the agreement of a majority of its people. That principle is settled. Our task is to make sure that if people are asked to decide, they can decide with full information.”
“I also ask that the next phase of the memory assessment and support services reaches the east coast so that people in Dún Laoghaire and across our region can access diagnosis and post-diagnostic support in their own community. In October, Dublin will host the Alzheimer Europe conference during Ireland's Presidency of the Council of the European Union and over 1,200 delegates will come to our capital. Let us use that moment to show that Ireland leads on dementia in policy, in research and, above all, in care.”
“This is what good community dementia care looks like - diagnosis, daycare, respite home support and social connection, and all close to where people live. Our task is to make that standard everywhere. I know the Minister of State is committed to that. For all the progress, families tell me the same three things: daycare places are limited, there are caring waiting lists and respite is scarce. Too many people wait for too long. The ASI pre-budget submission seeks €8.23 million to expand day care, home care and young onset supports. It is a costed, practical, reasonable support. I welcome the commitment in the programme for Government. I also ask the Minister of State to meet the ASI as soon as possible and to make progress on its pre-budget submission.”
“In Blackrock, the Alzheimer Society of Ireland runs the Orchard Respite Centre out of Temple Road, providing dementia-specific care and overnight respite alongside the society's national coffee'n'chat and freephone helpline. The Southside Partnership's living well with dementia programme has also been running since 2012. It is funded by the HSE. Its Sweet Memories Choir, exercise classes, bridge club and arts group keep people connected to their community and it is supported by almost 40 volunteers. Its motto says it all: "See the person, not their Dementia". Those service are complemented by the HSE's Memory Harbour, which is run by occupational therapists across our local health centres and the memory clinic at St. Columcille's Hospital in Loughlinstown.”
“This year, a minimum of 22% of all new home support hours will go to people with dementia or a cognitive impairment, up 20% on last year. That is real, measurable progress. I want to speak about what it looks like in my constituency in Dún Laoghaire. It is the home of the finest dementia services in the country. We have St. Joseph's Centre in Shankill, which is Ireland's only care home dedicated to people living with dementia. It is home to 60 residents living in six household-style lodges rather than hospital wards. It is a very special place. Its daycare club welcomes 24 people every day and it provides much needed respite for family carers. It also runs Buddy's Place café, which I had the pleasure of attending when it opened. Anyone who visits St. Joseph's, as I have, will know it is not an institution. It is a home to those residents.”
“I commend the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, on her advocacy, long before she took high office, in making sure the all-party Oireachtas committee operated here in the Oireachtas but also secured so much funding when she went into Government. There are now 60 dementia day care centres, 25 memory clinics and 37 dementia advisers across the country. Three memory assessment and support services are operated in Cavan-Monaghan, Mayo and Sligo and they saw almost 500 new patients last year. Seven more are committed to under the HSE national service plan for 2026. Four regional specialist memory clinics saw over 1,400 new patients in 2025, with a fifth to open in north Dublin. The national dementia registry will be piloted next year, which is very welcome news.”
“Andy Heffernan, and the head of operations and community engagement, Ms Siobhan O'Connor. The ASI is the leading dementia-specific service provider in this country. Its staff, branches and, indeed, volunteers work in the heart of every single community right across the island. On behalf of the families of Dún Laoghaire in my constituency who they have supported, I want to thank them. I am also very proud to be a member of the all-party Oireachtas committee in the Oireachtas, ably led by Senator O'Loughlin and Deputy Lawlor. I thank and commend them on their work as well. Some €21.27 million has been provided for new funding for dementia services since 2021, including a further €2.27 million in the budget of 2026.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak today on dementia. Like many others, I want to extend a particularly warm welcome to Jordan and Cian Adams, the FTB Brothers. I commend them on all their fundraising work and advocacy. Today, we remember their beloved mother, Geraldine. There are 64,000 people living with dementia in Ireland today. Around 11,000 people receive a diagnosis every single year. There are 30 new cases every single day. By 2045, the estimated number will grow from 64,000 to approximately 150,000 people. Behind every one of those numbers is a person, a family and a story. Before I go any further, I also want to acknowledge the fantastic work and advocacy of the Alzheimer Society of Ireland, many of whom are in the Gallery today, including their CEO, Mr.”
“It is essential that we keep the focus on sustainability and the retention of our post office network as much as possible. I know the Minister of State wants to see that in every rural town, the Gaeltacht areas and urban areas.”
“A service that reaches every community of 500 people or more is worth defending, precisely when others are walking away. I will finish with one specific ask. Funding sustains the network and new business strengthens it. An Post has shown what it can do with the likes of An Post Money, parcels and financial services. I ask the Minister of State to bring forward, before the end of this year, a plan to channel additional Government services through the post office network, so that the network earns as well as receives. That is how we make this €75 million an investment in growth, not a subsidy for decline. I know of the Minister of State's personal commitment to the post office network, having met the postmasters' union and others numerous times.”
“Offices on our islands and in our Gaeltacht areas will also be recognised for what they are, and that is essential. Members should look at what is happening elsewhere. On 30 December last, PostNord delivered its final letter in Denmark, ending four centuries of state letter delivery after letter volumes fell by more than 90%. Other countries are cutting delivery days and closing counters. The UK is also selling off its postal network. In comparison, we are in a totally different space in this House and country, and that has to be recognised. While things have to change in order to maintain the network and keep it viable, we are in a different situation from many of our European counterparts and neighbouring jurisdictions.”
“It is important, though, that we acknowledge the pressures on the system. Having met with the Irish Postmasters' Union and read its report, transaction volumes and contractual earnings for postmasters have continued to decline since 2020, through a period of 15% inflation and a 30% increase in the minimum wage. The previous funding slowed the contraction of the network, but it did not stop the underlying trend. That is exactly why this Bill matters, and the funding model behind it matters even more. I welcome the principles the Government has agreed for that model. Access will be maintained across urban and rural Ireland. Funding will reflect the isolation and sustainability of each post office, and a minimum revenue threshold will apply.”
“I see this in my constituency of Dún Laoghaire. Our post offices in Dún Laoghaire town, Blackrock, Sallynoggin and Ballybrack, to name but a few, serve some of the oldest populations in the country. When I meet older residents at my clinics, they do not talk about mail volumes or e-substitution. They talk about the counter they trust and the services and individuals they rely on. The value of this network runs far beyond the money the State invests in it. When a post office anchors a main street or a village, footfall follows, local shops benefit, older residents, in particular, keep a reason to come into town, isolation is reduced and community is sustained. No line in any set of accounts captures that return, but every community in Ireland benefits from and knows that real return.”
“According to An Post's sustainability report, up to 1 million customers walk through their doors every week. In 2024, the network carried out 82 million transactions. That is phenomenal. Almost 26 million of those were social welfare payments made on behalf of the State. Let us consider what those figures mean in practice. They mean a pensioner collecting their payment from someone who knows their name. They mean a carer paying bills through the household budget service. They mean a family buying a Leap card or lodging savings at one trusted counter. That is why I say the post office network is not simply a commercial channel. It is social infrastructure. For older people, people with disabilities and people who are not online and never will be, the post office is often the front door to the State.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Postal and Telecommunications Services (Amendment) Bill 2026. I am glad to support its passage. This is a short Bill with a single purpose. Section 1 raises the amount the Minister can make available to An Post for the post office network from €30 million to €105 million. That one change gives legal effect to the Government's decision, announced earlier this year, to provide €15 million each year until 2030. That amounts to €75 million in total and it builds on the €10 million per year provided from 2023 to 2025. That funding reached every contractor post office in the country. Behind the statutory ceiling stands something far more important, namely, the post office network itself. There are 951 post offices in Ireland, of which postmasters run 906 directly.”
“I ask the Minister to publish a clear commencement timetable for the remaining provisions and to ensure that local authorities, such as Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, are properly resourced for the transition to planning under the new Act. Housing is the priority and this Bill helps us deliver it. I support the Bill and look forward to its implementation.”
“I want to address public participation directly, because it matters. Streamlining and participation are not opposites. Under the Bill, public consultation on development plans remains. Submissions on planning applications remain, as do appeals. What changes is the speed and the certainty of the process, not the right of people to have their say. In my constituency of Dún Laoghaire, residents engage seriously and constructively with the planning system. I will always defend their right to do so. A faster system must also be a fair system. Every month that we take out of the planning process is a key turned in a front door a month sooner. That is what this Bill is essentially about.”
“That gives local authorities the space to complete their reviews properly and to introduce a ten-year development plan on time. Ten-year plans give certainty for communities, for councils and for those delivering homes and the infrastructure that serves them. Third, on infrastructure, the Bill delivers on actions assigned to the Department under the Accelerating Infrastructure Taskforce Report and Action Plan 2025. Homes need water, they need power and transport, and the Bill streamlines the consenting process for the critical projects that make housing possible. It also allows existing apartment permissions to be modified in line with updated apartment design standards. These measures can unlock sites that are permitted but stalled. Permitted but stalled is the worst of all worlds, and we have too much of that.”
“It means an end to further appeals to the Court of Appeal in those cases. Each of these measures cuts time and unnecessary legal costs for all parties concerned. It is worth being clear about the impact. This is not about shutting anyone out of the courts. Judicial review remains available to any person with a genuine case. What these changes remove is duplication, cost and delay. Of course, delay serves nobody. On the second point, strategic planning, the Bill sets a 90-week deadline for the review of the three regional, spatial and economic strategies so that they will be completed by the end of 2027. It allows current development plans to remain in force on a transitional basis until a fixed date no later than the end of 2030.”
“I thank Deputy Clendennen. I welcome and support the Bill, which implements the reforms agreed by the Dáil in 2024 and will accelerate the supply of housing. The housing crisis is the defining challenge facing this country and we all see the impact in our weekly clinics. The Planning and Development Act 2024 was the largest reform of our planning legislation in a generation. I want to focus on three elements of the Bill. The first is the judicial review. The Bill applies the new procedural rules for planning judicial review, introduced in the 2024 Act, to remaining decisions made under the 2000 Act. That means the removal of the separate leave stage. It also means a case can be remitted to the point where a procedural breach occurred, rather than an entire permission being quashed.”
“I ask the Minister of State to ensure the regulator and relevant authorities are watching this closely. Looking to the winter ahead, the Government must act to protect the most vulnerable. I ask that we increase the fuel allowance in the budget and seriously examine a further energy credit for households, particularly those in need. People have been through a challenging number of months and certain households will need support as we enter this winter. With all that said, this is a Bill that is long overdue. The energy supply report that was published was referred to earlier. We have to use that as the basis. Any more time given to this will be time delayed to such a strategic infrastructural piece that this country needs.”
“This is not a choice between fossil fuels and renewables; it is both, sequenced properly. I want to see us go faster on solar and far faster on offshore wind. The Minister of State is aware of my promotion of those renewables. Our offshore wind potential is among the best in Europe, but we have been far too slow to capture it. Ultimately, the renewable transition is the destination, but we will need a bridging supply to get there safely. We should be honest with people about that, rather than pretending otherwise. I will mention households because all of this is abstract to families and households worried about heating bills. Oil prices have eased back in recent weeks from their crisis peak, and that relief must be passed on at the pump and on the bill. It cannot be absorbed quietly into margins.”
“When it goes, our domestic gas production goes with it and our import dependency becomes near total at precisely the wrong moment. I have long argued, including during my time on the climate action committee in the previous Dáil, that we are dangerously exposed. I want to see us extend the productive life of the Corrib infrastructure where it is feasible and responsible to do so. The existing infrastructure off the Mayo coast is a national asset. There are indigenous prospects within tie-back range of it that could materially reduce our reliance on imported gas. That is gas that arrives with a carbon footprint many times higher than anything we would produce ourselves. It makes no environmental or strategic sense to shut down our cleaner production only to import dirtier gas through a single pipeline from another jurisdiction.”
“The bespoke process here retains the essentials, namely, the environmental impact assessment, the appropriate assessment and public consultation, but within defined timelines. That is the right balance. That is the right balance. It reflects a Government that has learned the hard lesson that infrastructure delayed is, too often, infrastructure denied. I want to be clear that this reserve is a safety net. It is not a strategy. A reserve is what we draw down in an emergency. It is not what keeps the lights on year after year. I will use my remaining time to speak about the bigger picture. If the recent crisis has taught us anything, it is that we need to be far more ambitious about our indigenous supply. Corrib, which has served us well, is reaching the end of its productive life.”
“It will provide backup for our electricity supply at moments of low renewable output and it gives us a cushion in the event of a serious disruption to supply. I particularly welcome that it is designed as a temporary, State-owned, emergency-only facility. The Minister repeatedly said this was the plan. The scaremongering and disinformation we have heard has been disappointing but not surprising. The proposed structure matters. It reduces the risk of stranded assets, does not stimulate additional gas demand and it is compatible with our binding climate targets. This is energy security and climate responsibility working together, not against one another. I also welcome the accelerated consenting framework in the Bill. The conventional planning route would have delivered this around 2031 and we cannot wait until then.”
“I am pleased to speak on this Bill, which I support. Recent events in the Middle East have underscored the necessity of this Bill. The energy crisis caused by the conflict in the Middle East has seen record price hikes but, more importantly, raised questions over Ireland's energy security. This is an issue that I have highlighted on several occasions in the House in this term and the previous one. We are an island at the end of the European supply line. We have no meaningful buffer and no gas storage. We are the only country in the European Union in that position. When a shock comes, it reaches us very quickly and it hits hard, so this Bill matters to us. The State-led strategic gas reserve in the form of a floating storage and regasification unit to be located on the Shannon Estuary, is a sensible, welcome and necessary measure.”
“Together, the US, EU and UK comprise the largest global market by far. It is in everyone’s interest that we work together, remain competitive and deal with the challenges and opportunities presented by the growth of AI.”
“Given Ireland’s position as a base for many companies, it is important that we support the sector, but it is also critical that regulators take an active role, proactively working alongside major providers to ensure algorithms and products benefit the public good and do not create undue risk. More broadly, I will raise the issue of access. Together, the EU and UK comprise a market of almost 520 million people with a combined GDP of almost €24 trillion. We need to see a far more robust response from the European Commission to ensure businesses and individuals have access to the latest software to remain competitive. I hope Ireland will take this up as a priority for the upcoming Presidency. Europe cannot be allowed to fall behind or be locked out of essential advanced products and services.”
“I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for that. I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate on the Regulation of Artificial Intelligence Bill 2026. As the Taoiseach noted, the accelerating growth of AI is both a challenge and an opportunity. AI is here, being used daily by businesses and individuals, and it will continue to develop. It is not something we can ignore. AI-related economic activity is already beginning to materially influence the Irish economy. I support the Government’s ambition to make Ireland a global hub for applied AI innovation. The Bill implements European legislation in this area, establishing the AI office of Ireland, which will co-ordinate efforts to supervise the sector. In itself, legislation is insufficient. We learned that from the failures relating to the banking sector and social media policy.”
“Will the Taoiseach consider whether the shared island fund can support more of these people-to-people connections, be it sporting or community organisations, on both sides of the Border, alongside its investment in roads and the rail network?”
“I join the Taoiseach in his remarks about Prime Minister Starmer and all of the work he has done in rebuilding the relationship between Ireland and the UK, including through the UK-Ireland summits that have taken place in Liverpool and Cork. I welcome the €377 million announced overnight for the shared island initiative, particularly the €193 million for the Dublin-Belfast-Derry line. That is real all-island progress and the Taoiseach deserves credit as well for starting that initiative. Much of this funding rightly is for large infrastructure but some of the most lasting reconciliation happens at community level. On that point, in my own constituency of Dún Laoghaire, local schools and sport links had been created between Shankill in Dún Laoghaire and Shankill in Belfast. That is practical community relations.”
“It is balanced and, on the evidence, it is needed now. I ask the Minister to confirm that the stakeholder forum planned for July will give the communities around the airport a clear and meaningful voice, alongside the airlines and the airport itself.”
“The Minister’s power is confined to the passenger cap alone, an order falls away once a planning decision replaces it and the assessments are built into the process rather than bolted on after it. Some will ask why we cannot simply wait for the planning system. The honest answer is time. A planning decision on DAA’s application to raise the cap to 40 million is expected later this year or early next. It is likely to be appealed, if not judicially reviewed. That could add another year of uncertainty. Airlines plan their networks years in advance. They cannot plan against a moving target. This Bill provides a lawful interim solution that addresses the cap while the planning process runs its course, and it protects that live application so nothing here delays it. I welcome the Bill. It is a measure for jobs, connectivity and the economy.”
“Their concerns, which were raised earlier, about noise and flight movements are legitimate, and they are taken seriously in this legislation. Before the Minister can make any order, An Coimisiún Pleanála must carry out a full environmental impact assessment and an appropriate assessment, in line with EU law, with public consultation built in. The Minister must take account of the outcome. That is the right sequence: lift the cap, but do it lawfully, transparently, and with the environment properly assessed. The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Transport did serious work in this regard. It received 136 submissions, held six public hearings, and made 16 recommendations. The Bill reflects that scrutiny.”
“The same independent analysis found that holding the cap at 32 million would cost Ireland an additional 17,800 jobs and €1.5 billion in economic value by 2030. This is the price of inaction, not a saving. It is a loss for the country. As an island nation with an open economy, connectivity is not a convenience for us; it is the condition of trade, tourism and investment. Research consistently shows that well-connected economies export far more than poorly connected ones. The cap works against every one of those elements, and it does so at our own expense. If a route cannot land in Dublin, it lands in another European capital instead. The connectivity goes elsewhere and so do the jobs. The cap does not protect Ireland, it penalises Ireland. This Bill does not ignore the people who live around the airport.”
“Dublin Airport is not just a transport hub; it is one of the largest pieces of critical economic infrastructure in the State. An independent study commissioned by DAA found that the airport contributes €9.6 billion in gross value added to the Irish economy. This is the equivalent of 2.3% of the entire national economy. It supports or facilitates over 116,000 jobs across the Republic. This is not a Dublin story alone. The same study found that 28% of the airport’s economic contribution lands outside Dublin and the rest of Leinster, and that 31% of the jobs it sustains are across the rest of the country. When Dublin Airport grows, Wexford, Donegal and Kerry grow. The gateway is in Dublin and the benefit is of national importance. That is the figure that should focus minds.”
“I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate on the Dublin Airport (Passenger Capacity) Bill 2026. Last year, the airport saw 36.4 million passengers travel through it. It was the busiest year in the airport’s history, up more than 5% on the year before. Passenger numbers there have grown by 46% in the last decade. The cap is set at 32 million, so last year the airport carried more than 4 million people above the limit that was imposed on it. The demand is real and the growth is real. The cap is the one thing standing against both. This is the heart of the matter. We are not debating whether people want to fly to and from Ireland; they already are, in record numbers. We are debating whether the law should keep pretending they cannot.”
“By implementing this package fully and on a proper footing, we confirm Ireland as a serious centre of expertise for digital regulation and a reliable partner in the digital Single Market. We give legal certainty to the businesses operating here. We also give confidence to our European partners that when they come looking for evidence of a serious crime, Ireland will be ready to assist lawfully and quickly. This Bill is about giving An Garda Síochána and our courts the modern tools they need to investigate modern types of crime while protecting the rights of citizens at every step. It honours a commitment in the programme for Government, it meets our European obligations and it makes us a more compatible and trustworthy partner in the fight against serious cross-border crimes.”
“Ireland struggled to find a suitable body for that scrutiny role. The Garda Commissioner was designated on an interim basis to address an infringement case. The Bill assigns that scrutiny function to the new director, where it sits naturally alongside the very similar task of scrutinising incoming production orders. It is a coherent fit and puts a proper, permanent arrangement in place. The transposition deadline for the e-evidence directive was 18 February this year. I welcome the work to date by the Minister and his officials on the legislation. Ireland hosts a large share of Europe's digital economy. Many of the service providers that other member states will turn to for evidence are based here. That gives us a responsibility and an opportunity.”
“The director here in Ireland will scrutinise certain incoming production orders and may refuse them on the grounds set out in the regulation. Where a provider faces a conflict of laws, a specific procedure involving a judge or a court applies. All of this will be run through a secure, decentralised IT system that authenticates everyone taking part. Requests for sensitive data will not be flying around on email. These are real checks, not just window dressing. The Bill also does something sensible in joining up our response to terrorist content online. Under the EU's terrorist content online regulation, removal orders can be issued requiring hosting providers to take down terrorist material. The receiving state must be able to scrutinise those orders to ensure they do not breach the regulation or, indeed, fundamental rights.”
“On the previous speaker's point about staffing, it is clear that the office will be built up on a phased basis, with the process to appoint a director now under way. When the State takes on new powers to access people's data, the safeguards matter as much as the powers themselves. The Bill, and the package behind it, takes that seriously. It is important to note the protections being proposed. The framework guarantees strong protection of fundamental rights, including the right to the protection of personal data. A person whose data is sought is entitled to legal remedies. Where it is warranted, the authorities of the member state in which the provider is established will be brought in through a notification mechanism and can stop the production of data on a defined list of grounds.”
“Our own authorities are likely to issue around 2,000 orders to providers in other member states to advance investigations here at home. These are not abstract figures. Each order represents an investigation into a real crime affecting real people. To manage this, the Bill establishes a new office, the office of director of criminal justice international co-operation. The new office is necessary, as it centralises functions that would otherwise be scattered across existing bodies. The State is right to centralise the skills, expertise and responsibility to one office. There will be a single point of contact for cross-border co-operation on electronic evidence. The director will monitor and enforce compliance by service providers and will have the power to impose financial penalties where providers fail to meet their obligations.”
“It transposes the EU e-evidence directive and gives further effect to the e-evidence regulation. Together, they create two new tools. The first is the European production order. This will allow a judicial authority in one member state to obtain electronic evidence directly from a service provider in another. It must respond within ten days or, in an emergency, within eight hours. It is ten days instead of ten months. The second is the European preservation order, which allows authorities to require that specific data be preserved so it is not lost while a fuller request is prepared. The scale here is significant. It is expected that up to 600 service providers could designate an addressee in Ireland. The number of production orders issued to providers based here is anticipated to exceed 300,000 every year.”
“The development of the online ecosystem has outpaced existing legislation, and even where national governments have introduced legislation, the transnational nature of the problem means an EU-wide response is warranted and necessary to address the issue. Today, when a Garda investigation needs evidence held on servers in another member state, the process is slow. A European investigation order can take up to 120 days. A mutual legal assistance request takes, on average, ten months. Think about what ten months mean in a live investigation. Data is deleted, trails go cold and victims ultimately wait. A suspect who should go before a court remains at large. That delay is not a technical inconvenience; it is a gap that major criminals regularly exploit. This Bill closes that gap.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Criminal Justice (International Cooperation on Electronic Evidence and Other Matters) Bill 2026. The objective of this Bill is to support efforts to tackle crime being facilitated over the Internet. The large drugs cartel being organised on an encrypted app, the fraud run from a server in another country, the grooming of a child through a social media account or the money laundered through a chain of digital transactions - none of these crimes respects a border. The evidence sits on servers that may be in Dublin, in Frankfurt, in any country or in a data centre on another continent.”