Category: Government of Ireland

Minister of State Brophy added:

The costs for the provision of the aircraft for this operation is €184,465.00 (ex VAT) for a return flight.

Notes for editors

In 2025, six charter flight operations removed 205 people from the State. Of these, five operations to non-EU destinations removed 182 people who were subject to deportation orders and one operation removed 23 EU citizens on grounds of criminality.

Including this operation, three charter flights to date in 2026 have seen the removal of 130 people from the State, including 67 EU citizens who were removed on grounds of criminality.

Citizens of the European Union, European Economic Area and Switzerland and their qualifying family members have the right to move and reside within these territories under conditions provided in the Free Movement Directive.

Under the European Communities (Free Movement of Persons) Regulations 2015, which transposes the Free Movement Directive (Directive 2004/38/EC) into Irish law, the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration can issue orders for both the removal and exclusion of an EU citizen or their family member who represent a danger to public policy, public security or public health. These orders can be made on the grounds that the individual’s personal conduct represents a genuine, present and sufficiently serious threat affecting one of the fundamental interests of society.

A removal order means the person must leave Ireland and if an exclusion order is made a re-entry ban can be imposed for a specified period of up to ten years.

The table below details the number of orders which have been made under the European Communities (Free Movement of Persons) Regulations 2015 in 2023, 2024 and 2025, and the total number of people whose removal from the State was enforced by the Garda National Immigration Bureau.

* Please note, figures are correct at time of issue, however, all statistics may be subject to data cleansing. An enforcement order may have been signed in a previous year.

Charter flight services are provided by Air Partner Ltd under a contract entered into in November 2024. This contract was signed following a competitive and open procurement process.

Head of Heritage Services and Capital Works Delivery for the OPW, Rosemary Collier said: “The Bioblitz at Castletown House and Estate offers an exciting opportunity to really engage with Biodiversity on the site. Visitors can come and experience the rich diversity of life across the site with talks and walks led by our expert OPW teams and by our partners; Bat Conservation Ireland; BirdWatch Ireland; Moths Ireland and Kildare County Council Biodiversity Office.”

All events are free, however the bat walk requires advance booking through Eventbrite: bat-walk-at-castletown-house-parklands-tickets.

The full programme is available at link.

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OPW spokespersons are available for interview upon request. Please contact pressoffice@opw.ie for more information and to arrange an interview.

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NOTES:

A survey carried out by the OPW found that over half the population (56%) are unsure of how to help improve biodiversity despite the overwhelming majority (90%) wanting to play their part (for further information, please see – OPW Biodiversity Action Strategy 2022-2026). Over the two days at Castletown, there will be a number of free educational events such as talks on trees, a Bat Walk, moth trapping and a variety of other biodiversity related events.

Please see link to OPW Biodiversity Action Strategy 2022-2026 https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/3c132-opw-biodiversity-action-strategy/

Ireland’s 4th National Biodiversity Action Plan published in May 2024 is available at:

https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/93973-irelands-4th-national-biodiversity-action-plan-20232030/

This scheme is designed to assist owners of fishing and aquaculture vessels to offset the increased cost of fuel experienced as a result of the conflict in the Middle East. The scheme will cover the months of March up to the end of July, which are a critical time in the fisheries calendar. It is a straightforward scheme aimed at those most impacted by the sudden increase in the cost of fuel.

The scheme is open to owners of fishing vessels which must be registered on the Irish Fleet Register at the time of grant application and who must have been actively fishing from March to July in 2025. The scheme is also open to owners of aquaculture vessels which must be registered on the Irish Fleet Register at the time of grant application, under the Aquaculture segment. All applicants must be tax compliant at time of payment. Eligibility for the scheme will be based on recorded consumption of fuel for primary production of fisheries and aquaculture products last year.

For vessel owners of greater than 6m length overall (LOA), the applicants can apply online via the BIM’s online grants management system and submit completed forms and receipts as part of the application process. Under the scheme there will be one payment per applicant to cover a full five-month period. Applicants will be asked to supply their usage for the period 1 March – 31 July 2025 based on receipted expenditure. All receipted information provided by the applicants will be validated before the decision on final payment is made.

For vessel owners of less than 6m LOA, they will receive a flat rate support. The applicants can apply online via the BIM’s online grants management system but will not need to provide fuel receipts.

The scheme will remain open until Friday, 12 June 2026.

As this scheme is being implemented under the Temporary Crisis Framework set up by the EU Commission and all applicable State Aid Rules, payments will only be made to applicants once State Aid approval has been received by the Department.

Applicants wishing to contact BIM regarding the Fishing and Aquaculture Registered Vessel Fuel Support Scheme, can email the Grants Helpdesk at grantshelpdesk@bim.ie.

Eligible Beneficiaries:

Owners of fishing vessels:

· which must be registered on the Irish Fleet Register at the time of grant application; and

· who must have been actively fishing from March to July in 2025

• Owners of aquaculture vessels which must be registered on the Irish Fleet Register at the time of grant application, under the Aquaculture segment.

• All applicants must be tax compliant at time of payment.

• All applicants must be in financial good standing with BIM.

Note that where a vessel owner has sold the vessel they had in 2024 / 2025 and acquired a new vessel:

• The fishing record of the new vessel may be used to qualify for the scheme.

• Where the new vessel does not meet the requirements the record for their previous vessel may be used.

• The invoicing / payment documentation record submitted must have been incurred by the applicant and not the previous owner of the vessel.

The total payment for each applicant will be calculated once all claims have been submitted. However, it is anticipated that approximately 40 cents per litre of the estimated usage over a 5-month period will be the basis of the payment. For owners of vessels less than 6m LOA a flat rate payment of a minimum of €350 will be made. Both the assumed usage ratio and the cents per litre amount will be set to ensure that the total scheme budget is respected.

Under the scheme there will be one payment per applicant to cover a full five-month period. Applicants who are vessel owners of greater than 6m LOA, will be asked to supply their usage for the period 1 March – 31 July 2025 based on receipted expenditure. For applicants who are vessel owners of less than 6m LOA, they will receive a flat rate support and will not need to provide fuel receipts.

The scheme will remain open until Friday, 12 June 2026.

As this scheme is being implemented under the Temporary Crisis Framework set up by the EU Commission and all applicable State Aid Rules, payments will only be made to applicants once State Aid approval has been received by the Department.

Applicants wishing to contact BIM regarding the Fishing and Aquaculture Registered Vessel Fuel Support Scheme, can email the Grants Helpdesk at grantshelpdesk@bim.ie

The Minister welcomed Dr. Parkes to the role saying:

The appointment follows an open competition run by Public Jobs.

Speaking today, Dr. Parkes said:

Dr. Parkes is a senior academic and researcher in domestic child law and international children’s rights in University College Cork. Dr. Parkes has over twenty years’ experience in informing policy and legal developments in the areas of child and family law, children’s rights, child protection, and international human rights law.

Notes to Editors

The Job Specification underpinning the recruitment process for the 2026 – 2028 Term is as follows:

· The Special Rapporteur is required to prepare one Annual Report for each year of the two-year term, examining the impact on child protection, if any, of relevant national and international legal and legislative developments during the previous year.

· Additionally, at the request of the Minister or on the proposal of the Special Rapporteur, and agreed between the Minister and Special Rapporteur, the Special Rapporteur may be asked to prepare at least one thematic report over the course of the two-year term.

· The Rapporteur is accountable to the Government. The Annual Report submitted to the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality will be submitted to Government for approval to publish and will be laid before the Oireachtas and published.

· The term of office for the Special Rapporteur on Child Protection is two years. An annual stipend of €25,000 per annum is payable to the appointee in respect of the required outputs of the role.

Background Information on Dr. Aisling Parkes

Education

· PhD in Law, University College Cork (2007) – specialising in children’s rights, child law and the voice of the child (Article 12 UNCRC)

· LLM (Hons), University College Cork (2001) University College Cork, 2001

· MA in Teaching & Learning in Higher Education, University College Cork, 2011

· MA in Applied Psychology (Coaching Psychology), University College Cork, 2016

· BA (Applied Psychology), University College Cork, 2021

· BCL (Hons, University College Cork, 2000

Current Position

Dr Parkes is a Senior Lecturer in Law at University College Cork, and a nationally and internationally recognised expert in child and family law, children’s rights, and child protection. She brings over twenty years’ experience in academic research, teaching, and policy engagement in the field of children’s rights and family justice.

Her academic work is widely recognised internationally, including the publication of her work titled Children and International Human Rights Law: The Right of the Child to be Heard (Routledge), as well as an extensive body of peer‑reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and policy reports on child protection, family law, and children’s participation rights.

Dr Parkes has significant experience influencing policy and practice at both national and international level. She has acted as an Independent Expert to the Council of Europe, contributing to the development of European standards on children with imprisoned parents, and has worked on a wide range of government‑commissioned and NGO‑commissioned research projects addressing child protection, adoption, domestic violence, and family justice reform, and led the Department of Justice commissioned report into the Operation of the in camera rule in family law proceedings (2025). Dr Parkes has also contributed extensively to professional education and training nationally and internationally, delivering specialist training to judges, legal practitioners, and child protection professionals. She is actively involved with a number of children’s rights national and international organisations and networks, including the Children’s Rights Alliance, the Children of Prisoners Europe network and other research and policy groups focused on advancing children’s rights.

Previous Career History

· Lecturer in Law, School of law, University College Cork (2008–2019)

· Programme Director, Law School, Griffith College Cork (2006-2008)

· Part-time lecturer and tutor in Law, UCC (2002-2006)

Publications (Selected)

· Parkes A., (PI) McCaughren S., Burns, K., D’jalma Torres Sánchez M., The Operation of the In Camera Rule in Family Law Proceedings (Dublin: Government of Ireland, 2025) April 2025.https://assets.gov.ie/static/documents/The_Operation_of_the_In_Camera_Rule_in_Family_Law_Proceedings.pdf .

· Parkes, A. Children and International Human Rights Law: The Right of the Child to be Heard (UK/NYC: Routledge-Cavendish, 2013, 2015)

· Parkes A. & Donson F., Parental Imprisonment and Children’s Rights (UK: Routledge, 2021)

· Parkes, A., McCaughren, S, Holt, S, ‘The Voice of the Child? The Child has no Voice. An Irish Study Exploring the Voice of Young Children in Decisions regarding Contact’ European Social Work Research, 2(3), 204-223.

· McCaughren, S., Holt, S., Parkes, A., Gregory, S., Research Report on Guidance on Contact Time for Infants and Young Children in Separated Families, Trinity College Dublin, December, 2022, p1 – 180 Report, 2022

Awards (Selected)

2024 Leadership Award, College of Business and Law Awards, UCC

2021 Peter Dempsey Award, School of Applied Psychology, UCC

2016 Frank McGrath Perpetual Award for Equality and Welfare 2016

2016 UCC Research Team of the Year 201

2014 UCC Presidents Award for Excellence in Teaching and Learning

Under the Walks Scheme, modest funding is provided to farmers and other landholders to maintain the walking trails that cross their land. Additional funding for small-scale capital works on these trails is being announced today.

Among the successful projects include:

• Slí Chonamara, Co Galway – Trail Upgrade and Repair – €10,000
• Croagh Patrick Heritage Trail, Co Mayo – Path and fencing improvements – €10,000.
• Duhallow Way, Co Cork – Walking bridge replacement, fencing replacement, crossing stile and information lectern installation – €10,000.
• Kilmacoliver Woodland Loop, Co Kilkenny– Surface upgrades and improving accessibility – €10,000.
• Rerrin Loop Bere Island, Bere Island, Co Cork – Surface improvements with installation of new signage and waymarkers – €10,000.
• Waterford Estuary Coastal Path, Co Waterford – Installation of location identification signage, replacement of information board – €10,000.

The full list of approved projects can be found here.

Embracing Ireland’s Outdoor, National Outdoor Recreation Strategy 2023 – 2027

Launched in November 2022, Ireland’s first-ever National Outdoor Recreation Strategy 2023-2027: Embracing Ireland’s Outdoors provides a strategic, collaborative framework to facilitate the consolidation and sustainable growth of the outdoor recreation sector.

The Strategy will see the development of a more coordinated approach to outdoor recreation on a national and local level through the development of County Outdoor Recreation Plans and the establishment of County Outdoor Recreation Committees and Stakeholder Forums.

The Walks Scheme

The Walks Scheme facilitates the development and maintenance of key walking trails by private landholders. Under the Scheme, funding is provided to farmers and other landholders to maintain the walking trails that cross their land.

The Scheme, which is operated by the Department of Rural and Community Development in conjunction with local development companies, already has 2,797 farmers and landholders participating.

The scheme is administered by 22 Local Development Companies (LDCs) who deliver the scheme in their area on behalf of the Department. Funding is also provided to Local Development Companies for the management of the scheme and the upkeep of the trails.

The Department funds 23 Rural Recreation Officers (RROs) in these LDCs, with a contribution from Fáilte Ireland, to assist with the delivery of the Scheme and support other rural recreation initiatives at a local level.

There is currently approval in principle for 164 trails to be included on the Walks Scheme. To date, 138 trails have been brought onto the Scheme with work underway to bring the remaining trails onto the Scheme as soon as possible.

For more information on the National Outdoor Recreation Strategy 2023-2027, see here.

Walks Scheme Development Fund

Maximum €10,000 funding for small-scale capital works on trails already supported through the Walks Scheme

Minister for Transport, Darragh O’Brien

Minister of State at the Department of Transport with responsibility for International and Road Transport, Logistics, Rail and Ports, Seán Canney

Minister of State with responsibility for Rural Transport, Jerry Buttimer

Application process
The Scheme opened for applications at 12 noon on Wednesday 20 May, and will remain open until 12 noon on Friday 12 June 2026.
Full eligibility criteria, terms and conditions, and information on State Aid rules are available on the application portal.