S.I. No. 159/2025 - Integration and Reception (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2025

Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

“Iris Oifigiúil” of 11th April, 2025.

The Government, in exercise of the powers conferred on them by section 6 (1) of the Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Act 1939 (No. 36 of 1939), hereby order as follows:

1. (1) This Order may be cited as the Integration and Reception (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2025.

(2) This Order comes into operation on 1 May 2025.

2. In this Order –

“Act of 2015” means the International Protection Act 2015 (No. 66 of 2015);

“Regulations of 2018” means the European Communities (Reception Conditions) Regulations 2018 ( S.I. No. 230 of 2018 ).

3. (1) The administration and business in connection with the exercise, performance or execution of any functions transferred by this Order are transferred to the Department of Justice.

(2) References to the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth contained in any Act or any instrument made under such Act and relating to the administration and business transferred by paragraph (1) shall, on and after the commencement of this Order, be construed as references to the Department of Justice.

4. (1) The functions vested in the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth –

(a) by or under the provisions of the Acts specified in Part 1 of the Schedule, and

(b) under the provisions of the statutory instrument specified in Part 2 of the Schedule,

are transferred to the Minister for Justice.

(2) The functions vested in the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth in relation to –

(a) the International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) which offers accommodation and related services to persons seeking international protection in the State,

(b) the International Protection Procurement Services (IPPS) and the procurement of accommodation and related services for persons seeking international protection in the State,

(c) the acquisition, development and management of State-owned centres for persons seeking international protection in the State,

(d) the co-ordination of Government policy in relation to anti-racism policy and migrant integration, and the management of funds related to anti-racism and migrant integration initiatives including the following funds:

(i) International Protection Integration Fund;

(ii) Communities Integration Fund;

(iii) National Integration Fund;

(iv) Asylum Migration and Integration Fund;

(v) Integration and Employment of Migrants (IEM) strand of the European Social Fund Plus;

(vi) Ireland Against Racism Fund,

(e) the operation and implementation of integration programmes for migrants,

(f) the giving of permission to enter and remain in the State for resettlement or for temporary protection, referred to in section 59(1) of the Act of 2015,

(g) the entering in a register referred to in section 59(1) of the Act of 2015 of the names of persons to whom permission to enter and remain in the State for resettlement or for temporary protection, is given, and maintenance of such a register,

(h) the maintenance of a website referred to in section 60(14A)(b) of the Act of 2015,

(i) the maintenance of the website referred to in the definition of “National Standards” in Regulation 2 of the Regulations of 2018 and in Regulation 25(4) of those Regulations,

(j) the entering into arrangements referred to in the definition of “service provider” in Regulation 2 of the Regulations of 2018,

(k) the provision of access to suitable accommodation for persons enjoying temporary protection as required under Article 13(1) of Council Directive 2001/55/EC of 20 July 2001¹ , and

(l) the management of the resettlement in the State of refugees admitted as part of the United Nations Resettlement Programme,

are transferred to the Minister for Justice.

(3) References to the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth contained in any Act or instrument made under such Act, and relating to any functions transferred by this Article shall, on and after the commencement of this Order, be construed as references to the Minister for Justice.

5. Where, immediately before the commencement of this Order, any legal proceedings are pending to which the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth is a party and the proceedings have reference to functions transferred by this Order to the Minister for Justice, the name of the Minister for Justice shall, in so far as the proceedings relate to any function transferred by this Order, be substituted in the proceedings for that of the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth or added in the proceedings, as may be appropriate, and the proceedings shall not abate by reason of such substitution.

6. Anything commenced before the commencement of this Order by or under the authority of the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth may, in so far as it relates to functions transferred by this Order to the Minister for Justice, be carried on or completed on or after such commencement by the Minister for Justice.

7. Every document (including any certificate or licence) granted or made in the performance of a function transferred by this Order, if and in so far as it was operative immediately before the commencement of this Order, has effect on and after such commencement as if it had been granted or made by the Minister for Justice.

8. References to the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth contained in the constitution of any company and relating to any functions transferred by this Order shall, on and after the commencement of this Order, be construed as references to the Minister for Justice.

9. (1) All property, rights and liabilities held, enjoyed or incurred before the commencement of this Order by the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth in connection with the functions transferred by this Order are transferred on the commencement to the Minister for Justice and, accordingly, without any further conveyance, transfer or assignment –

(a) the property, both real and personal, vests in the Minister for Justice,

(b) those rights are rights of the Minister for Justice, and

(c) those liabilities are liabilities of the Minister for Justice.

(2) All moneys, stocks, shares and securities transferred to the Minister for Justice by this Article which, on the commencement of this Order, are standing in the name of the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth shall, on the request of the Minister for Justice, be transferred into the name of the Minister for Justice.

SCHEDULE

Part 1

Enactments, functions by or under which are transferred from the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to the Minister for Justice

Article 4(1)(a)

Section 10(2)(l) of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2024 (No.25 of 2014), insofar as it relates to the promotion of integration of migrants

Sections 59(3) and 60(14A) of the Act of 2015

Part 2 of the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 (No. 19 of 2022)

Part 2

Statutory instrument, functions under which are transferred from the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to the Minister for Justice

Article 4(1)(b)

Regulation –

(a) 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 20 (insofar as it relates to an application under paragraph (1) of that Regulation for a review of a decision referred to in subparagraph (a), (b), (c) or (d) of that paragraph), 25, 27 (insofar as it relates to Regulation 6(1)(a)), 27A, 27F(4)(b) and 27G, and

(b) 24, insofar as it relates to the functions under the provisions referred to in paragraph (a) transferred by this Order,

of the Regulations of 2018.

GIVEN under the Official Seal of the Government,

8 April, 2025.

MICHEÁL MARTIN,

Taoiseach.

1 OJ No. L212, 07.08.2001, p.12