435. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the annual statistical data relating to alcohol test-purchase operations carried out by An Garda Síochána under the Intoxicating Liquor Act 2008, from 2008 to the end of 2025, (details supplied) [13530/26]

Jim O'Callaghan, Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration: I am advised by the Garda authorities that a search of PULSE was conducted for incidents of:

• Test Purchasing of Intoxicating Liquor
• Sale of Intoxicating Liquor to Under 18 Year Olds, where the operation Test Purchasing of Intoxicating Liquor was selected.

Incident counts for total Test Purchasing of Intoxicating Liquor operations and incidents of the Sale of Intoxicating Liquor to Under 18 Year Olds detected, where Test Purchasing of Intoxicating Liquor was in operation, by year, are provided in the table below.

* Indicates a number of incidents of fewer than 10.

An Garda Síochána have advised that, when the suspected offence of Sale of Intoxicating Liquor to Under 18 Year Olds is detected during a Test Purchasing, that incident is recorded as Sale of Intoxicating Liquor to Under 18 Year Olds rather than a Test Purchasing.

The table below provides the number of charges and summons linked to incidents of Sale of Intoxicating Liquor to Under 18 Years Old, where the operation Test Purchasing of Intoxicating Liquor was used.

* Indicates a number of incidents of fewer than 10.

All figures provided in the above tables are based on data as was available in the PULSE database on 18 February 2026, are operational and are subject to change.

By law, criminal investigations are carried out by An Garda Síochána, who submit a report to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). The DPP decides whether a prosecution should proceed, and what crime will be prosecuted.

The DPP is fully independent in her functions under the Prosecution of Offences Act 1974 (as amended). The Office of the DPP is not an agency or body under my remit. As Minister for Justice and I have no role in the operations, functions, oversight or governance of the Office of the Director. As such I am unable to provide any information related to the work of the DPP.

Management of the courts, operational matters and logistical functions are the responsibility of the judiciary and Courts Service, which are independent in exercising their functions under the Courts Service Act 1998 and the Constitution.

The collation of data on convictions, acquittals, struck-out or withdrawn cases is a function of the courts.

The Courts Service has a dedicated email address for the provision of information to members of the Houses of the Oireachtas: oireachtasenquiries@courts.ie