From: Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration
The Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Jim O’Callaghan TD, has received Cabinet approval to publish the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2025, which will significantly enhance Ireland’s legislative framework for countering terrorism.
The Bill updates Ireland’s counter-terrorism laws in response to the evolving and increasingly complex nature of terrorist threats—particularly those with cross-border implications and cyber components—and aligns domestic legislation with Directive (EU) 2017/541 on combating terrorism. This alignment will enable more robust cooperation across the European Union’s counter-terrorism networks, enhancing the operational capacity of An Garda Síochána to address both domestic and international threats.
Key Features of the Bill
The Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2025 will:
- Broaden the scope of prosecutable terrorist offences.
- Introduce three new offences aimed at addressing the issue of foreign terrorist fighters:
- Receiving training for the purpose of terrorism
- Travelling for the purpose of terrorism
- Organising or facilitating travel for the purpose of terrorism
- Enable courts to treat as an aggravating factor the recruitment or training of children under the age of 18 for terrorist purposes.
- Expand the definition of terrorist offences to include cyber-related attacks designed to cause widespread harm.
- Replace and update references in existing law to align with the 2017 EU Directive, ensuring Ireland remains compliant with international obligations.
Statement from Minister Jim O’Callaghan
“I am pleased to have secured Cabinet approval to publish this important legislation. The Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2025 marks a vital step forward in ensuring that Ireland’s legal framework is capable of responding to the complex and modern nature of terrorism.
This Bill strengthens our ability to prosecute a wider range of terrorist activity, particularly in relation to foreign terrorist fighters, and ensures our laws are aligned with those of other EU member states. By doing so, we enhance our capacity to work effectively within EU counter-terrorism structures.
I am especially proud that this legislation reinforces our commitment in the Programme for Government to protect national and international security while upholding the rule of law.”
Legislative Overview
The main provisions of the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2025 include:
- Section 1: Defines the Principal Act as the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Act 2005.
- Section 2: Updates legal references to the EU’s current terrorism directive and introduces new terrorist offences.
- Section 3: Expands the definition of public provocation to include the glorification of terrorism.
- Section 4: Introduces a new offence: receiving training for terrorism.
- Section 5: Creates two new offences:
- Travelling for the purpose of terrorism
- Organising or facilitating such travel
- Section 6: Sets penalties for new offences (up to 10 years’ imprisonment on conviction) and allows for aggravating factors at sentencing, especially when children are involved.
- Section 7: Inserts the full text of Directive (EU) 2017/541 into the Schedules of the Principal Act.
- Section 8: Expands Schedule 2 to include cyber offences such as data and system interference as terrorist activity.
- Section 9: Standard provision for the short title, citation, and commencement of the Act.
For further information, including the full text of Directive (EU) 2017/541, please refer to the official publication here (link provided for reference purposes).
