Stunning result for The Countess initiative, The Women’s Coalition on Immigation, as An Garda Suíochána come out in favour of our key demand in less than four months since launch of cross party group.
The Women’s Coalition on Immigration has welcomed the change in policy less than four months after its launch in Dublin in December 2025.
An Garda Síochána has indicated that it is “in favour” of recording the ethnicity of sex offenders, signalling a potential shift in data collection practices within the criminal justice system. The force also confirmed that Personal Public Service (PPS) numbers will be made available for recording on the PULSE system going forward. The Coalition describes this as “a significant step towards improving the quality and consistency of data” across the system, while emphasising that important gaps remain.
Laoise de Brún BL says:
“I am very encouraged by the news that PPS details are to be recorded on the PULSE system. We are close to achieving what the Women’s Coalition on Immigration has called for. However, two further steps are needed:
I will be writing to the Minister for Justice, Jim O’Callaghan, requesting he make the recording of this category mandatory. Without an order from the Minister to An Garda Síochána, it will not be collected consistently. In addition, where a suspect does not have a PPS number, their country of birth and ethnicity must be recorded. It is important that this is implemented in a consistent and complete manner. Let’s not do things half-heartedly and piecemeal. The people of Ireland don’t get a vote on immigration and the least we deserve is policy based on fact and proper robust data.”
Members of the cross-party coalition also responded to the development:
Carol Nolan TD says:
“Where women have led, the Gardaí and Government are now following. This development validates what my colleagues and I in the Women’s Coalition have been saying, despite attempts to dismiss or undermine our position. Our call for ethnicity-based data is legitimate, proportionate, and urgently required. There is no justification for failing to collect this information, and it must now proceed as a matter of priority. Those who have sought to act as gatekeepers of information must recognise that momentum is behind this position, and we will continue to advocate until these measures are fully implemented.”
Linda de Courcy Cllr (Independent Ireland) says:
“Independent Ireland, alongside the Women’s Coalition on Immigration, has been calling for the release of this data for some time. While I welcome indications that progress is now being made, it is notable that others are being credited for a policy shift which we have consistently advocated. This issue should always have been addressed on the basis of transparency and evidence, not political positioning.”
Barbara McCarthy, journalist and co-author of the report “Through a Safeguarding Lens, Darkly: a thematic report into the International Protection Provision in Ireland” says:
“Data collated by domestic police forces and government departments of six European countries shows an overrepresentation of non-national men in sexual offence statistics. We argue that current policies are putting women and children at risk and we would like to see accurate and comprehensive data is essential to understanding crime trends and informing public policy. Only then will it be possible to determine whether Ireland reflects or diverges from patterns identified in our analysis of six other EU member states, which found that non-national men were overrepresented by a factor of four in sexual offence statistics.”
The Women’s Coalition on Immigration believes robust data collection will enable the Central Statistics Office to produce anonymised, evidence-based insights into crime and justice trends. This, in turn, supports policymaking grounded in fact rather than assumption or speculation. It will also contribute to greater transparency and a more informed public discourse.
Women’s Coalition on Immigration is an Irish voluntary, independent, non-partisan group committed to protecting women’s safety, children’s welfare, and social stability through responsible, lawful immigration policy. We call for full transparency in immigration, safeguarding, and criminal justice policy, with no suppression or minimisation of information. The Coalition is calling on the Government to take the necessary legislative steps to ensure that the recording of PPS numbers, nationality, country of origin, and ethnicity is made mandatory across the criminal justice system.
Through a Safeguarding Lens, Darkly: a thematic report into the International Protection Provision in Ireland.