The Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan has today secured Cabinet approval to progress legislation that will lead to the most significant reform of Irish asylum laws in the history of the State in line with the EU Migration and Asylum Pact.
The Pact is a new EU framework to manage migration and asylum for the long-term. The overall objective of the Pact is to provide a fair, sustainable and efficient asylum procedure. This will be achieved through convergence in asylum practices across the EU.
As part of this, the General Scheme of the International Protection Bill 2025 is intended to replace the International Protection Act 2015.
The approval by Cabinet will allow for the publication of the General Scheme and referral of the General Scheme to the relevant Oireachtas Committee for pre-legislative scrutiny, and for the drafting of the new Bill.
Minister O’Callaghan said:
“The current international protection system is not working effectively, with decisions taking far too long. The Pact offers us an opportunity both here in Ireland and across the EU to reset the system. This General Scheme is an important next step in one of the most significant reforms of Irish asylum law in decades.
It is my belief that implementing a firmer migration system is a key element in protecting the integrity of our immigration framework, while supporting those in need of international protection. This new legislation will facilitate the new changes that will be introduced.
These important changes include streamlining the decisions process, streamlining the returns process, a new ‘Border procedure’ with a three-month time limit for decisions, and new institutional arrangements for international protection decisions and appeals.
It is also proposed that oral hearings of appeals will be significantly more limited than at present under the International Protection Act 2015. Fewer oral hearings at appeal stage will allow decisions to be made without the need for applicants, legal representatives and translators all to be present.
Appeal officers will make decisions based on the information on file from the initial decision and any additional written information submitted in the appeal process. This will drive efficiency and time savings. These reforms will continue to ensure the rights of applicants, under EU and Irish law, to be heard in the application process and to have an effective remedy in the appeal process.
These changes are ultimately about giving those who are entitled to international protection the opportunity to rebuild their lives here quickly and, at the same time, ensuring faster removals in respect of those who do not meet the criteria.”
The proposed legislation delivers on the Programme for Government commitment to “Implement the new EU Migration and Asylum Pact through a new International Protection Act.”
