Oral appeal hearings on asylum decisions to be 'extremely limited' under legislation

Justice minister Jim O'Callaghan will on Tuesday bring to Cabinet a new act to govern the international protection system in Ireland: The International Protection Bill 2025. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA

The use of oral appeal hearings for asylum seekers is to be severely limited in a bid to speed up the process.

The minister for justice, Jim O'Callaghan, will on Tuesday bring to Cabinet a new act to govern the international protection system in Ireland: The International Protection Bill 2025. 

It will aim to implement an accelerated processing system for those from designated safe countries of origin, applicants who have received protection elsewhere in Europe, citizens of countries from which there are the largest number of applicants, and countries which have already seen numbers applying for asylum here dropping. 

The bill is designed to prepare Ireland for the EU's Migration Pact.

Overall, there has been a drop of 42% in the number of applications in the first three months of 2025 when compared to the first three months of 2024. 

Under the new laws, officers in the system will be able to directly issue decisions on international protection and returns — rather than recommendations. It is then proposed to establish a new second instance body to deal with appeals. 

'Drive efficiency'

This body would operate separately from the International Protection Appeals Tribunal (Ipat) and will only deal with appeals made under the new laws, but will see the use of oral hearings become "extremely limited", according to government sources. They added that this would "drive efficiency and time savings". 

A government source said that the current system, which allows for oral appeal hearings, makes applications take longer and "doubles up" on the decision-making process.

The bill will also see asylum applicants undergo more detail biometric screening, rather than just fingerprinting and will see screening centres used as a "one stop shop" to register and lodge applications, complete relevant checks, determine the appropriate pathway for applicants, and to provide legal counselling.

Meanwhile, the minister for foreign affairs and defence, Simon Harris, will tell ministers that his department has identified four countries with which it will now enter into formal negotiations with a view to beginning the rollout of the country's first military radar programme from 2026.

The rollout of the programme will begin in phases and be completed in 2028, according to sources.

The Tánaiste is expected to tell Cabinet that, once fully in place, Ireland’s radar system will have the capability to detect all aircraft traversing our airspace — including any that may be operating with their transponders turned off.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin, on behalf of the chief whip Mary Butler, will bring the summer legislation programme to Cabinet. The programme will include bills on the deployment of peacekeepers, the Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) (Amendment) Bill, and the Short-Term Letting and Tourism Bill.