Council of State to meet on asylum legislation
President Connolly has called a meeting of the Council of State to discuss a bill that overhauls Ireland’s immigration laws.
The meeting, convened under article 26 of the Constitution, will be held at Áras an Uachtaráin on Monday 20 April at 2.30pm.
The president will hear views from the council on whether the International Protection Bill 2026 or any of its provisions are repugnant to the Constitution.
Article 26 allows the president, after consulting the council, to refer a bill to the Supreme Court to decide on its constitutionality.
The president’s decision came after the bill passed through the Houses of the Oireachtas yesterday (15 April).
The legislation brings Ireland into line with the EU Migration and Asylum Pact, which is aimed at harmonising and improving the management of migration across the EU.
The bill must be enacted and the measures commenced by 12 June.
Minister Jim O’Callaghan described the bill as “a pivotal step in our implementation of a rules-based migration and asylum system in Ireland and across all EU member states”.
‘Faster decisions’
The Department of Justice says that the bill will lead to faster decision-making, with successful applicants granted international protection sooner, and those whose applications are refused being returned to their country of origin sooner.
It adds that this will result in increased savings to the exchequer, as applicants will spend less time in the international-protection process and in accommodation.
Under the bill, international-protection applicants arriving in the State will be required to go through a screening process that will determine the procedure under which their application will be examined.
International-protection applicants will then have their asylum claim examined through mandatory timelines, which range from two months to six months, depending on the procedure.
IHREC concerns remain
The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) warned that it still had “significant” human-rights concerns about aspects of the bill, despite welcoming some “important amendments” made during the Oireachtas debates.
“The bill still provides for overly broad and questionable powers of detention, does not provide for access to legal advice and representation, at the first stage and purports to restrict the right to family reunification,” said chief commissioner Liam Herrick.
IHREC welcomed amendments that introduced a definition of legal counselling, required the minister to take into account the special needs of some applicants in accommodation decisions, and specified that unaccompanied minors should be housed in accommodation suitable to their needs.
The organisation, however, described some amendments as “concerning” – including those on family reunification, new powers to detain applicants, and the absence of legal advice and representation at first instance.
“Family reunification remains a key concern, as current proposals place significant obstacles to families separated by war and conflict being able to reunite with their children and loved ones,” Herrick stated.