Barrister to head rejigged asylum-appeal process
Barrister Cindy Carroll has been appointed as chief appeals officer to the Tribunal for Asylum and Returns Appeals (TARA).
TARA is the body that will manage international-protection appeals under the International Protection Act 2026 from 12 June onwards.
Established as part of the package to bring Ireland into line with the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, the tribunal is intended to speed up the appeals process.
Five-year term
Carroll’s appointment, which follows an open competition, will take effect from 12 June and will be for a five-year period.
A UCC law graduate, she was called to the Bar in 1995 and practised as a barrister in Cork and Dublin.
In March 2018, Carroll was appointed as deputy chair at the current appeals body, the International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT).
As part of the preparations for the EU pact, she was appointed as an acting principal officer in the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration in July 2025 after an internal competition.
IPAT to be wound down
The Department of Justice says that, for a time, TARA and IPAT will operate simultaneously under separate legislative frameworks.
It adds that, as appeals under the previous 2015 legislation continue, IPAT will be wound down over time.
All appeals made from 12 June under the 2026 act will be dealt with by TARA.